I'm sorry for the gaps between posts!  I'm planning on posting twice a week at least, if not more.  My friend Donna over at http://gdonna.com/ has been working so very hard making sure this adventure of ours is as authentic as possible.  I'm eternally grateful to her since I haven't had the time due to my current work schedule and the availability of information at my local library.

I did buy some ration book four ration books.  Here is a picture of the stamps.

They're so little, and in order to use them you had to keep track of points, which letter of which color was current, not to mention the prices of these items.  Having the stamps and money did not mean that the item you wanted would be available.  An item also not being rationed didn't guarantee you could purchase it when you wanted or in the amount you wanted.

Makes me have even more respect for my Grandmother, since she handled this end of things.  Grandpa took care of the car part of it, but she took care of the rest.  She didn't work in any of the war time jobs available in St. Louis during the war.  My grandfather felt she had enough to do taking care of my mother and the house and all the rationing joy.  He worked long, long hours at Fisher Body during the war.  I personally don't know how they did it!

It's a hot one today in Utah.  Thank the dear Lord in Heaven that we don't have much in the way of humidity usually, 18% today, but it's usually lower.  Sucks the moisture right out of you.

I made a batch of chocolate cupcakes today that I filled with homemade fluffy fillings and frosted with cream cheese chocolate frosting.  I didn't count these in my rationing because I had agreed to make them for a friends birthday before I started this project.  I also made him a bed caddy - one of those things that stick between the mattress and box springs and hold magazines, remotes, glasses, iPads, etc?  I hope he likes it.  I figured homemade gifts were probably fairly popular during wartime.

I'm not looking forward to going out in that heat later to catch the bus to go to my friends birthday party.  I don't usually MIND the bus, but these extreme temperatures knock me for a loop.  I guess they knocked my Grandparents for a loop too, so I can't complain.

How's the weather in your part of the world?

I didn't realize it's been so long since I've posted!  I got busy with work.  It makes me wonder how the women who worked in factories managed to work long hours and come home and work some more!

Here'a a copy of a ration card for gasoline I found.  I also found one that was a punch card.  I still need to figure out which one was the one most used.  Has anyone ever heard of a punch card before?

Three to four gallons a month.  Wow!  That will be a challenge, but I'm going to give it a go!  I researched and found out that the average car in 1943 got 15-20 mpg on average.  Our big tank of an older Buick gets around 20, so I feel that's pretty comparable.

What do you think?

Here I thought I was so organized and ready to start but as these first days pass, I find out that I'm still learning and need to figure out so many things.

Today's realization was that I need to figure out how to keep track of the soap I use for cleaning, laundry, dishes, etc.  I realize that is rationed too.  I'm thinking of just buying soap flakes for the laundry, but I have to research whether or not they were used for dishes, or if specific "dish soap" (as grandma always called it) was commonly in use yet.  I use cake soap for bathing, so that shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Just like I guess they did during the war, I'll learn as I go along.  I was frustrated at first, but then it dawned on me that the women then didn't get a huge advance warning to prepare.  It was suddenly, "OK we are going to ration..."

I'm still surprised that they wanted everyone to report what they had on hand when it started so they could subtract that from their initial rationing coupons.  I understand, but I can't help but wonder how honest everyone was, or if under-reporting was common.

I can only imagine what it would be like if it happened now, with stores having to practically chain merchandise down, either literally or electronically, to deter theft.  Is that a reflection upon today's morals, or lack thereof, or has it always been this widespread and we're just more aware it?  I'm thinking the second.  It makes me wonder.

Today I Begin

Today, I am officially starting my experiment.

Each adult receives 48 blue points for processed foods, and 64 red points for meat/fish/dairy for a month.  Lets see, since there are five people here right now, I figured we had 240 blue points and 320 red points for the month.  Since it's the 15th, I divided them in half for 120 blue and 160 red.

