sugar, etc were sold over the counter. Of course, there were no plastic containers, as you collected your gallon of milk from the creamery.

I can remember my mother quoting some sage from long ago, who said that "In the end, Man will destroy himself". That doesn't seem so outrageous now as it did then. Let's hope it doesn't come to pass! Speaking of my mother, she and her friends picked "cipins" in the woods by the river, and they would use them to start the fire at home later.

How would I imagine a better world? I would like to combine the best of today with the best of yesterday. I'd love to see more feathered cranes than mechanical ones, quieter and safer roads, more conversation with real people, more open spaces and good quality affordable housing. Is it too much to hope that quality of life will become more important than balance of payments? Time was when we didn't even know what balance of payments meant. Our parents just managed to keep the wolf from the door to feed us with the weekly wages. Maybe I'm looking back with rose-tinted glasses, but...