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Living in Europe, I’m one of the rare millionaires so I have a house, 150m2 (on the Côte d’Azur, I admit it’s expensive), but even for me, thinking of “a bell f

Living in Europe, I’m one of the rare millionaires so I have a house, 150m2 (on the Côte d’Azur, I admit it’s expensive), but even for me, thinking of “a bell for mother to signal us to come to dinner” is the thing that belong to the times when energy was unlimited, and therefore house sizes and taxes on inhabitable square meters. It’s not that we do have bells here, but we don’t have the square meters anymore.

hilbert42 4y ago
"...but we don’t have the square meters anymore." I well understand what you say having lived in a crowded part of Europe for a time. It made me all the more appreciative of the fact that I grew up in a big home with a large front and back yard and that our house was only a few hundred metres from bushland. Nevertheless, in some ways I envy you living in the Côte d’Azur. That is one of my most favorite parts of Europe.
eru 4y ago
If you have more than one story, a bell can still make some sense. And of course, the bell doesn't have to make much sense. It doesn't have to work better than yelling, if the kids just like having it around.
tremon 4y ago
"a bell for mother to signal us to come to dinner” is the thing that belong to the times when energy was unlimited Well, practically so. My mother had a massive copper (I think) cowbell at the bottom of the stairs to signal us. All it required was the muscle energy to give the 2-kilogram monstrosity a little shake.
- hilbert42 4y ago
  Yeah, my mother also had a hand bell as a backup to the pushbutton system. It was of some 3-4 inches in diameter with a black handle that had been turned to give it an ornate pattern. The bell was attached by string to a hook on a shelf in the kitchen so it wouldn't go walkabout. It worked marvelously and almost always the dog would arrive there first (it was usually my job to feed the dog before our food was served).

hilbert42 4y ago

"...but we don’t have the square meters anymore." I well understand what you say having lived in a crowded part of Europe for a time. It made me all the more appreciative of the fact that I grew up in a big home with a large front and back yard and that our house was only a few hundred metres from bushland. Nevertheless, in some ways I envy you living in the Côte d’Azur. That is one of my most favorite parts of Europe.

eru 4y ago

If you have more than one story, a bell can still make some sense. And of course, the bell doesn't have to make much sense. It doesn't have to work better than yelling, if the kids just like having it around.

tremon 4y ago

"a bell for mother to signal us to come to dinner” is the thing that belong to the times when energy was unlimited Well, practically so. My mother had a massive copper (I think) cowbell at the bottom of the stairs to signal us. All it required was the muscle energy to give the 2-kilogram monstrosity a little shake.

hilbert42 4y ago
Yeah, my mother also had a hand bell as a backup to the pushbutton system. It was of some 3-4 inches in diameter with a black handle that had been turned to give it an ornate pattern. The bell was attached by string to a hook on a shelf in the kitchen so it wouldn't go walkabout. It worked marvelously and almost always the dog would arrive there first (it was usually my job to feed the dog before our food was served).