About gDonna
The photo is my son and myself. Now days you can get a photo made to look old like this one. This photo was taken when this was the new look.

Harry S Truman was president when I was born and world war II had ended. I grew up in a time when lunch was put in a brown paper bag and a sandwich was wrapped with wax paper. There was no such thing as pantyhose, we wore stockings that attached to the rubbery clippy things that attached to the girdle. Convenience stores were not common and when we took a trip we packed a picnic basket because many places did not have fast food. Highways had places to pull over and stop, some with picnic tables. Read more ....
 

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Comments On Article: Back To The Old Well "again"

1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 4:44 AM CST

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 12:15 PM CST

Diana wrote

I am encouraged and find joy in each of your posts and videos and grateful for them.

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Sat Sep 03, 22 1:03 PM CST

Glenda wrote

Your blog posts are a breath of fresh air for this senior woman. I am so done with today's fast pace and society. Thank you, thank you for every post. I always look forward to them.

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Sat Sep 03, 22 1:52 PM CST

Juli wrote

Your blog is a true blessing. I have gleaned so much from reading your posts. God bless you for writing it. ~Juli

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Sat Sep 03, 22 1:57 PM CST

Donna M Wilson wrote

Dear Grandma Donna ~ I'm so glad you've started a comment section. So many times I've wanted to send a compliment or ask a question, and now we can. I so enjoy your posts, and look forward to learning more as you spend more time in the tiny house. You and Rhonda Hetzel are an inspiration to so many of us. Take care.
Another Donna ~

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 2:37 PM CST

Bee wrote

I remember a water pump and jar up the mountain from my grandparents. The water was so fresh and cold! Thank you for the sweet memory:)







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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 4:27 PM CST

Diana Moya wrote

How wonderful that we can leave comments for you! Your blog is my happy space. I've been following you since you did the dirt study. I've always found the way people did things in the past fascinating, so much so I begged my grandmother to write down her story. My husband and I are planning on sinking a well on our property something it had when the house was first built in 1945. We're hoping to use it to water our garden.
I'm looking forward to your future sharing.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 5:01 PM CST

donna wrote

FROM DONNA
Thank you everyone for commenting this far. Looks like the comment section is doing good except for small adjustments. I am happy that you can comment and see other comments and what lovely comments they are. I am also happy to see what you are doing as well. Donna

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 5:07 PM CST

Bobbi wrote

Grandma Donna, I am so happy to hear that you are feeling better. It's great that we can leave a comment now. I've been thinking about you and Charles with all of that rain and flooding down in the south. Blessings to you and Charles.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 6:04 PM CST

Pam wrote

Your blog is a favorite. It is so calming and has inspired me to slow down and live more simply. It’s always a happy day when I see you have a new post!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 6:44 PM CST

Lauren wrote

Grandma Donna, I was thinking that I might just need to write you a note and tell you how much I enjoy your blog and now you've got a comment section! I've been going through the archives and reading all your posts. I have always tried to live a somewhat simple life and find it encouraging to see others doing the same. I especially enjoy your gardening tips as I also live in a hot and humid climate. I haven't had nearly the success you have in gardening, but I keep trying. Many blessings to you !

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 7:39 PM CST

Donna wrote

FROM DONNA

Diana made the comment that she has followed me since I did the dirt study. I had to think, when did I do the dirt study? So I found the post that was done on September 24, 2016 and I cringed when I saw what I actually posted! Then I laughed and I got motivated to clean my house. So I will share the link to the dirt study since it is so long ago. Maybe you will be inspired and embarrassed to do your dirt study. Thank you Diana for the laugh.
https://gdonna.com/old-fashioned-organizing/daily-cleaning/

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 10:17 PM CST

Robin Sutton wrote

Oh Donna, I am so glad we can comment now! Looking for a post from you is a daily activity for me and I really like your new Back To the Old Well Again section. You and Charles are brilliant and so inspiring! I've learned a lot from your posts! Also, I'm glad that you are feeling better. I think I've been reading you for 5 or 6 years and I've read thru the complete blog twice! We have emailed several times, but it was at a different email address. You are a joy and a blessing! Hugs, Robin in Montana

