Random Thoughts

Thinking about Grandma

 I was remembering going to her house and the things you would find there. Things not so easily found today at Grandmas. Things like a flat iron. If you are not of a certain age you may not even know what a flat iron is. No, I’m not talking about a flat iron for your hair. I mean the one used to iron clothes. Grandma had a whole bunch of them. I remember them sitting on the coal stove getting warmed for use. Hers were all cast iron and she would use a pot holder to pick them up.
On that old well worn kitchen floor was linoleum. The seam where the two pieces met in the center of the room was covered with a brass strip of metal. I spent many a hour tacking that down so Grandma wouldn’t trip on it. At least that is what Grandma always said. By the age of seven or so you could barely see the metal for the tack heads.
An oil cloth covered her dining room table.A nondescript faded yellow with fringe trim. In the corner of the parlor was a door. You opened this door to go upstairs. You don’t see that much anymore. A door at the foot of the stairs.
Around the back of the house was the woodpile. A sawn length of timber stood on end with an ax in it. Grandma told me to keep the blade sunk into the wood to prevent rusting. A smaller pile of discarded cedar shingles set to one side. The local builders would drop them off  to be used as kindling. Attached to the rear wall of the house was the coal box. I  remember the coal man delivering that coal and dumping it into the box. What a dusty,dirty job that was. He would back that truck up and just tilt the bed a little bit.Using a coal shovel he would then fill the box.
Grandma also had “bluing ” No it wasn’t for gun barrels. It was used to whiten the whites. Sheets,pillow cases and such. Bars of Octagon soap were used to get the clothes clean. Washing was done in the wash tub with the scrub board. You would be hard pressed to find any Grandmas with any of those items today.
Oh yeah,she had a sprinkle bottle too. Know what that is ? Could be any bottle you wanted. Just put the sprinkle stopper in the top of the bottle and you’re ready. Ready to do what ? Why iron clothes of course. The sprinkle bottle wet the clothes before ironing to remove wrinkles. Think steam iron.
She had a peculator coffee pot and a wood/coal burning stove. She had a pantry. I’m pretty sure she had a boot jack. The back door leading into the kitchen was called ” the back stoop “. I don’t think she had a front one. The front door was never opened when I was there.
I spent many hours with Grandma. She was always working, doing other peoples laundry. She was a great baker and would, time permitting, make wonderful pastries. Looking back at Grandmas house is like looking at a Norman Rockwell painting. There was one thing you could always find at Grandmas house that you can still find at any Grandmas house today : Love.
 She raised ten children of her own and I’m not sure how many Grand children and Great Grand Children. A quiet little lady with gray hair worn in a bun. Always in her house dress and apron. Slippers on her feet. Her grip was firm and her eyes piercing. I never heard her complain or wish for anything other than what she had. She had come to America from Sweden. Sent to care for a sick Aunt. She spent most of her life washing clothes and caring for children. I’m sure that isn’t what she expected. I often wonder what her dreams were.
What hopes and aspirations did she harbor ? When next I see her, I’ll be sure to ask.

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Ben Reichart Avatar

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Ben Reichart
An aging man living in a confusing world. I was born and raised in East Hampton, yes “the Hamptons” but not rich, not famous and definitely not woke. These are my thoughts, my memories and my opinions. Just the stuff of the regular Joe.
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2 responses to “Thinking about Grandma”

  1. Avatar
    Anonymous

    It's funny that you should write this today, Ben. I've just begun collecting old pictures of things I remember my grandparents having in their homes..or in their time period, because kids today will never know about some of those things. And personally,because I love old stuff, I have a collection of flat irons, a couple of washboards, and believe it or not, an unused bar of Octagon soap! I've actually even used one of the irons, during Hurricane Gloria when our electric was out for a week. My mom used a sprinkler bottle, my grandmother had a wood/coal stove in her kitchen too…with coal that went from the truck, down a chute into a tiny 'basement'. My other grandmother had oil cloth across the top of her kitchen table, and tacked underneath to keep it smooth. Linoleum was the flooring of the day.Both sets of grandparents had a small back porch (room)and woodpiles too, as well as pantries. My grandmother used a different kind of bluing…it was made to tint dingy gray hair. She boiled her white clothes, and hung them out. Things of the day…some of them far more useful than things we use today. Thanks for the memories!

    Reply
  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    It's funny that you should write this today, Ben. I've just begun collecting old pictures of things I remember my grandparents having in their homes..or in their time period, because kids today will never know about some of those things. And personally,because I love old stuff, I have a collection of flat irons, a couple of washboards, and believe it or not, an unused bar of Octagon soap! I've actually even used one of the irons, during Hurricane Gloria when our electric was out for a week. My mom used a sprinkler bottle, my grandmother had a wood/coal stove in her kitchen too…with coal that went from the truck, down a chute into a tiny 'basement'. My other grandmother had oil cloth across the top of her kitchen table, and tacked underneath to keep it smooth. Linoleum was the flooring of the day.Both sets of grandparents had a small back porch (room)and woodpiles too, as well as pantries. My grandmother used a different kind of bluing…it was made to tint dingy gray hair. She boiled her white clothes, and hung them out. Things of the day…some of them far more useful than things we use today. Thanks for the memories!

