Some of you are way too young to know about the FLOUR SACKS, but some of you will remember. I hope ALL of you will enjoy reading this very well-written article.

THE FLOUR SACK

BY COLLEEN B. HUBERT

IN THAT LONG AGO TIME WHEN THINGS WERE SAVED,

WHEN ROADS WERE GRAVELED AND BARRELS WERE STAVED,

WHEN WORN-OUT CLOTHING WAS USED AS RAGS,

AND THERE WERE NO PLASTIC WRAP OR BAGS,

AND THE WELL AND THE PUMP WERE WAY OUT BACK,

A VERSATILE ITEM, WAS THE FLOUR SACK.

PILLSBURY'S BEST, MOTHER'S, AND GOLD MEDAL, TOO

STAMPED THEIR NAMES PROUDLY IN PURPLE AND BLUE..

THE STRING SEWN ON TOP WAS PULLED AND KEPT;

THE FLOUR EMPTIED AND SPILLS WERE SWEPT.

THE BAG WAS FOLDED AND STORED IN A SACK

THAT DURABLE, PRACTICAL FLOUR SACK.

THE SACK COULD BE FILLED WITH FEATHERS AND DOWN,

FOR A PILLOW, OR T'WOULD MAKE A NICE SLEEPING GOWN.

IT COULD CARRY A BOOK AND BE A SCHOOL BAG,

OR BECOME A MAIL SACK SLUNG OVER A NAG.

IT MADE A VERY CONVENIENT PACK,

THAT ADAPTABLE, COTTON FLOUR SACK.

BLEACHED AND SEWN, IT WAS DUTIFULLY WORN

AS BIBS, DIAPERS, OR KERCHIEF ADORNED.

IT WAS MADE INTO SKIRTS, BLOUSES AND SLIPS.

AND MOM BRAIDED RUGS FROM ONE HUNDRED STRIPS.

SHE MADE RUFFLED CURTAINS FOR THE HOUSE OR SHACK,

FROM THAT HUMBLE BUT TREASURED FLOUR SACK!

AS A STRAINER FOR MILK OR APPLE JUICE,

TO WAVE MEN IN, IT WAS A VERY GOOD USE,

AS A SLING FOR A SPRAINED WRIST OR A BREAK,

TO HELP MOTHER ROLL UP A JELLY CAKE,

AS A WINDOW SHADE OR TO STUFF A CRACK,

WE USED A STURDY, COMMON FLOUR SACK!

AS DISH TOWELS, EMBROIDERED OR NOT,

THEY COVERED UP DOUGH, HELPED PASS PANS SO HOT,

TIED UP DISHES FOR NEIGHBORS IN NEED,

AND FOR MEN OUT IN THE FIELD TO SEED.

THEY DRIED DISHES FROM PAN, NOT RACK

THAT ABSORBENT, HANDY FLOUR SACK!

WE POLISHED AND CLEANED STOVE AND TABLE,

SCOURED AND SCRUBBED FROM CELLAR TO GABLE,

WE DUSTED THE BUREAU AND OAK BED POST,

MADE COSTUMES FOR OCTOBER (A SCARY GHOST)

AND A PARACHUTE FOR A CAT NAMED JACK.

FROM THAT LOWLY, USEFUL OLD FLOUR SACK!

SO NOW MY FRIENDS, WHEN THEY ASK YOU

AS CURIOUS YOUNGSTERS OFTEN DO,

'BEFORE PLASTIC WRAP, ELMER'S GLUE

AND PAPER TOWELS, WHAT DID YOU DO?'

TELL THEM LOUDLY AND WITH PRIDE DON'T LACK,

'GRANDMOTHER HAD THAT WONDERFUL FLOUR SACK!'

(Feed sacks too !! Remember ??)

Most all these girls' dresses were made from flour sacks...

This I can remember augman

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You sure know how to bring back memories. I remember all that. I guess I should since I am 71 and used to live on a farm when small.

Not as old as you both but lived in a remote area so civilisation caught up later, I remember as a kid having to clean and refill the Kerosene (parrafin) fridge and lamps and getting chips of wood in to feed the chip heater for hot water, my grandfather drying and reusing tea leaves, remember him telling me he even tried smoking them once as a substitute for tobacco. We had gammar pie for smoko (like pumpkin pie to yanks and morning tea). Yeh, sounds all great, but you cant look back with rose coloured glasses either, a lot of hard work and poverty, not sure i want to go back, i tell the kids today i had to plough an acre before breakfast with an eggbeater and they just look at you dumb. Time stands still for no one does it.

Missing

Thanks for the comments,When we moved to northern Wisconsin to a farm I was 4 1/2 yo.WE did not have electric power on the farm.That was in 1937.It is kind of fun thinking about that time we lived though.I walked a mile to a one room school.I was not the only one doing that.I am a 1933 model.WE had snow drifts at leat 8 feet high.To get strange looks tell about using the outhouse on below zero days.It was a bit cold to use and it did not take long either

regards augman

Once warned a back-to-nature hippie girl about making sure her outhouse door was propped open in the wintertime. Like anybody's going to be watching you or something. She didn't and gave up living in the mountains. I remember the day she left and that was one of her complaints. Oh well. Gunny sacks are good for a lot of things too.

augman7518 (imported) wrote: Wed Aug 05, 2009 6:16 pm Thanks for the comments,When we moved to northern Wisconsin to a farm I was 4 1/2 yo.WE did not have electric power on the farm.That was in 1937.It is kind of fun thinking about that time we lived though.I walked a mile to a one room school.I was not the only one doing that.I am a 1933 model.WE had snow drifts at leat 8 feet high.To get strange looks tell about using the outhouse on below zero days.It was a bit cold to use and it did not take long either

regards augman

I lived in Central Michigan and lived for a while in a house that did not have electrricity or running water. Well, I take that back. We boys had to run for the water. not just walk. I remember many times in the winter waking up with snow on the bed where it came in the cracks around the window.. To kewep warm, we slept three to a bed. I was only about 7 at the time. We boys slept in the attic and the only heat was the stovepipe passing through on its way our the roof. Since no one stayed up to keep the stove fed, it could be awful cold when we got up. All this is true by the way, but as you say, kids won't believe a word of it, just roll thir eyes and say "yeah". Especially the grand kids.