Small Town Living at Its Best

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life.











Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Vintage Thingie - an important job!


Long story short - for my 50th birthday my DH brought home a brand new 4 wheeler for me. It will do 65 mph (like I would do that) and is a lot of fun. One of my favorite things to do on a nice day is to grab my camera and take off into the countryside. These are the photos from one afternoon.
I stopped at a farm where there is an elderly lady and her daughter living. When I asked if they still had an outhouse, I was told "Yep, we each got one". Well, well, they weren't kidding me! They do have an indoor toilet but when they are out working in the yard, garden, field, etc., it's easier to just use these. The one on the right is Mom's, the one on the left if the daughters. I kid you not!
I thought this one was probably used as a garden shed, because it was painted so nice, but...

when I opened the door - NOPE! It's still the little house out back!
This one looks kinda lonely - no house, no barn - just the outhouse.
Now you gotta admit, these little houses had an IMPORTANT job! Aren't they cute? When I got home, I told my husband that I was going to write a book and title it "The Outhouses of Phillips County". There went my 15 minutes of fame and my chance to be a millionaire - cause I never did. I did blow these up though and framed them to hang on the bathroom wall at our Lake House. Cheap, fun decor!


Thanks for stopping in and leaving a comment on my Vintage Thingies/Inspiration this week. Loved having you over!



16 comments:

  1. Such a cute post! The outhouses gave me a laugh for today! Thank you!

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  2. I wish I had one for when i was out working in the yard! LOL

    Loved the pictures, true Americana!

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  3. Hubby grew up with outhouses but i was a city girl. He had some great stories about early "toilet paper"...ouch....Cute post

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  4. Wonderful story. I can remember an outhouse at my mom's family home when I was little. However, they didn't have one for each family member. Just one for the entire family.

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  5. That is one thing my little farm does not have, and I never wondered where it was. I think I'd rather not know.
    I do remember the one on Uncle's farm when I was growing up. I associate it with bees, lots of bees.

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  6. Well when I was little my grandma had an out house until I was around 8 or 9 that would be around 1957. Also we had a lake cabin for years and there never was an inside toilet. Really it wasn't that bad---ONLY when bees got in there.WHOA!!! Cute pics for your bathroom
    Ann

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  7. That is a great idea for wall decor, I love it. Happy VTT!

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  8. What a fun post. I have used these many times. We only had one. Never could have afforded others. We had no choice. No inside bathroom in my early life.

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  9. My Grandma Minnie had ONE of these. It's an experience like no other. I'm not sure that anyone who used them thought they were book worthy except for the Sears catalog!

    I hope you post the Apron Poem. There's more than enough Aprons to go around!

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  10. I love these photos, and I can just imagine what a great day it would be on a 4 wheeler flying down the road taking great pictures....sounds like a blast. Happy VTT!

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  11. Aren't outhouses so interesting. My husbands family owns a functioning and operating bank in the tiny town that he grew up in. It (the Bank) has been in the family 100 years. It doesn't have a bathroom, it has a two holer outhouse out back. Yes, it's 2011 and it is still open for business today. I don't think anyone has used the outhouse for many, many years though.

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  12. LOL! We have an old outhouse in back of our farmhouse! In fact, when the renovators were putting the new roof on our house last year, I saw them using it! I was horrified because I hadn't swept it out yet that season nor put clean TP out there! But they seemed ok with it and it was convenient for them. lol! We just repainted and reroofed it last summer and it looks brand new now! :)

    xoxo laurie

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  13. I know it sounds odd, but I would like to have one just for the old fashion look of it. But it would be great to use when I am outside. Better yet, when my DH is outside!(no tracking in)But I live in town and I don't think people would think it was so cute. Plus we wouldn't be allowed to use it.

    I remember my aunt using her's until she sold the farm. She had inside plumbing, but certain business was done out in the outhouse. I hated to go out there. Her outhouse wasn't like the ones in your pictures. Her looked like a shed and had a concrete floor. I remember the door handle was white porcelin with the little black box that sit on the door and not inside of it. I am sure some of you remember what I am talking about. It was the fanciest outhouse I had ever seen.

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  14. I remember them well, my step dad made a three holer with a smaller one in the middle and he cut the seats on a slope and then the part he cut out had a half sewing spool on it and it was the lid, so the wasps could not get in with the lid on.. worked wonderful. remember Sandi? good ole Ash Grove, is the out house still there.?, mom

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  15. Oh my what a cute post. I can remember there being one on my Granmothers home place when I was little. Brought back memories. Every time I see a portapotty at events, I think of it. ~~Sherry~~

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