I do remember the soda bottle with sprinkler top. I did not know you could even find those sprinkler tops anymore. I do own an excellent dry iron. It was a wedding gift to my mother back in the 1950's. She gave it to me because I admired it so. It is great for ironing quilting cottons, washed but not dried. You can get them as smooth as with a mangle. (I do not have one of those!)

My "old way" is not one I kept, since I gleefully abandoned it many years ago, but rather one I have come back to. That is, hanging my clothes outdoors on the line to dry. Not only does it save a lot of energy, but also I am in love with the scent of line-dried cotton. Some family members prefer the clothes dryer for the softness, but for me the scent trumps it. At our house, whoever does that particular load of laundry has his or her choice as to drying.

Rosefolly

Interesting thread!
I think 'us lot', especially of my generation, in the UK are still keeping to old ways and are very conscious of the abomination of waste and the importance of energy conservation. Washing is still hung on the line unless it is actually raining, the old fashioned habit of wearing more layers of clothing when it gets cold rather than turning heating up, walking that half mile rather than getting the car out.
And Yvonne, something you know about; cooking meals from scratch rather than opening packets/cans . . . and the most old-fashioned thing of all, when wanting a drink of water turning on the tap rather than opening some grossly over-priced bottle of "pure-fresh-volcanic-spring-water collected by nuns from the remote Greek island of Hydriai." All power to the crooks who thought up that scam as it must be bringing in mega bucks. ;-)

How interesting! Great idea for a thread. I have a lot of them. Green is the new frugal, frugal is the new old-fashioned, it seems. And I have always been frugal way before it was cool.

Laundry goes out to dry unless it is colder than 50 degrees. If the woodstove is lit, it is hung on clothes racks near the stove. If it is raining, it gets hung beneath the covered back porch unless it is really humid. Then I do not do laundry at all, but rather, try to wait for a nicer day.

Cooking from scratch, almost always. Including bread.

I bought reusable water bottles to take along to sports practices and these get filled in the sink the night before then put in the freezer during really hot weather so they are icy cold when needed.

I hate air conditioning. Give me open windows any day. Massive himidity is the exception to this rule and even then, the a/c is only about eight degrees cooler than the outside temperature. And on colder days, I am with veer of layering clothing as opposed to turning on the heat.

I walk or ride my bike around town in nice weather if I can do so. The library and pool are only one and a half miles (and right next to each other) and the grocery less than 1/2 mile. That's all I need. (grin)

And I grow vegetables in my gardens for fresh delicious and cheap food all summer long. Then I make the tomatoes into homemade tomato soup and "can" them.

One tv, one car, one computer. Simple... I like things simple.

Perhaps the best example of doing things the "old" (or frugal or green) way is that I am teaching my kids the same values. Mend and make do, not to toss and buy new. It is good for the soul, the bank account and the environment.

I think I typed too much. But one more thing... just to keep books in the conversation, years ago, someone recommended No Idle Hands, a social history of knitting in the United States. I found it to be a treasure trove of history and fascinating old-fashioned values. If anyone knows of other books of similar content (old-fashioned values and lifestyle...not necessarily knitting), please share.

PAM

PAM .....I just ordered a copy of No Idle Hands...thank you for the suggestion. As an avid knitter ( have you discovered free range knitting yet !?), rug hooker and general busy person I can completely understand the ' no idle hands' concept !
I love having a menu of things to do :0)

Another old way that I love is wearing a fresh corsage on Easter Sunday.
My Dad would always buy Mom a gardenia which was her very favorite bloom and I wore a cluster of sweetpeas.
The fragrance of a corsage pinned to my shoulder always reminds me of Easter morning.

I don't know if this qualifies as an "old way" but a piece of advice from my grandmother and passed to my mother was that if one couldn't afford the best, buy the cheapest! The reasoning for this was that if you settle for the middle-priced item you are stuck with it but if you buy the cheap one you can save for the best and happily dispense with the cheap one in due course. I hope I have explained that idea clearly enough! It made sense to me, anyway.....

This thread is just my cuppa. When I moved to the downtown area of the city of Charleston, I gave up my car and bought a bicycle. It's a very bike-friendly city. Apart from that, I walk everywhere, to the little "mom and pop" stores that abound here.

