Saturday, October 10, 2009

Taste of Swiss-German culture




Today we went to Landis Valley Museum Harvest Days. Ever since our mother passed away in 1993, my sisters and I do something special on our birthdays. The birthday girl plans the activity. One year Romaine & I exchanged birthdays so she could plan a summer activity and I could plan something for December. This year my youngest sister ,Carol and I agreed to exchange birthdays because my choice was at Landis Valley.


The museum is home stomping ground for Marvin. His grandparent's farm has become part of the museum's property. It was an interesting day! Do you know that the cost of eggs would be about $6-9 dozen in comparison to today's income? Why were they so expensive? Because chickens laid eggs seasonally before there was electric lights and other improvements. Chickens lived longer, but the eggs were almost nonexistent in winter. That means you did not get a birthday cake if you had a winter birthday. If you had a birthday cake any time of year, it was a very special treat.


The simple life of the settler's cabin would seem appealing but it was not an easy life! Consider raising your own flax to spin and weave your own homespun cloth, make your own candles, butcher and smoke your meat and much more. And we tend to think their lives were lived at a slower pace???


The last thing we did was watch this group do their thing....close your eyes and pretend you see the Alps somewhere on the horizon.

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