Been Thinking Of The Past Again

This morning, while showering, I had a thought about toilet paper and toilets. Weird how we think of things while in the shower! This of all things! But I found myself thinking of the past - yet again. I do miss my father!

I remembered the story my dad told me about having to go out to an "outhouse" to use the bathroom. I knew of outhouses, but thought toilets was before his birth. Guess not. Anyway, I remember him telling me that they didn't have toilet paper like they do today. When I questioned, "then what did you use?" He came back with "magazines and corn cobs." I was shocked. Corn cobs? Then we laughed about how rough it was to use a corn cob and if you weren't careful with the magazine the ink would get in places you wouldn't want it to. lol He even told me of how they would jump out at each other when they wouldn't expect it, and playing pranks. I can imagen what dad and his siblings would do to each other! They loved to play games and prank each other. 

 Then my brain went to when I was 5 years old and we were traveling to WA from MD. We stopped at dad's cousin's place in ND. Adams, ND was where my grandparents were from. I remember I needed to go to the bathroom and asked mom where the bathroom was. Both mom and dad told me it was "outside." I went around the house looking for the bathroom and came back. I asked again, and when the rest of the family figured out what I was asking, they all laughed. Dad took my hand and walked me out to the outhouse. I smelled it, turned around and said, "No, that's not a bathroom." I refused to use the outhouse. So, they brought me back in the house and his Aunt told them I could us the "chamber pot." A CHAMBER POT! Ok, that didn't go over well. She pulled it out from under the bed. I looked around and said, "nope." Dad then told me, it's either the outhouse or the chamber pot. Nothing else. I looked around in this big room and was embarrassed of going in such a big room. I couldn't figure out how to use it. But in the end, I pulled up my dress and went. I was more embarrassed when they took the pot out to clean. I learned how to use a chamber pot while we stayed overnight. 

I also thought of my great grandmother who lived in LaGrande, OR. We would go visit every time we came back to the US. Between dad's military service sending us overseas most of my life, we would come back to Seattle and visit. We made time for great grandmother as well. Her bathroom had a toilet with the tank in the wall about 8 ft high. It was one you pulled the handle on standing up. You had to look at the toilet and reach for the pull handle off the tank. The pipe ran down from the tank into the toilet. It was a 2-piece toilet, not like todays.  All of this was part of my growing up. Things change. My children have probably never had to use an "outhouse" or even a toilet like grandma's. I haven't had to use magazines or corn cobs to wipe. I wondered when toilet paper came to be. I do remember the brown toilet paper we had to use in the 60's. That wasn't soft, closer to sandpaper then what we get now. 

Again, I was thinking of the past. And yet, it kills me, that I think of stuff like this! I don't think of interesting or memoirs that are of places I've been. I think of everyday things that make me wonder where they will improve on them. I may have to blame my husband for working in the Wastewater field for having some of these thoughts. And yet, life goes on. 

Okay, we were gone most of the day. I had my physical therapy and then we went to the casino where I got a pillow for the gift. We played on their money for a long time. Then we played another hour or so and came home. 

We stopped and had supper at DQ. My chicken was dry in the sandwich, so the sauce was good to have on it. Patrick had the strips and he liked that. We always get a peanut buster parfait. That's aways good. lol 

Now I'm finishing a few things for Thursday's presentation. I did find one of the ones we entered to receive a quilt went to Mossyrock and should have come to us. I'm going to let it go, don't want to deal with Cindy on that. 

Now the day is gone, and I'm sorry to say I was not Happy Stitching/Happy Quilting!