# Grandma didn't have a leaf blower



## Waterboy (Sep 20, 2011)

Are we learning to survive an economic depression as previous generations did in the 1930s? I hope so. Unfortunately, a vast difference separates then from now.

Many who were either already poor or who grew up in the country did not even realize there was a depression enveloping the country. Most rural areas didn’t have electricity in the 1930s. In fact, many areas were not electrified until the mid-1950s. As such, they did much of their work by hand, grew and preserved their own food, and relied heavily on horsepower.

When electricity, inexpensive fuel and motorized equipment reached everyone, those old treadle sewing machines, galvanized wash tubs, hand-operated push mowers, kerosene lamps, hand pumps and all manner of non-electric tools and appliances were tossed in the city dump. Horse-drawn farm equipment was left to rust behind barns or, worse yet, hauled to the front yard to be adorned with petunias.

Americans migrated by the millions to the suburbs where they could mow five acres of grass every Sunday before driving 40 miles to pick up some Hamburger Helper and Cheese Whiz.

Europeans think us Yankees are ridiculous – turning up the heat in winter so we can take off our sweaters, and then turning down the air-conditioner in summer so we can put on a sweater. We had enjoyed decades of an abundance of cheap fuel, plentiful food and clean water, and many of us simply never practiced conservation.

Of the two dairy farms I grew up between in the 1960s, the family to the north had 9 kids; the other to the south had 12. My friend, Janet, was second youngest among her clan, behind five brothers and two sisters. I remember only once seeing Janet in new clothes – made by her older sister in home economics class. The chest freezer in their huge kitchen was as big as a ’69 Volkswagen Bug and packed full of homegrown veggies and bread.

Rosemary was the baby in her family of mostly girls. She never had a new dress. The funny thing is, looking back, none of us considered ourselves poor. Money was scarce, but food was not.

I especially loved eating supper at Rosemary’s house in summertime. After helping bring in the cows for milking, we’d devour plates of homemade bread smothered in warm applesauce, fresh-from-the-cow milk and crisp green beans. The kids lined long benches on both sides of a 10-foot table, but there was always room for one more.

Our parents never paid any heed to a food pyramid. We simply ate an abundance of whatever was in season. Many August meals were only of corn on the cob as big as our forearms. Butter dripped from our elbows, and we thought there could be no better dinner anywhere.

My mother made raspberry jam in a kettle big enough to boil half a hog. At other times, the same kettle held squirrel stew, pickle brine, tomatoes to can or wild hickory nuts to shell. I could not say so then, but admit now that I do not care to eat ****, our main winter meat back then. But, because big, fat Wisconsin **** hides brought $35-$40 each in the 1970s, we scoured the woods for them nightly. The stringy, greasy meat was merely a byproduct we did not waste.

Still, although many of us ate from the land and lived by the motto “waste not, want not,” most of our tools and household items functioned on electricity and that cheap fuel I mentioned. Reversing that way of living will not be so easy. Our lives have been built around power and mobility. Who among us can sharpen (or even use) a crosscut saw, make lye soap (without the Red Devil stuff), dig a root cellar or cut grain with a scythe? Only those who are 60+ seem to recognize what a well bucket is.

While we are growing as much food here as possible, saving seeds and perfecting a hand pump to draw water from very deep wells, we still are on the grid – but working steadily at pulling the plug. 

I have seen others, however, invest tremendous energy (and much money) into keeping their same comfort level by converting to solar or wind energy to refrigerate mountains of meat or heat monumental homes. That is rarely possible. Many, too, are building stills to keep their chainsaws, lawnmowers and roto-tillers going. While I admire their ingenuity, I believe we need to also teach our children not to rely on alternative energy, but to do things by hand. 

I am thankful now for the experience of living from the land as a youngster, which has proven useful as we relearn to live frugally and without power. I’m not cooking any ****, though, and have a long way to go before I can run a household as efficiently as Great-grandma did.

Posted by Mrs. WaterBoy


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## Zanazaz (Feb 14, 2012)

This is a great a post. I hope everybody reads it, especially the new members.


