Very, very good Moni!
I remember and did a lot of those things.

You can also add.....growing their own foods in the back yard, organic and pesticide free. Not getting out of season (and country) foods year round, because they're trucked thousands of mies.

Kids playing outside all day with other kids and using their imagination. Getting healthy exercise, for free.

Amen to all that above.

Let's not forget - in my day, they had screens on the windows and doors to condition the air, instead of paying $400/month electric bills to cool the house. If it was too hot to be in the house, we sat on the front porch in the porch swing.

They also used wood-burning stoves instead of the furnaces of today - a cord of wood was free - you cut it yourself!

We didn't pay $2.50 a loaf for bread - it was made in a huge pan, kneaded by hand, and tasted SO MUCH better! We buttered that bread with the fresh cream, delivered twice a week to our house, and spread it with jam from the grapes and strawberries we grew - we washed it down with fresh milk, delivered twice a week, or apple cider we made ourselves.

For fresh fruits, we had apples, cherries, grapes, various berries and pears, all from our yard. My mother canned fresh fruits and vegetables, put them in the cellar, and we ate those all winter long.

I could go on and on - my mother made her own soap, did spring and fall cleaning, where everything was taken out of the room and it was REALLY cleaned - we all pitched in.

I own a S.U.V. today, which gets 11 miles per gallon, in town, at $3.80/gallon - in my younger days, we had a Ford station wagon, which probably got 30 miles to the gallon at 20 CENTS a gallon, but a tank of gas would last a month - we never went anywhere - Dad drove 2 miles to work and it was about 1 mile to church! LOL

Back in my younger days, you turned out the light when you left a room - my folks didn't want another TEN DOLLAR electric bill!

Back in my day, if you left a footprint, it had better be somewhere outdoors, or you would be cleaning it up!

My Dad was a shoe repairman - the shop was attached to our house - everyone brought their leather shoes in to have them re-soled and re-heeled, rather than go and buy a new pair. My Dad made all our shoes except our Sunday patent leather shoes.

We had REAL feather beds and pillows, from ducks and geese raised in our area, and sewn by my Mom.

We didn't 'go out to eat' unless it was under the big elm tree in our yard - what a treat it was!

My sister and I didn't go to the mall to meet our friends and get into trouble - we had chores to do. If we wanted to be entertained, Mom would take us to look for geodes (sparkly rocks) or on a walk around the neighborhood. We had bicycles and skates and trees to climb - lots of opportunities to get some sunshine and fresh air.

I could go on and on, but hope someone else can talk about 'we didn't have the green thing back in our day'.

Just great, you guys!!! Hard to believe that it really was "greener" back in the day!! But you are right, it certainly was. We make progress, but is it really better for us? I think not.

You should get that published somewhere - it is awesome!

"We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

That is the dearest thing I have read in a long time!

And we didn't have the kind of mayhem and domestic abuse cases, or missing children, and the list goes on. . .

Sue

Great postings from all of you. It is so easy for us to forget what we did have instead of what we would like to save today.
We had grandparents or others to read to us, take us to the ranch, teach us how to milk a cow, gather eggs, find hidden nests and baby chicks, watch out for rattlesnakes etc. We had moms who chose to stay home when they could, volunteer along with dads, grandparents at school, in organizations, help out those in need, patch up scrapes and bruises take food to a neighbor or a friend in need.

It's kind of amazing that the "green thing" that's built up such steam now is designed to fix the wrong moves that have been taken in just how many few years?

Granted, there were some things that we know now shouldn't have been done -- there was a lot of trash being burned (leaves, too, tho I love that smell).

But I must say something about Sue's post: There certainly were domestic abuse cases (society's expectations of women were quite different than they are now, and very few women had either the extended-family support system or the economic support to do much about it other than suffer in silence), and children did go missing (maybe not, tho, at the same rate we're seeing now that there's mass media reporting everything starting with Amber Alerts). And there were a lot of mental asylums where "strange" people were thrown in at the slightest sign of a problem (as shown in some documentaries). Today it's much harder to get people mental care if they don't want it, and sometimes that mental illness comes out in horrible ways (like mass shootings at colleges and in workplaces).

BUT:
Let's get back in the happy groove!

Like: Snow! How'd they clear their sidewalks and driveways? They sent their kids out (like me) and told us not to come back until everything was clear!

You know what ticked me off!?! I tried to do my part of saving the environment and save money. At my home, I've minimized using paper towels and paper napkins. Instead, I've been using cloth hand towels for all the bathrooms and the kitchen. I do have the paper products but use them very sparingly. I mean, it takes months and months before I finish a roll of paper towels.

