Hello all!  I sent this following bit in an email to my friend Donna at gdonna.com, and she edited it a bit and said it was a good read and I should post it.  So I am!  I so appreciate her help, we are kindred spirits, and she really has wonderful things to teach everyone.

My generation really saw the changes, The baby boomers have covered a lot.  Space travel, cell phones, microwaves, computers at home, tablets, cable tv, internet, robotic vacuums and robots to sweep and mop your floor...and lots more things I can't think of.  Much less the social and economic changes...makes your head spin.

It's all too, too fast.  My son came upstairs Sunday night and it was dark, he came in the living room and was surprised to see me sitting in there reading, it was so quiet.  He didn't think anyone was home.  People just don't know  how to be quiet anymore.  First thing after dinner, people turn on the tv.  After we did the dishes, I remember going outside to sit.  Sometimes we'd play croquet, or lawn jarts, and other times we'd just sit and talk, play with the dog, etc.  I loved doing that with my Grandparents.  Then when it got darker we'd go in and watch tv.  One tv in the living room.  The old black and white they had before they got the color went in the kitchen, but it was rarely on, unless I wanted to watch something different when I got older.  I'd usually read or watch tv with them.  That's how I fell in love with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I vividly remember the first time I saw "The African Queen."  I've been a Bogie fan ever since!

I encourage anyone who has never watched a Humphrey Bogart movie to take the time to do so!  Great plots, great acting, well worth the time.  I'm not a drama fan as a rule, when I go to movies it's either fantasy or comedy.  But I love Bogie.  "The African Queen", "To Have and Have Not", "Key Largo", and then the classic "Casablanca."  And plenty more I haven't mentioned.    

I Just Remembered...

Before "Steamfest" weekend, Donna (from gdonna.com) and I were discussing "putting up" food for use in the winter.  I had been wondering what to use, since freezer bags - especially my Food Saver, weren't around then.  They weren't drowning in plastic like we are then, either.  I didn't know what I was going to do.  I can't use a granite canner on my glass topped stove.  (If only I had this bad boy in my kitchen!)

I would love to have one, wouldn't you?  I can use my medium-sized pressure pot, but then I'm limited in the size of jars I can use.  What to do?

Then, I had an epiphany!  I remember when I was little, Grandma used JARS!  Canning or recycled jars, usually.  She told me "Be sure to leave room for expansion or the jar will break."  I cannot believe I've forgotten this!  I guess I just have been brainwashed by the all the plasticware and plastic freezer bags in the world today.  Granted, when you use glass in the freezer, you have to be very careful.  It would be very true to the era, and I think glass is so much better than plastic.  (I prefer milk especially in glass.)

Does anyone else remember this?  I am open to suggestions.

Well, another week has gone by!  I have been so very busy.  It's almost time for "Salt City Steamfest" that will be held in Salt Lake City this weekend.  It's a steampunk convention and I am the volunteer coordinator for this event.   I won't go in to details unless someone asks me specifically about "steampunk" and "Steamfest" since this is supposed to be about rationing and living like the 40's.  I'm just telling everyone so they know why I'm so quiet.  It ends Saturday night, so starting Monday, I should be back to a more normal life again.

I strongly encourage everyone to go over to my dear friend Donna's blog "Living Like the Past."  gdonna.com

She has some great info and wonderful research, while I've been following the rationing, but focusing on my responsibilitlies.  Sigh.

Research, Research, Research

I've been trying to find local ads from this same time in 1943 to give me an idea of what was going on here in the Salt Lake City area.  I finally found a place online where I can look up old issues of the Salt Lake Tribune without having to go down to the Trib building itself.  (For some reason I can only get the county newspaper on microfilm, not the City paper.)

If you look, they state the food points and what color stamps are used.  I don't think this one has it listed, but did you know they had "Tang" in the 40's?  (I always thought it was for the astronauts, I guess I bought in to the advertising...LOL!)  It was 3 or 4 points for processed food.

I love looking at what brands were available.  When you look at the processed point values for canned fruits and vegetables, I think I'll be freezing a good bit this year.  I'd like to can but I don't think I can use the canners on my glass topped stove.  Has anyone canned on theirs?  I don't want to damage my stove, but I would like to get some food put up!

Happy 1943!  Although I started my project a couple of weeks ago, today is the "official" day that we are starting.

Tomorrow is grocery day, and I'll be crossing off the points as I use them.  These are the ration "stamps" I'll be using:

This is for July (obviously) with on stamp per gallon, four gallons a week, or 12 gallons a month.

JULY GAS RATIONS

1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON
1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON
1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON
1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON	1 GALLON

Blue points - for processed food
	8 C	8 B	8 A
	5 C	5 B	5 A
	2 C	2 B	2 A
	1  C	1  B	1  A

Red Points for meat, fat, cheese
	8 D	8 C	8 B	8 A
	5 D	5 C	5 B	5 A
	2 D	2 C	2 B	2 A
	1  D	1  C	1  B	1  A

I wish I had a way to exactly reproduce the ration stamps from 1943, but I'm not that skilled with the computer.  These will have to do.

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.