Most of us grew up thinking a bathroom was a room with only a bowl....
based on that, none of us ever knew what a shower or a bath was, while we were living at 521....
My first recollection of a "bathroom" was a room, at the most 3 foot by 3 foot, between two apartments which we shared with our Aunt, Uncle and various cousins...
We were washed in the kitchen sink...yes, and it had the generic name of a "Sponge Bath"....
but as I recall, none of us had ever seen a sponge either...
My mother would sit me in the kitchen sink...a large porcelain vessel about 4 foot long with large round legs...with a curtain, hand made by my mother which was hung with a piece of string to cover the bottom.....and when the water was turned on, it was either cold or freezing depending on the weather..
In really cold weather my mother would heat a pot of water on the oil stove which was built into an alcove next to the sink. The stove was the only source of heat in the entire apartment.
It was also about 4 feet long and used an oil tank that stood in front of it to supply the energy...after I were bathed I would be placed on a part of the sink which was the drain board, also made of porcelain ...
wrapped and dried in a much used towel. We all thought this was the way it was for everyone and guess what ,it was, so it was normal for us..
After I was asleep in the railroad room next to the kitchen,my mother would take her "Sponge Bath" again, sans sponge....
and to my surprise, we all survived and became almost, normal adults...today I live in a house with 3 full bathrooms for one person..we have come a long way and oh yes, I do have sponges also...but I do prefer a shower to sitting in the kitchen sink..and actually I would be afraid to now, it has a garbage disposal....
6 comments:
Very interesting. The reason why there was no sponge was because Nonna used it to make the sponge cake that was served with the water hot chocolate on the cut up cardboard.
It seems so simple the way it was, but everyone survived. I would never have imagined a childhood like this
L- Ron
Yay! Another Papa Don tale. It's fairly amazing to think what we made do with in the past (and sometimes now!) Very little waste - as there was very little as it was. Your recall of the detail is wonderful. Do you remember what your Mother used for soap?
When my 3 were babes, they were terrified of the bathtub. So, until they were each around 2 or so, they were "bathed" in the kitchen sink, too!
Why was it called a railroad room?
xo Tink
Hi Ronzi!
:o) We were writing at the same time. too funny.
LOL on the sponge cake!
Hey Tink, thanks again for the comments. The soap was Octagon Soap...it was a large bar of brown soap and it was used for everything, bathing,shampooing etc.. .My mom also used it to wash clothes, in the same sink..using a washing board...
Years ago, most apartments were just a row of rooms, no doors separating them..you could see from the front of the apartment to the rear..hence the term Railroad Rooms was born...you are getting a full education from this..(g) Take care...
Love the story Uncle Don ....
I once had an apartment on the Upper East Side where I had to boil water too in order to take a shower! Of course it was my choice to live there ... instead of moving back in with Mom and Dad ... you know those lovely rebellious years!
And, like Tink ... all my kids were bathed in the sink ... on top of a large sponge big enough to fit their little bodies. Of course the boys always used to manage to pee on me!
talk soon!
Looking forward to Thanksgiving!
Love you,
Kel
Thank you for the additional info, PapaDon! I vaguely remember seeing those soap bars somewhere. Maybe in my grandma's flat. Not sure.
AHA! On the Railroad Room. I lived in a flat like that! We called it the Rabbit Run. lol
Oh yeah Kelly ... those were the days! Each one managed a shot in the face. lol
;o)
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