I had a moment this weekend, as I was loading the dishwasher for the third time that day, where I couldn’t help but think about my childhood and how I grew up without modern conveniences. Since I grew up with no electricity or technology of any kind (other than a radio), I was completely out of my element when I went to a friends house.
I had always heard of TV dinners and imagined it was an amazing meal prepared by your mom and served to you in front of the TV. I was surprised to learn it was a tiny box pulled from a freezer, with food that didn’t look so good. I’m thankful I learned TV dinners are not yummy.
I loved dreaming about dishwashers and was envious that all my friends had one. When I had the chance to use one for the first time, I was a junior in high school. I had no idea there was such a thing as a special dishwasher powder, and flooded my friend’s house after filling the bottom of the dishwasher with hand dish washing detergent. I’m thankful my friend’s mom didn’t kill me.
We had no running water. Of course, all of my friends did. When I stayed over at a friend’s house and took an hour long hot water shower, I learned that probably wasn’t a good idea. Especially when her dad needed to get ready for work. Who knew there wasn’t an endless supply? I’m thankful for not getting into hot water with her parents.
Jell-o Jell-o Jell-o. My friends talked about how great it was. It was jiggly and sweet and everybody made it for Thanksgiving. I had to get some and decided to buy a little package and surprise my family. The only surprise was that it needed to be refrigerated, and putting it outside to chill on a cool afternoon only turned it into a cold sweet soup. I’m thankful for pie.
IT'S ME, SERENA!
I bounced through the first years of my life in a hippie gypsy wagon, hand-built by my father, wandering the back roads of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. My family eventually settled into a tiny cabin in the woods on property that was once inhabited by Native American Indians.
I spent my childhood days searching for arrowheads, teaching myself to sew on a treadle sewing machine and to bake in a wood-burning stove, with no running water, refrigeration, or electricity in our home. My family lived frugally and early on, inspired by my parent’s thriftiness and style, I gained a knack for thrifty creativity and turning ordinary objects into something useful. And I dreamed of the home I would create for my own family someday.
Now I’m married to my husband, Colin, and our children are all grown. After 24 years of producing The Farm Chicks Vintage & Handmade Fair, I'm spending time visiting other markets around the world. You can watch episodes of Serena Goes to Market here.
I share more about my life story from time to time, here on my blog. You can also find me on Instagram, and Facebook.
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