I bought a pound of bacon - 7 red
1 Family pack chicken - 0
2 Fresh Peppers - 0
2 bunches radishes - 0
Potatoes, 5lb fresh - 0
cheese, 8 oz - 4 red
hot dogs - 7 red

So, this trip I spent 18 red stamps and that leaves us with 102 red points.  Please, if I've made any errors let me know.  I want to be accurate.

I will also be using up what I have at home in the refrigerator and my pantry and counting whatever I buy new.  We won't buy gas for a few days, but so far we've driven six miles.

Any input is welcome!  If you see anywhere I've made an error in points, please let me know and if you would, share the link where you got your info so I can look and add it to my research materials.

I'm excited!  This should be fun and educational!

Hello, I wanted to check in before I head off to work here until almost nine this evening.  Before I forget, I want to share a fantastic blog site I follow.

gdonna.com
She is wonderful, has wonderful ideas and tips, and tries to live simply like the past as much as is possible in her daily life.  I hope you'll stop by her site and check it out.  I'm sure you'll be as thrilled about her ideas as I am!

My official "start date" will be June 23rd, 2015.  However, if I have everything together and think I'm ready, I'll start earlier.  Either way I'll post when I start.

Today I've been gathering together the ration points for the blue and red stamps and also the point value of various foods and their color of stamps.  I think that will be the most time consuming thing I have to do, so I might be ready WAY earlier than I estimate.  That would be great.  I've just learned that I tend to underestimate the time I need to accomplish some tasks, so I've started automatically doubling the time and adjusting from there.  Does anyone else do that?

Here's a great site for info on rationing and points.  It is presented as an exercise/game for children to teach them about rationing.

https://books.google.com/books?id=NDT1TMbYDJoC&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=what+were+the+ration+point+values+for+different+cuts+of+meat+in+the+US+in+WWII&source=bl&ots=7wCsXLrr5E&sig=FELd2gW7E_sHNRp8CObygzr2lno&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDMQ6AEwA2oVChMI_Yvq9pGIxgIVCxKsCh0g2gBz#v=onepage&q=what%20were%20the%20ration%20point%20values%20for%20different%20cuts%20of%20meat%20in%20the%20US%20in%20WWII&f=false

Have a great day everyone, and think vintage thoughts!

Welcome To My Journey!

Ever since I was in grade school I've been fascinated by the WWII era and the 40's and 50's.  I loved listening to my grandparents stories of what life was like then.  I've always thought I would have thrived during that time.  Grandma used to joke that my mother and I should have changed generations.  Mom loved everything modern and I've always loved the old.

Now that my children are all grown up, I've made a decision.  I'm going to live, as much as possible anyway, like it's 1943.  Now I won't give up my computer  (Besides, it would be hard to blog without it...<G>) and cut myself off from the modern world, but there will be changes.

Food will be purchased with the rationing system and rules in mind.  I'm going to hold the gas for the car down to 3-4 gallons a week.  I work part-time out of necessity and I will take the bus as much as possible.  I will purchase clothing within the ration rules, or make some things using the material I have in my "stash."

I've inherited some of Grandma's cookbooks from that time and I remember a good bit of what she told me.  It will be a little easier for me since I already cook as much as I can from scratch.  I like to cook and bake, and when I lived with my grandparents convenience foods weren't really used.  I was able to find a book about Housekeeping in the 1940's, and I will use it as a guide, too.

I haven't set a start or end date for my adventure in the past.  I do plan to start no later than July 1, perhaps before then.  I just want to make sure I have all the information I can about ration point values, and what was and wasn't rationed.

My Grandmother's name was Elsie.  That's her picture at the top of the page.  She was a great lady and lived to be 93.  I still miss her every day.  I believe she's still watching over my family and me, and I think she would approve of what I have planned.

Please join me on my journey back to the 1940's, when life was simpler in many ways.  People pulled together instead of pulling apart as it seems society is doing now.  I can't wait to see what I will learn.