The House Behind The House

[asirimarco]

A friend sent me this thought it was cute....and yes I remember those trips.

One of my fondest memories
As I recall the days of yore
Was the little house, behind the house,
With the crescent o'er the door.
'Twas a place to sit and ponder
With your head all bowed down low;
Knowing that you wouldn't be there,
If you didn't have to go.
Ours was a multi-holer, three,
With a size for every one.
You left there feeling better,
After your job was done.
You had to make those frequent trips
In snow, rain, sleet, or fog--
To that little house where you usually
Found the Sears catalog.
Oft times in dead of winter,
The seat was spread with snow.
Twas then with much reluctance,
To that little house you'd go.
With a swish you'd clear that wooden seat,
Bend low, with dreadful fear
You'd shut your eyes and grit your teeth
As you settled on your rear.
I recall the day Ol' Granddad,
Who stayed with us one summer,
Made a trip out to that little house
Which proved to be a bummer.
'Twas the same day that my Dad had
Finished painting the kitchen green.
He'd just cleaned up the mess he'd made
With rags and gasoline.
He tossed the rags down in the hole
Went on his usual way
Not knowing that by doing so
He'd eventually rue the day.
Now Granddad had an urgent call,
I never will forget!
This trip he made to the little house
Stays in my memory yet.
He sat down on the wooden seat,
With both feet on the floor.
He filled his pipe and tapped it down
And struck a match on the outhouse door.
He lit the pipe and sure enough,
It soon began to glow.
He slowly raised his rear a bit
And tossed the flaming match below.
The Blast that followed, I am told
Was heard for miles around;
And there was poor ol' Granddad
Sprawled out there on the ground.
The smoldering pipe still in his mouth,
His eyes were shut real tight;
The celebrated three-holer
Was blown clear out of sight.
We asked him what had happened,
What he said I'll ne'er forget.
He said he thought it must have been
The pinto beans he et!
Next day we had a new one
Dad put it up with ease.
But this one had a door sign
That read: No Smoking, Please.
Now that's the story's end my friend,
Of memories long ago,
When we went to the house behind the house,
Because we had to go.
For those who never had to trot out in the Cold.....
Just Give Thanks - That You Are Not That Old !!!

[snowball]

that made me chuckle
sheila

[avalen]

[Bethers]

When visiting a relative as a child, I remember the house behind the house and being sooooooooooo grateful that we didn't have to do that at home. My uncle was stubborn - they didn't have water even to the kitchen when I first remember going there - he said plumbing didn't belong inside. But my aunt did finally talk him into that.

[MelissaD]

I watch that "Buying Alaska" show sometimes (on Destination America) and often they have outhouses. Not for me. I do enjoy my indoor plumbing

[Colliemom]

That is Cute. Gave me a laugh. Remember having to use the ol' one holer up at my Grandma's cabin up here when I was young. It was painted black and was downhill from the cabin. I was always afraid to go down there after dark as in my young child's mind, might run into a bear or something. Ah, the memories.

[Redetotry]

ACK brings back lots of bad memories of cold mornings when my rear hit the frost on that slab of wood. I think I was seven when we had a bathroom put in the house but we didn't have a hot water heater so water still had to be heated on the coal stove in the kitchen. Before the bathroom, we took baths in a galvanized washing tub that was brought in from the back porch and placed beside the stove. That thing never did warm up though I swear. And no, they didn't change the water between kids, just added a little bit more to try and warm the water up a bit, maybe that is why I always shower now!!
A friend used to sing a song that described the experience well. I can't remember it all but it went something like this.

"Shivering and shaking and burning and a baking it's the price I had to pay,
taking a bath on Saturday night in a galvanized washing tub.

Now I'm a girl of clean habits and I believe in a bath a week,
but if I had my druthers, I'd druther eat a bug than to take a bath on
Saturday night in a Galvanized washing tub."

Another verse refers to the use of the same "dad-blamed old water" but I can't remember all of it.
The shivering and shaking etc refers to which side of your body was nearest the stove!

Wonder why they called those the 'good ole days'!?

[snowball]

BJ's story on baths reminded me of something I read on old saying's this one was something to effect don't throw the baby out
the reason behind it was bath time dad first then probably sons then women then the baby by that time it was so dirty
easy to loose the baby in the water and be tossed out
glad we don't use a common bath tub any more
sheila

[Phoenix]

Very cute, LOL I remember when they put a bathroom in my grandparents cabin. After all the plumbing was in & the door hung, we had a square dance I was probably about 5 at the time.

[dpf]

I was raised on a farm in the 50’s and never realized how fortunate I was that our house had indoor plumbing until some of the kids on the school bus referred to my sister and I as rich kids because we had two bathrooms! We did have an outhouse down by the barns and machine sheds….it was a three seater! Dad and the hired men were not impressed when my sister and I painted the inside with flowers. Never did enjoy clean the outhouse duty!

[FancyFree]

Found the words to Ma's Oldtime Washtub. Also the book 40 Yards to the Outhouse by Willie Makit, illustrated by Betty Wont. All I can add is thank the good Lord for indoor plumbing!!!!!
Fancy

[Acadianmom]

My grandmother's outhouse wasn't one of my fondest memories. I was so afraid of snakes that I would rather use it when it was cold and the snakes weren't out. We had to take a bath in the wash tub in the kitchen. My dad finally put a water heater, bath tub and commode in for them when I was in high school. They just put it all in one end of a bedroom and put up a curtain. I'm so glad we had a bathroom.

Martha