This Sunday (26 Feb 2017) marks the 89th Annual Academy Awards. Shhhh, don’t tell anybody, but I never watch them. Too many long drawn out speeches. That said, I do have my favorites for Best Picture: Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Hidden Figures.
Rose didn’t watch the Academy Awards either. (Of course, she didn’t! There wasn’t TV, dodo!)
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Forgive me for the Skynyrd earworm.
I have this wonderful reference book, Never Done: A History of American Housework, that I’ve been reading. In the chapter “Fetch a Pail of Water,” the author talks about all the things for which our ancestors had to haul water to accomplish. When I came to the part about baths, I stopped. It seemed like way too much work! Continue reading
Feb 15, 1930
Nice day. Got colder in PM and eve and snowed some. Twenty below about 8AM but warmed up a lot during the day. Rex Ward’s house burned about 10AM and Mon and the boys went up there. They saved the things that were downstairs but lost what was upstairs and down cellar. The folks got back here about 11 and then we went up home for dinner and spent the PM. Snowed quite a little in the night.
from The Diaries of Lottie Price, 1914-1986
Until today, I had never considered that Rose might worry about fire. So I started looking for information on fire trucks and firefighting in the 1920s.
Let’s just say that Rose’s best hope is to not have a fire. (Well, that would be true of all of us, wouldn’t it? 🙂 )
Valentine’s Day. The day of romance… Great if you’re in a relationship. