We have lost so many skills. My mom embraced suburban life with open arms, so she never taught me any of my grandparent’s skills. By the time I wanted to learn it was pretty much too late. I have self taught myself some skills, and my husband was exposed to some skills so he taught me a bit. So we can recover these lost skills.
I'm glad I spend time with my grandparents growing up and learned a few things that will come in handy. I hope if I ever have children I can pass them along, but the world is changing so much they probably wouldn't have any interest anyway.
My life long dream was to have a large property with enough room for family. I offered to deed 100 acres to each of the kids. They aren't interested. I offered to give the entire property, livestock, equipment, etc to my son, not interested. Three of my grandsons are more interested in their hair, clothing and computer games than they are in this place or us. My last hope is my 3 year old grandson. Yes, times have changed, and changed too much. I figure that I can realistically manage this place on my own for probably another 10 years. Although some days it seems like its too much now.
I know exactly what you mean. . . . I have had to be self taught too. I never got to live close to my grandparents on my mom's side and my dad's parents both passed early in my life. Some skills can be learned out of books or the internet, but until you actually do some of them you just don't get the full aspect of it. Take quilting for instance. Cutting all those two inch squares and trying to get them seen together. . .learn the short cut of two and a quarter strips sewn together then cut. or the flying geese. . You see your squares then cut. You learn the tricks of the trade by doing. It would be nice to be able to have learned some of these things first hand by someone who does. Canning was another trial by error for me. Now days all books will say to process pickled items, when it is really not necessary. Just invert and let cool. And then of course the no this is not deemed safe any more. . . So it is no longer published in books. I had to search for pumpkin puree and finally found out how.
My children and your future children will be interested in that which we show them. They are unwritten books and living arrows. My daughter was at a party once when she was 31 and spoke to a man around 50. They were discussing the music being played and the man said oldies would be better. Patricia immediately said yes indeed. He looked and asked her what she would know from "oldies" and couldn't even name one she wasn't even old enough. Promptly came: Puff the magic dragon- Peter, Paul and Mary! Him: WTF! She: grew up with oldie parties with my parents...
most people are too far removed from the land these days, it is said in UK we are 4 generations removed from our agricultural roots, more interested in computers, phones, iplayers, games etc.etc. I guess.
I've always said that in the city where I grew up, people were "close to the land." Everyone I knew had "country cousins", or, as in our case, had farms themselves even though they lived in the city. My home address was in the city, but I spent as much time as I possibly could out in the country. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother whose washing machine was a cauldron in the back yard with a fire under it to heat the water.
I had a friend in college that thought that rice was manufactured in a factory. He would not believe that it grew on a plant. I had to take him to a rice field in the Mississippi Delta and pull up a rice plant and show him the grains of rice on it before he would believe me.
It's always nice when you find bargains like that.
