Hi all, it's me again!  I really am going to live up to my word and start postingg again!  I promise!

Lots of things have been going on here, let me tell you!  I HAVE A NEW GRANDSON!  His name is Gage Damien, and he was born on the 12th of February.  My daughter had a really had time with her pregnancy.  She's 37 and this was her first (and she says only) baby.  She's tiny, so it was pretty rough on her because she got very very big.  Torn muscles, etc.  Over 24 hours labor and she still had a c-section.  But after all that, baby Gage was born.  She and her husband and I are over the moon!    I'll get photos up soon.  Lately, when I haven't been working I've been at her house...and then running home to do what needs to be done.  All in all, it's been quite hectic!

Anonymous posted a question about how I manage working and housework, etc., and I thought I'd answer it here.  First, let me tell you, working full time and taking care of a house and family full-time is not easy.  I've been there when my children were young.  I found, though, that the only way to try to manage it was a routine.  Find the things that absolutely MUST be done every day, write them down, and get in the habit of doing them.  Then when you have some extra time, do the other things.  But be easy on yourself, too.  If you have small children and a full-time job, it will be difficult to have a spotless house unless you have some help.

Right now, because of my Lupus, I only work part-time.  I recently got promoted to shift supervisor, so that is a few more hours.  I don't have small children at home.  I have my better half and my adult son who has moved home due to his personal situation.  But I do have pets...lots of pets!  LOL! (All but one inherited from the three children...but that's another story...<G>)  Three large dogs, and three cats.

The only way I survive is to have a schedule.  I also "prep cook" a lot.  I'll chop a week's worth of onions, celery, etc., and put them in glass jars and put them in the fridge.  Anything  I can partly cook or cook ahead I do.  I am also the "Crock Pot Queen" and the "Queen of the Timed Bake Feature" of my oven!  I do dinner before I leave for work and it goes in the Crock Pot or the oven.  Otherwise, unless they fix it themselves, they won't eat.  I'm too tired after being on my feet at work to come home and cook!

Well, speaking of cooking ahead, I'm off to get tonight's dinner in the crock pot!

Hugs

It's Only Been A Year...LOL!

It's only been a year since I last posted, and I should apologize for that before I go any further.  I don't know when I started putting off posting until "tomorrow" but unfortunately, I did.  Here's hoping I'm going to do better on that this time.

We aren't doing the "rationing" itself right at the moment.  My friend Donna (at Gdonna.com) and I are in 1942.  The war has just started and we are slowly working our way into things.  Trying to set up budgets, meal planning and household routines as they were in 1942.

This is not just a history experience, but a social and cultural one as well.  Living a simpler life can take some getting used to.  I'll admit it's an ongoing process, a learning curve if you will.  Mine is made a bit more challenging because my adult son is still living with me and does not want to participate.  That's OK, I'm learning to "work around him."

What kinds of things do you all do to live a simpler life?

I'm Baaack!

Hi all, I didn't intend to take an over two month hiatus from my blog.  Life just seemed to keep throwing things at me.  I think I have a handle on them now though.  The shingles are slowing down, not gone, but slowing down.  I know they are a virus, but I can't help but think that stress isn't good for me, especially with the Lupus.

Just to prove this, I'm working on my dress today!  Yay!  It's the time of year to get a couple of house dresses done and ready for the spring.  I want a vintage wardrobe, and this will be the way to get it.

I also want to make this a year of "Use Up What I Have."  So, for every thing I buy new material for, I am making myself make something out of the "stash" of material I have already.  I'm also trying to make as much for myself as I can.  I want to continue to control what chemicals I use and how much I have to spend.  Yes, finances are tight, but it's not just for that.  I ENJOY it, and it gives meaning to everyday things.  Plus, it's better to have things made with good workmanship than things that fall apart, you throw away, and buy new.  What a waste of resources!

I hope everyone's new year is going fabulously!  I encourage you all to go stop by my friend Donna's blog gdonna.com.  She always has such wonderful info, and I've learned so much from her.

