As we continue to seek ways to downsize our lives, we are also finding that by doing so we are downsizing some of life's stress as well. I have always thought that much of our so called technology, invented to make our lives so much simpler, actually added to our stress levels. I am even more convinced of this as time goes on.
Somehow it seems we go to great lengths and spend incredible amounts of money for the luxury of convienence. I remember rotary dial telephones and party lines, and now they have cell phones that cost as much as my first car. Not only can we be on the phone in the car, in the store, while we wait for our doctor appointmnet, but we can check our facebook, myspace, email, or play games on the very same phone. WOW! I still carry a book with me for those waiting rooms, I keep one in the car at all times, as well as paper and a pen in case I want to write a letter instead of send a text. I have my cell phone with me too, after all they have some good purpose as well. If we have broken down we can get hold of someone, if we are going to be late getting home, we can prevent those waiting for us to arrive, undo worry. It used to be we had to call from a payphone, but these days we would truly be hard pressed to find one, and if we did chances are it doesn't work.Then on the slim chance it did, would we even have any change, since plastic debit cards rule our spending?
What families spend in gasoline alone for the convience of drive thru restaurants with daily deals, is amazing.In our house we have stopped doing fast food, so we have been striving for other ways to use our fuel money more efficently. Often that means we wait until one son gets off work, before we make the trip home from sports fields, as they are all located right next to his job. We keep footballs, basketballs,etc. in our car for these times so we have ways to occupy oursleves. That save us 10 miles round trip, makes our day a bit longer for some, but also at the cost of gas saves me over $2.00 every time we just wait it out rather than go home and head back out in an hour or two. The simple math adds up and by the time we have done this ten times we have saved roughly $20.00.
As I said in my earlier blog about downsizing, we gave up the microwave. No expensive prepackaged meals in our house. We do use the crock pot often and I am not above freezing the left over bowl of this or that, and packing it in my husbands lunch box. Ah yea another thing we cut out, buying lunch. That alone saves $5.00 or more a day, and he gets a homemade desert almost every day.We quit buying Oreos, Chips Ahoys, etc. even when they are buy one get one.
Now if you remember there are ten kids and two grandkids,one son in law, and three significant others, as well as one set of parents, in our family here. That brings to our mind ways to downsize gift giving to an affordable concept. My children and I have done the hand made kind of gift for years, but this is a failry new concept for my husband. He is catching on quickly though, especially considering I am the one doing the making of gifts! However it fits our lifestyle and our bidget much better than the mall does. This year I learned to quilt and there are several on our gift give list that will be receiving handmade quilts. Others will receive other hand made items, that we create. Some of our "date days" this year have been to the local and some not quite so local beaches to collect shells, to use in our gift making for Chirstmas this year. Some receive homemade jams, applesauce, baked goodies, but none will be receiving store purchased convienence based gifts this year. A few years ago I made all the Christmas cards I sent and this year I plan to go back to that again.
Scrapbboks are wonderful gifts, and a great way to give the kids some of their childhood pictures and make a little extra room in our own closets. You can make them without spending much at all just by decorating the pages with old cards sent to you and saved, or little drawings, the ideas are endless. Yet it allows a person to spend time doing something fun and constructive,creative,relaxing, and make a priceless gift no mall or WalMart sells. I am not a big shopping fan anyway,with the exception of thrift stores.
Thrift stores are another way we have downsized from the high tech world. We find name brand clothing, shoes, purses,as well as any household item anyone could want or use, at a fraction of the cost. We check the items carefully, and have really had great luck buying things for our home, kids, and selves this way.Why would I pay almost $30.00 for a pair opf Levi jeans when I can get them for under $5.00, for the same $30.00 I can have siz pairs instead of one. Works for me.
Last year was the first year my husband ever strung popcorn and cranberries to make a garland for the Christmas tree, after Christmas we hung it in the trees in our yard and the birds feasted. This year we will do that again, but this year instead of some homemade gifts, our goal is to have all our gifts be that.We have every intention of making every single gift we give. We strive to return to the days where Christmas was not a commericialized, money making event, but one of remembering why we celebrate it at all, and of sharing love, memories, talents,and hope with those we care about. There will be no game systems,no cell phones, no high tech toys under our tree this year. There may be puzzles, books. a lego set, and a toy car or two, but that will be it as far as store purchasing. Last year (our first year) of trying to super downsize Christmas by making some not all gifts, we did Christmas for right around $300.00 including a huge Christmas dinner we cooked. This year I hope to cut that by 50% by making gifts. What about the cost of making them you say? Well fabric can be bought off clearance for $1.00 a yard,thrift stores also get sheets, blankets, and fabric scraps they sell for pennies.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Past and Present
Suddenly the realization came to me that I am now in the age group of that generation! Oh my! When did that happen?? How did I not notice it happening? I don't feel that old, though if completely honest I must admit that there are times that I do feel that old!
