Letβs see someone beat this: I shovelled coal into three furnaces when I was 12-16. We lived in a three story rooming house and my parents were the caretakers.
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We used to take turns bringing in the firewood for our 90-something year old neighbour, every Saturday. When we finished, she would invite us in and give us a lemon candy and a penny. Very special because she was living in extreme poverty. But she insisted on giving us the candy and penny. π₯²
aug 18, 2025, 11:19 pm β’ 2 0 β’ view
We had a small beach motel in S Florida. In summers since I was about 8, I was the maid; cleaned rooms, made beds, did laundry, washed sand and tar out of tubs, cleaned bathrooms with bleach. Till I was 18. Fun times.
aug 18, 2025, 11:17 pm β’ 2 0 β’ view
I did that too when I was late teens
aug 19, 2025, 12:35 am β’ 2 0 β’ view
ππ
aug 19, 2025, 1:19 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
ππ€£πtaken a note to the corner store to buy cigarettes for my mother.
aug 18, 2025, 10:40 pm β’ 5 1 β’ view
Me too probably 100 times or more. Kool cigarettes. 33 cents a pack
aug 19, 2025, 12:41 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
Rothmans and she would make a circular flower shaped placemat or decoration by cutting the package and a rubber band. That part I thought was great.
aug 19, 2025, 1:51 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
Cool
aug 19, 2025, 3:40 am β’ 0 0 β’ view
Nope canβt top that! π
aug 19, 2025, 1:26 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
I washed up the pans and trays from baking and icing in my family's from scratch bakery. Grease, crumbs, frosting, caramel.... every day. Also swept floors throughout. and I still LOVE the smell of baking bread and fine pastries!
aug 18, 2025, 10:47 pm β’ 3 0 β’ view
I think there would be fewer homeless if there were rooming houses. A lot of new immigrants started out with rooming houses, because it was something they could do without having to know the language. I know a few people who had your experience. (not me - I can't think of a chore to fit)
aug 18, 2025, 10:58 pm β’ 2 0 β’ view
Good sized rooms. Bed dresser hot plate table two chairs nothing fancy but better than a shelter these days.
aug 19, 2025, 12:37 am β’ 2 0 β’ view
Also community. Is "mind my boarding house reach" still an apology for grabbing something from the other side of the table instead of nicely asking for it to be passed?
aug 19, 2025, 12:39 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
Exactly
aug 19, 2025, 12:49 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
I forgot that my great grandparents had a "guest house" 100 years or so ago. I don't think my grandmother ever had a room of her own. (not shared with family)
aug 19, 2025, 12:42 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
cut laundry poles from alders for my grandma
aug 18, 2025, 11:14 pm β’ 3 0 β’ view
You may have beat me
aug 19, 2025, 12:36 am β’ 0 0 β’ view
if you wanted apple pie, you did what grandma asked you :)
aug 19, 2025, 1:12 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
When I was 6 years old, I set the table & each meals & helped clear it β¦ No Coal β¦
aug 19, 2025, 9:13 am β’ 0 0 β’ view
Nowhere near as bad but I cleaned windows wells and shoveled snow with a shovel
aug 18, 2025, 10:47 pm β’ 1 0 β’ view
Walked the roads and lots collecting empty pop bottles to turn in to collect 5 cents a piece during the summer in Texas
aug 18, 2025, 11:10 pm β’ 3 0 β’ view
Carried water and split firewood.
aug 18, 2025, 10:47 pm β’ 2 0 β’ view
Close second
aug 19, 2025, 12:38 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
I did too!
aug 19, 2025, 12:00 am β’ 1 0 β’ view
Wow, Nana! No wonder you are such a tough (but sweet!) cookie. π
aug 18, 2025, 11:11 pm β’ 1 0 β’ view