I have 1 TV (not new), gave up my cell phone when it died, but have a land-line, of course. I don't have a working computer, but can use a friend's computer or walk to the college library, where I have membership.

I don't have a Kindle, as I prefer the feel of holding an old fashioned book in my hands.

I don't own a Blackberry or do anything with "apps".

I believe in cooking from scratch, but have never done bread.

I have learned how many things can be cleaned with old fashioned baking soda and white vinegar.

Vee, in some gated communities in various cities of the US it is verbohten to hang clothes on the lines outside. (Brings down the tone of the neighborhood some declare). Not I! But drive out into the country and almost everyone hangs their clothes out to dry in the sun.

PAM. a couple of books that have recently been reprinted over here are Make Do And Mend and Dig For Victory both originally published by the Ministry of Information during WWII. Several eg's at Amazon, or similar sites and even at Youtube.
Below is a US short film made at that time to give Americans an idea of what 'rationing' was all about . . and well do I remember 'ration books' though from after WWII when rationing became much tighter than the eg's shown on the screen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rationing Information

Speaking of the old laundry sprinkler tops for a soda bottle ( if you still find soda bottles !) here is a link to the Vermont Country store which sells them plus tons of other nostalgic things from long ago.

The penny candy takes me back.......as does the Tangee lipsticks !

Here is a link that might be useful: Old fashion laundry sprinkler tops

Some of my 'old ways' are pretty idiosyncratic. I still have a VCR because I can get old VHS movies galore by interlibrary loan. The number of really great older films that never made it onto DVD or Netflix is astounding. Do I need to mention these are free?

My car is 14 years old, still running great, well maintained by me. I have owned 3 cars in my lifetime; I am 53 years old. My dad taught me this. I have also gone for long periods without owning a vehicle but my current rural lifestyle precludes that. My computer is quite old and will be used until it dies. I rarely eat out and cook almost everything from scratch, although I mostly eat simple food now. No cable TV, an antenna that pulls in 2 channels, both of them PBS (public TV). I have always mended clothing and own socks older than my peer's children. I buy very good shoes and get them repaired - a real dinosaur of an activity as shoe repair shops are virtually nonexistent in these parts.

One rarely mentioned benefit of drying clothes naturally is that they last longer - dryers are very hard on clothing.

I read this book a couple of years ago and loved it - here is the author's blog -

(The irony of citing a blog on a 'good old days' thread does not escape me.)

Here is a link that might be useful: Jenna Woginrich - Made From Scratch

I have heard a clothes dryer described as a machine for turning clothing back into lint. That actually is what it does, though of course that is not its purpose.

I'm not surprised to learn that Vermont Country Store sells those sprinkler tops. Anytime I want something I no longer find, I check with them to see if they have it. Very often they do.

Vee, in the US drying clothes out of doors has a connotation of poverty, trashy lifestyle, and the lower class (yes, we do have classes in America, we just pretend we don't). Many communities have passed regulations forbidding it as an eyesore, and hanging clothes outside to dry can be an act of defiance here. There is a movement against this sort of regulation. I get away with it because in my Silicon Valley community, no one dreamed anyone would consider doing it so no regulation was ever passed forbidding it. Also, we are very Environmentally Correct around here. It was traveling in the UK and Europe that made me reconsider outdoor drying. It was very clear to me that people of all sorts still did this without stigma. And it just makes sense.

My DH and I both like to cook, and we do make many meals from scratch. But we do sometimes use convenience foods (hurray, Trader Joe's!), and we occasionally eat at restaurants. It is a treat, not a routine.

I don't bake bread because I don't eat bread. I stopped eating grains of any sort about a year ago. No legumes either. This forces me away from fast food, which is primarily cheap calories. So even if I were inclined to eat out frequently, I can't.

I am however extravagant in other ways --garden, books, sewing supplies.

Rosefolly

Vee, I remember rationing books in the U.S. in the 1940's, because that is how I first learned to write! I traced over my mother's handwriting even though I had not yet entered first grade.

I forgot to mention that I also own a VCR and a large collection of those types of video films. And--- I have a cassette player and a collection of older cassettes I am fond of.

Rosefolly, are you following the paleo diet? I've become interested in learning more about it.

