My mom and dad were products of the Great Depression and World War II. Even after those events, their lives were impacted by events that led to a lack of cash and extras.
My mom grew up on a ranch in the Big Draw, west of Elmo. Although the ranch is now back in the hands of the Tribes, the ranch was one of the first places homesteaded on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The ranch was very remote and never had electricity on it, even in the 70’s. During the Depression, as well as before and after, Mom’s family had a big garden to feed six kids plus anyone who was passing by. They raised their own beef, chickens, and if needed, shot a deer. It was a hard life, for sure. But, they had each other, and just over the hill, about 10 miles away as the crow flies, they had cousins.
Mom used to talk about riding over there to visit. The Vinson Ranch was up to the south of Big Arm. When I was younger, I would spend time at the ranch in the Big Draw and a couple of times made the trip through the woods and over the hills to the Vinson Ranch. It was quite a trip for me and I could just imagine how Mom and her brothers and sisters made the trip to see their cousins.
My dad was born on the border of South Dakota and Nebraska. When he was a small boy, his family moved to Circle, Montana. They farmed there for a while but when the Depression hit, they moved west. The family lived at a few places up by Kalispell and eventually settled near Lone Pine which is north of Hot Springs, Montana.
Mom and Dad met at a country dance near there and soon were married. This was during WWII when there was gas rationing and other commodities were scarce. They lived on the ranch in the Big Draw and continued to live just as they had during the Depression. After the war, Mom and Dad, along with my brothers, moved to the Bitterroot and settled on a ranch northwest of Victor. The house didn’t have running water. (We finally got running water in 1963 when they built a new house.)
I tell you all this because I think how they lived has prepared my family for this point in history. We used to joke about Mom washing tin foil and reusing it until it fell apart. Last week, I caught my daughter doing the same thing.
When this whole COVID-19 began, we had to quarantine because of a possible exposure. Even then, we started doing things I remembered Mom doing. Our cooking is pretty much back to basics and making meals from scratch. (It’s a good thing my daughter and her family like to cook.) I have taught my grandkids how to make popcorn using an iron skillet on the stove top. No more microwave popcorn for us. Biscuits and pancakes have become the normal breakfast meal.
While many have become obsessed with watching Netflix and “The Tiger King”, we are playing games, reading, and just watching an occasional show on TV. Well, except for my granddaughter Ella, she’s kind of hooked on her phone but we pry it out of her hands and make her do things.
We visit with our neighbors, over the fence. Of course, our neighbors are my son and his family so we do have lots to talk about. His young daughter is even aware of the social distancing and tries to keep her distance.
My son and his family live in a very small house so they have to find things to do to keep themselves occupied. They hold marble races every weekend, and have set up quite a course. They recently got baby chicks to add to their flock.
Our dinner table talk revolves around what to plant in the garden. We have starts growing in the windows and will either have a great garden or will be taken over by cucumbers in the dining room. Right now it’s a toss up.
I think my upbringing has helped in this time of social distancing. We’ve figured out we don’t have to have everything and that we don’t need to go to the store or the coffee shop every day. We are discovering again the simple pleasures of a walk, talking to each other, and even quiet time. This may not be easy, but I’m sure my grandkids will be telling their kids about the Great Quarantine of 2020. And I am glad that my mom and dad taught me how to get through things with less.