Modern Marvels
There are more modern marvels that I have seen in my lifetime that I could possibly list. I do know that at a time when I was in grade school attending Renville County Rural District #34, life was quite simplistic. Television was found in some homes, but not as yet in ours. The radio was our entertainment after the supper livestock chores were done. The round Oak table was the center for homework and handwork. There was little need for the lights to be on in our home beyond the kitchen until bedtime.
My Mom was a great teacher in assisting whoever needed help with homework that involved English, spelling and history. My Dad was the go-to person for arithmetic. Mom would be helping Calvin with homework, and with her other eye, she would be critiquing my stitches as I would work on a stamped dishtowel. Embroidery work was like a national pastime. The patterns that could be stamped were usually good for a maximum of two times using a hot iron. After that, we relied on the little piece of carbon paper that was attached to the milk hauler’s receipt of the daily pickup of milk from Dad’s dairy herd. The patterns for embroidery were traced very carefully using the carbon paper on the dish towels that had been feed sacks that were taken apart, hemmed and then bleached to a bright white. The carbon pieces after use, were secured in a used envelope that had held a pattern from the Farm Journal Magazine. The carbon paper was truly a modern marvel.
The gift of carbon paper from a musty old courthouse
vault that keeps on giving.
At a time in the recent past while being employed at the Watonwan County Courthouse, it was not uncommon for offices to clean out the old vaults to make room for the mounting amount of records. Joy Sing walked over from the County Recorder’s office one day and asked if I would have a use for some old carbon paper. All of the individual records were using no carbon required (NCR), carbonless paper. As I had always remained entrenched in quilting and embroidery, I thought I had won the lottery.
As late as today, I gingerly took out the box of carbon paper and peeled off a single sheet to use in a quilt project. I doubt that very many of the 100 sheets are missing from the box. I finished tracing my pattern and . . . no, I did not throw away the carbon sheet. I placed it back into the box. It’s very doubtful I will ever use the last sheet in this box. It does speak to the fact that I so treasure having the supplies to enjoy my sewing, crafting and quilting, I can’t bring myself to be wasteful. I can remember when resources were hard to come by and dreams of working on a project had to go by the wayside for the lack thereof.
Remembering and having memories of tougher times, has brought me to taking advantage when there has been a chance to add to my sewing and crafting stashes with little or no expenditure of resources . . . or Kevin and Kersten know just where to put a few treasures that they have come across. I sometimes admit to Dennis that I feel like a hoarder. Dennis very quickly talks me down when he reminds me of how many people have received gifts of blankets and quilts and other handmade treasures from Stauffer Avenue, or even that I have shared what I have with someone that may not have the means. Sharing with the wanna-be who may not have an awareness of what is needed, or how to get started on their own, may begin a lifetime of enjoyment for them.
There are many numerous modern marvels that I have witnessed in my seventy one years, but it takes a lot to beat carbon paper.