Homage

Today I am going to pay homage to all mother's and mostly to Helen Thibedeau a.k.a. Nanny. The reason I am singling her out and not my children's mom's, is because I am mostly going to be referring to her every day chores of raising and tending to a household full of state wards,a granddaughter and a disabled husband. As far as my children go I hope they don't make the same mistakes that I did. That being taking their moms for granted.

When I think back of my days in Ryal side, it amazes me how, as a kid I never comprehended what a hard life Nanny had.

I will start with what little history of the Thibedeau family that I know Charles Thibedeau.We all referred to him as Pa. He spent all his time other than the summer months, sitting in a wooden rocking chair, muttering to him self "I wish I was dead!". Every twenty minutes or so, he would head for the cellar and have a cigarette, and then back to the rocker. Pa kept his Lucky Strikes up on a rafter in the cellar, because nanny did not allow smoking or imbibing in her house.(I was know to filch a Lucky or two in my day.)

We were told that his condition came about from his days in the war. I never saw anything to substantiate this. I never saw it in his bearing. Although he did spend time on and off in a veterans hospital. I do remember one occasion where one of his sons, or son-in-law slipped him a pint of whisky.Well when nanny found out, she went spastic. This led me to believe that pa's inflection was more alcoholism and despondency, rather then war injuries.

They say he was a fine finish painter in his day. Both of his sons were house painters also, and like most tradesmen of the day, hard drinkers.

Shirly Thibedeau, granddaughter. Why she lived with nanny is a mystery to me. Nanny's son Bud(Charles Jr.) his wife Franny and other daughter Barbara, lived in a house on Bates Park avenue. Bud would come and visit almost every day, but Franny would just stay in the car and wait for him. I don't recall ever seeing her in the house.

So with those two and five or six state wards living there, Nanny had her hands full. I have only

mentioned the three Thibedeau's who resided on Virginia ave. The others I will get to on another day.

Monday-After getting breakfast for everyone, making brown bag lunches and sending every one off to school. Her days labor really started.Back in those days Monday and only Monday was washday. So with nine people this was quite a load.

I know the load was nothing like it would be today, because of rules and life styles. In those days her rules were strictly enforced. The rules on dress for the kids was this. School clothes-one outfit per week (barring any calamity)to be taken off and hung up after school. Play clothes put on until bedtime, then hung up and pajama's donned.

The same rules applied one set of play clothes and one set of pajamas per week, unless of course the calamity factor.

The washing would take the better part of the day. Done in the cellar by a big wringer type washing machine. After the load was agitated in the tub the dirty water was pumped into the over sized soapstone set tub. After the tub was refilled and emptied again (rinse) she would then hand feed each item through the wringer, and then put it into large wicker laundry basket. Then the machine was refilled with another load, that was left to soak. She would haul the basket full of wet clothes out to the backyard, to be hung out to dry. In the mean time she would strip down all beds and put clean linen onto them.

As the afternoon waned, she would start making supper. (breakfast,dinner,supper was the terminology back then) This was the the main meal of the day. (Just picture yourself making a Thanksgiving dinner for nine guest. every night and at noon on Sunday.)It was always potatoes

vegetables and a roast or fowl or fish.Also there was always a desert. The word was that she ran a restaurant in Vermont when she was young,and her cooking certainly gave credence to that fact. Plus her rule that there was to be no snacking between meals, (we were not even allowed to open the refrigerator) made for very clean plates.

