tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post3909674400879274212..comments2023-10-24T01:47:32.025-07:00Comments on Professor B. Worm: Ma & Pa KettleCharliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00722567671925063706noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-22161729043514350382010-08-18T14:41:43.617-07:002010-08-18T14:41:43.617-07:00I have a friend who is only 48 who does this. He g...I have a friend who is only 48 who does this. He gets stuff that is thrown out in the trash and intends to repair it--like four vacuum cleaners that just sit unused. His place hasn't had a vacuum cleaner through it in a year and dog hair is everywhere. I don't get the pack rat mentality. I do a lot of fix up things but fully admit that time is $$. And I'm not afraid to hire someone rather than spend days and weeks wracking my brain and getting no where. <br />My parents were children of the depression and so they saved lots of things. Most of those things have come my way!Sydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05642843245634635843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-75058245415473790442010-08-17T17:45:44.331-07:002010-08-17T17:45:44.331-07:00You could make hedges or plant holders out of the ...You could make hedges or plant holders out of the old tires. You could use the old oil for squeaky hinges.Claudya Martinezhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17034216831504207496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-63882449351294470392010-08-14T16:03:36.047-07:002010-08-14T16:03:36.047-07:00Really enjoyed this. I feel sad that one of them i...Really enjoyed this. I feel sad that one of them is left behind.Mr London Streethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05141191628680903646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-69965711642667306242010-08-13T13:52:52.763-07:002010-08-13T13:52:52.763-07:00Could have been worse, I suppose. They could have ...Could have been worse, I suppose. They could have been the Beverley Hillbillies. But you are wise enough to see the wisdom that they had behind the facade. Long may it continue.Madame DeFargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08172239340844485940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-65469005916452280092010-08-13T10:40:48.679-07:002010-08-13T10:40:48.679-07:00Oh my god, this is soooo much like my father-in-la...Oh my god, this is soooo much like my father-in-law, Mel. He grew up in a tent in Utah; dirt floor, outside plumbing.<br /><br />He wears old tattered clothing in public, we had to twist his arm to accept our "used" fridge and I wrote about the lawn mower story.<br /><br />His roof leaks but he paid for a 30 year roof and, by gum, he's gonna wait the full 30 to replace it. <br /><br />He earns way more in retirement than he needs but he won't spend a cent. The neighbors think he's impoverished by his clothing and his dilapidating residence. He uses juice cans and jelly jars for drinking glasses... the list goes on. <br /><br />He toured out new house and called it a "mansion". He's beyond changing. At least he recycles the newspaper and takes out the garbage... the cloud of flies tells him when it's ready to go.Robert the Skeptichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10863488312604865183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-14310029201987482632010-08-13T01:50:08.408-07:002010-08-13T01:50:08.408-07:00God bless your Ma and Pa-in-law and may Martha'...God bless your Ma and Pa-in-law and may Martha's Pa rest in peace<br />I so know where they are coming from - not just the thirties but WW2 made dam sure you never threw anything useable away. The only thing I draw the line at is manky things in the fridge.<br />I still can't understand why people would think it normal to leave food on their plate and throw perfectly good food away. Some people even think it's 'manners.'Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01529798893653033970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-13673032256801985512010-08-12T21:30:53.367-07:002010-08-12T21:30:53.367-07:00Wonderful. Reminds me of my Grandparents. I miss y...Wonderful. Reminds me of my Grandparents. I miss you Granny and Pappy...(psst btw Gran...they now sell lunch meat in reusable bowls. You would love them. So I save them in your memory, drives Tony nuts!)Angie's Lil' Nothingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01571165606954974649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-25330034064104609822010-08-12T20:26:31.607-07:002010-08-12T20:26:31.607-07:00There is some of that philosophy in those of us wh...There is some of that philosophy in those of us who did not have anything when we were young. I am only in my sixties but we really did not have food or toys or extras. Hard to believe when so many children today have so much they don't know what they actually have. I like how you show compassion as well humor toward your in