I love Tangee lipstick! Don't wear it anymore though. Oddly enough, I enjoy ironing. Use old-fashioned spray starch too. I am glad it is still readily available at the megamarts.

Siobhan, the Paleo diet also does not allow dairy, which I do eat, especially cheese and yogurt. I follow the slightly less rigorous Primal diet. If you are curious, send me an email. I suspect that the rest of the group would be bored with the dietary details.

Rosefolly

My hubby does a modified Paleo Kit diet... he likes it at least. I'm more on the Creme Egg plan, myself.

Linked in with the "Old Ways" is this provocative blog called "The New Domesticity" which looks at the current trends of a reviving interest in making jam, having chickens, cooking from scratch etc. I for one really enjoy reading domesticity-related blogs, but this blogger does raise some interesting issues to think about...

Here is a link that might be useful: The New Domesticity

I don't want to can or raise chickens or milk cows, and I'm not allowed to hang laundry outside; but I am frugal in the mend it/make it do/use it up school and do much of my cooking from scratch (not bread except cornbread and biscuits occasionally). I use a mix for pancakes but not for cakes unless it is one that you do things to the mix for a different end result.

I have a plastic spray bottle for misting clothes if needed while ironing and a few things that need sprinkling, which I just use my fingers on, but I remember using the metal clothes sprinklers.

I'm a light turner-off, a water saver, and a heat and air conditioning minimalist, but my husband isn't. I love the doors and windows open if it isn't miserable outside. Twice in the past few weeks, though, there has been a definite odor of skunk wafting in during the night. That will make you close the house up tight! I don't know where the little varmint is living.

Yes, many of the neighborhoods in my town have Homeowner's Associations that have all sorts of restrictions. No fences, no clothes lines, no gardens, no changing the landscape plantings or colors of your home unless you have written approval from all neighbors who can see the changes. Amazing. I bought my house in an older neighborhood precisely because they did not have a homeowner's association. I can put up a fence, I can have clothes drying, I can have a garden. Now that people are becoming more environmentally aware, the residents in those neighborhoods are starting to question the wisdom of those strict rules. It will be interesting to see what happens.

For what it is worth, I know a few people who actually have chickens. They live in my town, and it seems that chickens are allowed here (in my snooty town), maximum of five, IF you give them names, thereby turning them into pets. I am still chuckling about it.

yoyobon, I hope you enjoy No Idle Hands as much as I did. I gave it five stars.

PAM

Here in Maine, where the population is relatively low and urban/suburban mores have barely penetrated, many people have chickens and even goats and sheep right in town. This is also farm country, with many young energetic farmers using sustainable and organic methods. Pasture raised beef and pork, organic free-range chicken and eggs and raw, unprocessed dairy are readily available. My employer encourages purchase of CSA shares (community-supported agriculture), matching each dollar we spend buying directly from a farm. I have considered keeping chickens, but with eggs and meat so common it doesn't make much sense for me, except for the entertainment value. I am interested in having a small homestead, but realistically the work is daunting and livestock really ties you down. You can't really call a pet sitter to take care of your goats.

I used to have a ritual of listening to radio programs and knitting on Saturday night (whoo-hoo, I am a wild one!) but I have gotten out of the habit. I still listen to the radio, but have a couple of unfinished knitting projects I should pick up...hmmm...

PAM, and I thought you lived in the land of the free! What does it say about a society where washing lines are banned, where veggies must not be grown and fences are forbidden? As rosefolly points out these things are considered trashy, so by inference this must mean using dryers or buying veg, fruit, eggs etc means you are well-off and therefore a credit to your neighbourhood?
I appreciate that keeping a flock of sheep or goats might not be practical or hygienic in a small space, but does the thought that people will be offended by clean laundry or a row of peas or spuds says much about US suburban society?
Over here we have many more complaints about people who keep pets rather than named chickens. I know everyone regards their moggies and good old Fido as part of the family but we have many egs of people walking 10 dogs or more, or living in houses crowded with pets, human babies and dead animal parts and they seem to regard what they are doing as a 'kindness to animals' and I'm not just talking about some mad old biddy with 35 cats (a la the Simpsons) but apparently sane people. I don't know if this is particularly true of the English.

RE: the Home Associations or gated communities that have deed restrictions.

