Luxuries -
11-05-2016, 07:11 AM
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,761
I never realized growing up we were poor. As others have said, we always had food, a warm bed and shelter and protection from the "boogie man". The love my parents had for us was palpable. One of many lessons I learned at home was to have a sense of humor and to be able to laugh at myself. We learned to say, "please" and "thank you", to be polite and the importance and joy of reading and I have many fond memories of laying on my Grandmother's glider on the back porch and reading books in the summer. Life was not perfect then but, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
11-05-2016, 09:33 AM
#25
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
Being able to buy good quality London Broil beef on sale for $2.99; for me they make quite tasty steak treats and freeze well. (I do little beef otherwise.)
Beautiful country views all around me.
Air-conditioning and electric heat....had no AC and smelly gas heat growing up that always made me feel a bit sick.
Grateful I bought a "luxury" car (Lexus) before I was divorced because now, at 20 years old, it still runs beautifully and has easy-in/easy-out leather seats. I may never be able to afford another car.
A landlady that is a dear friend AND a quilter!
Hundreds of yards of fabric leftover from the shop I once owned in Dallas TX. Really NEVER need to buy any again.
Every sewing tool I need and more already in my collection.
Free-read-and-return paperback books from my local library.
A family care doctor who has become a special friend and calls me his favorite patient; he willingly allows me to participate in my care and trusts my judgement and decisions. His nurse is the same.
Beautiful country views all around me.
Air-conditioning and electric heat....had no AC and smelly gas heat growing up that always made me feel a bit sick.
Grateful I bought a "luxury" car (Lexus) before I was divorced because now, at 20 years old, it still runs beautifully and has easy-in/easy-out leather seats. I may never be able to afford another car.
A landlady that is a dear friend AND a quilter!
Hundreds of yards of fabric leftover from the shop I once owned in Dallas TX. Really NEVER need to buy any again.
Every sewing tool I need and more already in my collection.
Free-read-and-return paperback books from my local library.
A family care doctor who has become a special friend and calls me his favorite patient; he willingly allows me to participate in my care and trusts my judgement and decisions. His nurse is the same.
11-05-2016, 01:30 PM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: The Beautiful Willamette Valley In Oregon
Posts: 689
This thread is the most inspiring I've read in a long time. I have loved reading your stories, many that are similar to mine. Our family had hard times, but I never felt poor, even with the sacrifices we sometimes had to make.
11-05-2016, 01:55 PM
#27
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine-ly Florida
Posts: 3,917
Originally Posted by tessagin
I am the oldest and got hand me downs from relatives. Hated it. Since there was more than a few years between my sister and I they got new because there were a few years between them also. I admit I was bitter about it because when I went to same school as my cousins who pointed out to others I was wearing their hand me downs. BUT at a school dinner with parents, again I was dressed in a cousin's hand me down. When my parents saw the tears start rolling down my face because of embarrassment and my aunt's even made comments that it looked better on their kids that was the end of that. I got a whole new wardrobe that weekend from head to toe. Never got hand me downs again. That was one time I remember getting an apology from my parents. The weekend after that another aunt from out of town brought some clothes for my brother which were rejected and advised to donate to a charity instead. My brother also got a new wardrobe.
11-05-2016, 02:04 PM
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine-ly Florida
Posts: 3,917
Softer tissues, that is one of my luxuries these days. I also buy these little soaps that come in great, light scents at the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs. They make me smile when I use them. Not a huge expense but it feels 'fancy' to buy them. I like to buy different kinds of cheeses to try, too.
11-05-2016, 02:19 PM
#29
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: So. Central MO
Posts: 2,759
My husband is the youngest of 10 children - all raised during the depression. Raised on a farm and did not "buy" anything except what was absolutely necessary. He said that they would get a new package of underwear for Christmas - how sad.
He will not eat oatmeal, said he had too much of it as a boy. I was surprised, because they raised chickens for the meat and the eggs. He said they could not afford to eat the eggs - they had to sell them to get some money. They had a HUGE garden. We have never had a garden, have good heat and air conditioning and BUY all of our meat and vegetables. He was telling his cousin the other day "how good we have it nowdays".
He will not eat oatmeal, said he had too much of it as a boy. I was surprised, because they raised chickens for the meat and the eggs. He said they could not afford to eat the eggs - they had to sell them to get some money. They had a HUGE garden. We have never had a garden, have good heat and air conditioning and BUY all of our meat and vegetables. He was telling his cousin the other day "how good we have it nowdays".
11-05-2016, 02:54 PM
#30
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 4,688
Having a warm house (growing up it was kept at 58 degrees). Being able to go out to eat occasionally -- unless we were moving from one duty station to another we ate at home. Having fabric scissors (we had one pair of scissors total and ohhh they were dull). Having more than one TV. Paper napkins. Costco chicken.
Last edited by QuiltnLady1; 11-05-2016 at 02:58 PM.