Hugs to you all!

This is my latest sewing project.  I had planned on making a 1940's repro pattern robe.  But I didn't have enough material to do it.  So, since I need a decent housedress, this will be what I will do.

I intend to extend the sleeves a bit though, at least a few inches.  I also realize I need to get myself a nice cardigan for the winter.  So, off to Saver's or Deseret Industries I will go.  Surely there will be a decent cardi available one of these places without me having to pay full price?  If not, well...Old Navy?

It's getting a bit chilly here, fall is finally arriving.  I tend to keep the thermostat down in the winter, hence my discussing things like cardigans.  Ideally, I could find one with 3/4 sleeves.  Yeah, right...  I'd love to have one so I didn't have to alway be pushing my sleeves up or taking it off all the time.  What I want and what I find, however...

What projects is everyone else working on?

Hello everyone, I'm still alive!  I ended up with bronchitis for a while and didn't feel like doing much of anything.  Then I'm back to work and we are busy, so I'm way, way behind and I apologize.

It's finally starting to feel like Fall out here!  The leaves are starting to turn, but we've still had unseasonably warm weather.  I don't know if the weather is like this everywhere, but here in Utah it's just plain weird anymore.  Hardly any snow in the valley very often - although not shoveling or driving in snow is always good.  I really do wish we had a little more though.

I'm planning on copying a pattern I have for a 1940's robe.  I have some lovely oriental brocade fabric that I want to use for it.  It should be fun.  I need a new robe.  The one I have is very old and I've noticed holes...sigh.  It wasn't very expensive or of very good quality so I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has to be honest.  Time to upgrade!

Tomorrow is haircut day!  Yay!  Since I've gotten it cut this way, the one thing I've noticed is that I have to keep up on my haircuts.  If it gets too long it really doesn't look very good.  I supposed I could get a crimper and crimp it like grandma used to, but I'm happy with it this way.

Well, off to start supper!  I just thought I'd check in so people didn't think I'd dropped off the face of the earth!

Me & Grandma

This picture sums up my Grandma and me.  We were always close.  I still miss her so much.

I was one and we were visiting.  The pictures still have a good ways to go, but I am making such progress.  I am still sick though and I think maybe I'm trying to do a little too much, so I'm trying to be better at being good.  (Does that make sense?)

Stew is supper tonight since it won't take too much fussing with.  Hope everyone is OK!

I'm really sick with what I am not sure if is the flu or a cold.  So I'm being useful and organizes some old photos.

This is is my Grandma, Elsie...and the watering can.  It was probably Mommy with the camera.  Gotta love it!

Today I used "The Concoction" on the bathroom baseboards and cleaned the lino on my hands and knees.  The bathroom is fairly small so it's not as monumental an undertaking as it sounds, still it's a lot of work.  Now the floor is nice and clean and so are the baseboards.

Tomorrow, I'm going to try "The Concoction" on the walls of the bathroom as I'm trying to removed the old wall paper paste that is the pure devil to get off.  I don't know if it's because it's so old or what.  This is my first time stripping wall paper, so I'm learning as I'm going.  I've tried the store bought chemicals that are made for this...underwhelming and ghastly smelling...  I've used the fabric softener method...at least it smells delightful but unfortunately it doesn't work any better than the chemical stuff.  But, because it smells better, that's what I've been using.  I'm hoping this works.

Any and all wall paper paste removal suggestions are appreciated!  This bathroom project is taking way too long and I want the room painted...SOON!

Hugs

Today has been a very productive day.  A while back we purchased an old set of iron and plexiglass corner shelves to use in the kitchen.  They were $2 and would fit perfectly where we wanted to put them.  Problem was, they were beat up a bit and needed some TLC.  So in keeping with the WWII "Make Do and Mend" mentality, I decided to bring them back to life.

