Saturday, March 1, 2008

1935 news paper add

I just read a book on the depression in the 1930's. It was very interesting because it was a child's Diary. It was really amazing how so many lived in that time including my father who lived on a farm with his family during the Dust bowl. In this Diary was a add from the local paper...I thought about what it said, it has such deep meaning. I remember when my Grandparents and even my Mama and Dad seemed to keep the strangest things. Paper was never wasted, use the back and the front my Mother would say. Don't lose those Bobby pins, I am not made of money. Food was never to be thrown away. If nothing else the Dog and cat got the leftovers. Or the chickens. I don't think I had store bought bread until I was about 7 years old. I can remember my Mother using the coffee grounds twice so that you got more coffee from a pound. I am sure that we were poor, but I didn't know anyone that was truly rich. I had 2 pairs of shoes, one for school and the other for church. My Mama had taps put on them so they would last longer. In the summer we just went barefooted, and if you grew to fast that was just to bad, no new shoes till September when school started. I am not unlike my Grandmommy, she couldn't throw anything away until it was either falling apart or to stained to get it out. Then she would take the buttons off and put them in a jar or can. I remember hair ribbons, they were hung neatly on a large hook at my Grandmommy's. The used nails in a can, they still worked, why throw them away. I could go on and on about this, but in these days of change, I believe we need to think more about the waste. Just a thought for a Saturday morning. I thought about making a sticker to go on my car. I just had a thought...gum, I would save it after chewing it all day. That does sound gross!

7 comments:

Betzie said...

That is good advice Mary...it was fun reading your story. My problem is I get too addicted to buying more new products...like from Joggles or Michael's! I should try harder to make use of what I already have...may even turn out more creative! Thanks Mary!

Bethel of Bethania said...

G'day Mary
Ohh how your story made the remembrance bells ring, loud & clear ... we were brought up the same ... save 'everything' so was my hubby. I used to be told I was the biggest hoarder around until we had to shift house after 30+ years ohh who did we find was the biggest hoarder then but ohh how we keep looking for stuff that we used to have before the shift, that got thrown out cause we hadn't looked at or used it in the last 10years ... ha ha I've only just got out of the way of saving all my plastic containers & glass bottles only to be told we shouldn't throw these things out now - not recyclable + I'm sure you could find a use for them ... ohhh dear I must be getting old ... I don't think it's called saving things for a rainy day[another use] but Recycling ... thanks for the memories.
I'd also like to comment on Betzies comment to you - yes if we used what we already had we would find we are far more creative - what is that saying 'Need is the mother of invention' - I know that's not right but it went something like that & I'm sure you get the idea ... OOroo ... B

Janet said...

This sure brought back a lot of memories for me. I think I still have a little bit of that "save everything" mentality that got passed down to me from my mom and my grandma. Nothing makes me happier than to take some junk and turn it into something I can use. I call it take nothing and make something.

Kelli said...

The diary sounds like a lovely read, Mary. I didn't grow up during the depression but we only ever had two pairs of shoes growing up. One for church and the other for school/play too. We went barefoot in the summer and by the time September rolled around we could run on gravel without it hurting one bit. :0)
~Kelli

Sharon Tomlinson said...

Diary types are so fun to read. Also, old letters. I learned frugal from the same upbringing that you describe. ...now I know we were poor, but I didn't then.

Werna Gail said...

Memory lane, thanks for the trip. Makes you think, what are we passing down to our children? To be poor so many times ment you were VERY RICH in what really matters. BE BLESSED :-)

Cat said...

Good reminder. We seem to be a throw-away generation now. I still save - maybe it can be used later... then feel guilty for saving junk.

My Mom ate fish and turnips... and walked 5 miles to the bus stop...

Hugs, Cat