excerpt
…used coal-oil lamps for light and
elbow grease in lieu of household
appliances, with batteries
for amenities such as radios,
which by the way, did not arrive
in our household until about
- Everything was done for an
immediate purpose, namely, shelter,
clothing and food.
We moved in late summer
and the battle to prepare forwinter
began. There would be no
grain that year therefore the garden
in our temporary home had
to yield enough to keep the family
through the winter, and the cattle had to be housed and fed.
Barns with leaking roofs and drafty walls were put up,
chicken-coops were built and wood was cut and split. Chickens
were killed, placed in jars and preserved, and Saskatoon berries,
wild raspberries and cranberries were made into preserves for winter
consumption. Not as a thick berry fruit for spooning over ice
cream or cake but as a fruit dessert consisting of 70 percent liquid
and 30 percent fruit. It was a wonderful winter dessert and we ate it
with relish, with a slice or two of bread.
Speaking of bread, Mother baked every three days or so. We
would eat it as fast as it came out of the oven and her secret was to
get far enough ahead to permit it to age at least two days. At this
point it lasted longer because it was harder and less tasty. Mostly it
was white bread but every so often she did a whole-wheat batch.
That always lasted longer; we preferred the white.
Father set many of the eating standards in the house and all the
boys followed. No beets, “that’s for cows”, no spinach, “grown for
pigs”, and so on. It was certainly enough to drive Mother to muttering
at him and at us, and she did that! But we stuck by him…
Mayanaam
vequinox
Manolis 