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 10:38 PM CST

Nan wrote

Donna, I think these are my favourite type of posts from you. As I am a younger reader (early 20's), I enjoy reading about your memories and experiences from the past that is so different to what I have experienced nowadays- I think it's the small little details that have been so lost and forgotten in today's fast-paced world that make all the difference. Thank you for sharing!
All the best.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sat Sep 03, 22 11:35 PM CST

Pam wrote

Hello Donna, I can actually remember the old farm well, but it was filled in when I was very small. I remember frightening an elderly lady by pretendibg to fall in it (she didn"t know it was filled in).
Am loving how living simpler is changing our pace, less luxury and lower debt suits us just fine and feels like coming home.
Pam in Norway

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 12:51 AM CST

lyn evans wrote

love you blog from australia..you speak to my heart..

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 12:57 AM CST

Judi wrote

I love the new section on your blog Donna, there is so much to learn from the past, thank you.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 2:28 AM CST

Sandy wrote

How nice to be able to tell you how I enjoy your posts, I have been following you for over a year and have read all your posts, you have inspired me to go simple, it’s difficult but do able, I live in Wales UK, I am in my 70’s thank you

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 6:11 AM CST

Elle wrote

How fantastic is to have the opportunity to thank you for all the good moments, the relief, the joy and the teachings you've given me through this precious blog, you've changed my life.
You and Charles have.
Enjoy your well and continue to live the beautiful and inspirational life you're living!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 7:04 AM CST

Little Penpen wrote

I read every post of yours and there are so many times I’d love to leave a comment. I love your blog and your way of life!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 8:16 AM CST

Grandma Donna wrote

Thank you everyone for all of the wonderful comments. I am reading all of them as they come in, if it is overnight while I am sleeping I will find them in my box as soon as I awake and with a click of a button they will show up in the comment section here where you are reading from now. So if there is a delay in showing up here, it is just waiting for me to open my comment box so I can read your comment and never miss one. I might be in the garden or making dinner but I am nearby. I am enjoying reading all of your wonderful comments and learning bits of your life as well. I feel we are building a community of people with similar interests.
Thank you all, gdonna

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 8:28 AM CST

hopflower wrote

I love wells, too. It seems that the best water comes from them. We could do with one; there are many around here but not on our property. Love the fact that cotton was all around your future in- laws' house. It would be beautiful there. I just bought some linens from an Alabama firm that sells them and supports American workers both by the cotton raised on their farms to the mills that spin the cotton. Those linens are just like the ones from long ago. Yes, some of the old ways are still the best.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 8:33 AM CST

Kimberly wrote

Hello!
I know we’ve exchanged emails but I just wanted to say again how much I love and appreciate your blog.
You write so well, and I find your creative solutions and ideas of how we can improve our quality of life by living more simply incredibly inspiring.
Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas and thoughts with us - the world would be a better place with more G Donnas!
Xx

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 8:54 AM CST

Hilogene in Az wrote

Hi G’Donna, how nice to have a comment section, I used to email you ;). I had to moderate my comment section when I was discovered by crazy people, hope they miss you ;). I greatly appreciate the time and effort you spend writing, thank you! Living in the desert, I am increasingly aware of how dependent we are on modern technology and we are discussing how best to find alternatives. Especially power and water. I don’t think, at our ages, that we can go back to the 1940’s here in Phx without AC….at least I don’t think I could do it! Yesterday was 108. A group of us were talking about how people here lived without ac. At night they slept outdoors and had a bucket of water and a rag, and would wipe themselves down to keep cool. And hang wet sheets in the windows as a form of evaporative cooling. Take care and thank you.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 10:20 AM CST

Paula Alexandra Santos wrote

Hi, Grandma Donna! :)
I'm so happy to see that you are posting more frequently again (I check everyday, to see if you have new posts) and that you have a comment section.
I know there's a LOT more we can do, to make this a better, safer and cleaner world to live in and even if I do some things, there is still much more I can do, and if we all do our part, it will be easier and faster.
Have a wonderful week and God bless you and Grandpa Charles!
:)