As it turns out I think these restrictions have everything to do with being "free".....in their way. The people who choose to live in these developments ( and can afford to) would like to maintain a certain "look" about the neighborhood. After spending a small fortune on their home and landscaping , collectively they have decided that certain things would detract from the beauty of their community. Among these are: parking a boat in your driveway, leaving your trash out before pick up day, having your lawn uncut exceeding 10", kenneling creatures in your yard, storing a car on your driveway, ....etc. Probably hanging out clothes is also included, but honestly most people prefer dryers and have no desire to hang thing!

These restrictions, as I understand them, are to maintain the atmosphere of your community...even if that is only three streets!

If you prefer less restrictive neighborhoods, you are free to choose to live there.
I guess it's a Stepford mentality.

Honestly, restriction not withstanding, I think I'd prefer suffering with those kinds of deed restrictions as opposed to living next to characters whose property looks like a permanent yardsale, whose driveway is packed with broken cars ( one of which is always in their frontyard!!) , who have various discarded appliances in the backyard along with mangy , barking animals .

Thankfully I live in the woods where the only neighbors to bother me are the deer and bear !!

As they say ....To each his own.
If "your own" includes deed restrictions, I shall not judge you!! :0)
However, I probably won't be a neighbor either.

Veer, not every development has a homeowner's association. There are many very nice places where you can still pay a small fortune and live without those restrictions. The developments that have such restrictions in my area have very small lots, one-tenth of an acre so the homes are right on top of each other. On these, they place large homes that cover most of the land. Obviously, I am not a fan. My mother, who spent forty years in real estate, says that very often people who choose to live in those neighborhoods are one of two types: those who have lived next to a neighbor previously who never took care of their property, and those who feel the need to impress others. She said that there used to be an element of trust in your neighbor. But now, at least in my part of the USA, people are more transient so they do not have the time to get to know their neighbors as they did before. Hence, their primary reason in buying a place is not to set down roots, but to maintain value because they know they will be selling and moving in three years.

veer, in my town, animals are restricted. I may have up to five dogs. No more. Personally, I find that two was my max when one is 130 pounds and the baby is 90.

Siobhan, I am with you. I LIKE Saturday nights like that. And I may join you in spirit this Saturday so when you click on the radio and click the needles, I will be clicking along with you. It sounds like a lovely way to get projects done, and relax without feeling like I am "wasting" time. Simple pleasures are best for they can be enjoyed any time. And Siobhan, your town sounds lovely. Did you choose it because of work or did you move there for the lifestyle?

My mom has another old-fashioned tidbit that I learned from her... instead of buying plants for my yard, we share with neighbors. Snippets of lilac or hydrangea, bulb divisions, etc. Some people may say that this means the whole neighborhood looks the same but it does not. We have some colors that tie us together when shared but we are far from identical.

Yesterday, I was reading an Easter story in school.. The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward, written in 1939. In the story, two of the little bunnies are assigned the task of mending and sewing. One little boy raised his hand and asked what was mending? I explained it to him and asked if he ever saw his mommy or daddy mend a piece of clothing that had a rip or a hole or perhaps sew a button on. He said no... that meant clothes got thrown out. How sad.

PAM

I forgot to ask you yoyobon, what is free range knitting? It sounds fun.

PAM

PAM.......here's a link to Jane Thornley's site about her designs in free range knitting and the philosophy behind it.

Here is a link that might be useful: free range knitting

PAM, re Dubose Heyward: He was a prominent author in the early part of the last century who was a part of the Charleston Renaissance, which included musicians, artists, and writers. I learned more about him, as I've recently relocated to Charleston, SC.

Vee, and others: I lived in a cul-de-sac in a Virginia city before I moved here. In the 1970's, keeping chickens in ones yard was "grandfathered in" and a frequent sight in some neighborhoods. Then the city codes changed and that is now forbidden. As for "eye-sores" in yards: we had no neighborhood association, but the neighbors were very picky. A large family of 7 downstreet from me tried to put up an old fashioned "swing set" in their side yard. The neighbors all got together and put pressure on the family to remove it, as it brought down the tone of the neighborhood, etc.

