Living Like the Past

Many post back I have spoken about stepping over an imaginary line. It is a powerful thing to do.With all that has gone on in this world and to me it seems to get crazier each day, many people become overwhelmed for many reasons. Some of us are walking around with fatigue, brain fog, disorganized homes, cranky children, cranky adults. Prices are going out of control and for many debt is rising. I am most concerned about the general behavior of people, never seen anything like it. I am happy for the people that are not having problems or discomfort but there just seems that more are than not.It comes down to we all have to deal with our i ......

Where we live here in the United States, it is still very hot during the month of August but by the middle of August there are some notable changes, the summer vegetables are at harvest or have already harvested. There is heavy foliage on the trees, the weeds have taken over because it has been too hot to go out and there is the feeling that a change will be coming.For me it is more in the mind, it is like a battle is ending, the battle of surviving the summer heat. My brain has shifted and given me a dose of energy to plant those late summer and early fall seeds. This time when they get close to harvest the cooling is beginning if not already begun. So plant ......

This weeks readings will be different as I mentioned in my last diary post. In our diary of Lena, she is in the hospital and her diary readings stopped for many weeks. Lil's posts are short so I am going to do all the diary posts up until Lena returns home from the hospital. I will continue here with the Diary of Lil and Bob. I will come back with Lil's diary readings on September 17, 1943.Friday, August 20, 1943. Nice day done some watering. Up to 3rd street store to shop - over to see Emma in eve- some cannery-Saturday, August 21. Fierce Cold wind - Sat cleaning, baked apple & B Pudding- Bob done the shopping - called on Mrs. HanaSunday, Aug 22. Coo ......

I put the lightweight Chenille spread back on the bed because it is still too warm for the blue blanket spread.I have been doing my best to remember my past and what we did when money was tight. With the increasing prices of most everything it is concerning how difficult this could get.I think about how far back we need to go to survive a possible economic crisis? If we live like we did when we first started off keeping house then we will be okay. Today many people do not know what this means. I have told the story about packing up our 1955 Ford with the little we had and driving off to Oklahoma to live near an air base that we were stationed.&nbs ......

We continue this weeks reading of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. If you missed last weeks readings, I accidentally left it in my draft and did not publish it to my blog. So there are two readings this week, just look back two posts and you will find it there.The diary of Lil and Bob Friday, August 13, 1943. Cool wind - done the 2 weeks washing - Bob home 1:15 kid gang in front yard all day. Saturday, August 14. Somewhat cloudy & a cold wind - Up town to shop & to Sonoma as Bob left his purse thing in overall pocket. Sunday, August 15. Cool day, very busy Pruned Monteray Pine, then to white creamery for dinner then Bob cut lawns.Monday, ......

So many things to do, the fall garden needs to be planted or at least prepare to plant. Just enough time to plant some late summer veggies, maybe.Charles is cleaning out and organizing his small work shop. The house reorganizing is slow and the more I pull out, the more decisions to make. It is the little stuff that is all over the place. Have you ever noticed that when your house is messy, it is not the big stuff, it is the little stuff.I have been painting again, above is a shelf cabinet Charles pulled out of his little shop, he is organizing too and when he decides to discard then he asks me if I want it. Of course I want it!Ground sausage with cabbage and ri ......

I just realized that last weeks diary readings were still sitting in my draft and did not publish. No one mentioned or asked about this and I did not notice. I just sat down to type this weeks reading and here this was sitting in draft. So there will be two readings this week, this one and the one I am getting ready to type. So I better get to work. We continue the 1943 diary reading of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. To read all the diary readings from the beginning look under Living like the past in my Menu and go back to January 1, 2022 and that will be where the first diary post is located.Now we pick up with this weeks reading of Lil and Bob. ......

Our simple life journey has given us a different perspective on so many things that I do not even know where to start but I do know where it has taken us.A casserole that we made that could be put into a lunch thermos for Charles lunch. I recently watched a British documentary from my computer about loneliness and how it is increasing worldwide. People that live alone, mothers with small children, people that have lost their spouse from death or divorce and young people.Our history studies and simple life has made it to where we can understand some of the problems that we see in our society.I thought about my collection of old diaries and one thing I have learned reading my many d ......

We continue the diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard in the year of 1943. To read from the beginning look back on my blog under living like the past and go back to January 1st, 2022 to read the 1943 diaries. We continue with the reading of Lil's diary.Friday, July 30, 1943. Nice & cool - Done the ironing - made apple sauce - watered front lawn.Saturday, July 31. Nice cool day - cleaned up house made jello - Bob home early & done the shoppping - (ice)Sunday, Aug 1. Cool wind - Slept till 8 o-clock - Bob up for a Chronicle - cut front lawn. B.M. here in evening.Monday, Aug 2. Hot day 90 degrees 88 degrees watered back lawn all a.m. Nothi ......

We have been having our typical summer thunderstorms and hot and humid days. Even on the days that the temperatures have dropped the humidity makes it difficult to do much of anything that requires exerting. I am dreaming of cool weather and the need for a sweater, warm socks and blankets and snuggly pajamas and night gowns. I don't want to rush time because I am thankful for each day that I am still here but daydreaming of winter brings me happiness during this hot and humid time of year. It seems to me that we have been skipping spring and fall here in this part of the U.S. and have gone to two seasons, winter and summer. I fina ......

