The Way It Was
(eBook)

English

Life in the 1920s and '30s was not easy, but there were good things about it as well. Neighbors relied on neighbors, and helped each other. This autobiography tells about conditions during the depression years, and gives us a glimpse into the love story of these two. They raised eleven children, some of whom have contributed their memories of life in a large family, and their interactions with siblings and parents. Excerpts from Book I written by Alan:"Many of the old farmhouses would be desperately cold if we got several days of really hard weather. I remember sleeping in one bedroom that was so cold, when I went to bed, instead of removing my clothing, I put more on. I would go to bed with heavy winter underwear, a heavy lumberjack shirt, a pair of tweed breeches, two pairs of woolen socks, plus a pullover sweater, and on top of that, another sweater. The bed would have several blankets on it, but all that bedroom did was keep out the wind and snow. My rubber boots would be frozen so hard in the morning it was almost impossible to get them on. I could hardly wait to get my breakfast, get my axe and go to the bush to get warmed up" Excerpts from Book II written by Betty:"When my Uncle Rob MacFarlane needed someone to help on the farm, he hired a man from Lanark County where Rob and my Dad grew up. The first time he sent Alan to our farm next door with the horses and wagon to borrow something, I was upstairs helping Mother, but I made an excuse to come down so I could look out the window as he passed, and get a glimpse of him. The next Sunday he sat in church with Uncle Rob and Aunt Nellie and since I was singing in the choir, I had a better look at him." --Provided by publisher.