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Archiver > GenChat > 1997-09 > 0873135444


From: (by way of Tracey <>
Subject: Re:Chamber Pots
Date: Mon, 01 Sep 1997 10:37:24 -0700


X-From_: Mon Sep 1 06:45:37 1997

To:
Subject: Re: Chamber Pots

Yes, indeed, I remember those days well. We didn't have indoor plumbing at
all when I was young and I'm 54. My mother was sometimes in a dither to have
it taken out 'early' so the neighbors wouldn't see her carrying it all the
way to the out-house. We lived in a tiny village so we had neighbors on both
sides and in back. If she thought it was too late in the day, she'd make one
of us kids do it. It wasn't the embarrassment of the slop jar, but the idea
that someone might think she slept 'late' that she wanted to avoid.

And how about those pre-bathroom baths! Come on now, fess up, weren't those
a hoot? We had the big bath-size galvanized tub. Every Saturday afternoon,
whether we needed it or not, we'd spread out newspapers on the floor behind
the Warm Morning stove, drag in that big tub, and fill with a few inches of
water. I remember it took a lot of work to heat enough water for just a few
inches. And we had to watch the stove carefully in the winter because we
were right beside it.

And I know none of you will mention this but me, because it is so discusting
(so those of you of a gentle nature, delete now) , but we all took a bath in
the same water. And we kids always fought over who went first. There were
only three of us, but you'd think the fate of the Free World depended on who
got scrubbed first. Actually, I think Mom finally made the order of girls
first, by age, then boys. Actually I let my older sister go first because
she was always fussy about it. Then me, then Mom, then my brother because he
was always filthy from playing who-knows-where and then Dad, who farmed and
worked in oil fields. We saved water before it became in vogue.

Talk about religion, I thanked God for years after I grew up and had in-door
plumbing just for the facilities. I really did. It seems to me when I was
growing up, that people who had an indoor toilet were considered higher in
social status. It's so funny to think of those things now but I'm sure there
are some places where it still exists.

Enough about bodily functions. And we women won't even hint at how we dealt
with other problems back then. Yuck! Those were not the good old days!

LaDonna Leavens Walen

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