    Reply

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 I was remembering going to her house and the things you would find there. Things not so easily found today at Grandmas. Things like a flat iron. If you are not of a certain age you may not even know what a flat iron is. No, I’m not talking about a flat iron for your hair. I mean the one used to iron clothes. Grandma had a whole bunch of them. I remember them sitting on the coal stove getting warmed for use. Hers were all cast iron and she would use a pot holder to pick them up.
On that old well worn kitchen floor was linoleum. The seam where the two pieces met in the center of the room was covered with a brass strip of metal. I spent many a hour tacking that down so Grandma wouldn’t trip on it. At least that is what Grandma always said. By the age of seven or so you could barely see the metal for the tack heads.
An oil cloth covered her dining room table.A nondescript faded yellow with fringe trim. In the corner of the parlor was a door. You opened this door to go upstairs. You don’t see that much anymore. A door at the foot of the stairs.
Around the back of the house was the woodpile. A sawn length of timber stood on end with an ax in it. Grandma told me to keep the blade sunk into the wood to prevent rusting. A smaller pile of discarded cedar shingles set to one side. The local builders would drop them off  to be used as kindling. Attached to the rear wall of the house was the coal box. I  remember the coal man delivering that coal and dumping it into the box. What a dusty,dirty job that was. He would back that truck up and just tilt the bed a little bit.Using a coal shovel he would then fill the box.
Grandma also had “bluing ” No it wasn’t for gun barrels. It was used to whiten the whites. Sheets,pillow cases and such. Bars of Octagon soap were used to get the clothes clean. Washing was done in the wash tub with the scrub board. You would be hard pressed to find any Grandmas with any of those items today.
Oh yeah,she had a sprinkle bottle too. Know what that is ? Could be any bottle you wanted. Just put the sprinkle stopper in the top of the bottle and you’re ready. Ready to do what ? Why iron clothes of course. The sprinkle bottle wet the clothes before ironing to remove wrinkles. Think steam iron.
She had a peculator coffee pot and a wood/coal burning stove. She had a pantry. I’m pretty sure she had a boot jack. The back door leading into the kitchen was called ” the back stoop “. I don’t think she had a front one. The front door was never opened when I was there.
I spent many hours with Grandma. She was always working, doing other peoples laundry. She was a great baker and would, time permitting, make wonderful pastries. Looking back at Grandmas house is like looking at a Norman Rockwell painting. There was one thing you could always find at Grandmas house that you can still find at any Grandmas house today : Love.
 She raised ten children of her own and I’m not sure how many Grand children and Great Grand Children. A quiet little lady with gray hair worn in a bun. Always in her house dress and apron. Slippers on her feet. Her grip was firm and her eyes piercing. I never heard her complain or wish for anything other than what she had. She had come to America from Sweden. Sent to care for a sick Aunt. She spent most of her life washing clothes and caring for children. I’m sure that isn’t what she expected. I often wonder what her dreams were.
What hopes and aspirations did she harbor ? When next I see her, I’ll be sure to ask.

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 I was remembering going to her house and the things you would find there. Things not so easily found today at Grandmas. Things like a flat iron. If you are not of a certain age you may not even know what a flat iron is. No, I’m not talking about a flat iron for your hair. I mean the one used to iron clothes. Grandma had a whole bunch of them. I remember them sitting on the coal stove getting warmed for use. Hers were all cast iron and she would use a pot holder to pick them up.
On that old well worn kitchen floor was linoleum. The seam where the two pieces met in the center of the room was covered with a brass strip of metal. I spent many a hour tacking that down so Grandma wouldn’t trip on it. At least that is what Grandma always said. By the age of seven or so you could barely see the metal for the tack heads.
An oil cloth covered her dining room table.A nondescript faded yellow with fringe trim. In the corner of the parlor was a door. You opened this door to go upstairs. You don’t see that much anymore. A door at the foot of the stairs.
Around the back of the house was the woodpile. A sawn length of timber stood on end with an ax in it. Grandma told me to keep the blade sunk into the wood to prevent rusting. A smaller pile of discarded cedar shingles set to one side. The local builders would drop them off  to be used as kindling. Attached to the rear wall of the house was the coal box. I  remember the coal man delivering that coal and dumping it into the box. What a dusty,dirty job that was. He would back that truck up and just tilt the bed a little bit.Using a coal shovel he would then fill the box.
Grandma also had “bluing ” No it wasn’t for gun barrels. It was used to whiten the whites. Sheets,pillow cases and such. Bars of Octagon soap were used to get the clothes clean. Washing was done in the wash tub with the scrub board. You would be hard pressed to find any Grandmas with any of those items today.
Oh yeah,she had a sprinkle bottle too. Know what that is ? Could be any bottle you wanted. Just put the sprinkle stopper in the top of the bottle and you’re ready. Ready to do what ? Why iron clothes of course. The sprinkle bottle wet the clothes before ironing to remove wrinkles. Think steam iron.
She had a peculator coffee pot and a wood/coal burning stove. She had a pantry. I’m pretty sure she had a boot jack. The back door leading into the kitchen was called ” the back stoop “. I don’t think she had a front one. The front door was never opened when I was there.
I spent many hours with Grandma. She was always working, doing other peoples laundry. She was a great baker and would, time permitting, make wonderful pastries. Looking back at Grandmas house is like looking at a Norman Rockwell painting. There was one thing you could always find at Grandmas house that you can still find at any Grandmas house today : Love.
 She raised ten children of her own and I’m not sure how many Grand children and Great Grand Children. A quiet little lady with gray hair worn in a bun. Always in her house dress and apron. Slippers on her feet. Her grip was firm and her eyes piercing. I never heard her complain or wish for anything other than what she had. She had come to America from Sweden. Sent to care for a sick Aunt. She spent most of her life washing clothes and caring for children. I’m sure that isn’t what she expected. I often wonder what her dreams were.
What hopes and aspirations did she harbor ? When next I see her, I’ll be sure to ask.

Discover more from Random Thoughts

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.