Ten Things My Grandmother NEVER Did 

We talk a lot about convenience, speed, and keeping up. But when I think about my grandmother, I see a very different way of living. One that was slower, more deliberate, and far less reactive. She didn’t chase ease or instant fixes. She lived with quiet standards that shaped everything she did. Looking back, it’s hard not to notice how many of those habits we’ve let slip in modern life.

Ten Things My Grandmother Never Did

1. She never ate in the car

Food had its place, and it wasn’t behind a steering wheel. Meals were something you sat down for, paid attention to, and respected.

2. She never went out in her pyjamas

Even a quick trip to town required being properly dressed. There was a sense of self-respect in how she presented herself to the world.

3. She didn’t drink coffee when she was out

Instead, she would come home and have her morning tea. Home wasn’t just a place to sleep. It was where routines mattered.

4. She never paid for plants

She grew them herself or swapped cuttings with friends. There was patience in that, and community too.

5. She never bought magazines

If she wanted something to read, she traded. Beans for magazines. A simple exchange, built on relationships rather than transactions.

6. She never bought anything she could make

If it could be made at home, that’s what she did. Not out of hardship, but because it made sense.

7. She never upgraded her car every few years

Things were used properly, maintained, and kept. Not replaced just because something newer existed.

8. She never bought takeaway food

She couldn’t see the point when she could cook it herself. Effort wasn’t something to avoid. It was part of the process.

9. She never ran to the shops for just one thing

She planned ahead. Thought about what was needed. There was less rushing, less reacting.

10. She never felt caught out if visitors turned up unannounced

Her home was always ready. There was food, order, and a sense that people were welcome at any time.

What This Really Shows

This isn’t just a list of habits. It’s a mindset.

She lived with intention. She valued preparation over panic, making over buying, and connection over convenience. There was less waste, less rushing, and far fewer unnecessary decisions.

It’s easy to look at this and think it belongs to another time. But the truth is, most of these choices are still available to us. We’ve just stopped choosing them.

A Quiet Question Worth Asking

What would change if we brought even two or three of these habits back into our own lives?

Not perfectly. Not all at once. Just intentionally.

Calling you to action

If this resonates, take a moment to reflect on your own routines and share with your friends and family. Where have things become reactive or overly convenient? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or via social media 

You might not want to live exactly as she did. But there’s something in this way of living that still holds value.

Reviving the Wisdom: Cash as a Last Resort

 

I have  very fond memory of my Grandmother wrapping home gown beans in damp newspaper so she could share them with people. It makes me think that we need to tap into our childhood and community memory because there is so  much wisdom there.  

I think back to the way my grandmother and my godmother ran their homes as friends that lived close by to each other. 

Both of them grew their own produce and baked from scratch. My godmother  had chooks and used to barter the eggs around town. She traded cooking, mending and eggs for people to do jobs at her house. She got egg cartons from another neighbor, swapped another neighbor for the newspaper and even the home brew was bartered. She never owned a car and different people often took her into town when she needed to. 

My Grandmother always had the latest newspapers and magazines on hand, but she never paid for. She always traded pumpkins, zucchinis or anything else that was in season for them. 

 Of course, no-one ever used the term 'bartering' it was just the way things were done.

They were quite enterprising really. A dollar saved here and there would have really added up.

For these ladies cash was really used as a last resort. If you couldn't swap or do a deal for something that you really needed then you would have to use your cash.

In contrast, today we don't share our things around. We are almost like 'hoarders'.  Just look in our houses at all the clutter! We would be better off having something flow into our homes, use it for a period and then have it flow out again for others to benefit from as well.

Rather than using our cash as a last resort, we tend to jump straight to it. If we want something, we buy it. No questions asked. We think of something, we conclude we 'need it' and we jump in the car and go and buy it or order it online straight away. Even if we haven't got the money, we just stick it on the plastic and will worry about it later!

I am therefore going to look at the principle of using my cash as a last resort. I will stop and think of creative ways that I can obtain things without using my cash. My beans will be ready soon I can wrap them in newspaper and trade them for eggs and macadamia nuts.

In order to start the bartering circle happening I will have to think of things that I can GIVE to people, for it is truly IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE.

 I am sure that once I start the ball rolling other people will come on board with the concept. I am sure if I asked a friend if they would teach we basic quilting skills they would love to be paid with home made cakes.

This thinking doesn't come naturally to my generation. I will probably subconsciously cruise past many an opportunity to swap instead of spend. I will turn my mind to this more over the coming weeks and keep you updated.

Does anyone have any ideas for reviving the 'swap instead of spend' tradition ? Perhaps you are already doing a lot of it. Please share your ideas so that we all can benefit.

Living with Uncertainty

 

This is my Grandmother - aged in her late 90s. 

She was born in 1907 and lived a life that was two weeks short of 102 years -living on her own until almost 100 years. 

She saw much uncertainty; The Spanish Flu pandemic, two world wars, a great depression, the early death of her husband..... the list goes on. 

In this photo she is briging in her tomato seedlings for the evening to proect them from the cold. She raised the seeds from last year's crop. 

After living a life of uncertainty, she had learnt to always be prepared. That meant that she always had produce in the garden, preserves in the cupboard and frozen veg and meals in the freezer. 

In these times of uncertainty I am reminded to look after the basics. Keep my house warm, preserve the produce and be prepared for rough economic times - just in case. It worries me to think that these skills of growing, baking, preserving and budgeting are slowly being eroded away by clever marketing. That is why I will also advocate for the simple life and retention of the old fashioned skills. 

Of course, I also know the secret that there is much joy to be had in the simple things in life ! 

Passive Solar Technology

Making the most of a warm winter day.