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Western Oregon | We always had plenty of meat growing up, just not the pick of the litter. Mutton instead of lamb. older barren heifer, feeder pig with abscess, etc. I don't think my parents thought they were being cheap, just with limited funds, they were careful. We had what we needed, not the expensive extras. I felt bad about the doctor bills from my farm accident at 6 and then polio at 7. I heard them talking about getting them paid off a few times. Lots of Sunday milk and egg sale deliveries before church. Old Dr. Page took milk, eggs and meat for his bill. Dad's health was not good after the truck he was driving was hit by the train. That was before my time. It was foggy, he turned the truck off at the crossing and listened for a bit, then proceeded. Truck was loaded with lumber and the train pushed it 1/2 mile down the track. Dad said he felt every railroad tie. Engineer looked down at the wreckage and said, "no one could live through that". It shook his body so violently that 3 days later he was full of gangrene, they opened him up and washed him out. We pretty well lived off the farm, Mom's check went for what we couldn't grow and parts for the farm. Farm never made a dime after the dairy cows were sold. We were Dad's second family, Mom's first. Mom was a school teacher, not a milk maid carrying heavy milk buckets. It was very hard for both. Mom milked, Dad fed and grew all the feed. He cleaned up in the winter. Mom did all the cooking and never had a babysitter for us 3 boys. Dad retired at 62. He was 56 when I was born, 59 when little brother was born. Mom was 40 that year.
I am cheap, cheaper than parents were. I had to quit farming at 37 from polio relapse, took 2 years to get health(ier) then 16 yrs at the city job, retired from city job at 55 because of health. I never made big money at the city because I never could work more than 20 hrs week other than I took all the overtime and weekend duty I could get. I took it because it paid better for hours worked and increased my retirement more. We lived good those 16 years. Kids were on their own by the time I retired. I hate to spend money, I would rather make do. Wife's health is not good. We do spend more for her special food items than otherwise but my job now is to grow healthy food. We had the new cabin built to make life easier for both of us, no more wood. I finished the interior with salvaged materials, no sheet rock. I just putter as I can these days but life is good. Don't know what we could do to make it any better. Money is no issue. At this point in life, it is what it is. I know the kids do and will help when the time comes but we are set up. My parents always worried if they would have enough but they had plenty....James | |
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Any one else’s dad as cheap as mine?
