Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks - Reflection on history

Reflection on history

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Printed Date: 09 May 2024 at 12:33am
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Topic: Reflection on history

Posted By: DMiller
Subject: Reflection on history
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 6:33am

My older Brother and I spent some time on the phone last night. Main topic remembering how and where we grew up.

Most of our days spent in a 1700 total SF house sporting a 700sf apartment for our grandparents, 1000 sf for parents and four boys, most every family on our street were similar or smaller. Great Aunts farm house had the One and Only Bedroom a Hallway bath tub room like a larger closet, and a loft where the kids slept. That included BOTH boys and girls same area but different beds. The replacement house the Great Aunt and Uncle built had TWO bedrooms and a real Bathroom, boys and girls still slept same room just separated by a quilt Draped across a rope center of room for some privacy, the outdoor privy still functional when required. Were two girls and five boys that shared sleeping area. Ben and Mabel had a pair of twin beds that sat against each other, a bed for a King and Queen!! Our parents slept on a Full Size bed and us boys on two Bunk Bed sets.
My times have changed.
Clothing was also interesting, older boys had new to newer clothes, most second hand, our younger brother and myself their hand me downs except for A white Shirt and black dress trousers, with a ever changing pair of dress shoes, much of us younger kids time was spent barefoot in the yard except cold days where we wore keds tennis shoes to rags!! I never knew but brother did, the Keds were bought at a local shoe store, less than $4 a pair..
Meals taken together as much as possible, walked everywhere or rode hand me down bicycles out to four miles and back. Could not ever remember kids being ‘taken’ by anyone with bad intentions.

Replies:

Posted By: plummerscarin
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 8:22am

My folks could tell similar stories. Mine aren't as much. Brother and I are a year apart so no one got hand me downs. Mom made a lot of our clothes. Annual trip to shoe store for school shoes we cou6not wear until school started and had to make them last the year. First bike found in a ditch and fixed up.

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 8:32am

I remember the tennis shoes.. US KIDS... everyone wore them........ YEP, we all had a bike.. Best buddy was 3 miles across town.. Use to ride the bike 2-3 times a week to his house when 12- 13 years old........ Would not let the grandkids do that today.

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Posted By: Tracy Martin TN
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2024 at 12:04pm

Ten of us. Grew up in a 1000 sf house.Older ones were gone when the younger ones came along. 21 years difference in age. Running water came when I was in high school. Wouldn't trade my childhood for anything! Learned appreciation, respect and built character! Tracy

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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!

Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2024 at 7:17am

Was looking around our home last few days, would have been a Mansion back in the days of the 1950s/60s. We live in twice to three times the spaces with a third less bodies indoors. Stored Crap in nearly every corner, quit counting Wife's shoes at 40pr, I have seven including Working Boots. Wife has Closet space no one had in 1970, is FULL, and whines has nothing to wear, sad she is part of the problem. HOWEVER, she will wash and return to the bed the same set of sheets until threadbare, have EIGHT Sets in the Linen Cupboard just for our bed. Growing up had One set On the bed and One Set folded awaiting the previous to go to wash then to become the folded.

I have three pair Work Carpenters trousers, have three pair newer that wear around to shop or ride the motorcycle, as wear thinner rotate to working pair toss a least usable pair and buy replacements. Have two pair regular jeans for going out less than dressed out and two suit clothes sets. Loads of T-shirts a few flannels and short sleeve button shirts, A drawer of Socks and one of Underclothes. Wife has three dressers with two closets and several Underbed Boxes.

How did the world we live in get so over loaded of 'Stuff'.

Worst yet is Wife's deceased Mother's household goods she had packed into her basement unused, some broken, some just piecemeal or considered MIGHT use later for thirty or more years takes up space in ours for last ten. Have been slipping little bits and boxes of useless out to Goodwill or Church sales. I refuse to rent a Storage Hole where will rent a Dumpster first. Wife is really quick to state will attend to "Later" then goes back to ignoring.