| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| bohemiangel |
Posted - Dec 17 2008 : 08:14:59 AM
Am I living in a fifties bubble? I spoke briefly about my image of the fifties and how I picture how life was. People dressed up well, home cooked meals, houses kept, respect, honor, honesty, just good things. I know there were the uglies but I always feel like there's things we could learn from that time. I love to look at my family's pictures from then.
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Dec 23 2008 : 7:00:06 PM
I think about this all the time now that I have 4 granddaughters. I am already praying for their future husbands, that they will have good parents ( and grandparent, too) that are already teaching them good manners and to respect others and to have all the old fashioned values and principles that I love. It is so scary to think of all the boys out there now who aren't being taught to respect girls. But I am so glad to see the ones that are being taught this now. So I know there is hope for them.
My friend's DD has the BEST most polite boyfriend I have ever met. He is so great. I love him. He says yes maam and calls me Mrs. Sherrill. I don't really like that, makes me feel really OLD! But that's ok. I so wish my DDs could find a guy like him. His parent's have done a fantastic job raising him. My standards are kind of high now because of h
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
| LauriP |
Posted - Dec 23 2008 : 08:24:50 AM
>> I wanted to pop into this thread for jus' a minute!! <<
I too, was born in the 50's, and have raised my sons to use the words Thank You, and Please..as adults they do this, and honest to goodness, more people tell me, You're son's are so polite.." like it's something Soo out of the ordinary!! What??!!! It's just how I was raised, and there were No Questions Asked!! -- You Did what you were told..and I raised my son's the same way. Yes, they have told me recently, "No, we knew not to get nasty with you..'cause we just didn't want to hear you lecture us..." But ya know what? That lecture has made them into the polite people they are today! No, not always, they can get snippy with others, but,hey, don't we all?
And too -- I've watched how children today has little to no respect for other children and adults. When we lived up in Norfolk, I worked in the Childrens Department at the city library...you'd think that the kids coming in to use the computer would be doing so to help with school work, right? Ha!! "Yo Miss!! I wanna use tha' 'puter to check out this music video!!" Say What??!! And I lost track after awhile, at the times I would try to correct some child acting horribly, and once that situation was over, I'd be the one to get yelled at by my superior!! Ack!! >> "Don't you be mean to those poor children! You just don't know what their home life is Like!!"
Sigh...so, realizing I was fighting an uphill battle, I left the library, and decided that it was far more than I could attempt to help along. There is a whole different attitude today with children and teenagers that is very frightening. There are far too many that have no care in how their beyhavior affects others, and trying to get parents truly involved, has at times, been a struggle. I volunteered with all 3 of my son's while they were in school , and to see how some parents could not care less about their childs behavior would literally make me come to tears. But I had to leave it all, and walk away -- I can't change the world by myself.
So it Is very good to see that there are others who feel like I do -- yes it Is ok to correct your children, and there are Behavior Standards to follow when out in public. I knew that the boys were not to misbehave at the store, in church, at the library. To see kids scream in a store makes my skin crawl. Even Tom mentioned this the other day >> "I just heard a mother telling her son she was gonna kill him and beat his $%$#^^..." Ack!!
So for all of you wonderful Farm Girls who Raise their kids with standards and values, my hat's off to you!! Keep up the good work!! It does pay off in the end!!
Laurianne |
| vermont v |
Posted - Dec 23 2008 : 07:57:48 AM
Farm girl types are definitely the best!!!! Give me a barn full of farmgirls anytime!!!! |
| bohemiangel |
Posted - Dec 23 2008 : 07:44:47 AM
Yes we definitely incorporate all the good things into our lives and society. THANK GOD FOR FARMGIRLS :) :) xoxoxoox I wanna give you all a HUGE hug:)
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/
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| Annie S |
Posted - Dec 22 2008 : 2:21:51 PM
This is such a wonderful thread. It's so much fun reading how everyone grew up where they lived as kids. I agree wholeheartedly about the kids these days compared to when we grew up. We were taught our manners (pleases and thank yous)and used them always. When I go into Target or Wallmart and see these kids being little brats and crying because they can't have something right now - it just gets me steaming. But their parents never taught them manners so the parents are paying the price for their bratty kids. I was a single mother, but always made sure my kids were polite to others (opening doors for others, etc.) and always said their pleases and thank yous. And with being a single mom, my kids knew we didn't have a lot of $$ to spend on things. When the kids got jobs to earn their own money, they were like Scrooges - saving their money for something they really wanted. They grew up knowing the value of $$. And they still have those values and manners they were taught. And now they're teaching their own kids those same manners and values.
