Metal Bath Tub

When we stayed at Grandma's for a day or two, we had to take baths in an oval metal tub with only about twelve inches of water in it -- most of the water was cold.

Grandma would heat up a big pan of water on the stove and pour it in the water to make it luke warm. The cleanest kid went in the tub first because the dirtiest kid would spoil the clean water too fast.
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Designing a Kitchen for the Elderly

My mother has moved in with us and we quickly saw many changes we would need to make. I added an island between the counter space and the refrigerator because Mom usually uses a cane and that only leaves one hand free unless she has something else close by to hold on to.

Also her water bottles, Ensure, and soda pop all have to have one bottle with a loosened cap so she can open it. Milk has to be bought in half gallons so she can lift it and it has to be placed on the door so she can reach it.

All her favorite snacks need to be at eye level which is not on the top shelf but the shelf below that.  This is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to taking care of your elderly parent.  

Also, as a caregiver, be prepared for one thing: even though you are continuously serving, helping, assisting, bathing, and feeling the weight of being responsible for your mom or dad, he or she may not actually think you are doing much at all.  And there is nothing that can be done about that. 

Remember, our children didn't think we did much for them either.  Caregivers are so undervalued.  I never realized what care giving meant until now.
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Dishwasher Went Out for One Week

My dishwasher broke down a week ago and I quickly rediscovered why I love the dishwasher so much. I could clean the kitchen up in half the time when the dishwasher worked.   How easy life was when I could set the timer for the dishwasher to come on during the wee hours of the morning while I blissfully slept.

The next morning, when I got up and went to get coffee, my cup would be nice and hot for that first cup of coffee.  Ah, those were the days my friend.
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Ozark Recipes and Remedies

In the Ozarks the kitchen is the heart of the home and it is often the women who make the heart beat.

Women bake bread, cook meals, clean the dishes and the kitchen daily, often dozens of times per day, and family and friends enjoy the cooking.  That is her reward.  If everyone eats a lot, she is usually happy.  I know that's how I feel.

The good food smells is what makes the kitchen is a good place to visit. She gets respect however subtle it is from all who eat what she cooks.  Someone is always at hand to assist in some way.  Not a bad life really.

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Ozark Kitchens Revamped

Recipes and Remedies -- I'm still trying to find the focus of my Pioneer Cookbook blog.  Recipes and remedies is too broad a subject.  There is too much research involved and not too much passion either.

I may let this blog fade away or try to get someone else to write the entries. Someone who is passionate about writing about old Ozark kitchens and the women and men who ate, worked, and socialized in them. I need an older woman, Ozark born and raised, to write this blog.


Is it possible for such a woman to exist who can also use the Internet? She would be rare indeed. Contact me if you are that woman.
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