All mod cons

It's been a little quiet in the Care Community this week, so I’m writing a post that’s a little bit ‘off piste’ as my thought for Friday.

Yesterday I had a new oven fitted, and that, coupled with my husband’s recent return from Guyana, made me think about some past time I spent in Guyana.

You might reasonably wonder what the connection is, and the answer’s in the picture, which, believe it or not, is someone’s oven, with a hob next to it, and was used by a lady I once visited in Guyana, for all her cooking needs.

She lived in a relatively newly built house, but it was outside of the developed coastal strip of Guyana where much of the population is, and so it was ‘off-grid’, with no electricity supply or piped running water.

We visited one day via a red dirt road and the overall impression was of how peaceful it was. Similar in some respects to a small development of new houses in UK apart from looking much more tropical, set amid foliage, and with a coconut grove interwoven with the houses.

To the side and rear of the property was a garden and as well as a healthy looking vegetable plot, there was also an enormous tank for collecting rain water, and a covered area containing the pictured cooking facilities.

Our host was an elderly lady in her eighties, with only one leg. She lived alone but for the help of a granddaughter of around 10 or 11.

The pictured oven was clearly a repurposed cabinet of some kind, and was heated by a wood fire underneath, and the ‘hob’ beside it, by a wood fire above.

On our arrival there was a lovely smell of baking cake.

The whole scenario was absolutely fascinating. All water for use indoors was carried inside in buckets, including for the toilet tank which was refilled by hand. Showers were taken via a bucket of water in the bath, or outside, via a hosepipe. (That’s not such a hardship in the tropics, with the ever-present heat). It was all completely matter-of-fact with no sense of hardship or resentment. Far from it. The atmosphere was relaxed and happy.

Looking today at my newly fitted oven, heating up at the flick of a switch, I’m actually pretty glad in most respects for the conveniences most of us have. On the other hand the simplicity and seeming lack of stress in this lady’s lifestyle did make me hanker after elements of it.

I imagine she must be gone from there now as it must be about 11 years ago, but whenever I come across that picture I still debate with myself about which way of life is better.

Sometimes I think we do need to balance out our over-organised, over-regulated lives, but I’m not sure how well I’d really cope with baking cakes in an oven that’s essentially an old tin box, or heating a saucepan on what amounts to a ring of bricks. (But there’s not much clean-up to be done, after all!)

Anyway, that’s my musing for today. I suppose the answer as always is compromise. Try to simplify what can be simplified in your life. Let some things go that don't really matter but which we do through convention, or fear of judgment by other people. Any of your comments on that topic and how to do it are most welcome!

Here’s hoping that everyone has a pleasant weekend and no matter how busy you have to be, I hope you find a few quieter moments to refresh both body and soul.

[FredaE]

When your oven picture came up my first thought was that I has mis-clicked and ended up on one of my pottery sites. I am looking for a new kln to replace the one I sold on Tuesday and which has now started a new life with a group of enthusuastic young potters in Weston Super Mare. My kiln was fired by bottled gas and although I have never cooked in it, I used to heat up food and bread when i ran all day workshops in the Christmas holidays. as long as you did not forget yourself and turn it up too high it was actucally quite easy to use and plenty big enough for lunch for 15 people. I used to cook the bread on a new kiln shelf and got that stone baked taste

I wonder if your Guyanan lady had found herself an oid kiln?

I am taking a break from getting my house ready to let today and all the time I am thinking, "no not that way. It wont be good enough for tenants. who seem to run screaming from anything which is not perfect" We perhaps need a bit more of the relaxed attitude you talked aboout

FredaE

[Hidden in reply to FredaE]

So interested to hear you are a potter FredaE. One of my sisters is too though her kiln is electricity fired and it looks nothing like the cabinet in the picture, but you're right. I have seen kilns similar to this when doing night classes in pottery some years ago. It was definitely doing the job anyway! I agree that we could let more go here. Even my own kitchen and bedroom fittings in Barbados were very old-fashioned to English eyes, but no-one there was as caught up in seeking perfection as they are here. I don't envy you preparing for tenants in your house. Managing people's expectations can be quite tricky. I hope it all goes well for you. Very best wishes with it all, and I hope you have a good weekend.

[sassy59 in reply to FredaE]

People seek perfection but seldom find it. What a waste of life. Embrace “different” as there’s nothing wrong with it.

Keep on with your pottery Freda and good luck with your new kiln. Xxxx

[sassy59]

What a great picture Callendersgal, thank you for sharing the lady’s story with us. As you say she was very happy living her simple life. If only we could all be a bit more like that ourselves.

I wouldn’t swap my oven, hob or washing machine as I like the easy life. I do like to keep things simple and really pay little heed to what other people think.

I wish everyone a peaceful weekend with hopefully better weather.

Take care all. Xxxx

[Hidden in reply to sassy59]

Thanks sassy59. Hope you have a great weekend too. x

[Lynd]

Strangely enough I was thinking of how I miss the cookers of years ago that had an eye level grill. I had some rolls that I wanted to toast. They won't fit in my toaster. My grill is half way down and you can't see what's going on.

I used to have to have my home color coordinated but these days I am happy to just have what I like.

Your friend has obviously got everything Sussed. I wonder how many of us could cope cope with that lifestyle?

[Hidden in reply to Lynd]

Those cookers were handy weren’t they Lynd? We just get persuaded that we need to move on to the next ‘great’ idea that turns out not to be so great after all. A big hate of mine is cooker hoods. They seem to extract little but take an awful lot of keeping clean!

I like to think I could cope with those simple living conditions but I wonder for how long!

Thanks so much for your thoughts and I hope you have a good weekend x