I think all of us here with our farmgirl attitudes and way of lives are reliving the '50's way of life in a way. We know how to make due with what we have, grow and make what we can, value the simple things in our lives, believe in family first, etc. We're getting back to the simple way of life that we grew up with. How great is that. Maybe that's why I like sewing up aprons with a '50's design!!!!
Annie |
| deeredawn |
Posted - Dec 22 2008 : 05:49:43 AM
MJ: I guess that's why I like this forum so much..... really, its that whole lifestyle wrapped up - farmgirl kitsch - with good attitudes and generous behavior...... THIS is my Ozzie & Harriet!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-Mother Hen
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| Annie S |
Posted - Dec 20 2008 : 3:15:43 PM
You got that right, MJ!
Annie |
| CountryBorn |
Posted - Dec 20 2008 : 3:03:21 PM
Annie, I don't think their was a single one of us who didn't long for a life like Beaver's, or Ozzie and Harriet, and don't forget Father Knows Best! Unless of course you were lucky enough to already have a life like that. If so, God Bless you, it must of been glorious. I agree that you can take all you truly wish for and learn from the past and try and make the best life you can with that knowledge. I guess all the good stuff from every generation, they all have had something good that's for sure. I think the farm girls (especially with MaryJane's help) are really good at taking the best from everything.
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
| Annie S |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 7:09:13 PM
Guess I painted a rosey picture of what my life was like back in the '50's. I agree with the comments about how women were treated (my mother was a nurse) - she was abused by my father and he abused us four kids as well. My brothers got into trouble with the law, did poorely in school and I retreated into a shell which took me a long time to come out of. None of us spoke without being spoken to first by our father. Our life was far from June Cleaver or Ozzie and Harriet, but oh how I wished for that.
So with the good times comes the bad with every generation and we can only learn from the past to make the future better.
I've loved reading the reflections from all of you. It's been so enlightening.
Annie |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 4:36:06 PM
You would all have to come here.. I DON'T do well in cold...at all...in fact...I dislike it very much... : )
But all ya'll are invited here. I will have the Monopoly set up and the drinks ready to go. Just bring an apron and good laughter.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| deeredawn |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 4:32:18 PM
Rustic Cottage: You brought back a memory for me.... party lines. I'm 38 but I DO remember the last stages of the party line. You had to wait for others to get off the phone before you made your call..... and Love Boat. HA! I had forgotten, Facts of Life....
And playing. Yes. We are tooo hooked up. My 16 yo dd.... I want to take her phone and throw it in the chicken poop. She'd have a heart attack! When we moved out here she was so bored. There are woods, and a creek and country roads to ride her bike on.... not once.... she wanted to go live with Daddy in the big city......hated it here. Good grief..... my nieces come over (15 and 12) and they live up near Cleveland.....we are forever catchin frogs and looking for deer rubs. They love it!!!
Bridget: I'm only about 4 hours away from you! Been to your neck of the woods once!
Dawn #279
MJ's Heirloom Mavens-Mother Hen
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| bohemiangel |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 12:50:57 PM
I KNOW HEATHER!!!!!!! Can ya'll move here :-p tee hee I actually get a lil down when I think of all the fun we'd have. If IF IF I ever get $$$$$ I so will come visit you all :) a farmgirl tour.....
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/
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| catscharm74 |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 12:46:57 PM
Scott and I are trying our dardest to bring back game playing and not those dirty games either but Scrabble, Monopoly and Life. People want to come but want to drink the entire game, acting like my house is a pub or something. : O
I, too, take a long time to trust people Bridget. I figure, I have a child who can't defend himself and is VERY impressionable, so I want only good hearted people around.
WHY can't we all live near each other..WHY???? : ) How much fun would we have and we could take over an entire neighborhood and never worry about a thing.