First, I washed them down really well, then I took them apart.  Then I spray painted the scratched up decorative tips a gold color that I thought would have been pretty close to the original.  After they had dried for 24 hours, I put painters tape over the brass colored tips.  Then I sprayed the rest of the shelves black.  After they had dried to touch, I sprayed them with a couple of coats of shiny clear coat.  Again I let them dry 24 hours.  Today I brought them in to the kitchen and this is the result!

Now I'm not saying I'll end up in "Better Homes and Gardens" or anything, but I am pleased with them.  I am planning on redoing my wallpaper there, too.  Still work to be done, but an improvement.

I also wanted to share with you all the cleaning "concoction" that I have used for years and I thought I'd share.  It works so much better, in my opinion, than a lot of the commercial cleaners I have used before.  It came from Grandma, and it was something that she used from before she got married in 1926.  If you use it to mop the floor, you'll probably have to rinse because of the baking soda if you have the kind of floor that you can see streaks.  I also suggest using a large bucket or halving the recipe because it DOES foam up substantially.  You can clean walls, floors, and use it on appliances.  And best yet, it comes from what's already in your cupboard.

2 gallons very warm/hot water
1 cup of baking soda
1Tablespoon soap (I use castile or dish soap, whatever is available)
1 Cup white vinegar
A few drops lavender or rosemary essential oil (That's optional)

Mix the first three ingredients together in the bucket, using your hand if the water isn't too hot and rinsing off the measuring spoon really well.  (You don't want to waste your soap, right?)  After you feel the baking soda, water, and soap are mixed well and the baking soda just isn't sitting on the bottom, add the vinegar.  And here is where it starts getting fun.  With the addition of the vinegar, the mixture starts to foam away!  (That's why you need a big bucket or a half batch...otherwise you'll be cleaning up wasted suds and cleaning mixture!)  Then add the essential oil if you want.  This was my addition, not Grandma's.  LOL!

I used it today to wash my floors since I was going to put in my new shelves.  I also used it to clean all my baseboards in the kitchen.  (Tomorrow, the hallway and bathroom!)  They really needed washing with the three larger dogs and the humans that live here, and I had been dreading it a bit because I was afraid I'd have to do a great deal of heavy scrubbing.  I had forgotten how well this works.  Now my kitchen baseboards gleam, and the only thing I see isn't dirt but the need to repaint!  LOL!

What projects is everyone else working on?

Thank goodness life is getting back to normal!  I got very, very busy with work there for a while and all I did was come home and put my feet up.  The only thing I got done was what I accomplished before I went to work!

I am still following the rationing rules for food and gasoline that were in place for 1943.  My friend Donna over at gdonna.com is doing this also, and she is so very good about posting how they are cutting back, pasting in their coupons, etc.

I'm doing it, but I'm just crossing off the coupons as I use them.  I do the same with the gas allotment we use for the week.  In order to stretch the gas allowance, I take the bus to work.  I am very lucky here in the area close to Salt Lake City.  We have an excellent public transit system.  (In fact, I being so close to the main bus line for our area was another selling point when I bought this house in 2001.)  I am two doors down from the bus stop.  When I get in to town, I have to walk five blocks to work.  Then, I'm usually lucky and get a ride from a coworker to the bus stop to go home.  Or I take this

on the bus with me and ride it from the bus stop to work and back.   I am allowed to take my scooter on the bus since it's electric.  I've had a couple of drivers question me about it, but since I'm considered disabled, I explain I'm allowed to use this for my mobility device.  It actually takes less room than a regular mobility scooter.  (I don't take it every time if I have to go on the bus, usually if I have a lot of walking to do or if I'm really tired and want to save my energy for work.) 

I also use my little scooter to get around my local area to the library or the grocery store and local mall.  I don't shop much at the mall, where this photo is taken, but I love the atmosphere.  There is a wonderful outdoor space to sit and read, fountains, and a little playground for the children.  There is usually a concert during the week and if I'm off work sometimes I ride my little scooter down there.