laws.CiCihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08615265608675467505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-21441629257016891812010-08-12T16:08:38.504-07:002010-08-12T16:08:38.504-07:00We watched those movies, and whenever my Grandma a...We watched those movies, and whenever my Grandma asked my Grandpa to say grace before dinner, he kept with a very short "Much abliged." Just like Pa. <br /><br />My mother's parents were pack rats. Mama saved every styrofoam tray that she received food shrink-wrapped to. Literally a closet full of them in all sizes. She also hid $20 bills all over the house. They found close to $2000 when they cleaned it out.Alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10262132543395998379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-89459695733128674802010-08-12T15:22:24.240-07:002010-08-12T15:22:24.240-07:00Holy cow, that brings back memories! I used to wat...Holy cow, that brings back memories! I used to watch those movies... I think I am a tad older than you. Having grown up roaming the country in an Air Force family, I know all about making do with what you've got and the 'recycle - reuse' frame of mind. We always had a roof over our heads but money was scarce and we improvised a lot. Still do a bit of that to this day... but only a bit!Ponita in Real Lifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06886875733169389887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-20182704816168695052010-08-12T13:38:38.910-07:002010-08-12T13:38:38.910-07:00I love you Charlie, I really do.I love you Charlie, I really do.Attila the Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02158308703617226652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-8597176232848246212010-08-12T13:11:20.359-07:002010-08-12T13:11:20.359-07:00How to live without and make do may be revisited i...How to live without and make do may be revisited if the system of economics is not changed. JOY.Love your stuff!!Heidrun Khokhar, KleinsteMottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16174142810114806410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-62174563793281595772010-08-12T09:05:09.463-07:002010-08-12T09:05:09.463-07:00Interesting how events like the Depression affect ...Interesting how events like the Depression affect people. My grandparents who are the same age as your in-laws (Grandpa died, but Grandma will be 90 this fall) seemed to not be able to wait to shed the depression & live like they had always dreamed. They never had shit anywhere, and always had new, expensive stuff when they could get it. They even had a room in their old house that was beautifully furnished & appointed & decorated, but NO ONE was allowed to use it! It was basically a show room that said "Look, we have arrived!" This value of "arriving" was passed down to their children, so that my mom & her siblings were frequently judged on how well they had "arrived." Odd, eh?Wandering Coyotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01478039463695542535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-9640280249490537072010-08-12T07:38:05.743-07:002010-08-12T07:38:05.743-07:00There's a little bit of my parents in that tal...There's a little bit of my parents in that tale too. As a child, I used to find it perplexing and embarrassing that my parents grew all their own vegetables and that my dad kept a big compost pile in the back yard and collected rain water. Nobody did that in the 60s in Winnipeg!<br /><br />Now I realise how ahead of his time he really was.Barbara Bruederlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14476249934930666695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-68372247206997912162010-08-12T06:19:28.668-07:002010-08-12T06:19:28.668-07:00Nice post, my in-laws are Gerogia farmers and shar...Nice post, my in-laws are Gerogia farmers and share many of the traits of yours. I laughed at many of the points since they remind me of them so much. The old lady with the gun looks like she just walked in on you with her daughter and is not a happy camper.Sausagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14563985186537460358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-79305506908264004552010-08-12T02:10:25.865-07:002010-08-12T02:10:25.865-07:00Never saw those movies, but my in-laws were from a...Never saw those movies, but my in-laws were from a similar generation. As my mother-in-law passed away last autumn, and my father-in-law is now in a nursing home, Maggie is periodically visiting their house to sort through things and finding vast stores of... stuff. For example, it appears my father-in-law would cut out all the envelopes addressed to him, presumably to pass on to other people if he needed to give them his address - a sort of recycled business card.Kim Ayreshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02656677501116622953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-85756873141055432572010-08-12T01:24:10.274-07:002010-08-12T01:24:10.274-07:00Wonderfully excellent reading.Wonderfully excellent reading.Warden Fileshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02147273741106511458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-75746089514126034022010-08-11T20:51:43.426-07:002010-08-11T20:51:43.426-07:00I remember watching those shows growing up. Just ...I remember watching those shows growing up. Just this year I caught one episode on cable and I saw myself in Pa's procrastinating on fixing things around the house.