If you could live in the Little House...

How long would you last? I think realistically, a long weekend...but the outhouse would do me in.
I would love the simplicity, lack of TV, etc. but after having eggs and bread (couldn't kill anything) and having to use a wash board for my clothes, churning my butter, etc. I'd grow weary. A lot of work back then, but I would get a lot of peace from the time I spent there, especially going to town and enjoying the quiet by the creek.
(ps) this stemmed partly from a chaotic NYC trip this weekend.

littlehouselover wrote:

How long would you last? I think realistically, a long weekend...but the outhouse would do me in.
I would love the simplicity, lack of TV, etc. but after having eggs and bread (couldn't kill anything) and having to use a wash board for my clothes, churning my butter, etc. I'd grow weary. A lot of work back then, but I would get a lot of peace from the time I spent there, especially going to town and enjoying the quiet by the creek.
(ps) this stemmed partly from a chaotic NYC trip this weekend.

Oh, I think I'm completely able to live like my granny did. My only lack of modern things, will be a computer...But probably if I was living back then, I should have so many things to do, and so many neighbors with whom undertake things that I wouldn't feel I don't have a PC along with me.

Vanesa.

"Maybe" the outhouse would not be such an issue after a while, but not being a big camper, it's the one factor for me that would be hard (and no shower)

If I could live there with a town, just like it is now, that would help a lot, but just alone, like a vacation spot..that would be different for me.

I agree, the PC fills up time that our modern conveniences give us.

I think I would love it. If I could sit and draw in the evenings it would be great.
I would love to have a little garden, chickens, and a horse to ride. Now, I'm assuming this is springtime or summertime that I am there. Winter would be tough. Doing chores in cold I am not accustomed to would do me in. Guess I would have to work on my woodpile in the summer so I would have enough come winter. Alot of preparing !
OH, and I want to sleep in the loft. lol

Yes...The "outhouse" thing would be bothering for me...at least in the middle of the winter...

An I share your opinion, Gin.

Vanesa.

I might last a day. I love writing about this time period and watching shows set during this time period, but give me indoor plubming, computers, and good hygiene any day.

Yes, as a woman I don't want to think about issue that modern laundry and hygiene help with.
I would love a weekend in that time period if you could go back but I would never give up the medicine that saves lives now or want the harsh winters.
We do become slaves to conveniences though...some are wonderful, other make us lazy.
I miss real letters, stamps, the anticipation, the reading it over and over and the smell of perfume or other things at times. Even my teens had an agreement with a friend to write real letters when she moved...it's just nicer.

I think the only thing I would like about living in the little house would be eating popcorn in bed

Speaking of popcorn, ever notice how Charles would drink coffee at ALL hours of the night. It could be one o'clock in the morning and Caroline would offer him a cup of coffee. That boy must have been immune to caffiene! And they could both throw down that popcorn!

And then when Albert would want a cup, Charles would tell him it had to be half milk. Was he afraid it was going to keep the boy up?

I always noticed that...he could be dead tired and Caroline would offer him coffee. Now that I think about it, milk was mainly given to the children, lemonade was a treat, so it was coffee or water. It seemed the women would have "tea" when they visited.

I was looking for this tread. Thread resurection time!
Tell you what I'd like to do. If I were rich, I would build a replica of the Little House, but put in the modern conveniences so it would be feasible to live in. I'd have the basic layout, but about 2,000 square feet. I'd have a totaly modern kitchen, with the laundry room off the kitchen. In the downstairs bedrooms, I'd have a master bath. The loft I would use for a den/computer room, and have a spiral staircase going up to it instead of a ladder. The main room with the fireplace as the centerpiece, I'd leave as it is, with just a table in the room. I guess off to the right, I could have a couch.

That would be styling, I think the contractor would think I was nuts though!

I love watching Time period shows. I just don't think I could last to long. I thought of eating some of that food like rabbit or lamp makes my stomach turn. I could only last a weekend. I would miss my PC/ Ipod and t.V LOL. I couldn't kill for my own food either. The thought of using a out house. A night time during cold winters would not be fun. lol

They have done that...there are people who make replicas...I found one but there is another guy who is making the house, outhouse, barn and selling them.

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Little-House-on-the-Prairie-ReplicaIngalls-House-Light-boxed/1974573

Sometimes I wish we could go back to the little house times... things were simpler back then. Of course, I wouldn't mind things like a real bathroom, running water, and all of the current medical advances, but I think it would be a nice time to go back to.

LauraIngallsfan wrote:

Sometimes I wish we could go back to the little house times... things were simpler back then. Of course, I wouldn't mind things like a real bathroom, running water, and all of the current medical advances, but I think it would be a nice time to go back to.

In contrast to what many people seem to think. Life in the 19th century was not simple it was a hard life for most people.

Horatio Hornblower wrote:

In contrast to what many people seem to think. Life in the 19th century was not simple it was a hard life for most people.

That's not the type of "simple" that I was referring to. Simple in that they didn't have to have all these crazy electronics that we have now.... People have $800+ phones, smart watches, touch screens in their cars, and now everything is complex. Back then you would see so much more personal contact between the people, especially families. Now it is not uncommon to see people sitting next to each other texting (possibly texting each other!) and never talking to each other. It's a real problem that is only going to get worse. Maybe simple wasn't the right word for it.

I would only last a weekend. No electricity, phone, computer or TV. The outhouse would make me want to leave. I can't stand out houses. I know that was what they had back then, but yuck.

LauraIngallsfan wrote:

Back then you would see so much more personal contact between the people, especially families. Now it is not uncommon to see people sitting next to each other texting (possibly texting each other!) and never talking to each other.

I agree with your words.   Also,I notice when people talk on their cell phones....example..... A person will say, "Where are you?"  I'm over here.....next to the store.  Walk a little ways, and I'll see if I can see you".   Cell phones teach us that we don't have to be articulate with our thoughts. We can be lazy with our minds.  And after needless extra time spent, we finally achieve our goal.  Before we had this technology, we were forced to be precise and say what we needed to....because we weren't guaranteed another conversation.