Before I get to the question of the day, I want to say I had a hunch about what would be required for me to live like Grandma.  Your stories have confirmed my hunch.  A life that is sustainable and simple is birthed out of a particular mindset.  My Grandma had that mindset and it sounds like many of yours did as well.  I plan to make some signicant changes in my everyday reality but will have to make some internal shifts as well if I want these changes to last.  I can do all of the reading I want on the topics of sustainability and simplicity but my life will not change until I adopt my Grandma’s mindset.  Keep your stories coming because each one of them illustrates a piece of that mindset.  These stories are the heart of My Grandma Was Green.

What Would Grandma Use To Get Around?  At first I did not think this would be a very exciting question to ask but after I spent $73.49 to fill the tank of my minivan with gas this morning, I realized this is probably one of the most important questions to ask in the What Would Grandma Do? challenge!  Remember the cartoon the Flintstones where everyone got around in cars powered by their own feet?  I wish I could say I depended on something with Flintstonian technology but instead I can’t live without my gas guzzling, 15 miles to a gallon, pink-colored, Ford Windstar minivan.  My husband rode his bike for three years, but due to the location of his job he is now dependent on our white Hyundai Accent.  The car originally belonged to his parents who bought it with the intention of converting it to run on vegetable oil but for now it guzzles gas almost as fast as our van. 

I used to have a bike I could use with our bike carrier for the kids but my bike was stolen last year and has yet to be replaced.  My husband’s bike usually sits in the garage gathering dust except for the occasional bike ride with the kids.  On the other hand, my boys race their bikes up and down the sidewalk all day long.  It has been my intention to follow their lead and ride to the Farmer’s Market just a few miles away but managing three kids on a bike ride is an intimidating hurdle.  When school is in session, I occasionally walk with a friend to pick up our kids but trying to steer 4 energetic boys and 2 babies toward home can be a challenging process.  Although I live in an urban setting, a lot of the places I frequent have moved out of the core city and are inaccessible by bike or foot.  I have never attempted to use the public transportation system in Grand Rapids.  Yes, my life is dominated by my minivan.

Is there a better way? What Would Grandma Use To Get Around?  Both sets of my grandparents had 6 or more children.  I doubt they tried to “get around” nearly as much as I do.  I am sure home was the center of their world.  Contrast this with my life where most days I seem to belong anywhere but home and even if I am home I am often managing the world “out there” more than being present to what is going on right in front of me.  I am not convinced this is a good thing.

In yesterday’s post you answered, How Would Grandma Bathe?  There was a very common thread to all of you answers - Grandma did not bathe as frequently as we do today!  Grandma was conservative in her use of water whereas I tend to use it like I have a personal pipeline to the Great Lakes.  Grandma also knew some natural beauty tricks that have been lost on us today and she used her hand soap until the last speck was gone.  I recently told someone I was considering switching to hand soap to save on packaging to which they replied, “Eww!  Hand soap gets gross and sticky.”  I can’t imagine what people will think if I consider bathing less!  And despite my commitment to a personal sense of style, your stories made it clear this was not a multi-billion dollar business back in Grandma’s day.  I am pretty convinced I can learn a thing or two from Grandma and still smell good enough to keep my friends!

Note:  Apparently internet technology and severe weather do not mix well which explains why I posted this so late in the day.  I am going off line for the holiday weekend but will return on Monday with What Would Grandma Use To Get It Done?  Please feel free to post on any of the previous questions in the What Would Grandma Do? challenge.