Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Y ~ Yardstick

    I can't remember the last time I used a yardstick, but while I was growing up it was a very useful thing to have.
    We used to to measure our growth and made little marks of our progress on the side of the door to our pantry.
    It got a lot of use during the time we had a fabric store. I loved being able to measure yards of fabric for customers. Always giving them an extra inch or two for good measure.
    It was our tool of choice to retrieve what ever rolled under furniture or beds.
    It made a great ramp for my little brothers to walk their animals up onto the couch when they pretend played they were going into Noah's ark.
    It seemed to get used almost every day.
    And then one day I got the brilliant idea to use it to pick up a pile of rugs that were waiting to be taken outside and shaken. I poked that yardstick underneath the pile and lifted, and suddenly I was standing there with half of it in my hand and the other half under the rugs.
      My parents were disappointed that it broke, and the first opportunity they had they bought a new one. It felt cheap and flimsy, and we all missed our old one.
~~~~~
     Several weeks before this whole shut down happened I was at a thrift store and saw an old heavy yardstick. I thought about buying it to replace the one I broke all those years ago, but ended up leaving it there. I'm now wishing I would have gone ahead and got it.
     I may have to see if it's still there when things open up again.

8 comments:

  1. We had yardsticks at our house, but Mum frequently measured fabric by pulling it out from the tip of her nose to the end of her arm. One day, watching her measure off five or six yards, I asked her if she could *smell* how long the cloth was.

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  2. We had a yardstick that was used for everything when I was a young girl. I have one now too, but it's pretty flimsy.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  3. I think it would be nice to see if you can find it when things are 'normal'.

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  4. I got a kick out this because I have a yard stick that I use to retrieve cat toys from under beds and sofas! It's pretty sturdy, considering it was a freeby from a local appliance store, but not sturdy like the old fashioned kind.

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    1. Yes, when I was a child it was very common for stores to give them away as advertising items (the store name would be printed on the yardstick.) They were definitely flimsy. but were fine for measuring cloth and children.

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  5. Oh my1 The yard stick brings back so many memories . t was a very necessary item in the home. I still have an old one that is made of a very strong foam board, or something like that. It is not wood, although I remember having a wooden one at home. Thanks for the memories .

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  6. I hope you can get one again when things open back up.

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  7. I so enjoy reading these stories from your childhood!
    I have never used...or even seen a yardstick, but it sure sounds useful!
    Hope you can get one again!
    Blessings,
    ~ Kelly-Anne

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.