My mom's life then and now

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Lady Biker Florist

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Jan 12, 2003
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We were very busy today and after the craziness we went into the office and collapsed and started talking. Thought it would be neat to post.

In my mom’s 82 ½ years on the earth she has seen quite a few changes.

Growing up years and then now:

1) No telephone – today carries a cell phone everywhere she goes
2) Never heard of a computer – today uses a computer at home and work every day
3) Could not afford even a small radio until age eight her aunt gave them one – today has a radio in her living room, kitchen, bedroom, and car
4) Heard of TV the first time as a senior in high school and her friend did an oration on “The TV” predicting it would come in everyone’s home, etc. and her friend won. – Today always has more than one TV, give or take a couple over the years.
5) Cars were relatively new on the scene. They had a Model T Ford when she was a small child and it konked out so that was the end of that. When she was sixteen years old she learned to drive from a couple different people and so her dad bought a Model A Ford so they could take her mother places, cost about $550.00 – today she leases a van worth about $26,000.00
7) Eighth grade teacher read the Bible to them – today it’s not allowed, as God is not allowed in school
8) Ordered from Sears, Wards, and Spiegel catalogues by sending snail mail – today orders online.
9) They walked one mile to get a ride from some friends to go to church – today drives herself to church and picks up her 85 year old and 91 year old friends also.
10) Out house toilet – In house toilet
11) Toilet paper was old catalogues – now it’s soft as a cloud
12) Bread cost .07 loaf – today $2.29 average
Stamp was .03 – today .39
Ice cream cones and candy bars were .05 ea. – today ice cream cones range from $1.50 to $3.00 and most average size candy bars are around .59 cents.
 
That's great - what a life :)

Makes me wonder what I can't imagine now that I won't be able to live without in a few decades.

Ryan
 
Patty really enjoyed that!
One of the biggest changes I've seen is when "what's for dinner"
meant what did Dad shoot or catch today vs. what do we nuke!
Bringing home the bacon meat we slaughtered the hog -not what we picked up at the drive thru!
 
Great post. Thanks!
 
My mom's life now and then

I truly enjoyed your post and it even brought back some of my memories....so, I guess I am older than I will admit.
Carol Bice
 
Mom talked to her sister over the weekend and discovered the first car their dad bought (Model T Ford) cost $666.00 NEW and when her dad got laid off from Ford the car had to go back as they could not make the payments. This was during the depression of course. The used car they bought ten years later cost $50.00 and he paid for it with money he got from the junkman that he sold some copper and zinc and iron to that he collected from the city dump.

During the depression he worked for the WPA (Works Project Administration) and earned $26.00 every two weeks and that was for a family of 8.

And yes Lorrie, the dinner situation was quite different. She said they did not have a refrigerator, just an icebox, so they went to the store everyday. My mom usually went as she was the best shopper and she enjoyed it. She walked and stopped at all three grocery stores in town to get the best deal. Bananas were .06 cents a pound and they could not afford to buy them.

The funny thing is that my mom never knew they were poor until she grew up and looked back and realized they were actually poor, but her parents did not have the attitude of being poor. They were very grateful for what they had and very resourceful in many ways.

My mom and her sister picked strawberries all summer to make enough money to buy school clothes (mail order). They babysat for friends' kids often and the most they ever made in a night was .90 cents. Usually about .50 -.75 cents a night.

Her mom went to the shoe store in town and bought my mom a pair of shoes way too big because they were onky $1.00. My mom's feet slid around in them and caused her problems, but she remembers thinking that at they were really pretty so it didn't matter. She wore them out before she ever grew into them.

Sorry to go on and on, but I know some people like to read these true tales. On that note--

One time she wanted to play jumprope and she was at her Grandma's house. She only had one pair of shoes and her Grandma would not let her jump rope in them. She made her wear an old pair of hers (the Grandma's) and they were old and ugly and huge. So when she was jumping rope every time someone came down the street she ran up on the porch to hide her feet so no one could see her shoes.

My mom's Grandma was such a good cook and kind-hearted the hobo's (her word) all stopped to get a good meal at her home every so often as there was a train near there. She gave them a cup to get water from the pump and they all stood around in the yard eating a tasty hot meal. Usually a few at a time was about average. Not every day, just every so often.

Does anyone else have interesting true tales? Please post them if you do!
 
My mother in law (turned 90 last Oct) grew up in the wild woods of Maine, moved to Gloucester, MA and Worcester MA later. She remembers getting fish heads from the fishmongers and fishing ships and her mother making fish stew (not chowder, no milk to waste). Also "fish eye pudding" -close to tapioca as you can imagine. Fish cakes were a staple meal-useless fish mixed with potato and deep fried. As a young mother living in Castine, ME (her husband was out shipping with the Maine Maritime Academy ship) she also used the "orts of fish" and bodies of lobster to sustain her family of 7 (4 children, her parents, and herself) free from the fishermen of the area there. They had two goats-Bleet & Blatt- to provide milk and make cheese and a variety of rabbits (meat ones). Her mother worked at the "rich folks houses" as a cook and would bring home left overs to help sustain the young family. The mother was working at age 80+ in the "Summer visitors homes".
 
Wow... I had a privileged upbringing (I'm grateful for all the gifts given me growing up). My Granny (Ireland) lost her only son and husband within six months of eachother... family lore said Grandpa died of a broken heart, and of course why would anyone dispute that? At anyrate Granny had 6 girls to raise, so, she took in boarders, fed them, did their laundry, tayloring (Grandpa was a taylor)... she maintained a garden, church life and kept a strong vital atmosphere for her "gels" to thrive and prosper. She was the strongest female influence in my life, even though we lost her when I was 18. She died 50 years to the day of her dear husband's death. I think because of her we were all alittle "fey".

My mom left Ireland at 17 to enter nursing school at Edinburgh Royal. After she graduated, she came to Canada where she practiced nursing in Hurst (northern Ontario). She eventually met my Dad, who's life was probably more trying than my Mom's in many respects.

He found his way from Kapuskasing (again Northern Ontario) and managed to go to Queen's University while being a life guard. He served in the RCAF and flew planes for the RAF during the war. He never ever talked about his experiences in battle... never. All I know is that he suffered emotionally from his tour over there.

I know he was very poor as a kid, but the only reference he ever made to that was to say that he would do his "@@@@dest" to make sure my brother and I had access to travel, education and whatever else it took to round us out as people. I loved my Dad and I miss him every day of my life.

My Mom, while mentally unstable much of her adult life, showed great strength and courage in some of the choices she made. I can't imagine myself leaving home at 17, let alone setting out for a new life a world away.

All in all, with all the foibles of their humanity, I'm grateful to them both, for without them, my brother and I wouldn't be here, and I would have missed the wonderful opportunity to be gifted with my own fabulous daugher. :)

Thank you for sharing these stories... it makes all of us so much more connected.

V
 
Favorite Depression Story. . .

Kathie (my lovely wife) was raised by her Grandparents and I was priveliged to get to know them pretty well.
The lived in a tent behind their OK tire store and had two other families living with them.
Grandma wanted a cheese grater. Grandpa knew they couldn't afford it. Being quite the inventor and improvisor, he found an old hubcap and formed it and punched holes in it and it worked just fine. Grandma swore it worked much better than the modern versions.
Favorite memory of Grandpa is when we went to visit the farm and he was in the middle of changing a tractor tire. I offered to help, but he wouldn't have it, "I'm only 73, I can handle this".
I miss them both.
 
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