My wife is a city girl from Michigan and I am a country boy from Kentucky. We often remark upon the differences in our years growing up. I started thinking about the changes that a ninety-year old today would have seen in their lifetime and it led me to some startling facts! I prefer to think of myself as a 30 or 40 year old, but the fact is, that's not true. Nevertheless, here is my list of changes I have seen and vividly remember.
Grandpa having his house wired for electricity. We used the kerosene lamps prior to this for lighting.
An indoor bathroom to replace the outhouse at our home. What a marvel and modern luxury!
An indoor water faucet that you pumped to get water right at the sink instead of having to go outside to the well and carry so many buckets of water!
The older generation gathering every November to slaughter hogs (what a job!) and get the meat prepared, and covered and in the smokehouse right away. I still remember the aroma when you walked into the smokehouse.
Riding in the rumble seat of Grandpa's car.
Marveling at the amount of men and equipment it took to pave the gravel road up past our home on Quicksand Creek. This really cut down the dust.
Grandpa's root cellar filled with jars of home canned goods and the big crock filled with apples(?) with burning sulfur on the top.
Dad using a homemade wooden sled and mule to gather corn from the fields.
Making molasses in the fall and hovering around the fringe so I could suddenly and swiftly swoop in and get a sample on my cane stalk. This was a great and exciting day.
Going to a one-room schoolhouse where the teacher taught all eight grades.
Awaking EARLY on Christmas morning but having to wait until our dad got a fire built and the downstairs warmed up for us.
Gathering paw paws and persimmons in the fall.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
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