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 1:08 PM CST

Barbara wrote

I have been reading your post for over a year now and check frequently to see if you have written. I am close to 80 and remember alot of the things you talk about. I also have health issues and there have been many days after reading your blog when I am so inspired and realize I have to just get up and keep going. Life today is very different, but I believe what you and Charles are doing and writing about will help alot of people to start living a more simple life. Thank you for your blog.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 2:32 PM CST

sar wrote

I am looking forward to hearing about your new adventure. I have so enjoyed learning with you over the years.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 4:10 PM CST

dale duckworth wrote

Dear Gdonna,
I was thrilled to see another post this week. I often check to see if maybe you added one in the long stretch between Fridays. I have been reading your blog for a long time and just love your examples of slowing down. My husband and I are retired without any debt, what a comfort that is with the expense of living now.
I hope you continue to post more than once a week. Dale in Vermont

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 6:10 PM CST

Marsha wrote

Hello, Donna,
As others have said, how nice to have a comment section. Your blog has been a source of encouragement and inspiration and I love your straightforward approach to things. It is one of the few blogs that I read anymore and thank you for taking the time to share with us. At nearly 68 years of age and living in the Deep South, I can relate to the water wells, and I still remember how refreshing a drink of cold water from an artesian well was on a hot, muggy day.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Sun Sep 04, 22 8:30 PM CST

Darlene Roudebush wrote

Hello Donna,
I enjoyed reading all the comments, as I know you have been, too. How wonderful to be able to let you know how much a post touches or resonates with us.

I am very blessed to have a spring on our property. We tote water every day and do so happily. There is a well on our property, but it does not taste good. It has a "sulpher" taste to it. I am sure that is from the coal in the ground here. The spring, on the other hand, is so refreshing and great tasting. I don't want to drink any other water and we take water with us when we are out, so we won't have to drink any other water.

I am looking forward to these posts about your memories. I love history and personal history is the best. We find we have things in common, when we start sharing our memories.

I check your site each day and reread various posts. It adds peace to my day and gives me inspiration, too. Now off to read the "dirt" post. ;-) Take care~

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 12:56 AM CST

Mrs. Laura Lane of Harvest Lane Cottage wrote

OH! I am so glad you added a comment section! I am excited for you about your new old venture. I have learned so much from you through the years. One thing I've learned is to keep learning and keep doing even as I grow older. I'm 57 now, and there's much I still want to do and learn. Thank you for being an inspiration!
Laura

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 8:10 AM CST

Heidi wrote

Dear Donna,

Really love to read your blogs!
Somewhere in 2020 i started reading them all.
I’m 61 and live in a small village in the south of the Netherlands.
I share your vision of the world we live in today and try to live simple and find the little things that bring joy to life.
You ones wrote about going back in time to save/change the world. I really believe that is the only way to go.
Thank you for sharing. It’s very inspiring.
Blessings for you and your husband.
Have a cool end of summer and a beautyful autumn.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 9:31 AM CST

Heidi M wrote

Hello Granma Donna! Thank you for opening comments. I am a long-time reader and find your trying to live like the past very fascinating. I always learn something after reading your posts. It is such a needed thing right now to be able to live with less "luxuries". Keep up the good work.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 10:35 AM CST

Robin wrote

Thank you for keeping this blog going Grandma Donna. I enjoy reading your posts. My favorite thing about your blog is reading the many quaint, cozy and old fashioned touches you create in your home. I am looking forward to seeing how you bring your homemade sweetness to the Tiny House. Blessings and Health to you and Charles!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 10:38 AM CST

Márcia wrote

I am a long-time reader and live in Brazil. Blessings for you and Mr. Charles!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 11:18 AM CST

Lora A wrote

Hi! Long time reader and just want to say thank you for sharing your journey into the past. I'm 51 and have felt a disconnect from the modern world for quite some time. You inspired me to start researching the 1920s and learning all I can in hopes of simplifying life a little. Letter writing was my first habit to rekindle! Thank you again!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 12:17 PM CST

Karis wrote

How fun to have a comments section! I just wanted to say that I've been enjoying and learning from your blog for years, and am so grateful for your gentle voice of sanity. Bless you and your family!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 1:54 PM CST

karen wrote

Really like the new ability to leave a comment! So glad you are doing much better! Looking forward to 'old well' stories. My husband recently dug a shallow well with a hand pump. Not a easy feat in our hard, clay soil with lots of tree roots but we can now use it in case of emergency. We have a Berkey filter and we would filter emergency water with that. Its close by my clothes line so I always pump it when I am out there. We thank you and Charles for your wisdom and encouragement in these interesting times....