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## moreau (Apr 26, 2012)

> Many who were either already poor or who grew up in the country did not even realize there was a depression enveloping the country.


I don't know about this. Many farmers while able to feed their families lost their farms due to not being able to pay the taxes/mortages including my G_GRandma. (A Gr.Uncle got it back). My Grandpa hopped a train upon graduating high school and picked up what work he could. Most of his siblings also ended up leaving S. Dakota for the WEst Coast and what work they could find. This story was repeated for many families in that part of the world.

I grew up on a farm/ranch in the 70/80s and all the older guys had Depression stories even the ones that managed to hold on to their land. They definitely knew there was a Depression if they were still talking about it 40-50 years later.

I guess the lesson for this board is that short of a total collapse of society you will still a need a source of cash to pay the man and buy the things you can't make yourself. Especially if there is a combination of hard economic times and drought like in the Depression.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

My grandmother grew up on a farm in North Dakota during the Dust Bowl/Great Depression. They most certainly knew there was a Depression. Many of their neighbors lost their farms because they could not pay the taxes.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

Petunia covered horse drawn farm equipment makes my teeth hurt, lol. The one that I really hate is going to a museum and seeing something I'd love to have (and use), covered in dust and mislabeled. Our local museum has a room full of goodies all stacked on top of each other, Very, very little is in context and when you ask the staff they have no idea what anything is or does. On the plus side if I really want one of these relics I make it myself, easy to fix something if your the manufacturer.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

moreau said:


> I don't know about this. Many farmers while able to feed their families lost their farms due to not being able to pay the taxes/mortages including my G_GRandma. (A Gr.Uncle got it back). My Grandpa hopped a train upon graduating high school and picked up what work he could. Most of his siblings also ended up leaving S. Dakota for the WEst Coast and what work they could find. This story was repeated for many families in that part of the world.
> 
> I grew up on a farm/ranch in the 70/80s and all the older guys had Depression stories even the ones that managed to hold on to their land. They definitely knew there was a Depression if they were still talking about it 40-50 years later.
> 
> I guess the lesson for this board is that short of a total collapse of society you will still a need a source of cash to pay the man and buy the things you can't make yourself. Especially if there is a combination of hard economic times and drought like in the Depression.


 Good points.Waterboys and yours.

A rude awakening is about to befall many of us.I too have had to draw water and it ain't fun!But most would bring up a bucket of dirt or tangle up in the pully.
I could just see the look on one of my grandkids if I told them to go draw water.Much less stand behind a mule and plow[something I never did but knew those who did].I do remember a few bad claw marks on my arm holding flashlight when the pump points stuck and my mother was there with a matchbook cover opening them "hold that light still or I'm going to beat the hell out of you".Of course today she would be locked up for child abuse.
I had to sell my lovable donkey so guess I'll have to pull my own plow.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

kejmack said:


> My grandmother grew up on a farm in North Dakota during the Dust Bowl/Great Depression. They most certainly knew there was a Depression. Many of their neighbors lost their farms because they could not pay the taxes.


 People don't realize they never own their land.Those who think they do should stop paying taxes and see who the real owner is.:scratch
Now we have to pay more because they think we should feed the school kids 3 meals a day and send them home a snack.Wonder what their 'parents'do with all those food stamps,since they obviously are not feeding their kids.I almost turned a back flip when we got the new tax bill.Add insult to injury,our property is worth less.If I could sell for fair price I'd never own again.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

I don't have TV or hot water. never understood what was so important about either.
I don't have a leaf blower either.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Magus said:


> I don't have TV or hot water. never understood what was so important about either.
> I don't have a leaf blower either.


 I have two of the above,but no tv.If i need a dose of violence or sex I can find it online.No tv for years now.
We have been without hot water though,its ok until it gets cold,but have been there.When I was a kid we sometimes bathed in the creeks or lakes.Drank out of the creeks.Today I'd be affraid to wash my feet in one of the creeks I use to get on my knees and drink from.