Vee, it's not just the English who often keep many dogs and cats. Often one reads of complaints of people who have taken in strays and their homes are overflowing with pets, so limits have been set. Also a problem with people often keeping exotic animals, such as large snakes, which invariably escape, end up in drain pipes, etc. until captured.

Wood, not to mention baby alligators that get flushed into the sewer systems because they GROW. What are those people thinking?

My neighborhood is not as restricted as some, and in Kentucky most any place allows for a few tomatoes to be planted in the flower gardens. Our home-grown tomatoes are delicious, and people would rise up if they couldn't grow their own--except maybe those "from off" (incomers) who wish to impress as PAM's mother said.

Yes, I deliberately moved here because of the lifestyle. One positive side of technology is that one can live in a rural area and still enjoy many cultural activities normally associated with cities. Live HD Metropolitan Opera broadcasts along with some of the biggest shows from the National Theater in London are among the perks of living here. Lots and lots of live music and theater - I have attended more concerts and shows in the two years I have been here than I have in the 20 previous years in the city. The cost of these things is a fraction of what it would be in New York or Boston. We have many fine musicians who have vacation or retirement homes here and love to perform in front of small audiences.

Homeowner association rules - I definitely have love-hate relationship with them. If you have ever lived with a neighbor who turned their lawn into rusty spare car parts lot or used newspapers for curtains you can appreciate them. But too often they turn into a petty dictatorship whereby a small minority of people, often just one or two, can have power over the rest. Once these rules are passed, they can be almost impossible to overturn and even getting them up for a vote can take months or years.

I went to a program held by a local wildlife rehab center this morning. A young biologist brought three live owls from the center, giving us very close looks at these truly magnificent birds as well as a great lecture and video presentation. This was of a quality that could be presented at the Smithsonian or other world-class institution. But at those places I would not be able to see the birds so closely. As it was, the meeting room was standing room only on a Thursday morning, with all ages well represented. Not bad for a town with a population of maybe 4000. (The birds are all wild-born and cannot be released because of injury. They live in a aviary and are gently used in educational programs.)

I know the local library director well and felt comfortable asking her to call a university library and request some documentaries for me. Normally the university does not let them leave the premises but she knows me well enough to vouch for my ability to care for and return the DVDs. In a bigger city I wouldn't know the library director unless she was a personal friend or a relative.

I chop, dice, peel, and shred any food that I'm being called on to chop, dice, peel, or shred. No food processors, blenders, or anything that plugs in. I do have a portable hand mixer but my mother had one of those in her later years.I also have an electric can opener (recommended by my mother) that I've had since 1980. I was unable to open cans manually at that time due to an injury.

I got a microwave oven a couple of years ago but don't use it a great deal.

I've never had a car.

I've had an emergency-use basic cellphone for a few years now. I hate it but have to admit it's handy if I'm stuck somewhere and need to make a call. There are fewer and fewer public phones.

My printer isn't a color printer, and I don't have a digital camera. I have one 25-inch TV and one radio.

I mend and alter my clothes and usually get them as hand-me-downs or in thrift stores. Many items in my wardrobe are things I've had for nearly 20 years. I've worn the same winter coat for 16 years now. I have more shoes than I used to have. I now have three pairs though I used to get by with one pair of tennis shoes.

My mother had a sewing machine but I don't. I dislike having to learn about machines even though the sewing machine she had was simple enough. Today's sewing machines aren't so simple, I've noticed.

I live in less than 500 square feet and keep trying to get rid of more things. Alas, lately I've been getting rid of books.

The decluttering habit was one my mother had. When she died there seemed to be hardly any belongings left. She had pared her life down, quite possibly with a view toward simplifying the job her survivors would have.

About ironing: We hand-sprinkled our ironing before the plastic bottles came into the picture. As an occasional quilter, I've found a steam iron useful and hardly ever sprinkle clothes to dampen them.

As for hanging clothes out to dry, we did that when I was a child, and it was often my job to hang them up and take them down. Since then, apartment living hasn't made that possible but I refuse to put clothes in the dryer if I think that the heat will be bad for them. I hang them to dry in my apartment.