Every time, my brothers and sisters visit me, they refuse to use the cloth towels and reach for the paper towels and napkins. It doesn't matter whether the cloth towels are cleaned and fresh. They use up a roll of paper towels in 2-3 days! They're so wasted!

Oh, they do know about saving the environment but they chose to be ignorant about it. They think that using cloth towels and napkins is a dirty thing. For gooness sake, when we were all little, we didn't have much. Besides, bath tissues, everything else we used were cloth. We were healthy children and we thought nothing wrong with using cloth towels. I don't know why the change in them. I had tried to explain it but with no result.

I truly believe those paper product ads on TV just brain washed them. I'm really ticked off when I think of it.

Anyone remember when we didn't have fat kids? If you were fat, you were an exception and people stared at you.

We all drank out of the same glass and kids didn't seem to get sick as often. We didn't run to the doctor for a cold.

We didn't get all of the toys that todays kids do and what toys we did have we shared and took care of because we knew they would not get replaced if they were broken.

We didn't have thousand dollar playsets in the backyard that we had to hire someone to put together. We had a metal swingset my parents probably bought at TG&Y. My dad put it together. If I wanted to climb something, I climbed a tree.

Excellent and well thought out point. Never thought about it that way.

That was great, Moni!

I still can't understand why people buy cases of bottled water. We have them on sale quite often for 12/99 cents, or 24/$1.99. Plus enviro fees and deposits. All bottles, cans and tetra packs have these attached and the deposits are refunded when you return them to the bottle depot. I think bottled water is such a HUGE waste of money. Buy a Brita and a water bottle. I would say drink our tap water, but it's so full of chlorine it stinks.

We live in a throw away society now. Remember sponge mops? I doubt it, eh? Or those big fluffy floor sweepers you could put in the washer to clean rather than the Swiffer things you now throw away when you're done? Including the dusters? I don't use either. I use a flanel rag for a duster, another flannel rag for when I clean windows, and (gasp!) a rag for the floor! No mop. I get on my hands and knees and I actually scrub the dirt off.

We recycle 90% of the garbage we throw out. I have a black bin for garbage. A blue bin for recyclalbes (both provided by the city) and we compost.

Debby: Recently I was looking for one of those "big fluffy floor sweepers you could put in the washer to clean"-- I recalled my Mom had one, but I couldn't remember what it was made of. Then I got a Home Trends catalog in the mail and I think I saw it -- was it made of wool? I just recall that it picked up everything! I don't like sweeping up my little dog's hair with a regular broom, and the Swiffers don't go far, are expensive and the handles are flimsy. I might get that wool sweeper instead...

And I know that there's no better way to get the dirt off floors than your way -- but my knees don't agree! LL!

This is the neatest post I have read in ages. Just loving all the replies, too!

Debby, like you I hate the disposable cleaning stuff. All the ads on tv just tick me off. One swipe with a disinfectant paper cloth and into the garbage.

I use a sponge bee-mop for scrubbing my floors, and a broom, or small hand broom and dustpan for small sweeping jobs.

Microfibre cloths for dusting, and for cleaning the glass tables with vinegar and water. I have torn up white t-shirts for dusting when I use the pledge type stuff, which isn't too often.

A sponge and Vim, or baking soda for cleaning the tub and sinks.

I remember the big oval string duster as well, that Nan used.
AND her wringer-washer! I loved seeing the clothes come out through the rollers and the soap squeeze out. LOL

Back then, they didn't have TV remotes or VCRs or DVD players. If you missed a show, you waited for the summer re-run. And as far as the TV goes, you turned a dial or pushed a button to turn it on, then you waited about a minute for it to "warm up". And when you wanted to change the channel, you stood up, walked to the TV set and turned a dial. Oh, there were only three channels in those days, not 900+.

I got that posting in an email. Loved it enough to share it here. I really love the replies that are coming in. so cool!

I have downsized so much since I struck out on my own. Paper towels are here, but only used for a very few jobs, and a roll lasts forever.

I also use a broom, and a dust pan, and a moist rag to dust, that I can rinse out and re use. I used the swiffer at my mother in laws, and was horrified on the amount of cleaner stuff it left on the floor.

Try newspaper to make your windows shine, after you wash them, and rinse off with a rag washed out in vinegar water. Really makes them shine.

I told my daughter, besides the fact I can't afford it, I would not send presents to the kids. They have EVERYTHING already anyway. I will sew or knit them something instead, and bring it when I visit. On birthdays and Christmas they already get an overload of presents as is.

I grew up in Germany in a family where everything was used, till it was worn out/used up. It has always been that way for me. It's hard to change... and the ads on TV make me laugh, just thinking of all the products most people have/use in there homes.

Moni... green always as far as shopping bags go as well.

