Frontier House

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I realize I am a bit behind the times.  The PBS series Frontier House was aired a few years ago.  But last night my family and I watched the first DVD of the series for the first time.  I rented it for us to watch.


 


This series takes 3 families and sets them on their homestead land with only the ability to live with what people would have had in the late 1800Â’s.  No modern anything.  They are given a bit of training (which was very interesting to watch!), and some supplies and then must go and live for 5 months in the Montana wilderness.  One family had a cabin already built, another had one half-way built and the last family had to build their own.


 


I have had so many thoughts going through my head on this.  Not just about the show and the interaction between the families (which has been interesting to watch) but on life at that time.  One of the things that interested me was the list of supplies that those in the 1800Â’s would have carried along with them.  It was such a simple basic list! I thought it would be fun to see what my own list would look like.


 


If I only had so much room to pack up my home what would be the basics I would need to function?  I look at this as a simple life exercise!  I live in a 2000 sq. ft. home with a basement, and believe me; we have taken full advantage of this space! ~smile~.   Well my list will take some thought on my part.  Sounds like a good exercise for the whole family actually. 


 


Also we discussed with the kids what if we were to live for a month without electricity? What would have to go and how would our life change?  Could we handle that?  I have always wondered about living life “off the grid”.  I have known of people who do this, but they usually have alternate energy sources.


 


So far the series has given us lots of things to discuss and a little entertainment as we watch these people live this out.  I have concluded that they added the Malibu California family simply for everyoneÂ’s amusement! LOL..  To think someone would actually cry because they had to have their picture taken without their makeup on!


 


My only dislike so far of the series has been the frank talk of a couples intimate side of life and the effects of this experience on it..  not very family appropriate in my mind!  But I have a remote and a FF button that handles that situation well; a nice benefit of seeing this on DVD.   It leaves me shaking my head, once again,  to see where our world is at (that this would be something we all want or need to know!). 


 


Later this evening we will finish up the series and then maybe move onto Colonial House next!


 

Comments

  1. SimplifiedLifeJanuary 7, 2006 at 3:52 AM

    My family and I did the same exercise when we had comtemplated applying to be apart of the cast for "Colonial House." I used it as a school assignment for the dc. We didn't get to apply for the show since we moved to OK and wasn't sure if we would be able to get back. However, we did put the assignment into good use upon moving to OK. It was a blessing to have been prepared ~ God knew!


    Regarding Colonial House, I'm glad I didn't do the show ~ I would have been kicked off. LOL We watched it when it was aired and we have also gone online and taken PBS quizzes to see if we would have been ideal candidates for a colonial life. I believe you can do the same for frontier. Check out the website (pbs.org). There are also links for lessons for each series they did. Just as you noticed how our world has greatly changed when watching "Frontier" you will also experience such heartbreaking revelations watching any of the series. I can't wait for the newest one "Texas Ranch House" ~ we thought about doing this one too, but dh said no.


    Thanks for sharing. Have a great day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. kayinpaJanuary 7, 2006 at 4:40 AM

    I will have to see if my library has the series!

    ReplyDelete
  3. farmgirl929January 7, 2006 at 6:34 AM

    I really enjoyed those series. I especially liked Colonial House more for trying to get a glimpse of what kind of life my ancestors who lived in that area of Maine at that period in time lived.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DonnaJoyJanuary 7, 2006 at 12:59 PM

    I watched bits and pieces of this and really enjoyed it - I will have to check the library - I don't think I could do it - I like to think I could, but reality says differently!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. GeeksWifeJanuary 9, 2006 at 4:37 AM

    I've rented manor house form my library, I'll have to look for these other ones. ^_^

    B&L

    AC

    ReplyDelete

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