Edna was a farm girl, raised here in Michigan. Nancy maybe a small town girl. I was raised in a small village in England. My experiences are most like Edna's.
If the world was to "end" as we know it......youv'e seen the TV shows and disaster movies. How would you cope? I think it depends on your age and experience. My generation would cope with the hardships except for our age and health at the time, we might even enjoy it.
Would you manage now with no electricity?......there were times living in England when the electric company would go on strike. So ..... no lights, no TV and in todays world no internet (smile) can you imagine the kids. At that time I thought it was romantic. Now not so much but I would cope. That means that should the worst happen we would have to learn to make candles and get oil for lamps. Know how to care for them, more than that fire. Matches.I suppose we could just stockpile stuff like that for awhile but ultimately we would have to resort to what our ancestors did.
Then once the lights came on the gas company would go on strike leaving us with no stove to cook on. That meant adapting and cooking on the coal fire.
It's surprising what you can cook over a fire. Now most houses don't have a working fire place so that would have to be overcome. Maybe in a not so bad situation the BBQ would work for a time but if it were a real disaster situation then we would have to find a way of making a fireplace and I am sure that can be done.
Have you ever thought about how you would cope????????
Edna was talking about growing up on the farm, how they would save the scraps of fabric and recycle then into quilts or clothes. No one cares to sew much any more. Its not taught......oh like with most things there are those who naturally love the crafts but it's not taught like it used to be. We are a wasteful society.
After WW2 people naturally reused things, saved things, scraps of string and anything that may be useful. I think thats what made me a pack rat. I have a hard time getting rid of anything. I collect stuff that may be useful some day. I have an aversion to waste. When did that change in people? I know it was not always that way here in America because that's how Edna was raised. In England it was a necessity for many years after the war. When did we become a disposable society?
When I left school my Dad bought Mum and me a sewing machine. I learned to make my own clothes. I was only just 15 when I left school and had learned the basics in sewing classes in school. SO I was set up already to learn to make dresses and things. Lucky that the fashions in the 1960s were easy to make. My friend and I would get fabric and make a new dress or skirt to wear at the weekend. Shift dresses. Remember those.
There is something satisfying about making your own clothes. I have lost the knack now as its been so long. I used to make clothes for my next door neighbour all the time, and made her daughters wedding dress. I would not want to do that anymore. Still I can sew when I want to and these days its cheaper to buy things...............if it were a necessity though, I know I could do it. I can knit and crochet and make baskets and turn my hand at most things.
If the world changed backwards.........I am ready. In fact I could be quite content, a challenge to be sure, but well........I like a challenge.
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7 comments:
I could do it, too! Growing up on a farm in PA I was used to hard work. We often lost power in the winter We cooked on a wood stove and made all our own clothes. I learned to sew when I was a young teenager. I still have quilts we made when I was a child...scrap quilts they were called.
God bless you-I hope the world as we know it doesn't end but life is strange and one never really knows what is around the corner.
Sometimes I do long for the simpler, quieter life- xo Diana
I feel pretty sure I would be alright and I hope you would be too!
I did cooking and sewing at school they were choice subjects but you had to do them for the first four years at high school after that you could drop them but by then you had learnt the basics.
We went camping in the holidays and cooked over a open fire very easy to burn stuff, but you manage , for some reason toast cooked on a open fire tastes much better.
My kids and their friends bring me things to take up or alter to fit them they don't know how to do anything like that how to sew and basic stuff is being lost now it is a pity.
Merle.......
I could cope ;o) My mom was brought up on a farm and I was taught well! I think the generation of today, is missing out on a lot! And, it's so true, we are a wasteful society!
I have thought about this very thing sometimes, yes. Especially when something happens and the electric is off for a couple of hours...it's amazing how much we depend on for electric! I could do it, though, if I had to. Not saying I'd like it (hey, I like my internet too much...lol)but...yes, I could do it. The younger generations would be the most lost...especially the generation coming up that have never known anything different than computers, internet, cell phones, Ipads, Iphones, video games, etc. I honestly don't know how they'd cope. Interesting post.
It's always great when you can get away and spend a day with good friends. Thanks for visiting my blog!
Lovely post. I agree times are a changing, I prefer the more simple life. Thanks for your visit and I am now following you back.
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