Mom's Kitchen

Today when we think of a kitchen we visualize a modern room filled with all the stainless steel appliances and a floor which shines and a neat breakfast table and chairs. All this along with over the stove fans, air conditioning and central heating. Quite a sight but one which most women expect in their home.

My Mom lived in a different era and as I watched a documentary on early Canadian living my mind immediately turned to my Mom's kitchen. To this day I do not understand how it functioned but functioned it did. Some time ago I was talking to my older sister Jeannie and we laughed at the way it was back then. We couldn't get a handle on the way our Mom would Marshall all of we kids into an orderly manner to function as a family.

Our kitchen was similar to most for our time. It appeared large to us but by to days standards it was small.It measured about 12 by 14 feet. In this room there were five doors. One to the basement, one to the bathroom, one to the dining room, one to go up stairs and one was the entrance. Two windows, one over the sink and one looking out over the backyard. Mom used these as a place for her geraniums and they bloomed summer and winter. The center of the room was our beautiful Enter prize stove. Mom loved this coal heated stove with the large oven and ornate warming shelf above the four lids and water heater. The stove had to be polished with stove black when the top was warm and the smell was special to me but the girls did not like it. A bucket filled with coal sat beside the stove.A fridge, wringer washer and a large harvest table filled in most of the space. Dad had a chair beside the stove where he sat and read the paper and smoked his pipe when he came home from the pit on the man car at 4.40 pm. He smoked Old Chum tobacco and at that time it cost  $.25 at Uncle Chabs  store.

That was the layout of the room but place 8 or 9 kids and Mom and Dad there you can guess it was a marvel that we were able to eat, work, do homework and all the other tasks with some kind of order.Supper time was one time we were all together and Mom sat by the stove and served the meal. Dad sat at the head of the table and commanded respect. We as a family did not say grace together but we were always thankful for the supper Mom served. At meal time our home smelled so good because we nearly always had home made bread, corn bread or buns. Most of our meals were hearty as Dad worked in the coal mine and was hungry. We ate early when Dad arrived home. I used to meet him sometimes and drink some of the pit tea. It smelled like the mine but was sweet because it was laced with much sugar.

With all this activity realize that mom often had her rug hooking rig in the room or a quilt frame but we managed. I guess we as a family now realize that that close contact as a family with everyone mixing and having to co-operate to survive made us the close family we are today. My memories of that kitchen , lacking in most of the modern conveniences had one element you can't buy at the Co-op Store, it had the human bond of a family with a wonderful Mom and Dad who gave their life so we would have it better than they did. I would love to go back for a day and relive those hectic times like when we were getting ready for school or church and watch my Mom get us all ready and out of the house on time, every time