Stereoscopes And View Masters No Cell Phones And Television..

 Grandma Lu was chuckling to herself as she bustled around and grabbed a package of store bought cookies to take out to her friend's mini farm. She couldn't believe what B had bought for her two little granddaughters. She made sure her phone was charged and threw it in her purse, put the cookies in a sack and headed out to see what those two little monkeys were up to. This was so much fun. She felt a little guilty about taking store bought cookies out to her friend. B always had homemade snacks for her at Marleewood, but she didn't want to take the time to bake. She didn't even grab her hat off the hook when she rushed out the door.  As she drove down the driveway there they were all dressed up in their new prairie dresses. Oh she loved those little girls like they were her own.

Sometime back Whitlee had told her that she wanted to be in one of her "old" stories, so evidently B had helped it along by getting these precious little dresses, aprons, and bonnets for these two. She stopped the car and got out and said, "What are you two doing?" Marlee and Whitlee said together, "We are playing pioneer!" Marlee said, "Come see. Grandma B told us all about when you were little. We want to do some of those things so you can write a story about us and take our pictures. Can we be in a story?"

Grandma Lu laughed and said, "Of course, you can. But first I want to take some pictures of you two." About that time, Grandma B came out with her camera. "Ok, you guys. Why don't you go sit on the swing. We don't have a picture of all three of you together. This will be fun to have." She showed them the swing and thought that would be a good place for a picture. Zeek thought so too. So he joined in the fun and barked 'hello' to Grandma Lu.

After that picture was taken Grandma Lu said, "Well what things did your grandma tell you that I did when I was little?" Marlee said, "Well she said that your mama washed clothes in a bucket and didn't have a washer and dryer. She said you didn't even have a microwave. Did you have a big flat screen like we do? What kind of music did you listen to?  How good was your phone? Did you have a favorite video you liked to watch? Did your phone take good pictures?"

As anxious as Grandma Lu was to take their pictures she took a minute and said, "Mercy on us, I have to tell you that I didn't have any of those things until I was much older. My mama and daddy had a big old radio and I played the piano. I can remember my mom and dad listening to radio shows at night while she ironed or dad read a book. He often read to her while she ironed, or mended.

One day I was snooping around in the store room and I found a record player. You had to crank it to make it play music. No one used it. I guess because they had a radio. I had my mom show me how to use it. You had to crank it enough times to play a whole record through. I didn't like it much. I have no idea whatever happened to that thing.

That was the music I listened to, but my grandparents did have a stereoscope. Have you ever heard of one of those? Well when I was just your age, Marlee, we would go to my Grandma and Grandpa Banister's house for dinner after church sometimes. In those days, kids couldn't talk at the table. After we finished our dinner (that's what we called lunch in Iowa) we were sent to the living room or parlor and were told that we could sit on the sofa and use the stereoscope while the grownups visited. Let me tell you that was the most boring thing I ever did in my life. You put cardboard picture cards through the clips on the back of it. They were mostly of old people and scenery. The cards had two pictures just alike black and white or brown and white pictures on them. When you looked through the eye piece it looked like 3D does now. Boring! Let me tell you that sofa was horsehair and was so slippery. I was told not to fidget both at church and at my grandparents' house. It was hard work to sit still on that thing. That was my Sunday until I got home to the farm. Then I could read or play piano or go for walks. I mostly read my books."

Grandma B said, "Those were kind of like View Masters weren't they?" Grandma Lu said, "They sure were. The View Master was not invented to use as a toy. A Mr. Grueber was touring a scenic park with two cameras taped together. Another man whose name was Mr. Sawyer watched him. He sold post cards for a living. The two of them got together and invented the View Master. It was first shown in 1939-1940 at the World's Fair. The government actually used this to help them during the WWII. They really caught on. Even movie stars would advertise them and so did Disney. I bought my children View Masters when they were just your age, Marlee and Whitlee. They loved them. I think they were about five dollars when they were little, now they are considered antiques and are very expensive as are the stereoscopes because they are very old.

"Now that I think about it, my grandparents probably were proud of that stereoscope because it was pretty new in the stores back then. 

Marlee told Grandma Lu that their grandma had told her about her mother's big garden and how the sheep ate all of her pea plants one year. She said, "I have a dishpan full of peas in the house that Grandma B had me practice shelling. This is fun to do. How come you said it was hard work?"

Grandma Lu said, "Well, she had to do that sometimes after we were all in bed. To get enough peas to put in jars took lots of days. She was so busy during the day that she hardly ever got to sit down to rest. She always said, "I'm not like my mother, I think eating fresh vegetables are the best. Mother never let us eat fresh because she was always afraid we wouldn't have enough to last the winter." Grandma Lu said," I can remember Mom making creamed peas and new baby potatoes. She made them with butter she churned and cream she had separated from the milk." 

Whitlee said, "Grandma Lu when is it my turn? I'm Lulu in the story, 'member?"

Zeke barked in agreement and gave Grandma Lu a minute to think while she was chuckling to the dog's antics. What story can I tell about my Grandmother Banister? She remembered her mother's memory box at home. Yes there were stories in there, but how could Whitlee understand? I must think of something this little one could relate to. Shopping?  Puppies? Yes, those would be good stories."