Depression Days

[Teresa]

You know.. isn't that just neat how things that you remember doing end up being with people here ?

I love memories..

[Diane Amberg]

  Speaking of long ago.  Our ideas of "essentials" v.s." luxuries" have drastically changed over the years. If you had to give up ALL modern conveniences except one, what would you keep?  I asked that question of a mixed age group recently and  I got some really surprising answers. So what would you keep?

[Wilma]

Electricity?  I have had that the longest.
plumbing?  I hate having to go out for the necessaries.
Central heat?  beats carrying wood and ashes.
Central air?  this is an essential right now.
Car?   can't walk or ride a pony

Do I have to make a choice?

[Diane Amberg]

  Yes, you can keep only one. It's hard isn't it?  A hint. We have a big Amish community in Dover Del. and nearby Lancaster Co. Pa. Now really think about it. There is no right or wrong answer of course. 

[Wilma]

I would have to choose electricity, because without it there wouldn't be most of the others.

[Leonardcrl]

I'm back for my weekly visit - My 1934 birth date puts me in the depression baby generation.  I heard many of stories related to here. 

Re: The oleo vs butter issue.  Much of the locally churned butter was of a lighter color that resulting from the mixing of the yellow dye into the basic oleo.  The story was that I was told is that the yellow color came from corn or grain fed cows.  Our Elk County milk cows were almost always grass fed.  On those cows that were in the herds of the commercial dairies were lucky enough to get a little corn or sorghum.  Even at that the butter from the local dairy (Curtis) was a lighter color than the Oleo from Winn's grocery store.

Re Post #13 & #14 on the belief that Armadillos were carrier's of Leporsy

Speaking of such, someone told me once that Armadillos could be carriers of Leprosy. Now that they have moved north to Kansas, is there any truth to that?

I heard the same story but in my day there were only a rare occurrence of armadillos in Elk County.   The belief probably resulted from the fact the Armadillo is the few species besides Humans that contract leprosy.  See this Wikipedia link.  The usual caveats apply

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillo#Armadillos_and_humans

I got rushed in closing this post so I had to come back and do a few touch ups sorry

[Wilma]

The yellow in butter as well as in egg yolks comes from the green grass, etc. that is consumed.

When the color it yourself oleo came out the color was almost orange and not very appetizing.  It was rumored that the dairy industry didn't want it to look like butter because they were afraid of the competition.

[greatguns]

I, like some here, am not old enough to have lived during the depression, but was forunate enough to be reared by two wonderful people who did live through it.  And like Teresa was taught to cook.  Also was taught to eat what was put on the table.  No, we didn't have pizza for breakfast.

I'm amazed everyday at work how many women just a few yers younger than my 54 years do not have a clue how to cook.

I even wonder why they eat granola bars everyday for lunch then take a handful of vitamins and the like instead of eating their balanced meals.

I guess there is so much I don't  understand in this busy world.  Dumb me, I didn't even know you could buy frozen mashed potatoes until a girl at work said she had to go to the store and get some for supper.  Is that sad or what?

See why I don't post very often!!!!!!!!!

[greatguns]

Whoops!! Make that 55 years.

[kdfrawg]

Nope, that's dumb them. It seems like people just don't learn the most basic things any more. My mom was sick a lot when I was young. My sister and I did everything most of the time when I was between the ages of 8 and 12. Then my sister eloped and got married and I did almost all of myself between the ages of 12 and 16, at which time I was of more use working for wages to help pay the bills. So I can cook, clean, sew, wash, iron, and all the rest of it.

I can remember when I was in my 20s and 30s in California, my co-workers would get divorced and the men didn't know how to do any of that. I now occasionally talk to people of both sexes who are out on their own and don't know how to do anything to care from themselves or their homes. They get by on fast food, take their clothes to laundries, and live like pigs.

I don't get it either.