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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2018)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • OCTOBER 24, 2018 • 3A Betty Kaiser’s Chatter Box: Life and Laundry Before Computers Betty Kaiser Today’s column subject was triggered by a cartoon in the Register Guard news- paper. “Another View” shows a man reading a newspaper headline that says, “Sears fi les for bankruptcy.” Sitting on the fl oor are two little kids. Th e boy says to his playmate, “My dad says that when he was a kid, they had to drive to a store to buy stuff .” Th e girl, looking at Amazon on her computer screen replies, “People had it so rough in the olden days.” At fi rst I laughed and then I said to myself, life without computers was not rough. Computers make some things easy but they don’t solve all problems. Shop- ping wasn’t really a prob- lem because we had peo- ple. Store clerks were your friends. Th ey asked you how they could help, knew your dress size, advised you when something was going on sale and asked about your family. As I recall, we lived sim- ple, uncomplicated, orga- nized lives using common sense. Electronic devices didn’t tell us what to do or how to do it. Our households some- what followed these simple rules: Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday, Mend on Wednesday, Churn on Th ursday, Clean on Friday, Bake on Saturday, Rest on Sunday Th ose rules are embroi- dered on a set of tea towels (aka dish towels) that I re- ceived as a bridal shower gift in 1958. In that era of home- making, we took daily chores very seriously. I still loosely plan my week around the above suggestions. Especially the washing, ironing, clean- ing, baking and resting part. I was never very keen on mending or churning. Again, life was not always easy but it wasn’t for lack of a computer. Doing the laun- dry? Now that was rough. In fact, it was a homemaker’s full-time, never ending job. Come along with me as I reminisce about laundry day before running water or elec- tricity. For generations, wash- ing clothes in a river was the normal way to get clothes clean — even when the river was frozen. Stains were treat- ed at home by soaking in a lye solution, a washing bat or board was used to scrub them. Soap was used sparingly and could be made at home by those who had ashes and fat mixed with salt. Th e clothes were rinsed in the river and spread on bushes to dry. Women oft en didn’t have time to wash clothes weekly. It was hard, time-consuming work. You can imagine that clothes were practically fi lthy before being washed. Oft en, groups would get together and help each other at a big laundry session every few weeks or months. Lee Maxwell is 87-years- old and vividly remembers when his family did the laun- dry. He says, “I remember my grandfather wearing his overalls until they literally stood up. Washing was wash- ing. Today, we don’t really ‘wash.’ We kind of refresh. Your shirts don’t get that dirty.” Lee has a Washing Ma- chine Museum in Eaton, CO. Some areas of the world still wash their clothes in riv- ers but most of civilization has progressed. Wooden tubs and factory-made metal tubs made the chore easier. Tongs replaced sticks for lift ing the washed items. Boxed soaps and starches were introduced in the 1800s. Clotheslines, pegs and pins made drying easier. Women found employment as wash- ers and had a box mangle to do ironing. By the time I came along, my mother and grandmother were still in the wringer washer era. I remember be- ing scared to death to go out to the wash house where the machine was located. It was dark and damp and creepy out there. Th e machine was plugged in and hooked up to the hot and cold water of a deep sink. I think it took two peo- ple to do a load of laundry. Someone had to feed the clothes through the wring- er to another person who caught them on the other side. Th en they had to be hung out to dry. I’m told that early on (be- fore my time), mother’s long hair got caught in a wringer! Fortunately, grandmother was there to quickly unplug the machine before she was scalped! By the 1950s, wash- ing machines were greatly improved. A Speed Queen pamphlet touted that a 7-load washing could be done in one hour with one tubful of water! To my mind that’s question- able but all women had to be thrilled and I’m sure my mother was over the moon. A fi nal word on shopping and the cartoon. Chuck’s dad worked for Sears and his mother intro- duced me to Sears catalog shopping. Over the years, we bought a lot of things that way — curtains, sheets, tools and washing machines. But our kid’s crib and changing table came from Sears brick and mortar stores as did their clothing. Shopping? Catalogs and neighbor- hood shops were our com- puters. No problem. Contact Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox at 942-1317 or email bchatty@bettykaiser. com Voice of Democracy ‘Patriot’s Pen’ contest now taking submissions Since 1947, the Voice of Democracy has been the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars (VFW) scholarship program. Th is program provides high school students, from 9th grade to 12th grade, the opportunity to write and re- cord a broadcast script on a patriotic theme selected by the VFW each year. Competition begins at the local post level. A winner goes to the dis- trict level to compete with students selected by other posts. Th ose winners ad- vance to the state level and on to the national level. State winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., and the top national scholarship prize is $30,000. Th e 2018-19 theme is “Why My Vote Matters.” Patriot’s Pen is open to 6th, 7th and 8th grade stu- dents. Th is VFW sponsored youth essay competition gives students an opportuni- ty to write essays expressing their views on democracy. 'All entries are at post lev- el with students advancing through regional, then state levels to national level. First place award at na- tional level is currently $5,000, plus an all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C., for the winner and a parent or guardian. Th e 2018-19 theme is “Why I Honor the American Flag.” Deadline for entries is Oct. 31, at the VFW Post, 3160 Hillside Dr. Foir more information, call 541-942-7099. Trick or Treat In Historic Downtown Cottage Grove Wednesday, October 31st 3pm -5pm Proud to be part of the Cottage Grove Community. Locally Owned and Operated Join us for CARNIVAL GAMES Sponsored by Cottage Grove Faith Center WITCHES DANCE 3:30 & 4:30 PM SPIN THE WHEEL Sponsored by Grocery Outlet SELFIE STATIONS Another dental visit? Turns out, you have better things to do with your time. WINDOW DECORATING CONTEST sponsored by EBID and the Main Street Program CITY HALL JACK-O-LANTERN DISPLAY WITH GAMES & CANDY COOKIES AND CIDER AT ALL AMERICA SQUARE Sponsored by the Cottage Grove Lions Club, Bohemia Sunrisers Kiwanis Club and Cottage Grove Rotary Club INFLATABLE BOUNCH HOUSE & INFLATABLE SLIDE Sponsored by Birch Avenue Dental & Cascade Home Center Be sure to check out the……. Emergency Vehicles and Heavy Equipment on Display courtesy of South Lane Fire & Rescue, CGPolice, City of Cottage Grove, and Pacifi c Power. Roads will close at 1pm and reopen by 6pm. We know your time is valuable. That's why we've invested in CEREC technology that allows for a faster experience when you need crowns, fillings or veneers. With CEREC, there's usually no need for a temporary and return visit. Everything is done in one visit, in about an hour - leaving more time for whatever is important to you. Implants · Teeth Whitening · New State-of-the-Art Building Dr. Brent Bitner, DDS www.facebook.com/cottagegrovechamber or contact the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerece 350 Washington, Cottage Grove (behind Better Bodies) 942-7934 CEREC® is a registered trademark of Sirona Dental Systems.