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## Bobbb (Jan 7, 2012)

Waterboy said:


> I have seen others, however, invest tremendous energy (and much money) into keeping their same comfort level by converting to solar or wind energy to refrigerate mountains of meat or heat monumental homes. That is rarely possible. Many, too, are building stills to keep their chainsaws, lawnmowers and roto-tillers going. While I admire their ingenuity, I believe we need to also teach our children not to rely on alternative energy, but to do things by hand.


You've taken one side on a question like "What's the best color" to which there is no standard answer.

People who are investing energy and money into systems to carry them through a period when those systems can't be provided by society are simply trading today's time and money for tomorrow's comfort and efficiency. You may not want to make the same trade, and that's fine, but that doesn't make your choice any more preferable or noble than the choice that these folks are making.

Someone who can create their own biofuel to power their chainsaw or bandmill will be able to make lumber with greater ease and speed than you will when you have to chop a tree down with an axe and then hew it into lumber by hand. The guy who cooked up his cow shit into biofuel won't have sore arms and back, will be able to do other chores around his homestead with the time saved while you're still working with that tree by hand. On the other hand you can put your cow shit to use elsewhere and you don't have to tend to a biofuel generator and so on. These are simply different preferences being expressed, much like one choosing a favorite color.


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## Waterboy (Sep 20, 2011)

moreau said:


> I don't know about this. Many farmers while able to feed their families lost their farms due to not being able to pay the taxes/mortages including my G_GRandma. (A Gr.Uncle got it back). My Grandpa hopped a train upon graduating high school and picked up what work he could. Most of his siblings also ended up leaving S. Dakota for the WEst Coast and what work they could find. This story was repeated for many families in that part of the world.
> 
> I grew up on a farm/ranch in the 70/80s and all the older guys had Depression stories even the ones that managed to hold on to their land. They definitely knew there was a Depression if they were still talking about it 40-50 years later.
> 
> I guess the lesson for this board is that short of a total collapse of society you will still a need a source of cash to pay the man and buy the things you can't make yourself. Especially if there is a combination of hard economic times and drought like in the Depression.


I understand what you're saying. It wasn't business as usual for everyone. The different degrees of suffering varied throughout the country. But here in the Ozarks, I've talked to many elderly farm women who said life for them did not change much. I assume for many men it was different indeed. Thanks for your observations from S. Dakota.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Meerkat said:


> I have two of the above,but no tv.If i need a dose of violence or sex I can find it online.No tv for years now.
> We have been without hot water though,its ok until it gets cold,but have been there.When I was a kid we sometimes bathed in the creeks or lakes.Drank out of the creeks.Today I'd be affraid to wash my feet in one of the creeks I use to get on my knees and drink from.


Until I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, we didn't have hot water, an indoor bathtub or a refrigerator. In the summer we bathed in the creek and in the winter in a wash tub in the kitchen.

Didn't know what to do when we moved into town and had "all the necessities". Now, I live just a few miles from the creek we bathed in and I also wouldn't even wade in it now(bet it would cure a case of athletes foot in no time at all though).


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## Moby76065 (Jul 31, 2012)

When SHTF,
I'm gonna die.
No TV? No hot water? heavy sigh.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Moby76065 said:


> When SHTF,
> I'm gonna die.
> No TV? No hot water? heavy sigh.


A few weeks ago, I started taking a shower this way--get wet, turn off water, lather using bath gel or bath wash, turn on water, rinse.
I use very little water and it is preparing me for sponge baths, maybe.
Try it.


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## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

A month or so ago we had a NASTY storm rip through, I was without power for a week. Not running water (well with electric pump). I have a kiddy pool for my daughter, I stood outside and used a bucket and bathed that way. Didn't bother me at all, but then again is was nice and warm outside!! wouldn't want to try THAT in the winter!!!!


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Moby76065 said:


> When SHTF,
> I'm gonna die.
> No TV? No hot water? heavy sigh.


Even with the cool snap we are having, we get hot water when we turn the cold tap on.

