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The Joneses
October 10, 2009
In 1949, Wilson and Helen Jones moved their young family to a small town in Southern California in order to have the space for a small-scale family orchard, garden and goat dairy, and also to get away from the smog developing in the Los Angeles basin. Their approach to diet was so unusual for the 1950s that they rarely ate food prepared by others. Their children brought home-made lunches to school. Later on when the soda craze was in full swing, sodas were off limits to their teens. Christmas, Easter and birthdays were celebrated with Helen's home-made treats made with fresh-ground whole wheat flour, honey, and olive oil.
Wilson worked as a civil engineer for the Civil Service at a nearby Marine Base. Helen was a stay-at-home mom who made whole grain rolls almost daily, milked goats, gardened and made many of her children's clothes. Helen kneaded bread almost daily. She had a rhythm of adding yeast to water and honey and waiting, then stirring in whole grain flour which she ground fresh in an electric mill, then waiting, then adding more flour and kneading a portion at a time, then waiting, then shaping the rolls and then waiting, then putting them in the oven for a precise amount of time. Of course, all the waiting periods were filled with other activities. Nowadays, a bread machine can be purchased for a small amount of money that will automate the whole process. You can set it up in the morning and come home to a loaf of fresh bread in the evening.
Although the son of a carpenter, Wilson learned to butcher meat for the family. Even with animals weighing more than he did, he did the job himself. Goats, lambs, pigs, chickens, ducks and geese were some of the animals he raised and butchered for the family table. He believed that home raised meat was superior to commercial. About 4 acres was devoted to pasture for the meat and dairy animals. Wilson's goal was self-sufficiency and he was always working toward it. He built the house by hand, a concrete block house with large windows facing south, always full of light and warmth when the sun is shining, and holds its heat well after dark. He built the barn and other out-buildings of concrete: floor, walls and roof, providing the thermal properties of caves opening into the sun. A stream runs through the center of the property and there was always drainage issues, retaining walls, pasture fence and project after project. He created a marvelous space with ponds and fruit trees that his descendents enjoy very much.
When 3 of their 4 children were grown, Helen and Wilson joined a square dancing group, and soon moved on to round dancing, becoming teachers and organizing dances in their home town for over 30 years. The Jonses hosted dances at various dance halls in the area, such as the Grange Hall, the Masonic Hall, and the Senior Center. They picked the music, brought a phonograph, cases of 45 RPM records, microphone, cue sheets, and refreshments for people who did not share their avoid list. They brought coffee, tea, sugar, creamer and white flour cookies, none of which they ingested themselves. Sadly, they saw many of their friends pass on or become incapacitated long before they themselves had to reign in their enjoyably active lives.
Both Helen and Wilson received a moderate amount of refined sugars and breads during their youth. Together they committed to a life devoid of refined sweeteners, refined grains, canned and processed foods soon after they met. The Joneses were trail-blazers to be sure. But it is much easier now to eat a healthful diet than it was in the late 1940s when they started. Armed with a magnifying glass, if necessary, one can select foods that do not contain added sugar, trans fat, or overly processed grains at any grocery store.