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| bohemiangel |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 12:39:04 PM
:) AnneMarie and Alee;)
I mean I'm a NOT above anyone and am totally guilty at times in getting caught up in todays ways....but I also step back and realize many times!!! :-p Alee if I could pop through the screen I'd SO give you the biggest hug and kiss in how you are raising Nora!!!! THANK YOU for doing that.
I want to have the best house possible and welcome others into it. I can say lately I am trusting less people and feeling less safe....not sure why it is actually a new feeling lately. i'm an overly trusting person. I want to bring back cards, cocktails, socializing, manners, pride, and values....amongst other things. This post has made me think even deeper and want to make these things a reality. I think I'm scared to try and fear noone else wanting the same. hehe I want community in communities. I also want fabric hankies and cash and simplicity. lil things that I want to implement into life and share with others.
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/
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| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 12:38:26 PM
Well put Alee. As that famous saying goes: Be the change you want to see.
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Badgebadger
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Bookclub Coordinator
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| Alee |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 12:31:54 PM
I too wish the world to be a sweeter, safer place. I think my hair goes white just thinking of Nora playing outside by herself right now, and yet, as a child of the 80's I got to play outside as much as I wanted, go to friends houses, ride my bike...but we also grew up in a TINY town (5,000 people).
One of Nora's first phrases has been "Thank You" and now she is picking up "Yes, Please!" or even just "Please!"
I am determined to make our home feel safe and welcoming. I think one of the best ways to help the world turn around is by leading by example. Nora and later on Nora's friends will see our house, hopefully love it, and maybe it will seep in to her friends and maybe they will one day want to reproduce that loving safe environment for themselves and their children.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| knittingmom |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 12:27:27 PM
Bridget, I think you're quite right that people were content and happier generally, they were satisfied with what they had since they had to save to get it (no such thing as instant credit and don't pay until 2010) and they built relationships with each other rather than plugging in (since there was no plugging in).
I think it's that disconnect that's the bigger issue, people have lost the art of socializing (not talking bar hopping here), before the advent of TVs in every home people used to get together with their neighbours and friends, played cards, talked, enjoyed each other's company. Kids went outside and played.
You're also correct in that many people are living in the future (of wish wish wish and want want want) and are forgetting to live in the now.
"There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world" |
| bohemiangel |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 11:36:52 AM
Brenda yes, my idealism is what I wish we could "bring back" and us FGs tend to be doing just that. I wish we could use the good we have today and take the good from the past and implement it back into life now. I think those of you hit it on the head with manners, pride, dignity, respect, values, morals, etc and simplicity. I think people were more content and happier but still driven from what I understand. We want want want and wish wish wish now and seem to always be chasing the rainbow missing out on the miracle of now.
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggybitsandpieces.blogspot.com/
http://ligonierliving.blogspot.com/
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| knittingmom |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 10:19:37 AM
I think for the most part our society has lost civility. People generally don't say please and thank you. Doors are no longer held open (either by men or women), clerks in stores are rude, children are rude and demanding, adults are rude and demanding. We should start a civility movement!
"There is no foot so small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world" |
| Past Blessings |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 10:09:10 AM
I think what we are all saying is we want to return to simpler times, where people meant more than things. I know that has really become my focus the last couple years. Between my antiques business closing and our Real Estate Guide closing, both due to the economy, we are experiencing very lean times, but it is also exciting . . . learning to be crafty again, to make do, and to see how far we can stretch that turkey! It is truly a good thing. And, Celeste, while I do agree there was repression, spousal abuse is at a much higher rate now than it ever was in the 50's. The anger level is at an all time high, I believe because everyone is on "overload" and so anxiety is at a peak. My husband is a paramedic and you wouldn't believe the things he has seen! I think if we were to return to simpler times and be less materialistic and instead focus on relationships, the abuse rate and even crime rate would lower. This week, with a ton of snow hitting Spokane, I have been able to see the good in people as they help each other. We helped push several people out of the snow yesterday and tonight are doing a grocery run for both sets of parents and other shut ins. But we are seeing many doing this and it really makes me see that all is not lost . . . we really can become the people we long to be.