But.... in the winter after he ground cools off, I'm right there with ya.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

JayJay said:


> A few weeks ago, I started taking a shower this way--get wet, turn off water, lather using bath gel or bath wash, turn on water, rinse.
> I use very little water and it is preparing me for sponge baths, maybe.
> Try it.


The Rooster has not been able to get in the shower in a year and I have to help him take a sponge bath. Not fun, but we both grew up without running water and I know it could be a lot harder to deal with. I remember helping my mother carry drinking water in a bucket from a well across a road and a lot. I really appreciated running water in the house.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Bobbb said:


> You've taken one side on a question like "What's the best color" to which there is no standard answer.
> 
> People who are investing energy and money into systems to carry them through a period when those systems can't be provided by society are simply trading today's time and money for tomorrow's comfort and efficiency. You may not want to make the same trade, and that's fine, but that doesn't make your choice any more preferable or noble than the choice that these folks are making.
> 
> Someone who can create their own biofuel to power their chainsaw or bandmill will be able to make lumber with greater ease and speed than you will when you have to chop a tree down with an axe and then hew it into lumber by hand. The guy who cooked up his cow shit into biofuel won't have sore arms and back, will be able to do other chores around his homestead with the time saved while you're still working with that tree by hand. On the other hand you can put your cow shit to use elsewhere and you don't have to tend to a biofuel generator and so on. These are simply different preferences being expressed, much like one choosing a favorite color.


The only flaw I see in that argument is that when the biodigester is done with the poop, it actually becomes *better* fertilizer, the only 'other' use I've managed to find for it so far...


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## rhrobert (Apr 27, 2009)

Meerkat said:


> Now we have to pay more because they think we should feed the school kids 3 meals a day and send them home a snack.


Not only during the school year. Here they provide breakfast and lunch during summer at the school, no questions asked, no id necessary. Just show up and eat.


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## rhrobert (Apr 27, 2009)

Growing up things were quite different than they are now. 

While our house did have a bathtub, it was haul water and heat it on the wood stove for bathing. Running water was in the barn, not in the house. Bathing was in the same water, from cleanest to dirtiest in order. 

If it got too hot, we'd fight over who went to the ice house. We'd go swimming n the creek, or we'd just deal with it...never heard of air conditioning.

Modern conveniences, electric appliances...all the great things we now have shouldn't be taken for granted. Enjoy them now, but remember they might not always be around. We have central air in the city now, but rarely use it, last time was when it was 109, and even then it wasn't unbearable heat. 

Life goes on ...you deal with good and bad. Life is easy now, it wasn't always so. This is still the greatest country in the world, and I am thankful for the things I have now, and will enjoy them, while they last, but will survive if they don't.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

After reading through all these responses, I feel like I grew up as the richest kid in town. We always had indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water and a bathtub; clawfoot. As far back as I can remember we had a TV. It was B&W and since our little valley in North-Central Pa was the test market for cable in the 60's, we had 13 channels. Two were out of Philly(17 & 29) and 2 out of NY (9 & 11). The rest were out of W-B/ Scranton. My dad hooked the cable up to his stereo receiver and we had radio stations from all around the Mid-Atlantic region. 93.3 WMMR in Philly was my favorite. The monthly bill was $5.00 and every year at the end of May my folks would have it shut off and turn it back on in Sept. That kept us from sitting in the house all summer. Smart folks. 

I guess what I'm getting at is, a lot of you folks grew up the way I'm striving to learn about. Good for you all. :congrat:


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

JayJay said:


> A few weeks ago, I started taking a shower this way--get wet, turn off water, lather using bath gel or bath wash, turn on water, rinse.


But a sauna is so much more fun! 
It is the ultimate method of "water-conservation" bathing!