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 2:44 PM CST

Susan wrote

Thank so much for all you share; your writing helps me feel more sane and I look forward to it every week! As a little girl (I'm sixty now), I went with my Grandpa to get water from a pipe coming out of a West Virginia hill because the river water that supplied the house wasn't safe for drinking. I hadn't thought of this memory for so many years, but your post brought it back right down to the very clear, cold taste of the water. I am grateful to you--

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 3:23 PM CST

Tandi in Tennessee wrote

How wonderful it is to read everyone's comments! It does feel like a community of people that prefer the slower pace of life, doing things the simple way and not losing our sanity every day in this crazy world. You blog brings me so much joy everyday. I refer to it often when I want to do something, and know I'll find the answers here. My grandmother was one of the most frugal, sensible and peaceful people I ever had the fortune to know. She was also very neat and tidy and beautifully dressed every day. I learned so much from her and you have inspired me to start writing down all she has taught me! Thanks so much for your writings and please keep them coming!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 4:29 PM CST

Melody wrote

I love your blog. It takes me back to my childhood, but also inspires me to simplify my 'now' life. Many blessings to you.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 5:32 PM CST

andra tilley wrote

So happy to see the comment section! I have read your block for quite awhile and I really enjoy it. We live in my husband's grandparent's house and we have city water we use inside the house. However, we have a well with a pump house and we water the garden, flowers and chickens with the well water. I look forward to seeing pictures of the tiny house!

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 6:14 PM CST

Gillian from Tasmania, Australia wrote

Hello Granma Donna! I have been reading your blog for years, and found you through Rhonda Hetzel. I wait in anticipation each week for your post, knowing it is going to bring a beautiful sense of peace and a reminder to just slow down. You encourage me to to pursue a life more like the past. I have learned so much from you! Thank you for continuing with your blog it is my 'go to' when life is feeling too chaotic with teenagers. Your home is an inspiration for making the practical beautiful, I love functional workstations that are pretty :) . I am glad you are feeling better and wish you and Charles good health x

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 6:15 PM CST

Judy wrote

I really enjoy your blog post. I've been reading for a while. Love all the pictures you post as well. We try to live a simple life too here in the country. Thanks so much for sharing.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 6:24 PM CST

Evelyn Terrell wrote

Good Job. I love to read you.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 8:48 PM CST

Gayle wrote

I just had to join the others to say I love your blog. I've been reading for years and go back and re-read your older blogs when I need a reminder of why I've made the changes that I have and am in need of motivation to keep going. Thank you so much and God bless from Tennessee.

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 9:55 PM CST

Marie Dybing wrote

Dear Donna in Australia we have more large water tanks to collect rain water if you are not connected to local services, though some people have both.
When I was a child I remember visiting my parents friends up country with a well that was just a deep hole in the ground we were warned to keep back from, no cover like your picture, the man had bee hives and travelled a wide area to collect the honey. It was a very isolated place we drove down many rough unmade tracks to get there my mum felt sorry for his wife and children as though seldom saw anyone. As a child it was another adventure. Take care blessings from Marie

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 10:51 PM CST

Amish Heart wrote

I love reading your blog, and that tiny house you're working on will be so much fun for you

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1,653 posts (admin)
Mon Sep 05, 22 10:57 PM CST

Mary wrote

I have been reading you blog for over a year and love to read about your projects and I love that you encourage us to live a more simple life. I always look forward to your next post. Look

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1,653 posts (admin)
Tue Sep 06, 22 12:10 AM CST

Karen wrote

Another addition to your already wonderful and encouraging blog. Thank you Donna x

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