the good old days?

 I was just reading in my mother's diaries about her memories of her mother's "summer kitchen" - a large room off the regular kitchen that they essentially moved to in the warm weather. It had no running water - dishes were washed in a dishpan of soapy water, then dunked in a dishpan of rinse water and then placed on a drainer on a nearby stand. All this was done in a dry sink - a beautifully carved wooden cabinet lined with zinc. Just stop and think of that in light of all the cooking that was done in those days - roasted beef, pork, turkey, sausage, chicken. Those roasting pots and pans had baked-on grease-  to say nothing of all the side dishes. However could one get things clean without a flowing stream of hot water?? And Grandma cooked for a family of seven! One year in Newfoundland I cooked on an oil stove and didn't have running hot water and I thought those days were spartan - paradise compared to my grandparents! It took an amazing amount of work  just to assemble and clean up a simple meal. Multiply by 3, by seven, by 365 and you've got yourself a full year just with the meals! Then add making your own clothes, canning, gardening, cleaning, baking, ironing, etc., and you've got yourself a worn-out body not too far along life's pathway!

The way life has softened in just a generation is startling. I think it's worth reflecting what on earth we are doing with all our leisure!