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## Waterboy (Sep 20, 2011)

Bobbb said:


> You've taken one side on a question like "What's the best color" to which there is no standard answer.
> 
> People who are investing energy and money into systems to carry them through a period when those systems can't be provided by society are simply trading today's time and money for tomorrow's comfort and efficiency. You may not want to make the same trade, and that's fine, but that doesn't make your choice any more preferable or noble than the choice that these folks are making.
> 
> Someone who can create their own biofuel to power their chainsaw or bandmill will be able to make lumber with greater ease and speed than you will when you have to chop a tree down with an axe and then hew it into lumber by hand. The guy who cooked up his cow shit into biofuel won't have sore arms and back, will be able to do other chores around his homestead with the time saved while you're still working with that tree by hand. On the other hand you can put your cow shit to use elsewhere and you don't have to tend to a biofuel generator and so on. These are simply different preferences being expressed, much like one choosing a favorite color.


I didn't mean to imply that alternative energy sources are worthless. We used to have solar and wind energy ourselves, but are now working at eliminating any need for power other than human. I just worry that any part -- from a $2 spark plug to a fuse -- can render an entire system useless if parts aren't available. I think it's worthwhile to learn how to do things by hand, just in case.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

JayJay said:


> A few weeks ago, I started taking a shower this way--get wet, turn off water, lather using bath gel or bath wash, turn on water, rinse.
> I use very little water and it is preparing me for sponge baths, maybe.
> Try it.


We've been doing that for years.My mother came from a well to do family,but 'chose' to live in the woods with us kids.Another reason most of the inheritance was left to her brother.In town we had all the luxuries of the city until the money was gone then it was the country life.
We went from bedets to outhouses in a hurry.I did love the animals we had my mother was not allowed to have in the city.Especially my donkeys.I'd lay out at night with them sometimes.When Katy was ready to get up she'd nudge me to let me know to move from her hooves.Later I had Rosie,both very smart.


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## pixieduster (Mar 28, 2012)

May sound strange, but I was standing a looong line at a funeral service for a fellow officer. An older gentleman behind me starts talking and introducing himself, 30 years of law enforcement and retired for 2 years. He says he is one of 8 children. Growing up they had no electricity. Wasn't till years later they gained modern luxeries. He said most people today wouldn't know what to do if we lost all we have. He said he is a better man for not have been spoiled and would be just fine if the luxeries disappeared. .....for some reason I keep running into really awsome folks at odd moments like this. I got his card and hope to talk more and learn from him.


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## Viking (Mar 16, 2009)

Waterboy said:


> I understand what you're saying. It wasn't business as usual for everyone. The different degrees of suffering varied throughout the country. But here in the Ozarks, I've talked to many elderly farm women who said life for them did not change much. I assume for many men it was different indeed. Thanks for your observations from S. Dakota.


A lot of people were, too us, living a hard time but to them it was just normal. I would not be surprised at all to see people committing suicide due to lack of electricity, no computers, no cell phones, no lights with a flip of the switch and no hot water when the hot water valve is turned on. I'm almost ashamed to say I felt a bit of withdrawal symptoms when I sent my computer in for repairs, so I can see how bad it might be for those who are addicted to their use.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

I so want to start this reply with...... When I was a girl we had to walk 20 miles in the snow barefoot just to buy an icecream....or something like that.
Truth is it was a bit rough. Before school I had to light an open fire (outside), heat a 5 gallon metal drum of water then climb a ladder and fill an external drum to have a hot shower and be ready for the school bus at 5:15am. It wasn't horrible or hard , it was just what we did. I've lived pretty rough at times over the years, you get used to it much quicker than you'd think possible. Wouldn't give up these experiences for anything, I know I'm tough and can do just about anything if I have to. I also know I can improve things over time and make stuff better and easier. I like a lot of the modern gizmos I have now and will keep using them as long as I can but it's great to know that life can go on and be just as wonderful without them. One of my pet dislikes is when people talk about life in 'the old days' as hard, horrible and without joy, if you haven't had it you don't miss it.


