CAN'T BELIEVE WE MADE IT?? If you lived as a child in the 40's and 50's it is hard to believe that we have lived as long as we have... we rode in cars with no car seats, seat belts or airbags, sometimes in a rumble seat in the trunk or in the front seat no less. On Sundays we rode out to the country in the back of a panel truck sitting on benches and swam unsupervised in the river without sunscreen - we got burned, peeled and turned brown - hats were only for church!!. Our beds, toys and furniture were painted with lead-based paint and there were no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors, or cupboards - no gates on stairways - if we fell down stairs or burned our hands on the stove we learned not to do that again. We had no television, no telephone, no refrigerator, no central heating and some no indoor plumbing - we hardly took notice - we had friends - we rode bikes (without helmets, imagine) or walked miles every day, leaving home in the morning and coming home for meals on time without a watch ever viligant to be home by the time the streetlights came on. Imagine such a thing, by ourselves out there in the cruel world without a guardian? We got cut and broke bones and teeth along with a few windows here and there. We created our own fun and even ate worms and such (contrary to popular belief worms do not live forever in your stomach). There was always a game of some sort going on and our ability to build something out of nothing was very creative to say the least. On summer evenings we sat around telling stories - there was no end to our imagination!! We learned at an early age to stand up for ourselves - we got black and blue and learned to get over it. We tasted coal, ate food from the garden covered with dirt, shared food, candy and drinks and no one died!! We got soaked in the rain, frozen in the snow and sometimes got real dirty but hardly ever got sick. We learned to eat what was placed in front of us otherwise we would go hungry - fast food places were nonexistant. Our actions were our own and consequences were expected - there was nobody to hide behind. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we got into mischief or broke a law was unheard of - imagine that!! The teachers were "always" right and if we got the strap which most of us did at one time or another it was rightly deserved according to our parents. We were disciplined by our parents, the school, the church and our elders not to mention strangers on the street and how interesting we do not have emotional scars. To sum it up, we had freedom, failures, successes, losses, and responsibility and we learned how to deal with it all. We survived and what a great time it was to be a kid!!.
Friday, July 15, 2005
I shall digresss on any more talk about the weather and our "strange" neighbours.
Potato Salad - Strange topic no doubt but every time I think of potato salad I remember a time when I was a little girl and I would visit my Aunt Ethel every Sunday after Sunday School - she was my second mother and I enjoyed spending time with her. Almost every Sunday just before supper and time for me to leave I would watch her make potato saled for their supper and we would chat as she worked. She would cut up the potatoes, onions and eggs and mix them with mayonnaise and my mouth would just water - I would stare at the salad with my eyes popping out of my head and wish for just a little taste as it looked and smelled so delicious. We were taught never to ask for things but I just could not resist when offered some of the salad to take home for my supper. She would place it in the mayonnaise jar and off I would go as happy as could be. The first time I walked into my home with the potato salad my dad who was quite proud when it came to providing for his family was clearly upset with me and stated that it was just not proper to go begging for food and I was not to do it again. Somehow my aunt and my dad worked it out and I was able to enjoy her potato salad often. To this day no matter how many times I have potato salad it has never tasted quite so wonderful as that little bit I carried home in the mayonnaise jar.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Okay, those who prayed for warm weather, enough already, have some pity on this menopausal gal who would just as soon move right on into fall with some cooler air that is not quite so soupy!! Between the weather and out brain dead neighbours I am heading around the bend. The drinking parties continue - lots of beer and pizza deliveries and taxi rides (welfare must pay well these days). Woke up one night last week to a screaming match - the father had been thrown out on the lawn with his belongings scattered about, a taxi came along and after gathering up his things he sped off into the night. He was back in a couple of days to join the drinking party on Friday night. The young couple have a little toddler who they contantly yell at and spank every time he moves. We came back home on Sat to find they had retrieved three (not one but three) old, broken down, rusted, tin sheds from the lady next store who is in the process of moving and they are sitting in their driveway (talk about slumsville). Thank goodness the lady with the vile mouth was not able to buy the house across the street as it has been rented. The owners of the place next door commented three weeks ago that they were going to have someone tend to the lawn, etc but the renters agreed to keep things up - our comment was that they have not done a great job so far and the grass (mostly weeds) are now knee deep. The owners spread topsoil that was full of weed seeds which have grown into very healthy plants - it is not a pleasant sight nor helpful for allergies!!
Saturday, July 02, 2005
Don't you hate when car alarms make annoying sounds which go on and on and on?? Well, George experienced this embarrassing situation today while cleaning the car. Thinking that just starting up the car would turn the confounded thing off but no such luck so the manual was retrieved and searched to find that a simple solution would be to unlock the door with a key or remote - unlocking the car through the window obviously sets off the alarm. Anyway, it is a good day when you learn something new not to mention it may just have woken up our brain dead neighbours and how great is that - revenge is so sweet!!
Friday, July 01, 2005
The saga of the brain-dead neighbours continues - last evening the twit decided to move off his behind (beer in hand and looking somewhat like an alien from outerspace) to hose down his messy driveway. Last week the city came to remove a tree stump on their lawn leaving a bit of a mess and along with all the dirt and crud that had gathered in their driveway he proceeded to pile it right in front of our driveway - that reminds me of something "Butthead" would do. The sewer is just a bit to the left of us and a little effort to continue to the drain would have made some sense or in fact a broom and lifter would have done nicely. Anyway, I am very annoyed but what they have not found out yet is that they are dealing with a "estrogen deprived" woman and they may just be in for a rude awakening!!!!