Real Life

Being incapacitated has some advantages.
I have been watching a television series on DVD which apparently was run on television, a good few years ago.
It wasn't exceptionally thrilling, spine chilling or funny, yet it captivated the life struggles of that time.
Watching it took me back to being a child growing up in the nineteen fifties,when life was a struggle.
Personally, I didn't realise as much of this at the time, as my mother and elder siblings would have.
We children, lived our lives as many others did... in acceptance.
Life was as it was, we didn't argue or question.

One thing I do know was nothing was taken for granted, and the tiniest gift was received with absolute joy.
Many who read this will no doubt share some of these memories.

Our toilet was way up the back yard, probably because of the smell, and mum grew honeysuckle close by.
There was no such thing as soft toilet paper..unless of course we had scored a box of apples all wrapped in that wonderful soft tissue, it was recycled carefully and used with appreciation..
Otherwise, it was newspaper, ripped and tacked to the unlined wall.

Baths were Saturday night. Wood was collected and the washing copper lit to heat the water.
When hot, this was dippered into the bath. The first bather got about a foot of water, the last bather perhaps two feet, as it was topped up and re-used.
Mum sewed most of our clothes and then they were patched and handed down.
New curtains were rare and the old ones were cut up into a new dress of skirt.
Good clothes were only for good and we took great care not to tear or soil them.
We changed as soon as we arrived home it was a priority. And we wore them as many times as possible before they were washed.
Why? because washing aged them.
Men's shirt collars were replaced as they wore out faster than the rest of the shirt.
This was a slow careful job of removing the old and hand sewing on the new.

You knew your neighbours and everyone cared and shared your joys and sorrows.

Yes I enjoyed watching the series of The Harp of the South, and Poor Mans Orange...
Taken from the books by Ruth Parkes an Australian author.
Yet no matter what country you grew up in in those days, life was pretty much the same.
And...Blessings were counted.

"Count your many blessings name them one by one, 

count your blessings see what God has done.

Count your blessings,.... name then one by one, 

and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."