Thanks Moni for your post. I've really enjoyed reading all the replies too.

This has to have been the best post in a very long time....It sure brings back a lot of very good memories, wringer washers, hanging diapers on the line...I don't think I have a picture that had been taken outside without the line of diapers in the background...Life would be so much better and healthier if we'd just go back....
Thanks for posting.....

Last week I noticed I had run out of paper towels for cleaning. Didn't want to run to the store, so I pulled a raggy old towel out of the closet, cut it in four and have been using them ever since. Work great, very absorbent, completely re-usable. Now isn't that green?

I have had a dryer for most of my adult life but very rarely use it. Besides saving money, I love how my clothes are fresh from the line. They smell good, feel nice. I remember the rows of frozen cloth diapers I used to hang on the line back in the 60's. One of my DD's friends thought it was "quaint" I still hung clothes out to dry. Very few do here, and there are ordinances in some places. I'm German and we Germans are thrifty people who reuse things. I have always composted and recycled. I always have my windows open half the year. Only use AC when it's unbearable. I hate to go into freezing stores and restaurants.
But I'm not a Luddite. I have flat screen TVs , cell phones, Ipads ,two computers and the rest of the gadgets which I've grown used to. I'd never give up my remote control..lol, but I still miss the good old days.

Agreed this an excellent topic.

It tells me that "back in my day" means different things to different people, and is based on age. MY Day was 'way before many of you were born. LOL: that is laugh out loud, or little old lady, take your pick. :)

Sue

This was written last week for a writing group I belong to at my Senior living complex.It is true.

Yes, it puts me in the dark ages!!

This was written last week for a writing group I belong to at my Senior living complex.It is true.

This was published on January 7th in the San Leandro Times (California) by columnist Jim Knowles.

Writing classes are for learning to write, not copy others work. Senior or not. Shame on the classmate who plagiarized.

I remember laundry day like it was yesterday. Mom did all the laundry in a wringer washer and had two aluminum tubs to do the rinse in. First they went in one tub, through the wringer, then into the second tube and back through the wringer and finally the basket. We kids were expected to help her carry the laundry out and hang it up. I can remember rushing out many times during the summer when a sudden rain storm came up frantically trying to get all the clothes off the line. And if we didn't, no problem, mom left them out to dry again.

Oh yes, she also used bluing for the whites. I wonder if they even make bluing anymore.

I sure can't add anything to this wonderful post, but speaking of mops, Vermont Country Store has several of the "old fashioned" ones that are mentioned here.

Not affiliated with them/not spam.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vermont Country Store

lily316 where in Germany are you from? I am from the Wiesbaden area.

Moni

Moni..I'm sorry I gave the impression I'm from Germany. I'm not. My ancestors on both sides came to America in around 1709-1711. Both sides settled in Lancaster county, and no one has ever left the state. I had two cousins on both sides do extensive research and that showed they lived in little German speaking cliques. My great grandfather was still speaking German in the 1900 census. They all lived in close tight communities. Some were Mennonite and a few were Amish. It all ended with me. My husband is 3/4 German 1/4 English..makes my kids mongrels..lol. And they both married non Germans.

I remember all the water from the washing machine was saved to water the garden. We never had inside toilets, just the old biffy built away from the house. It was a long walk and you had to sit on that cold seat.:-)
I had to help weed the garden and pack the wood into the
house to keep the kitchen stove burning. I could go on forever but it may be boring for others.
Dolly

Dolly..I think it's fascinating to hear stories of the past. . I don't think today's woman could do 1/4 the work our ancestors did 100 years ago. My own mother had the wringer wash machine. My grandmother baked one entire day a week. I'm sure my GPs had out houses. My parents did not.

I grew up with indoor plumbing after I moved into foster care at age 10, but before that we had an outhouse - I remember my brothers telling me there was a snake living in there - I feared it every trip after that. I remember the bed chamber pot we had for night use, and the Sears catalog for reading and other business issues.

I can also remember my Mom making starch out of flour or sugar and water and washing every lace curtain in the house (a BIG house), dipping them in the starch concoction, stretching them over the nails on the curtain frame, ironing them and re-hanging them, all in one day.

Did we worry about how our fingernails looked back it those days - I think not! I am amazed that people today can afford to spend $60 every few weeks, to get their acrylic nails 'done' - if ours were clean, they were considered 'done'.

I was born in 1950, so grew up during those years when technology was just coming into being - WOW! - we've come a long way, baby!

I remember the curling iron of those days - LOL - you put this barrel contraption over a flame of either a kerosene lamp or a stove flame, wrapped your hair around it, then tried to make some sort of 'do' out of the frizz it left behind!

