Whatever Happened to Yester Years?

What Ever Happened to Yester Years? The First Post

Do you find yourself ever wondering how we know the things we know? I was standing in my kitchen cooking dinner and pondered how I knew exactly how long to cook these meatballs that I was making for dinner. This thought led to another about how when I was a kid we didn’t even have a microwave, and therefore had to heat food up on the stove. As I look around my home, I wonder how we got here.

I can remember when grandmothers taught their granddaughters how to sew, cook, clean, garden, and how to act as a lady. In addition, music was taught in almost every household. When I was a child we were taught how to play the piano in school during school hours. What happened to those days? My children now have to go to music outside school hours making it almost impossible for many kids to go because of both parents working.

My grandmother stayed home and raised her children. She never had a job until she was in her 60’s and this was only because she was bored. She decided she wanted to work for McDonald’s. She loved going to work, it gave her something to do since my grandfather had died. My grandmother taught me about being a hard worker and earning what you get in life. She told me once, “Jerri Lee (that is what she used to call me) it is up to you to keep your own teeth.” What is she blabbering about I thought. Well I know understand, she taught me about the importance of taking care of myself. She used her own teeth as an example and she died with her own teeth at 76 and had no dentures.

She taught me how to respect myself and others and demanded that I do so each and every day no matter where we were. I learned to be quiet and listen when spoken to and to always be polite no matter what. She also taught me about language and she never spoke a bad word her entire life or at least I never heard one come out her prim and proper mouth. Funny because my mom on the other hand loved a few swear words that I was never allowed to say until I was out of the house.

My Grammy as I loving called her had the biggest most beautiful garden in her back yard. I used to have to weed it every day for hours. I can remember muttering in my head how much I hated dealing with the garden. Every night I would be sent out to the garden to fetch our veggies for supper. She grew everything carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, beans, beets, onions, tomatoes, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, squash, corn, and more. I love vegetables, but only when they are fresh. I think she taught me how much better things tasted when you worked hard to make them grow. She took pride in the hours she put in making her garden beautiful and we never had to buy vegetables from the store. As a matter of fact I don’t remember buying vegetables from the store only from the local farmers around us.

I grew up in New Hampshire and was used to all the farming that was around us. What happened? Now we run to the grocery store to buy vegies and fruits that have been covered with pesticide or pay an armload out for organic. As a child I don’t remember adults talking about pesticide issues and my Grammy never used any in her garden.

This is the first post of something I wanted to share with you about this idea. Please share your own memories. Tell me where did those yester years go? What did your ancestors teach you?