Today I was ironing linen tablecloths, most of which were from the generations before me, some belonging to my grandmother who if still here would be 98, others that had been my mothers and she would be 72 if she was still with us. As I stood there with my electric steam iron and my stack of tablecloths it occured to me I am the only person I know that actually uses tablecloths. I looked at the handwork of the embroidery of most of them, some doen by my grandmother, some done by my mother, and some done partly by my mother prior to her death, and then finished for me after her death,by my aunt ( her sister). The hours, the care, the creativity in choosing thread colors to create not only a tablecloth to make my table look pretty and at the same time protect it, I saw a work of art in each tablecloth, an expression of personalities, a pride in their work, and an heirloom of generations now gone. Yet everytime I put one of those tablecloths on my table a piece of each of them is right here with me.
As I stood n my dining room ironing my daughter in law to be was making lunch in the kitchen, and I shared with her the concept of linen tablecloths. I have some that are "old" store bought linen tablecloths used on the tables of my youth. Even all these years later the linen of these is so much thicker, so much stronger than the things created today. The colors are as vibrant now as they were 40 and 45 years previous. I was telling this young girl how much easier ironing is today over the ironing I watched the generations before me do. I told her they had a day of the week, or month that was dedicated to the chore of ironing, as it truly was a tedious chore that took quite a long time. There were no fancy steam irons, they used what we now call dry irons, and they had a glass bottle with a top that was similar in concept to a salt shaker. They filled this with water and they sprinkled the water on the clothes. Very often they would roll up the clothes, unrolling each as it became that items turn to be ironed. In the cold winter ironing would not only warm the house but also created humidity in the dry air of the winter. Back then everything was ironed, pillowcases, shirts, pants, kitchen towels, napkins, ( and yes I admit I still use linen napkins everyday myself, and yes even some of those were previously used in my childhood as well), tablecloths,dresser scarves ( okay I admit it I use them also) and hankies. Back when I was growing up not only did men carry hankerchiefs in their pants pockets, but ladies and girls carried hankies in their purse. Of course they were called pocketbooks not purses at that stage of my generation. I told her how I can't recall ever having paper towels or paper napkins as a young girl.
Ironing today brought back to my mind numerous stories I have shared with my children about my youth, and also the numerous stories I haven't, as they don't seem that interested. I got to remembering the stories my own mother shared with me of her childhood, and the stories my grnadparents shared of their own childhoods. As I reflected on the years of memories stored in my own personal memory bank treasure chest, it became even more clear how each generations memories are and will continue to be so different from the next ones.
My children will recall that their mom had dresser scarves, that she used linen napkins, and that each of her tablecloths have some sort of history , but they will also be part of the disposable world of paper towels, kleenex tissues, and no dish towels, seriously do people still dry dishes??
As I continued my ironing I was reminded of how the stories my grandparents shared of their past, the stories my mom told of her being a little girl, these were all stories of the past, their past. Yet in reality the history of their lives is also part of my past. I was molded by these stories, molded by the people living the lives that created these memories. I recall being a girl and being totally attentive to the stories of the "older" generations. the old ladies and the old men who recollected their stories by telling stories to me that began with back when I was........ Many of these were elderly people in our family, but not all. Some were simply elederly people whose paths crossed with my own, neighbors, friends grandparents, someone in a check out line at the grocery store or at a park watching their great grandchildren play as I watched my own children. I loved those stories, I learned a wealth of useful knowledge from those stories. The only lesson that seemed to escape me until today was that I would one day be telling the stories of an old woman and days long gone by. Today, while ironing the wrinkles out of pieces of my past, my moms past, my grandmothers past, it became clear and wrinkle free that I am now the old lady telling stories of my youth, hopeful perhaps that some will be heard and remembered, to be shared in the future with new generations that will be linked through history to my past as they create their own.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)