She'll be 91 on 2/21. So my grandparents (to whome she refers below) were born in the 1880's, married in the 1810's and had children through teh 1820's. They were upper middle class by the standards of their day.

Bot

------

That the maker of fine glassware and beautiful bone china ware (referring to the demise of Wedgewood) should need to close their doors is a commentary on where the middle class is. Time was when the middle class kept high standards-- tables set with linen cloths, sterling silver, bone china, and cut glass. Think "Grandmother" and you get the idea. Do it up beautifully and right.

Priorities have changed by pushing the middle class right down to the poor. Once it was the poor whose women had to go out to work in other people's houses, and take care of their upwardly bound display of beautiful home accessories. Now the best we can do is back yard barbecues and call it high fashion. I wonder that a magazine like VICTORIA can survive. Their advertisers try to sell the fine products, the best, things that can be afforded only by the rich. The rest of us have descended from sterling silver to plated silver to stainless down to plastic. Are we trying to better ourselves? Or just trying to survive by making the means of surviving look stylish. Who has time to do the ironing, polishing, washing, and so forth when there is no one at home, and it takes two incomes to keep a family going?

Even worse, our morals have descended. All around us we see the lowest sort of lifestyles and entertainment. Apparently so firmly is this sort of thing established that few are the voices raised against such things. Are we so overcome by a doomsday feeling in the world of blow ourselves up, smash by an asteroid, reversal of poles, global warming or ice age, that we just lie down and take it? Take all the money if you are in the right place, just give up if you aren't. I heard this morning that the government is now to look into what happened to money it handed out-- the question is: have executives of bailed out companies just given themselves big bonuses for being such fine leaders?

I am just echoing the eternal cry of old people....."the world has gone to the dogs."

Listen to your mother! I see where you get it from ... hope she has a happy 91st!

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

The first two paragraphs are indicative more of a change in priorites than real decline in my opinion. The items that were regarded as desireable/essential back then simply are not as important now and things that are considered important now which people devote resources to didn't even exist then.

The third paragraph however, is spot on. Especially the opening sentence.

- Peter.

__________________
2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Several more senior moments? 1810's 1820's?

I like stainless steel.

It's all Bush's fault.

__________________
Question Authority before it Questions you.

Tell her happy Birthday from the shop forum on that new fangled interweb!

Ahh sitting down to a proper meal, and back than people dressed well to. You had to wear a jacket.

I can't help but think civilization has lost something their.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I love looking at the pictures of people attending baseball games and seated in airplanes, wearing their Sunday best, including hats.



Pictures from the early and mid-1800's, right?

Bot, That was great and she writes what I've been thinking for years.

__________________
"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

And she writes extremely well.

My wife had a grandfather who died just beofre his 105th birthday. He worked for T.A. Edison--kinda really brought "history" home.

__________________
1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

Bot,
First of all God Bless her for reaching such an age! You have to wish her a very happy birthday from all of us.

I absolutely agree with her. I think what we have now is pandering to the lowest common denominator. It used to be that people looked up to their 'betters' and strived to be like them. Now we have Paris Hilton's antics, Plaxico's idiocy, and Brittany' lunacy to look up to. It used to be that you dressed for dinner, wore a tie to work and respected others. Now people going to work look like they are going to the beach, diner out is Mickey D's and politeness and respect are as dead as the dodo.

On the other hand, we enjoy the benefits of cheap goods. People living in the 1920's up to the 1960's would be amazed at laptops, DVD players, mobile phones, etc. Goods could be made better in the 'old days' because the pace of manufacture was slower and more care could be taken. Also things were expected to last for years. After all if a toaster cost you a week's salary it had better damn well last longer than six months!


Send us more of her observations.

__________________
"I have no convictions ... I blow with the wind, and the prevailing wind happens to be from Vichy"

Current
Monika '74 450 SL
BrownHilda '79 280SL
FoxyCleopatra '99 Chevy Suburban
Scarlett 2014 Jeep Cherokee
Krystal 2004 Volvo S60
Gone
'74 Jeep CJ5
'97 Jeep ZJ Laredo
Rudolf ‘86 300SDL
Bruno '81 300SD
Fritzi '84 BMW
'92 Subaru
'96 Impala SS
'71 Buick GS conv
'67 GTO conv
'63 Corvair conv
'57 Nomad

It's that damned algebra gene. Should've written 19XX's, as you recognized.

My bad.

B

My grandmother was a secretary for Theodore Drieser for a brief time back in the late teens/early 20's in NYC. She kept several letters he wrote her all through her life. When she died in 1984, we donated them to the the Drieser Collection at the Univ. of Pennsylvania. Nothing scandalous. Just a warm friendship.

B,

Happy Birthday to your mother. Hope she's enjoying good health.

Mom was Phi Beta Kappa '40 from there.

Oops. Penn State.

Never mind.

Apparently, the apple didn't fall far from the tree...

Hope you can enjoy her company today.

Bot's mom knows about the internet and late model, six speed Mercedes

What she's talking about is people who almost have college degrees, yet can't spell

I always enjoy your mother's articles and other musings, Bot. Sounds like she may have recently taken a shopping trip on the other side of the bridge

I hope she has a wonderful birthday, surrounded by family.