After she had cleaned up the kitchen (store leftovers, wash dishes, pots and pans and tidy up in general) She would sit and crochet for awhile and then shortly after us kids were in bed she would follow suit. (as hard as she toiled,it's amazing that she stayed stout)

Tuesday-The routine would start all over again except Tuesday was the day to take the wash off the line. To be sorted ironed and put away. This was a major project in it's self as there would be no trace of the two days labor,when she sat down to darn or crochet that night. This was the days before wash and wear clothes, so the women felt as though everything had to be ironed.I mean everything,skivvies,wash cloths,handkerchiefs,everything! Trousers,shirts,dresses,that sort of thing was done standing up with a steam iron and ironing board. Many other flat items,towels,socks,etc. were done setting down at a roller type contraption know as a mangle iron, which nanny was quite adapt at. (see picture)

Wednesday- Again the routine, today was the day to scrub,vacuum and mop the whole upstairs,bathroom included. Also this was the day to dispatch one of us kids to Davidson & Walors meat and grocery store on the corner of Bridge st.and Livingston avenue to give them the weekly shopping list. Nanny had a charge here,that was paid monthly when the check from the state arrived.

Thursday-again with the routine,today the scrubbing of downstairs took place. (another nanny rule-take your shoes off before coming inside.In the summer we left them outdoors,in the winter we entered through the bulkhead and left them in the basement,)

Also in those days neighborhood vendors were quite prevalent.The most well know was of course the milkman who made his rounds every day. Also every Thursday the fish monger would arrive in a truck or van with a heavily iced down variety of fish. This person being either a local fisherman or kin of one, would be of course pushing what ever fish were running at that time. Beverly being a predominately Catholic community and also a seacoast community, guaranteed that every one would dine on great fish on Friday.(Catholics were not allowed to eat meat on Fridays back then)

Also the baker was a regular to the neighborhood. I remember Cushman's driver delivering bread to us. But he very seldom left any pastry, as nanny seemed to enjoy making cookies,cakes and pies.

Another peddler who came around two or three times a year was the knife sharpener. The one who came to our neighborhood was distinguished by a loud tinkling form of music. You knew he was coming,while he was still a few streets away. The theory being this would give you time to round up your knives and any small hand tools that might need sharpening. He would sit in the bed of his truck or van and by pumping a pedal make his sharpening stone rotate. Usually of Greek or Italian ancestry with his swarthy complexion, drooping moustache and leather apron he would make sparks fly, much to the neighborhood kids delight. (today's useless serrated knives had not arrived yet)

Later in the day the delivery from Davidson and Walor would arrive and nanny would stock all the can goods on the shelves in the cellar

Friday- the routine continues, This was the day for baking all of the above mentioned goodies and sundry kitchen chores. I am not exactly sure what transpired, but the kitchen is where she spent the day. Besides making a big meal six days a week,she had a lot of other little irons in the fire. There was always an ailing kid, who needed nursing, first-aid or discipline.
Or one of her many other little chores. Like watering her flower gardens or making soap.(made from lard renderings, bacon drippings and lye, harsh but effective)

Saturday-No school, so the routine was different. This was the day nanny monitored chores for the kids.Window washing, raking, rug beating etc, Saturday noon was beans and hot dogs time. There would be a big pot of beans, usually Friends or B&M, pea or kidney and sometimes yellow eye. Nanny thought Van Camp's or Campbells was sacreligious. Because no right minded Yankee

would make beans with tomato in them. (to this day I despise B&M and Friends)
Another big pot would be full of boiling water and hot dogs. Setting on top of the pot would be a colander full of rolls. The steam would soften the rolls almost to the point of being mushy.

The afternoon we kids were free to go play. I think this was Nannys favorite time. She usually sat and crouched on Saturday afternoons. I could hear her singing as she made the needles fly. Also this was a reprieve from cooking a big meal for her, as Saturday supper consisted of canned soup and sandwiches.

Sunday- After breakfast we kids would don our Sunday best (Same dress rules applied) and head of to Sunday School. While we were gone nanny would be in the kitchen going all out to put on a Sunday feast. This meal was her pride and by far the fanciest of the week. Quite often the minister of the church and his family would dine with us.

After everything was cleaned up nanny would get into the back seat of her son-in-law's car and her daughter and husband would take her for a ride. I know that sounds silly but that was a big deal back in those days.

I am sure I have missed many of the things that nanny did daily. And I am sure that my children do not know half of the things that their mothers did. Or still does for that matter.

So I maintain that only mother's should be eligible for Sainthood!