September 3, 2008
I finished Free Land last night, another of Rose Lane’s books which I referred to in my 7/26/08 post. To recap, the novel was published in 1938, a story of homesteaders working to make their living in the territorial West, after the Homestead Act was enacted in 1862. Rose compiled the work as a narrative of stories her parents had related to her about their times “starting out.”
Reading the historical-fictional story has given me a new perspective, learning about the hardships the homesteaders had to endure. Their livelihood depended on the success of their crops, which depended on the weather. In times of drought, they didn’t have sprinkler systems to water the fields. They didn’t have pesticides to ward off the swarms of grasshoppers and other unwanted bugs. They didn’t have central heat to warm them during blizzards or air conditioning to cool them during the summer. And if their crops failed, due to bugs or lack of rain or otherwise, they couldn’t exactly take a trip to Wal Mart to pick up extra groceries.
When their clothes and shoes wore out and there was no money for new ones because they had no crops to sell. They patched up their clothes by hand and made do the best they could; sometimes that meant going barefoot. In times of illness or broken bones or farming accidents, there was no emergency room or ambulance service. There were no antibiotics in case of fever or infection and what medicine they had was simple and primitive by modern-day standards.
There were no phones to call the neighbor for help or just to invite them to dinner – and certainly no cell phones to contact someone working in the fields!
Our country has come a long way in 140 years!
On the other hand, human nature was not much different. Good neighbors helped each other, kids went to school. Farmers borrowed money from the bank with interest, to buy equipment or sometimes just to make ends meet until a crop could be sold. Some borrowed sparingly and managed what they had, but others found themselves deep in debt after a few seasons.
Even crime was prevalent, in the form of horse thieves and claim jumpers (as a side note, Claim Jumper is the name of a popular restaurant chain in the western part of the country – California, Colorado, Washington, Nevada, etc. In fact we had lunch at a Claim Jumper just before flying home from San Diego. Wouldn’t the settlers of the Old West be surprised, or more like appalled, that a restaurant would one day be named after common criminals!).
Things may change, but people don’t. Reminds me of the scripture in Ecclesiates 1:9-10:
9 That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which it may be said,
“See, this is new”?
It has already been in ancient times before us.
I felt that Free Land was written as if the writer were writing a journal, a diary, or maybe a letter to a friend or family member. It’s a light, easy read for those interested in this time period. If you want to read a (nearly) firsthand account of a settler’s life in the Old West, order a copy of Rose Lane’s Free Land. Knowing the struggles the settlers endured will have you appreciating modern-day living more than ever before!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
John, the Troublemaker
September 2, 2008
Things (with the kids) have gone smoother the past couple of weekends. I can tell Joe and Grandma Fern have been working with them and talking to them a lot. They've been much calmer and more respectful than they have been since they came to live with their dad two months ago.
But I don't know what we're going to do about John! The kid can't entertain himself without a TV or some kind of computer game. He has to pick on Jodie and annoy her constantly (as big brothers will). He can't mind his own business, can't keep his hands to himself, will take things without asking, stuff like that. I'm sure he does it for attention. We try to discipline, take away privileges, enforce rules, and encourage him to mind JOHN'S business, but he doesn't care. It doesn't sink in.
I even had to smack him yesterday for something, probably some disrespectful, smart-aleck comment he made. I was just sick of his acting up. I can see him in trouble with the law by the time he's 16. I asked Joe if he'd thought about what he's going to do when John comes home smelling like cigarette smoke the first time. Said he hadn't thought about that; he's more worried about "that other smell," meaning pot.
Joe asked me last night what I thought about sending him to a child psychologist. I'm against it, except as a last resort. I'm afraid that the first thing a doctor would do is put him on medication, and medication is not the solution.
“I'm afraid we're fighting a losing battle,” I told Joe.