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## cengasser (Mar 12, 2012)

Sheesh... I'm such a city slicker. Grew up in NJ, near the city. Could walk over the bridge. We always had TV, water hot & cold, electric, heat and so on. AC another story. Only Mom & Dads room when we were kids. Never central air. 
Moved south as an adult, life has been full ups and downs, been without heat or water, or AC, due to storms. Learned to grow a garden, repair what we could and slow down a bit.
Now I think prepping and if not for living in the south, I think it would be harder to wrap my mind around.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

_"Grandma didn't have a leaf blower"_

Think I was about 12 years old when several tornados hit the area. Dad's 40' X 100' cement block shop with wood rafters went from the East side of the house to the west side.

As Dad and Uncles pulled blocks and lumber from the debris, my job was to stack them neatly.

Then I was "promoted" to carefully knock the mortar from the cement blocks with a hammer and chisel and restack.

Another "promotion" to remove all the nails from the reclaimed lumber, save the nails and restack the lumber.

Final "promotion" was for me to use a hammer and flat iron to straighten all the nails I removed from the reclaim lumber.
Dad used the reclaimed cement blocks, lumber and nails to rebuild a 40' x 30' shop.

Too many of today's generation would have the debris hauled to the dump, new materials delivered and complain about the insurance settlement.

If you needed a bolt or nut Dad had several cans full of used bolt and nuts. Sort thru until you found what you needed.

Too many of today's generation would jump in the bank financed SUV to drive into town for a 10 cent bolt. Then get divorce over money problems&#8230;.

When Dad died he left Mom with a comfortable savings accounts and no debts.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

TheLazyL said:


> _"Grandma didn't have a leaf blower"_
> 
> Think I was about 12 years old when several tornados hit the area. Dad's 40' X 100' cement block shop with wood rafters went from the East side of the house to the west side.
> 
> ...


I still do all of this, trained on the ranch when I was a kid.

Even when I tear down anything made of wood, metal, or plastic pipe I cut the bad sections out and save even small pieces to use in another project.

If I have any old equipment that is "beyond economical repair", I save all the fasteners (nuts, bolts. springs, carburetor, etc.). Then I sort them out by size and put them in appropriate bins. The larger parts get stored in plastic containers and then they get labeled.

On another forum, I mentioned that I rebuild 10-15 year old vehicles from the ground up, I replace any suspect parts clean every thing and paint it. I've been doing this all my life and I can usually get another 100,000 miles out of it.

Some guy responded and said that I was very green. I always just thought I was just very tight.


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

i was raised with all the modern things with 5 brothers and sisters. but unlike my siblings i so enjoy the 'country'life. i often think i should have been born in the 1800's. my husband and i lead a really a quiet life. true we have all the modern things but we can and do get by without them. we love to camp and rough it. my brother and his wife like to camp .but where we have a tent or sleep in the truck,they have a huge motor home.heck the places we go you can't get that thing in there;and they want to camp with us. i think we better camp with them.:2thumb:


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

Tweto said:


> I mentioned that I rebuild 10-15 year old vehicles from the ground up, I replace any suspect parts clean every thing and paint it. I can usually get another 100,000 miles out of it..... I always just thought I was just very tight.


I did this to my Ford Ranger when it hit 120,000 miles 10 years ago and I am fixing to do it again. I have a 20 year old truck that runs perfect and still looks pretty good!


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

today living green means to use everything and leave the earth without our footprint. :hmmm: 50 years ago it meant that you used and reused everything until nothing was left to use and were told "waste not want not".


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## Jimmy24 (Apr 20, 2011)

Very good thread. My mom and dad had totally different takes on the depression era. 

Mom grew up and lived in the panhandle of OK and north TX. When about 10, her family moved to El Paso, because of the promise of jobs. They lived in chicken coops, barns or wherever/whatever they could find to live in. It was a small extended family. When they got to El Paso, my grandpa and uncle found work for $6 a week. So together they made $12 a week. They had been making when they could find work, $5 a week between the two of them. My grandmother and aunt said they weren’t sure what they would do with the extra $$$…They stayed in El Paso. Mom said she never remembered being hungry again.