Once a week or so I try to do the main shopping and we try to get everything done all at once.  If the gas has is running low, sometimes I take the bus in to the grocery store and my son picks me up on his way home either during lunch or after work.  He lives with me at the moment and I'm sure that back in the 1940's people shared rides whenever possible.

Today I've spent getting caught up on house work that I've gotten behind in from working.  I've still got a ways to go to get caught up to where I want to be, but I'm getting there.

Hi Folks, I haven't thrown in the towel, I swear.  Things are still going full steam ahead here in 1943 in Utah.  It's actually a lot of fun, so far.

Very, very eye opening when it comes to gasoline for the car.  We use a lot less than is the average for two people, but I'm amazed at how fast the gas rations go!  Our old Buick uses about the same amount of gas as cars did in 1943, so that's helpful.  It makes you extremely aware of how much gas you use when you only have a finite amount available.

I've been hurting and aching really bad lately and I've been wondering why.  Leaving work Monday night it dawned on me.  I have been out of the medication that I take for the fibromyalgia that accompanies my Lupus for over a month!  I have no idea how I let that happen, but happen it did.

I got it filled yesterday and I'm hoping that it won't take too long until it starts working.  I had forgotten that I'm so nauseous when I first start taking this.  I hope it doesn't last too long.

Anyway, my little darling here is extremely pleased I'm taking it very easy.  I've got a couple of other happy little furry ones too...  I've got to get pictures of them for you to see.  I took this one the other day and it came out so GOOD we thought I thought I'd share it with you.  Her name is Ashes.)

Oh, I had an experiment come out really, really well today and I have to share.  I took a gallon of whole milk (organic) and put it in my crockpot yesterday afternoon and heated it to 180º, then I let it cool to 108º - 112º.  Once it got to 108º - 112º I mixed enough yogurt starter for the gallon.  (Next time, I'll save some yogurt for starter.  These were little packets I had in my refrigerator and it was coming to the end of it's use by date!)  After mixing it with a little milk in a cup, I mixed it in the remaining gallon in the crockpot.  I put the lid on, covered it with a towel, and forgot about it for about 12 hours!  This morning when I got up, it looked great!  But since I wanted it thicker, and was actually hoping for Greek Yogurt I strained it for about six - eight hours through a coffee filter in one strainer and through paper towels in another since I didn't have any cheesecloth.  It came out WONDERFUL!  I just had a dish for dinner.  I'll be able to use it for sour cream, or add fruit or jam or honey to it.   Even better, it's less than HALF the cost of Greek yogurt in the store!  This made me happy, I'm always glad to learn another useful skill!

I'll have to take pictures sometime.  I got two quart jars and a cereal dish of thick Greek yogurt.  Then I got two quart jars of whey, with about an additional cup.  I know whey is great in bread, and I will be checking out what else I can do with it.

So don't pay a fortune for Greek yogurt - or regular yogurt for that matter - or buy fancy equipment you really don't need.  You don't HAVE to strain it like I did if you don't want or like Greek yogurt, either.  

This makes me so very happy.  It was so much easier to do than I thought it would be, and the flavor is every bit as good, if not better, than the store bought kind.  I think it's so much fun that I can use it for so many things, that saves the amount of things I have to buy!

Hugs

I had the idea a little while ago to post some of the ads from the Salt Lake City area in 1943.  This is from August 4, 1943.  I love how they print not only the cost of the item in money but in points also.

You know, the necessity for Victory Gardens really hit home today.  Unless you grew your own vegetables and/or fruit.  It's difficult to buy enough to "put up" at an affordable price.  (Peaches and Apples seem to be the exception here, but then obviously if you grew them yourself, the cost would be much, much lower.)

It gives me an appreciation for how my Grandmother "got by" and fed her little family healthy food.  During wartime my Grandparents and my mother lived in St. Louis proper, not too far from Forest Park.  They didn't have a great deal of space to grow things.  If I remember correctly it was a couple of tomato plants, I can't remember her mentioning much else.  I wonder if some of the family with more available ground or the members more in the "country" gave them their extra produce?