Wow, JWT... You have really embraced the simple life there! Very admirable. Sometimes the old days did have the best ways to do some things. My mother has also pared things down very much since my dad died in 2001. After having to go through an eight-bedroom Victorian house full of antiques, I think she had had enough. Now she is in a all mod-cons 3 bed which is much more her style. So your mum started a craze! :-)

lemonhead, thanks so much for replying to my post. I must have sounded like one of those insufferable people who have embraced the Simple Life and clobber everybody over the head with the fact.

Actually my "simple life" was necessary.

There's absolutely nothing virtuous about my simplicity. It just happened. Too many possessions make life too complicated. I'd never have time to read any books.

JW, I just read your post and I do not feel clobbered. In fact, I am interested in knowing more! I try to live a simple life as well, but I think we all have our own definitions of "simple".

Siobhan, you have made your town sound delightful. At some point, I should like to see it. It is now on my "bucket list".

PAM

My mother had a small water bottle with a red sprinkler top that she used to dampen the ironing. I use a steam iron, but it seems I am in the minority that I iron much at all.
I hang washing out unless it is very wet, but that is the norm in Australia for those of us in houses with back yards. I am very particular about the way I hang out and fold my clothes too, especially socks.
I cook mostly from scratch. We have a bread maker which is great, and my DH uses it to also make pizza dough and we choose our own toppings.
My husband has lots of fruits and nuts in our garden and would like to have more vegetables, but hasn't got much time. Once he retires, I'm sure he'll have a great vege garden.
We take lunch from home to work every day.
I cut the hair of the 3 men in my family, and colour my own at home.
I put up hems (two of us are vertically challenged) unless it is a very expensive garment.
My DH is a brilliant handyman, like his father, and won't pay someone to do something he can do himself.

JWT...I have tried to simplify my one-bedroom single storey villa in a retirement home. Residents are often moving to a hospital or a nursing home and this causes problems for the family who have to clear out the place for the next tenant. I did try to de-clutter by giving away things I rarely use. Unfortunately, I then find I have room to buy something else! Heigh-ho, but I mean well!

My mom cuts my hair and I air-dry it. It is thick and curly and it is the easiest way for me. ( I am grown with a family of my own, but mom still visits-of course).

annpan, I know the pattern well. I just recently got rid of the box that part of a phone came in, knowing that as soon as I toss it out, I'll need the Original Box to return it to the company in, but I wanted more space, and I got it.

I'm already thinking of things I could put in that space--things I probably don't need.

And haircuts--my father often cut my hair, and I cut my children's and husband's hair, and now I cut my own hair. I like to think of all the money I've saved over the years. On the other hand my hair doesn't look professionally cut.

It never would, however, as beauty salon haircutters used to tell me I have "difficult" hair. If they can't deal with it very well, why should I pay them to suffer trying to cut my hair?

I'm in the process of doing an "old ways" thing and have cut out a new summer skirt from a pattern that cost 65 cents. I have to tell you, though, that I added a couple of inches to the waist band.

Hi all,

I am in somewhat of a hurry as I have an appt. in less than an hour, but I could think of two or three things off the top of my head that I do...

I still like wallpaper and I have curtains for 'doors' in some of the rooms in my house.

I still write letters to people that go through the post office.

I use Jergen's Cherry scented hand cream that I used in high school.

I always carry a pretty hankie and I keep a folding fan in my purse to use also. (Two things my great-grandma always had and used.)

I am sure there's plenty more, but it is getting late for me and I haven't had my second cup of coffee yet, so maybe I'll pop back in later with those.

Good day, everyone,

nola anne

Pam, you should get up to visit Boothbay Harbor this summer, it is delightful. Now that I am in my new home, I have to keep pinching myself because it is all too good to be true. Now I just need a friend with a boat!

I wear an apron almost every day and prefer those with pockets. I like to cook, but I am messy. My friends don't wear aprons.

I love aprons, too. I don't understand how people can cook without wearing one!

nola anne, I grew up in and was married in houses with wallpaper. And I remember well the days when a "proper lady" carried a scented hanky, sometimes embroidered....

Nola Anne, I use that same skin lotion. I bought it because I was looking for one that did not have any petroleum products in it and it was the only one in the store without either mineral oil or petrolatum. I keep using it because the scent makes me think of my mother, who used it for a few years, many years ago.

