Prims By the Water

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

A Daunting January


This morning we started off with snow,
then a wintery mix, then heavy rain,
now drizzle and high winds.
Today reminded me of the January nights
at gramma B's farmhouse.

For those that may not know,
her farmhouse did not have running water
or even a furnace until I was 14 years old.


Before that, she had a wood stove/ cook stove
in the living room, which kept most of the lower
level of the farmhouse warm in the Winter.


We always wore socks and slippers at night
with our pajamas (I still wear socks to bed)
Sometimes my sister and I even wore our hats .
The bedroom we slept in was on the second floor.
In the mornings, we raced down the stairs
to get dressed in the room our parents slept in.
(mom did not want our clothes to become icicles upstairs)
and yes we could see our breath up there.
There was no insulation in the walls and all of the beds
were placed on the interior walls.


Before we trotted upstairs, my mom would
heat up a soapstone on that old wood stove.
She then took it upstairs and placed it between 
the goose down feather tick and flannel sheets.
Once the bed was warm, she removed the soapstone
and off to bed we went....ran.


We only spent a few weekends in January
at gramma's farmhouse...but it was enough.
I can only imagine my mom and her siblings 
going to bed each cold night on a daily basis.
I get the chills just thinking about it.

I like having primitive furniture and displays
in our home...but to live it like I did...even just
part time....makes me truly appreciate what I have.

On another note: Bob and I trekked out in this bad
weather today to take Michele to the doctor.
Unfortunately her leg is not healing as it should,
so the doctor put her back into a cast.
This time it is in a 90 degree cast with a shoe.
He wants her to start walking a bit each day
and only put half of her body weight on that leg.
Next week they will take the cast off...
look at again and put another cast on.
Hopefully in 2 weeks he will leave the cast off and she
can start therapy. Let's hope.

I also hope everyone is home safe and toasty tonight.
There were many accidents out there today.
Wind gusts tonight could reach 60 mph. YUCK.

A Daunting January Blessings To All!
Janice 



4 comments:

  1. Hi Janice!! Sorry to hear about your daughter's leg not healing properly...kids...always a worry no matter what age! That farmhouse sounds wonderful but so cold...brrr....I always enjoy your stories....see you soon in Holly...it will be here before you know it!

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  2. Your weather is coming in for us over night. Not looking forward to the ice. my grandmother's house had no central heating when we were all visiting she would fill canning jars with hot water and wrap it in a towel for our feet and to roll it up and down your sheets before you slid in.
    Cathy

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  3. Janice, we used to visit my Grandparents in the Summer and they had no indoor plumbing either. Grandma cooked on a big black wood stove and there was some sort of oil heater in the main living area that warmed the downstairs. My Mom said that it got terribly cold upstairs in her bedroom in winter when she was growing up. While I remember those summer days at the farm with nostalgia, like you, I know that living there in bad weather was not easy and I appreciate our conveniences of modern living like you !!

    I hope your daughter's leg will heal correctly soon. Please tell her that your blog friends are sending her lots of get better soon wishes!!

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  4. Janice, I grew up in a small house that only had a coal stove in the center room. A funny story always comes to mind. My Dad would tell everyone he "couldn't stand for Emma (my mom) to get up in the cold and stoke the fire, so I just close my eyes." Of course he was just kidding, he was a kind man but very witty. I feel sympathy for your daughter's leg, and hope it will be better soon.

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