Happy birthday to me!
Today I am 77 years old - wjile in todays world that is not so much but it sounds like a lots to me so will pass on a little history to all, I was born at home - this is a bit trite, but it was in a little log house in the woods. It was also -40 and I was not expected yet, the nearest hospital was miles away esp by horse and sleigh and the roads were blocked with snow. A neighbor lady was a mid wife from England named Mrs. Mash asnd she delivered me. It must have been hard for both mother and midwife- no power or running water or other indoor plumbing, heating by a wood stove or two, but as those sort of pioneer women did they coped and I lived. Don't know what I weighed (no scales) but always heard it wasn't much.
When I think of mother's life on the homestead, I shudder - Bill was born in Oct. of 28, me in Jan 1930' Margaret in Feb 31 and Les in Jan 32. and they had none of the conveniences we take for granted, so there she was with literally 4 babies, laundry on a scrub board, heating water on the wood stove, miles from medical care, but with her outlook she had lots of family nearby and good neighbors so that made up for everything - Pollyanna in the flesh.
Today it is 0 c here so that makes it 72 degrees warmer than that gold starred day in 1930! And I have some errands downtown, so will catch the bus, do my stuff and be home in a couple of hours. What a contrast. The only bad thing is there is about 2 inches of ice on the streets and sidewalks, but I will walk carefully. Lisa and Richard are bringing chinese for supper, whach is really nice of them considering that they already had a supper for me when Al was here. Oh well, I tell myself I deserve it!
Love to all
Mom/grandma
When I think of mother's life on the homestead, I shudder - Bill was born in Oct. of 28, me in Jan 1930' Margaret in Feb 31 and Les in Jan 32. and they had none of the conveniences we take for granted, so there she was with literally 4 babies, laundry on a scrub board, heating water on the wood stove, miles from medical care, but with her outlook she had lots of family nearby and good neighbors so that made up for everything - Pollyanna in the flesh.
Today it is 0 c here so that makes it 72 degrees warmer than that gold starred day in 1930! And I have some errands downtown, so will catch the bus, do my stuff and be home in a couple of hours. What a contrast. The only bad thing is there is about 2 inches of ice on the streets and sidewalks, but I will walk carefully. Lisa and Richard are bringing chinese for supper, whach is really nice of them considering that they already had a supper for me when Al was here. Oh well, I tell myself I deserve it!
Love to all
Mom/grandma
posted by bethsivak at 9:10 AM
7 Comments:
77! It seems like only a couple of years ago you were 75. Happy birthday!
I left a long post that ended up being deleted....sigh.
Happy birthday, Mom! And my friend Annie says, "happy birthday, beth!"
I also loved how you had the description of your birth ("the day you were born, all the animals gathered around and sang a song of welcome" -- ask Lisa about this joke).
It is insane to think you just had to get by in those days without medical care being close at hand. But people would just be so used to losing children to sickness or whatever. Some of Grandma's cheerfulness must also be that you weren't aware of any other option -- like, no one had medical care. I think about this when I hear about the "sad state" of Cdn med care -- though it's terrible that people have long waits, and that hospital infections are so dangerous, etc., it's not like I think it's ever been better. It's just that we know more now.
I just watched The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, a Romanian black comedy about a guy shuttled from hospital to hospital in search of medical care, and it shows rude doctors, heavy bureaucracy, etc. DVD has an extra of an american doctor saying that he didn't think this kind of thing would ever happen in the US -- which seems pretty delusional to me.
Anyhow, sorry to end birthday greetings with an indictment of the medical system and our expectations of it. Happy birthday, mom!
I agree Al. When medicare first started no one had any idea of the possibilities in the future. All the diagnostic tests and treatments that we take for granted would have been in the realm of science fiction if anyone had even had an inkling of what might be done. And we expect it all instantly and cheaply.
We have been watching the first season of House on DVD. If I ever get sick I'm going to that hospital. But when you're there you have to be careful - as soon as you hear drumming music you know you're really in trouble.
House is a most awesome show. Howvever, note that there are no, I repeat , no nurses anywhere. the drs do everything, and only holler for a nurse to clean up vomit. I think it's high time they had a show about nurses, instead of just drs.
But the doctors are the smart ones. Even drug-addicted doctors are smarter than everyone else.
Or so they think. It's just because others go behind them and fix their drug addled mistakes.
Glad to see you've joined me in my House obsession. I can't wait until I have access to a TV and/or DVD player!
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