Does anyone remember 'granny rags'? I will leave it to you to figure this one out, but I'm WAY glad I wasn't born it the era in which these were used!

When I was a kid, we had the rag mop, nothing like the fancy sponge mops of today - it would tear your arms and hands up to wring those suckers out by hand - now that's some pain!

As I remember it, NO ONE was embarrassed to wear second-hand clothes - they WERE new to us! We were taught to thank GOD someone cared enough to give us 'new' clothes.

I will stop for now, but I hope others will reply with how they 'didn't have the green thing back in my day'!

I still love push mowers, hate burning gas to cut the lawn. And I'm not sure why we need big lawns anyway, with all the water it takes to keep them green.

And leaf blowers! Use a rake.

And instead of a gas-powered weed wacker, use a hand-held sickle. It's clean, quiet and good exercise.

Hate those noisy gas-guzzling machines.

Correction: See "Tried to Post on the "Green Thing" for the item I wrote for the writing class. My copy/ paste didn't work on my original post.

It was not the item that started this thread,

Kay, I remember those curtain stretching apparatus. My mother heavily starched our curtains and put them in the yard on these contraptions. >>>I hate leaf blowers too, although my husband uses them. Maybe he wouldn't have fallen off the roof last fall it he didn't .

There's a lot of truth to many of the things brought up, and people wax nostalgically about "the good old days" but not many people really want to go back too far. Few will give up their cell phones, cars, remote controls, cable/satellite TV, microwaves automatic washers and the like. I'll admit I sure appreciate a lot of the conveniences but I also enjoyed going "back to nature" at the lake. No electricity out there so you got a taste of what it was like 100+ years ago. And certain conveniences there too. But that's a different topic.

And me, I really like a large yard. I don't like being where you can reach out the window and shake hands with the neighbors. One of the reasons I bought where I did. Nice large lawn. I much prefer grass to blacktop or concrete. Healthier too. Trees and grass absorb CO2 and emit O2. It's part of photosynthesis. My dad couldn't figure out why I planted so many trees in my yard. I run the a/c much less because the house is much cooler when it's shaded. With grass rather than blacktop or concrete, it's much cooler in the summer and the smell of fresh cut grass is a nice smell, quite unlike the chemical smell of "mountain freshness" or whatever they call that stench they put in the laundry detergents and softeners that people seem so addicted to. Used to be when the clothes would stink was an indicator it's time to wash the clothes and yes, back when, you could wear a shirt and/or pants more than an hour before changing them. Having lawns instead of hard surfaces also lets the water tables fill up again from the rains and snow. Look at the areas with water shortage issues. Generally they have far more impervious surfaces. We are doing our best to fight Mother Nature and can't figure out why she gets ticked off and gives a little slap on the wrists now and then to remind us to wake up.

And FWIW, I haven't watered my lawn for over 25 years and have a much nicer lawn overall than most of the neighbors. The hottest part of the summer the grass will go dormant. When that happens you don't need to mow. If you water it, then you have to mow it! What's wrong with this picture? :)

And the one I'll add is how people used to "cook" coffee at home. They didn't have to go pay $5 at Megabucks for coffee with a lot of milk in it! Used a mug or a cup and saucer (how many remember saucer and blow? Course the coffee was much hotter then too because women in those days knew that coffee was hot and not to spill it in their laps and run to a lawyer.

You'd fix it rather than just toss it and buy new. And nobody bought all new appliances because the color trend had changed! You could get your appliances in any color you wanted, as long as it was white, possibly with some chrome trim. Home buyers didn't know the phrase "kitchen needs 'updating'"! And for the rare circumstance if the washer quit for good and was unrepairable, you surely didn't buy a new dryer to go with it!

And back then if you didn't have that item you wanted needed for whatever, you didn't make a special trip to the store. You called a neighbor or went over and asked to borrow a cup of sugar or whatever. Or you would "make do" without.

If clothes went out of style, you wore clothes that were out of style until they wore out.

Although few would go back to those days, many sure could learn something from those days couldn't they?

We have a few small rentals in an old section of town.
I'm amazed by the things people leave behind when they move.
I have "rescued" many items and put them in my own home or
donated them.
I'm most surprised by all the toys left behind. Back in
the 50's, when I was a kid, toys were treasured, you didn't
have that many.

I wouldn't want to go back to the 50s. There are a few things I liked better then, but I definitely would not want to go back.

But I don't like some things that are supposed to be "improvements" that are really just wasteful, and I would rather see native plants growing in yards rather than large expanses of grass that have to be watered (we're on water restriction often in the summer) and spread with chemicals and fertilizers. Native plants are much healthier all the way around.

But as for yearning for the old days, no, not me.