On the other hand, if I'm fixing dinner, John will very often ask if he can help. And when I asked for a volunteer to sweep the kitchen floor the other day, he volunteered. Which makes me think that he just needs to feel useful and needs to be paid attention to. I'm trying to find out what his interests are and what he's good at. Maybe I can encourage him to pursue things on his own.
It's hard, coming in to a child's life at his age.
****************
Joe bought a propane grill at Lowe’s; he’s been wanting a grill for the back porch and finally found one he likes. Nathan helped put it together, then Joe grilled salmon for dinner. Mmm, it was good. Food grilled in the back yard is among my favorites.
I discovered that the kids like those crescent rolls you can get in the canned biscuit section, so I fixed them for tonight’s dinner (as I do, as much as possible). I try to fix a green vegetable each evening at dinner -- broccoli, green beans, peas -- and the kids all have to try a little of everything, although they aren't always thrilled about it. For breakfast it's usually eggs, hashbrowns, toast, waffles, pancakes (whole wheat), or bacon. Those all get eaten up pretty quick, but John & Jodie don't like oatmeal or gravy (Nathan likes both just fine). Don't like oatmeal??! What planet are they from?? I thought everybody liked oatmeal.
Overall, it is kind of nice to have a family to take care of, to cook for, to look after. I do believe I’ve found my calling! Some women aren’t cut out to be moms, but I am. Guess I got that from my own mom.
Things (with the kids) have gone smoother the past couple of weekends. I can tell Joe and Grandma Fern have been working with them and talking to them a lot. They've been much calmer and more respectful than they have been since they came to live with their dad two months ago.
But I don't know what we're going to do about John! The kid can't entertain himself without a TV or some kind of computer game. He has to pick on Jodie and annoy her constantly (as big brothers will). He can't mind his own business, can't keep his hands to himself, will take things without asking, stuff like that. I'm sure he does it for attention. We try to discipline, take away privileges, enforce rules, and encourage him to mind JOHN'S business, but he doesn't care. It doesn't sink in.
I even had to smack him yesterday for something, probably some disrespectful, smart-aleck comment he made. I was just sick of his acting up. I can see him in trouble with the law by the time he's 16. I asked Joe if he'd thought about what he's going to do when John comes home smelling like cigarette smoke the first time. Said he hadn't thought about that; he's more worried about "that other smell," meaning pot.
Joe asked me last night what I thought about sending him to a child psychologist. I'm against it, except as a last resort. I'm afraid that the first thing a doctor would do is put him on medication, and medication is not the solution.
“I'm afraid we're fighting a losing battle,” I told Joe.
On the other hand, if I'm fixing dinner, John will very often ask if he can help. And when I asked for a volunteer to sweep the kitchen floor the other day, he volunteered. Which makes me think that he just needs to feel useful and needs to be paid attention to. I'm trying to find out what his interests are and what he's good at. Maybe I can encourage him to pursue things on his own.
It's hard, coming in to a child's life at his age.
****************
Joe bought a propane grill at Lowe’s; he’s been wanting a grill for the back porch and finally found one he likes. Nathan helped put it together, then Joe grilled salmon for dinner. Mmm, it was good. Food grilled in the back yard is among my favorites.
I discovered that the kids like those crescent rolls you can get in the canned biscuit section, so I fixed them for tonight’s dinner (as I do, as much as possible). I try to fix a green vegetable each evening at dinner -- broccoli, green beans, peas -- and the kids all have to try a little of everything, although they aren't always thrilled about it. For breakfast it's usually eggs, hashbrowns, toast, waffles, pancakes (whole wheat), or bacon. Those all get eaten up pretty quick, but John & Jodie don't like oatmeal or gravy (Nathan likes both just fine). Don't like oatmeal??! What planet are they from?? I thought everybody liked oatmeal.
Overall, it is kind of nice to have a family to take care of, to cook for, to look after. I do believe I’ve found my calling! Some women aren’t cut out to be moms, but I am. Guess I got that from my own mom.
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