One of my grandfathers was born in East Brookfield August of 1859. Another was born in North Brookfield in 1883. My father was born in 1913 and so on. The earliest photograph of all is the wedding picture of 'Paul & Sara' dated 1903.
In this cold weather it is difficult for me to conceptualize what life was like. Dad would reminisce about a buffalo robe and a frozen pis pot! Handmade quilts were the rule as were apple pies. My grandmother Potvin made a mean custard pie as I recall.Their lives had to be so simple in every respect.
We got central steam heat in our new home in time for the winter in 1945. Plumber Roy Varnum installed the system of cast iron radiators and at 5 cents a gallon we kept things at 72 degrees..toasty warm. Things changed.
My first house at 26 King Street, NB hosted a 1,000 gallon storage tank for Number 2 fuel oil. I then paid 18 cents a gallon. A couple of years later America ran out of energy and the prices skyrocketed to 60 cents a gallon. Electric heat and electric hot water heaters came in... then the wonder of the universe:cord wood... again! Dad just loved heating with wood. So do I.
I recall buying 1,000 gallons of oil from Mark Sherman for 47 cents a gallon and taking delivery at 92 cents! I had played the futures market and won big time. But as life went along our attitudes about energy gradually changed and they are still changing.
I feel as I get older I am more cold blooded.Maybe some good whiskey will make me feel warmer? LOL. With all at hand I just can not imagine how life was in 1872, or 1842 or 1742 or 1662 atop Foster Hill. Brr.
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