Unlike me now, Grandma and Grandpa Nopper had siblings and a decent size extended family.  Grandma and Grandpa Nopper had family that lived in rural areas.  It would be feasible that they would all share with each other.

However, I just thought of something that pretty much bursts that little bubble.  How would they have gotten together to get the items in the first place?  Gas rationing was in place, and the little gas they did have was used to get Grandpa to work because he worked long hours at Fisher Body.  Grandma usually walked to the store and to Church, or she took the bus or streetcar to visit family or run other errands.  Buses and streetcars didn't really reach out to the rural areas.

Think about it.  A can of peaches was 20 blue points!  20!  A can of green beans was 14 points!  That's almost the entire ration amount of processed foods for one person for ONE MONTH!  Think about how far you could stretch a can of peaches and a can of green beans.  Not for a month I'd wager.  How many of us could use that up in a DAY?  I know I could!  I then think of how meats and fats were rationed, too, and the stretching that had to occur for those items.  I know they used a good amount of pasta and potatoes, and probably rice, too to get through.

I find myself obsessing about how nutritious their diets were with the scarcity of points for canned/processed items.  I wonder if carrots and other root vegetables were readily available at the grocery store?  It would be a blessing, but can you imagine how tire you'd get of the same things all the time?

We really are spoiled aren't we?  We are used to getting most things we want to eat regardless of whether it is "in season" where we live.  Rarely is their a shortage of things in the supermarket.  If you can pay for it, you can find it somewhere.  Back during the war, if you had the money but didn't have the stamps, you were out of luck.  Just because you had the stamps didn't mean it would be available either.  Think of the amount of time and planning that went into feeding your family.  The trips to the store to see what was available and what you had the points for.  I would imagine that keeping track of all this was a job in and of itself, plus the cooking, cleaning, and other work that was normally done each day.  Then think about the women who went out of the home to work either out of necessity or in support of the war effort.  The "Rosie the Riveters" if you will.  If they didn't have any extended family living with them, like mothers or mothers-in-law, aunts, grandmother's, etc. who didn't work outside the home, they would have all that work to do, plus shop and provide meals and keep track of ration points, on top of working a full day outside the home.  I honestly don't know how they did it.  They kept high standard for themselves too from what I can ascertain.

I know that my Grandfather was an enlightened man for his time in many ways.  When my grandparents were first married before they thought of having my mother and they both worked, Grandpa voluntarily split the home chores 50/50 with grandma.  (Except for cooking...he wasn't a cook beyond toast and a can of campbells soup I'm afraid...they told me that when my mother was born he tried to cook breakfast for my Grandma after she went through labor...he salted the bacon...but that's another story!)  When Grandma decided to stay home full time, he said "OK, the house is yours now."  Grandma thought that was fair, after all he was the one going out to work.

People don't look at it that way now for sure.  Women who chose to be housewives and stay-at-home mothers are often ridiculed and their contribution to their home life and to society in general is belittled.  I had a few "careers" that interested me during my life, but I have to be honest and say that the only one I REALLY wanted was to be a housewife.  A lot of people view that as unambitious.  I beg to differ.  I have never worked as hard in my life, even with all of our "conveniences" than when I was a totally stay at home housewife and mother.

I hope those of you reading this that disagree with me and my opinion - and I'm sure there will a lot of you - will realize it is just that.  My opinion.  Everyone is different in their views and the way they look at things.  I'm not criticizing anyone for what they chose to do or not do.  It's not my place to judge anyone other than myself.  If you are happy with whatever you are doing, then I applaud you.  None of us should live our lives to just to please others and what they think.  I've done too much of that in my 56 years and I regret it a great deal.  I'm not saying you don't take your loved ones into account in things.  Just because someone else thinks you should or shouldn't have such-and-such a job or interest and it impacts only you and doesn't clash with your belief system, then they should take a flying leap.

That is just my opinion, my friends, and that and a couple of bucks will get you a cup of coffee at McDonalds...

Hugs

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.