We continue with our diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. To read all of the diary readings for this year, go back to January 1, 2022 on this blog. This is the diary of Lil and BobFriday, July 23, 1943. Cold wind & Sunshine Baked apple pies - Bob says they are the best ever -Saturday, July 24. Sunshine but cold wind - walked up 3rd st. Stores. Cleaned up house a bit.Sunday, July 25. Fine day - Slept late- Bob up town for Chronicle cut front lawns.Monday, July 26. Warm day 96 degrees out on porch 88 degrees in house - Baked cookies - B.M. called in a.m.Tuesday, July 27. Another warm day 96 degrees & 88 degrees - ......

Hamburger patty, homemade gravy and onions, fresh picked tomatoes, brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes. Charles and I eat one main meal per day. Normally we eat a light breakfast unless it is a weekend and we know we will be busy and we will then have a heavier breakfast. In the evening we eat very light, sometimes just a bowl of popcorn. I say evening but we try to not eat after 6:30 or 7:00. So our main meal which is noonish we eat a more hearty meal. We did some pressure canning this week. Ground beef and onions is what we canned and froze as well. We do not have much freezer space so we canned seven pints and froze three pint and half co ......

We continue our 1943 diary readings of the diaries of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. To read the diaries from the beginning just look on my menu bar living like the past and look back to January 1, 2022. I type the diaries as they are written including spelling. We now continue the diary of Lil and Bob.Friday, July 16, 1943. Cloudy till noon. Done the ironing - Bob late - Had home grown sweet corn & chicken- yum yumSaturday July 17. Cloudy till noon - cleaned up house & baked cake & fried chicken - Bob up town to shop -Sunday July 18. Cool wind- Bob up town for chronicle - Ralph & Betty here in P.M. with their new baby girl by adoption.& ......

I have not taken many pictures the last two weeks because I had a doozy of an illness but I am finally feeling better. I was tested for covid, flu and strep, all negative. Second trip in to see the doctor and he did chest xrays and blood work. Eight days of fever, chills and sweats and pain all over, that was a long time for fever and it had the doctor and myself concerned. To me it felt like a relentless flu. Other than a lingering cough and fatigue I am on my feet and slowly getting back to doing things so no worrying about me, I am better. The above photo is our first and only apple on our young apple tree that was planted as part of our permacu ......

We continue the 1943 diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. To read the diaries from the beginning look on my blog for the date January 1, 2022 for the first reading of these 1943 diaries. We will continue now with the reading of Lil and Bob. Friday, July 9, 1943. Warm, 91 on B Porch - 86 degrees in house - Baked apple pies & fried chicken - Out in grove in P.M. to get cool-Saturday, July 10. Hot day - 90 degrees - Cleaned house & V BLinds - Up town with Bob to shop.Sunday, July 11. Hot 95 degrees - Bob up for a Chronicle - No lawn cutting - Too hot.Monday, July 12. Nice cool day - Bob took dressed poultry to frozen food locker for ......

I am finally getting on the other side of clutter. It is not finished to the point that I vision it will be, but now I can walk through and see that the things I have decided to keep have purpose. I am at the point that if it does not have purpose then we do not need it or it will just collect dust. We can never truly finish putting a house in order because it is a daily clean up but we can put it in a better order and then go on with the things we want to do.I found that I have a habit of making life difficult for myself because I want to do so many things. I just want to learn everything I can and right now. As old as I am and I still want to learn but this is m ......

We continue the 1943 diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and Richard. We start with Lil's diary and if you would like to start at the beginning look for the diary reading of January 1, 2022 on my Blog. Friday July 2, 1943. Fog & cold wind Baked Nut bread - Bob home 1:15.Saturday July 3. Fog & Cloudy till noon - wiped up floors, made Jello, worked Nuco - Bob up Town to shop -Emma rode home with him. Sunday July 4. Independance Day & still at war - Done some work in backyard. Bob burned the garbage & wrote to Kate. Monday July 5. Fine Holiday at home. Done some watering. Took a hair shampoo - Bob home all day washed car & cut lawn-Tue ......

This new day brings another day of triple digits. The weather has been very hot and uncomfortable this week and we just made it to the first day of summer. Many people are feeling the financial squeeze due to price hikes and I think about all the people that cannot afford to pay their Utillity bills and do not know what to do. I think about Lil and Bob in the diary readings and it was 99 degrees in the house and it was rare during this time (1943) for someone to have any kind of air conditioning. People felt the heat but were knowledgable how to cool themselves.I can share what we do here in our home to keep our bills down in hopes that it will help others to manag ......

We continue the 1943 diaries of Lil and Bob and the diary of Lena and Richard.We start with the Lil's diary, Lil and her husband Bob are in their seventies and Bob works lawns and does war duty by watching for air planes on top of a hotel. The year is 1943.Friday, June 25 1943. Fine day- Done the ironing- Bob fixed front door lock. Workds better - Ruby Armbruster in for short call.Saturday, June 26. Nice Day - house cleaning Vac'd rugs - Richard and marion in for a few minutes.Sunday, June 27. Warm 90 degrees in back porch 99 degrees in side. Cooler this eve- Bob walked up for Chronicle mowed lawns.Monday, June 28. Fine. Watered lawns all fo ......

This week has gone by very fast, I have continued with the organizing and putting the house back to a more romantic feel. For me, it is the linens that make the home feel homey.The smells of dinner cooking and the sounds of setting the table are part of what makes us feel like, this is home.Through all the sorting and moving things about I ran out of space because I was trying to make all the items have free space so it is easy to clean. The snack/tea trays and cups had no place to go but I do not want to give them up.So I decided I would leave them on top of the buffet and just cover them with one of our beaded milk jug covers.There is much history behind these beaded lace cove ......