A Trip Down Memory Lane...

Hi  everyone!  Let me tell you ... I'm not usually a weather complainer but boy howdy, this over 100 degree heat is really sapping me.  For the first time in a long time, I had to use my Vitamin B12 nose spray.  It's easier than getting the shots and helps a lot.  My get up has got up and gone!

Beverly drew me out of the house yesterday to join her as she did errands and grocery shopped.  About 30 minutes into our trip, we looked at each other and said, "Time to head home to cool off."  It makes me wonder how the first settlers survived without air conditioning or even a fan!  We are so spoiled today with our modern conveniences.  I need to quit complaining!!

205 North Franklin

Technology is moving at warp speed and our appliances and modern day conveniences get more and more streamlined.  I was thinking back to my own childhood remembering how my mother and father lived from day to day.  The house I spent my early childhood days in was very old and just had the basics.  My mother and father invited their brothers and sisters to assist in the remodeling which consisted of painting and wallpapering.  The floors were painted wood that eventually were covered by carpet.  The cellar beneath the house had a part cement part dirt floor.  There was a coal bin on one side that was later was turned into the place where fuel oil was stored for heat.



This is a familiar sight!

Everyday life was pretty simple yet quite complex as well.  My father worked Monday through Friday and then helped my mother with laundry and cleaning.  He continued that pattern until the day he died.  Laundry was done on a wringer washer then clothes were hung outside to dry in Summer and on lines in the cellar in Winter.  There was also a large tub down in the cellar with a scrub board on it where my mother washed my father's work clothes.  Wash water was used over and over until it was quite dirty.  I must say, my clothes were always sparkly clean and sheets always smelled so good.  My parents lives were quite regimented with the extra time tasks took yet they always seemed to have time to visit with family and friends.  Maybe because we didn't have a TV until I was in grade school and recreation consisted of spending time with others.  Relationships were highly valued.

I remember when my farm grandmother got a bathroom put in ... oh gosh, what a day that was.  Everyone came from miles around to see their new bathtub, toilet, and sink.  It was in the 1950's ... funny to think now that a new bathroom could take center stage in the grand scheme of life!!  I know for me, it sure was nice not to have to wake my cousin, Sandy, up to walk with me to the outhouse in the woods!!  Now, that was scary!!  I also remember the water pump by the kitchen sink.  Running water from a tap also was a modern day marvel!!  Now we don't take going to the bathroom as a big deal ... it sure was for my grandparents and parents and even some of my cousins.  This Campbell's Soup ad features a stove, sink, and water pump similar to my farm grandmother's kitchen.



Kitchen-little casa

When we remodeled the little casa I made sure that I had a dishwasher.  When I was growing up, washing dishes was a social event for the women ... especially after large family get-togethers!  They would take turns washing and drying and would discuss recipes, their joys, and the happenings of everyday life.  It was not a chore for them.  In fact, they would say that the hot water helped their arthritis!  When I close my eyes, I can still remember the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen of various relatives' homes.  Funny...of course, those dishtowels had to be snowy white and embroidered with different kitchen themes!  As children, we played together ... mostly outside no matter what the weather was.  Our imaginations would run wild as we romped through the fields and barn and played blocks at Bestemor's home.  In town, we would go bowling (yes, the pins were set by hand) and to the movies (which was a special treat).  My cousins were really fun to be around and I cherished the times we got together.



What a treat store bought paper dolls were!

I was a precocious little rascal and my mother had a difficult time keeping me corralled.  My father went to the sand pit and got a load of sand and dumped it under a tree in the back yard.  I would play there with my dishes but my attention span there was very limited.  I didn't like sitting in one place for very long and liked being on the go.  I am like that now.  Even when we finally did get a TV, I preferred being outside or busy with my paper dolls and dolls.  Each Christmas my brother and I got a few new toys ... a doll for me ... some kind of ball for him.  Birthdays always meant a special cake and relatives gathering.  Gifts were often handmade and books were considered a luxury.  My cousins and I used the Sears catalog to cut out people and items for the homes our people lived in.  We spent hours in our make believe worlds.

360 2nd St NE 7/1/2011 on Realtor.Com 

When I made the transition to Junior High, my family moved to a new house ... one that was built specifically for my family.  We thought we were in pig heaven!  My mother got a new washer and, in later years, a new dryer.  The basement had a tile floor and became a play room that was cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter.  Although the house had beautiful wood floors, my parents covered the living room, dining room and hallway with carpet.  They got new furniture (which my mother still had when she passed away) and passed on their old furniture to relatives in need.  At this stage of my life I understand why this house was so important to my parents ... they grew up barely getting by with the necessities of life and now they could enjoy draft free living.  My father loved mowing the lawn and with each new lawnmower that came out, he upgraded until he got his riding mower.  He would come home from work and immediately go outside to mow at least three times a week.  Our lawn was always lush and green!  Like me, my father could never just sit ... he always had to have a project going.  The picture is of the house as it looks today ... when I lived there, it was painted yellow.

Each year in the Summer, my father and mother would can fruits and vegetables.  They purchased a freezer in the late 1950's which they kept stocked with chickens, beef, and delicacies like ice cream.  We had a room in the basement where food items were kept.  I used to look forward to the Winter to taste the applesauce and fruit that had been put away.  My parent's had a garden for years where they grew vegetables.  Other than milk and a few other essentials, my family was pretty self supporting as far as food.  When I visited my farm grandmother, whatever was in season was on the table.  Meals were at 7am, noon, and 6pm with snacks served mid morning, mid afternoon and before bed.  Funny that we didn't weigh a ton but we didn't.  In fact, we were all pretty healthy!

Lakeside Ballroom

Entertainment consisted of visiting with family and friends, picnics, dancing at the Lakeside Ballroom, swimming in Lake Minnewaska or Battle Lake, skiing, biking, concerts, plays, and school activities ... band, choir, Girl Scouts.  Every holiday was special and events were held at either my home or at the homes of relatives.  My Aunts and Uncles were good hosts making each person feel welcome.  Summertime events were particularly memorable with watermelon feeds compliments of Uncle Ern, lakeside parties compliments of Aunt Helen and Uncle Erv, picnics organized by Bestemor and Aunt Alida, Waterama hosted by my family, 4th of July fireworks hosted by the city, outdoor concerts and parades, and many other events.  I laugh because it was something special to drive around the lake at least a couple times a week ending at the Dairy Queen.  When visiting my mom, I would say, "Mom what should we do tonight?"  She would always say ... "Let's go for a ride..."

Thanks for joining me today on my ride to the past ... what special times I have in my bag of memories.  I am grateful for my family, extended family and friends who made growing up in the little town of Glenwood, Minnesota special.  I knew who I was and where I belonged.  It made by heart sing and still makes me smile broadly!!

I pray that all of my Readers have the joy of special moments enjoyed growing up.  It's time to finish up my projects assigned to today...  God bless you and keep you safe!!  Chat with you soon...

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent

about things that matter."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.