Selling Apples 40 years ago

Good morning to you! When I got myself up this morning, I thought today is the day for another Grandma Emma story from days gone by. In her yard she had 9 different types of apple trees. Her very favorite was the early Transparent, then the Gravenstein. Most of you will remember eating those delicious apples picked fresh from the tree, or baked into one of her Applegoodies, or perhaps a dish of homemade applesauce. Yes, those were the days of eating! One year in particular, Grandma had so many extra apples on those wonderful producing trees. She decided to try to sell them in the neighborhood. She and perhaps other family, carefully picked and boxed over twenty large boxes of apples. She then put a hand-painted sign up in her yard facing the road. Before the day was over, she had sold most of those boxes. I seem to remember that she made over twenty dollars. I know that doesn't seem like much now, but forty years ago, she could purchase an entire week of groceries for herself. Yes, she was happy! Her frugal lifestyle kept her going her entire life. Proving that living a simple life has many good qualities. I often think of all the little things she saved, cooked from scratch, baked and recycled. A truly unique woman of the time and our time now. I learned so much from her, and draw on that information everyday. Guess that is the way I too now live my life. One of her favorite sayings: Enjoy the simple things in life always! Simple is better! Have a wonderful day to all of you worldwide!

Living Frugal

Yes, it is time for me to write this. I've been thinking of different people who influenced my life for many reasons. One special person is my Grandma Emma. I always referred to her as grandma. She was a person with many special talents and gifts. I learned so many lessons in life from her. How to trim fruit trees, freeze produce, recycle just about everything but mostly how to be frugal. She had grown up in a time without having the convenience of shopping at every store. The stores didn't exist. Doctors and dentists were far between. Even when the pandemic flu of 1918 arrived, she made it with little more than hot strong coffee with some liquor in it. As did her brother Halvard and sister Agnes. They grew up in a time where recycling wasn't fashionable, it was a necessity. She carried these ideas with her when she left Norway for the USA. A big challenge to arrive in a new country and not able to speak the language, she learned. She was brave and met the challenges of the new world. She could do almost anything she had to. She cooked, raised a lovely garden, sewed, took care of the cows and chickens, helped neighbors, but never did drive a car. Can't quite figure that out, but she worked around that. She was a quiet and kind person one could always depend on. She loved all of us reading this today. I miss her and the old fashioned way she lived her life. I would love to hear her voice again, saying Uff da....... She made my life better. I have a good life because she cared.