Hugs & blessings,
Brenda
Past Blessings . . . Celebrating Life as it used to be . . . when people loved God, loved their families and loved their country. |
| catscharm74 |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 06:50:03 AM
I think part of the problem, Cyndi, is that they see it as a way of "holding woman back" or something like it sets women back. Silly, I know... : )
Heather
Yee-Haw, I am a cowgirl!!!
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| crazyapple |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 03:39:42 AM
Meg, In Timely Fashion is one of my favorite sites. I'm one of those "past dressers" although not as consistently as I would like. I hate wearing pants but I find that when I wear longish skirts other women seem to take it as some sort of challenge or statement.
No one seems to comment on women who choose to dress very revealingly or wear pants exclusively, I don't get why my preferring dresses and skirts, irks them.
One of my favorite movies is "Blast from the Past" with Brendan Fraser. He stands out so much because of the different set of values and social habits he was raised with and yet he charms everyone. I'm always reminding my boys that I'm raising them to be gentlemen and I suppose I am raising them with some very "Old-Fashioned" habits.
Glad to see others who appreciate the better points of the past.
Crazyapple
"It's Never Too Late To Be Who You Might Have Been" G. Eliot |
| therusticcottage |
Posted - Dec 19 2008 : 12:30:15 AM
I was born in 1952 and I have to say that the 50's were the best years in my opinion. People were more trusting, they took you at your word, your word was your bond, the world felt safer, and things were much simpler. Kids could go outside to play and their parents didn't have to worry. There were no computers, every house only had one phone and one TV (which there were about 3 stations that weren't on 24/7). People spent more time together and the kids spent time playing and using their imaginations. The best part is that most mom's were homemakers and took pride in it. My mom did work but it never seemed to both my sister and I. We stayed with a nice older lady every day after school and helped her feed her chickens.
Yes, there were bad people and bad things did happen. But nothing like now. There were tough times too. My parents did not have much money. I remember many times that they would not eat dinner so there would be enough food for us kids to eat. In spite of the hardships I loved my childhood and never felt like we struggled.
I lived in a little rural town of 200 people. We moved there when I was in the 2nd grade. My father was the town blacksmith. No one in town had dial phones. There was still a switchboard operator that everyone had to put their calls through - like on Andy Griffith. Everyone had their own ring and your had to remember what it was so that you would know whether to answer the phone or not. I used to go to the switchboard office and sit and visit with the operator. About two years later we got dial phones and everyone thought they were living uptown!
My kids just look at me in amazement when I tell them some of the stories of my childhood. I truly love my life now but I wish I could take it and put it back in those days when things were simpler.
Handmade Soap and More! http://therusticcottage.etsy.com
The Rustic Cottage Blog http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com
PROUD FARMGIRL SISTER #100 |
| StitchinWitch |
Posted - Dec 18 2008 : 5:48:06 PM
The 50s were the golden years of this country. My knowledge doesn't come from tv; I was a 50s teenager. There was much more emphasis on responsibility, values, morals, and manners; most people knew what was expected of them and did their best to do it. Children were disciplined when they needed it and usually learned the lesson from it. I see far too many children now who totally lack any manners at all and probably don't even know what the word discipline means; it has gotten now where a child who says "Thank you" or "Excuse me" is really noticed because it is such an unusual occurance. People interacted more with each other personally rather than on the internet. I remember every Thanksgiving at our home after dinner all the adults would play Monopoly; now everyone just veges out in front of the tv. Yes, there were the "uglies"; unfortunately there always will be some of that in one way or another, but it seemed to me that people then did try to improve their situation themselves rather than blaming it on something else.
Judith (climbing off my soapbox)
Happiness is Homemade |
| vermont v |
Posted - Dec 18 2008 : 4:26:33 PM
Wow! The bratty kid comment struck a nerve. It seems when I go somewhere the kids I see are always whining, crying unhappy tearing things up and talking back to their parents.Yipes! Our neighbor SAHM across the street has two wonderful little girls that are happy and playing with each other; sometimes getting into mischief but its just kid stuff and these kids are a pleasure to be around. Unfortunately the other type of kid seems to be predominating. I think parents are afraid to set limits. There were limits when we were kids; if we went to someone's house we asked permission before we did anything!We were not allowed to be bratty. |
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