My dad had it different. Grew up in the house he was born in, in south MS. Grandfather was a carpenter/mechanic. Dad said they never went without a meal . His dad “fixed” things back then, rather than replaced parts. Sometimes he got paid with a couple of fresh chickens, a ham, a bushel of peas….

I had no ac until I was teenager. Always ate good. I got a good mix from my parents, dad’s learned skills from his dad and mom’s toughness to do what needed to be done.

Oh yeah, I’ll miss the ac in the summer, but the creek will work fine…

Jimmy


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## diannamarsolek (Apr 10, 2012)

i am 37 i grew up with no power or running water cooking on a wood stove fast food mint the chicken was slower than me. we traveled allot mom and dad would get tired of AZ so we would move to AL. we were gypsies living in travel trailers or boats or on the islands in alaska . in the desert of AZ . life was hard but i know how to do dam near anything i need . i can do everything from shoe my horses and donkeys to build the wagon for them to pull. or make a wood stove can food or stitch a wound. i spinn my own wool and make socks hats and long johns . i make most of our cloths and i make the soap we use from lye in the wood ashes from the fire . and butcher our meat we cut our own fire wood to cook on and heat our home i plow our garden with my donkeys .and use the plow i made to do it as well as the harness yes i even do the black smithing . i still have no running water but i just got power and this computer last year not going to have it long though we are moving to better land this year dianna


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## simpleguy (Sep 3, 2012)

This is my first post and I thought I would add my own ideas. I work with a bunch of really nice guys that don't/can't repair anything. If I hear them throwing stuff away that I know is an easy fix I take it and use it or sell it. My shop is 15x35 and I never throw nuts, bolts or screws away  .I have a small welder and I keep a lot of scrap steel around for projects. I do the same thing with lumber. I have a lean to built on the side to keep the longer pieces of steel & wood dry. I love to tinker and make things run. I also can vegetables and keep a freezer full of duck,fish and venison that I harvest myself. I cannot remember the last time I bought meat from the store . I usually trade work or an odd job with a local cattle farmer if I ever crave a good steak....:2thumb: I hope to learn some things with y'all and maybe teach someone a thing or 2. I feel that most people today just don't have the basic skills to do much to get by if things get tough.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Excellent points, simpleguy. Welcome to the forum! :wave:


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## simpleguy (Sep 3, 2012)

Thanks!!!! Glad to be here!!!!


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*They knew their was a depression*



kejmack said:


> My grandmother grew up on a farm in North Dakota during the Dust Bowl/Great Depression. They most certainly knew there was a Depression. Many of their neighbors lost their farms because they could not pay the taxes.


There was a drought going on at the same time. They didn't just stay on the farm. They went to town to sell their cream and eggs every weekend or two. My parents both grew up in South Dakota during the 30s. One set of grandparents would buy a bushel of wheat at a time. Wheat would be picked over around the small kitchen table in the 12 foot by 24 foot shack they lived in with the seven children. After the wheat was cleaned, it was soaked overnight and cooked for breakfast. They knew the weeds they could pick and eat and that was often what their meals consisted of. The other grandparents were equally as poor. They would have potatoes for a meal, sometimes extended by making a thin soup. They used dried cow chips for fuel. There were few trees in their part of the world and no money for coal. The children had to gather the cow chips. They learned to check to see if they were dry enough for gathering.

They knew what was happening in the USA.


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## diannamarsolek (Apr 10, 2012)

i have use cow chips for fire wood allot but you know they make realy good fires we /i did that in AZ 
i used my donkey to carry them but also have used a wheel barrow i built to. i just found about 100 canning jars on our new land they were in the old shack that fell down in the 40s so i think i will use them for dry goods and not canning and a cream separator but i got to fix it i just got a crap load of old tin from a farmer i know so i got the roof for our shack  i get the wood from the old barn to and the shack that is on the land has glass windows so thats good


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

diannamarsolek said:


> just found about 100 canning jars... i think i will use them for dry goods and not canning


Just clean each one really well and try canning "just water" in them. If they can still hold a good seal I would not hesitate to reuse them.


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