Community Chat

[Irshgrl31201]

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@Snowpuppy wrote:

I can bake breads & pies with crust from scratch. I know what good lard is.

I can sew, mend and even darned some socks this past winter. Knitting & crocheting, while I no longer own needles I could begin again without much help.

I have a co-worker who is younger than me, she can do all of the above + she makes goats milk soap, she can card wool and she's looking for a spinning wheel.

People think we're nuts 😊

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Oh, I don't think you are nuts at all! I love it! @Snowpuppy, what is your favorite kind of lard to use for pie crusts? I do make pies but only during the holidays. My gram always used lard, I was just wondering what your favorite kind was? I am more of a cake person than pie person but lard does make a huge difference in how good a pie crust is, doesn't it? I follow what my gram used to do and that was half butter and half lard. Butter gives it a great flavor and lard gives it great flake. People go nuts for that! She never wrote down what type of lard she used and I do think she made her own at times. Just curious as to what you liked best. Since you are serious baker, I would like to pick your brain!!

[raven-blackbird]

I grow and can my own vegetables........does that count................................raven

[Sister Golden Hair]

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@Desertdi wrote:

Hmmmmmmm............I have also worked as a telephone operator..............

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@Desertdi I worked at Southwestern Bell doing keypunch.

Also, worked at JC Penneys as a switchboard operator. There were two floors and if a dept needed the manager, I called on a loud speaker. 35 go to shoes, was the first floor and 45 go to mens clothing was the second floor.

Because they didn't have cameras back then, they had an off-duty police officer pretend to shop to catch people shoplifting.

Boy, those were the days.

And I can drive a stick-shift car or truck.

[Sister Golden Hair]

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@Mominohio wrote:

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@withaK wrote:

wow !   um cookies from scratch...lol........writing in cursive and begin all papers and stories in long hand.  I would love to know how to can my own veggies and make pickles.

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@withaK

Canning is really not that complicated, but can be hard work if you grow your food too, and can a lot. It's more about hot work and on your feet a lot of hours than complicated processes.

I didn't start until my mid 30's, and no one in my family (during my lifetime) was still doing it, even though everyone but my mother had done it in their younger days.

My husband taught me, then I got a Ball Blue Book and simply followed the directions.

It is very satisfying to grow and put up your own food. A real sense of empowerment, knowing you can provide your own food, without a lot of money or relying on others.

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@Mominohio I don't like to stem and break green beans but love having them in the winter.

[Mz iMac]

Looking up words I cannot spell or to check my spelling in a hardback Webster dictionary or a pocket size soft back dictionary.  Both sit on my computer desk.

I have never used spell check.

I can type 70 wpm on a (non electric) typewriter.  Imagine what I can do on an electric typewriter.

I polish my SO sneakers w/white shoe polish.

Use the Chinese laundry to have my clothes pressed.  Yeah, they still give your clothes back wrapped in a brown paper bag w/the cross strings.  Only now, I have to go to Chinatown to do this.

Still use tweezers to pluck out my chin hairs.  I only have about 7 of them.

[Shorty2U]

Typing on a typewriter, reading real books you hold in your hand! lol. Cursive writing. I still hand write and send birthday, Christmas cards, and yes even letters on occasion (to my friend in CA). Math skills. (I still do our taxes on paper because I love Math!). We still have house phones and oh my even a dial wall phone..lol.. (i still use!)

As far as crafts -I started to do latch hook again recently, but other than that I (sadly) did not inherit my Moms ability to sew (she was a seamstress/tailor plus she did quilting). I am also good at photography with a REAL camera (not a stupid cellphone camera!).

I also still carry a pocket calendar in my handbag and write all of my appointments in it.

I still bake, cook, and make homemade foods (doesn't everyone though?) and I play guitar and keyboard (although I'm a bit rusty on the guitar).

I also still hang out wash at times, (especially bedding b/c there's nothing like smelling fresh air on your sheets!).

And lastly- I still play cards (very well) as well as board games. Also-  I make my grandkids hopscotches, taught them how to play game outside like red light green light, tag, etc. (the list goes on), and we play with chalk and go to a playground. Which to me is normal but with all technology now days lots of kids are sitting in playing on electronics! PS I, we, or they will be doing all of that this Summer when 2 of them come here 2 days a week. (the 3rd graduated now and works so I wont be watching her)

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Im sure there are more but all this is off the top of my head! lol.

[qualitygal]

For me (arthritic hands) I still prefer real books to the little pads that you can read off of. I still trek over to the library and look at some of their books or whatever else they offer.

That's my ancient skill...LOL. Not into cave drawings anymore either.

[qualitygal]

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@Preds wrote:

I can use a rotary phone.  I can use a typewriter.  I can walk and talk without being on a phone.  Oh,  and I can write on notepads and calenders instead of putting it on my phone.  I think I read a map last week.  Do you know that they are hard to come by?  

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She's so smart! I didn't think of all those, but once again, she's right!!

[IamMrsG]

I can still think for myself, using the 'ancient' tools of logic, deduction and common sense.

[wilma]

I am very impressed with some of the skills out there. My mom used to sew most of our clothes, but I never picked up that skill. I did learn how to bake from scratch from my mom. I can write in various forms of calligraphy with a quill pen and ink bottle. I can sing in Latin.