Rosefolly

Ahhh, folding fans. Love those. I had a fuschia fan (hardly ladylike) I would always carry to the ball park. Never put it down except to crack a peanut.

Every time I see the title of this thread I think, "Old ways -- no way!" I love all the new technology and gadgets and all the modern appliances and air conditioning and the ability to find out anything I want to know when I want to know it and being able to find just about any book I want and so many other things.

Maybe there is one "old way" I currently follow because of my new interest in cooking: I make my own bread, but I do it with the help of a nice new modern bread machine so it probably doesn't count.

The biggest regret I will have upon leaving this world is that I won't know what new capabilities will come after I'm gone.

Mollie--would that be Mollie whom I "know"?--I love aprons too. I always wear one in the kitchen and sometimes when doing other jobs too. Why mess up clothes if you can get away with messing up an apron instead?

Aprons are incredibly handy. Are people really not wearing them?

frances,
I, too, started out making bread in a bread machine. But then the loaves got too small for all of us and then I burnt up the motor. Now I make bread by hand and it is even easier and better tasting than the machine.

PAM

Some very interesting stories on this post!

When a storm comes, I unplug everything except the refrigerators. If is' really bad the take the cable wire off the TV's. We've lost TV's in the past from storms.

I have a 95 ProScan TV, still plays beautiful. Have not been sold on the new ones. I just go to my brothers and watch documentaries on his TV.

I still have some VHS tapes, mostly my Jane Fonda workout tapes and some B-horror movies (I was a teenage werewolf).

Still have an ironing board but it does not get any use.

Although, I would very much want a new one, however, because they are mostly electric now, which means you have to go to the dealer to have it fixed. I'm still riding my 2001 Hyundai, which I can have a family member fix.

When food is served, children eat first (they are priority).

I still have lots of books and don't own a kindle, or a nook. (But thinking about it).

ladyrose your thing on 'children eat first' to me as someone from the UK (England) is interesting because I come from an old ways time. When I was young children very much came last. Not at mealtimes, when we always had to wait for everyone to be served, but in just about everything else, when we were frequently reminded by our parents and our father in particular that we were the lowest forms of life, our views were never taken into consideration (in fact it would have been unwise to express a view) and in no way would we have been considered a Priority.
Being seen and not heard was the order of the day.
I expect this sounds harsh to modern parents but I sometimes wonder if children of 'these days' are given too much say in matters best left to adults to decide.
A small eg. On a recent UK TV prog. on the theme of property buying, a couple were being shown round a very expensive place which seemed to tick all the right boxes . . . except whether their three-year old would be happy there, so, to the amazement of the presenters the child was consulted before the couple could make a decision to part with several hundred thousands pounds.
The times they are a'changing.

I was raised that way also, Vee, and to be honest I am thankful for it. It has served me well as an adult to not need to be the center of attention, and I was very happy to let my parents make decisions for me. What pressure to put on a child!

Vee, growing up in the deep South, I, too, was raised the way you were. I well recall the "to be seen but not heard" rule! I agree that the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction, today. Many say we are living in a narcissistic, "me first" society here.

Ladyrose, I have lots of VHS tapes of movies I like. I am fortunate in having a machine that plays both types.

I'm a college teacher and we certainly see the effects of the "helicopter parents" generation. I don't mean to over-generalize as there are plenty of wonderful young people out there, but many more have grown up as privileged children who "expect" the world to cater to them because they are so "special." They "expect" us to give them high grades because daddy is paying for college.

As to my "old ways," I still have a landline and no cell phone and this works fine for me. I also iron--including my jeans!

yoyobon-I love Jane Thornley's knitting designs-I dream of going on one of her knitting trips.
Old ways-I remember so many being born in the 50's but have given up as many as possible! I used to use a sprinkle can when ironing-then roll the piece to be ironed in a towel and refrigerate for awhile(if linen-like a tablecloth). I do like tablecloths, I guess that is old-fashioned and hung clothes on the line until 8 yrs. ago when we moved where it is not allowed which doesn't make sense to me since everyone is so eco-conscious. I love the smell of sheets hung on a line....sigh
I remember being fascinated by my Nana's ringer washer.
I do like to make things from scratch (esp. bake goods) but have never made bread either.
I'm sure my daughters would say I have lots of old ways but can't think of any more now.