<br />Better than reality TV.Bill Lislemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15187273560129198423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-83813745783114926302010-08-11T20:31:08.146-07:002010-08-11T20:31:08.146-07:00Oh crikey, this sure struck a chord. I was raised...Oh crikey, this sure struck a chord. I was raised by a family (both sides) who could make soup out of an old turnip and a rock. When my Scottish grandma discovered the wonder of the modern pressure cooker, her joy knew no bounds because cheaper cuts of meat could have the bejammers cooked out of them and turn themselves into a wonderful stew. <b>Waste not, want not</b> was the eleventh commandment. I give Mom lovely nightgowns for Christmas and she ferrets them away, continuing to wear the Swiss cheese special, keeping the others for "good". Mom, you're 90; "good" might not happen. Go for it.Tiffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13778085151055551720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-73132128004709896742010-08-11T18:34:17.455-07:002010-08-11T18:34:17.455-07:00I don't understand my situation at all. My M...I don't understand my situation at all. My Mom grew up during the Depression and WWII. She knew how to make do, re-use, etc. But she throws away perfectly good stuff. You have to fight her to hang on to something that still has life left in it, like a scuffed up pair of shoes that's just right for slipping on to walk the dog. "I bought a new pair to replace those. Why would I want to keep them; they'll just clutter up the place." Clutter is the devil to my mother. I, on the other hand, collect "stuff". And hate to throw things out. Putting anything without mold on it in the garbage is a sign of failure. I'm not one of those hoarders, or anything. I just ..hate to throw things out. Because they don't really go away, you know. They're in the landfill on the other side of the mountain, waiting to slide down into the valley and bury us one day.Linda Koonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05614162024708881395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-29167645559419427112010-08-11T18:07:38.037-07:002010-08-11T18:07:38.037-07:00It helped me to start pitching things in the recyc...It helped me to start pitching things in the recycle bin when we moved after 15 years in the same rented apartment. We are now halfway across the country but have MUCH less crap than we did, not wanting to haul it with us. It's a great way to learn how to decide what's important to keep and what can go...DJanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07152183871573797791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-92075480927892499432010-08-11T17:47:05.597-07:002010-08-11T17:47:05.597-07:00They sound wonderful Charles! :¬)
We managed to g...They sound wonderful Charles! :¬)<br /><br />We managed to get the kids to throw out more than half their stuff during the big redecoration of August 2010. How come they still do not have enough room for whats left? (It all went to good causes, nothing was actually dumped. Do you know anyone who wants a perfectly good 'non ultra-slim flat-screen' TV? Neither do I! It's going to the recycle centre tomorrow.) :¬)mapstewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07159592046833798019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-69812622952093791732010-08-11T17:44:32.158-07:002010-08-11T17:44:32.158-07:00I am so GRATEFUL for your existence!
:-) ShawnaI am so GRATEFUL for your existence! <br />:-) Shawnaflying eagle womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07038168637614102157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-71848566145270082732010-08-11T16:53:10.429-07:002010-08-11T16:53:10.429-07:00You are wonderful!You are wonderful!Fay Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17123764854210271111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38422444.post-69849498989605909172010-08-11T16:43:00.148-07:002010-08-11T16:43:00.148-07:00Hey, Charlie, darling.....great piece, but...I, to...Hey, Charlie, darling.....great piece, but...I, too, am a child of the Depression and I must admit I understand your in-laws too well. Fortunately, I HAVE learned to throw some stuff away, but it is still very hard after spending much of my 83 years turning trash(mine and other people's) into treasures. I am just glad that you and your wife have managed to escape the worst of this curse (or talent). It really gets bad when you just run out of space in your house and you have to start choosing between your dog or that broken (but fixable) lamp.Lohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08398370059689865989noreply@blogger.com