Most homes in the 60’s had a variety of spoons and paddles, that were used to keep peace, and to teach good behavior and manners. You could actually purchase paddles with cute little sayings on them, that were meant to be left in a conspicuous place where the unruly child could read it and then adjust his behavior accordingly. However, I don’t think that really worked, as they were normally having too much fun doing whatever they shouldn’t have been doing, to stop and read the paddle. I don’t actually ever remember spanking them with a spoon or paddle, but I’m sure I said things like “Where’s the paddle? or Keep it up and I’ll get the spoon” Dr. Spock and a few other Drs. came along and our discipline techniques changed to “I’ll give you three..one, two, three, now you heard what I said, etc.” Personally my most effective tool was the barrel. No I didn’t spank them with it, or put them into the barrel, but all I had to do, if my second request to clean up did not illicit action, was to walk towards the barrel. Instant attention to the job at hand.  Now, however spoons and paddles mean another thing entirely. The spoons we use now are for eating, especially desserts. I don’t know how many restaurants we have, but it is many, a lot, tons. I think the use of the spoons contribute to our overall happiness but also the extra 15lbs. we gain when we come to The Villages. Our paddles are used for pleasure also…we canoe or kayak with them, the dragon boat teams race with them, and I would have to say the most used paddle in The Villages is the pickleball paddle.  With over 100 pickleball/tennis courts, that is a lot of paddles, and a lot of fun to be had.   Spoons and paddles still do go together.  If everytime you pick up a spoon for pleasure, and then go out and use a paddle for fun, I bet you’ll beat the 15lb. odds.  Good luck…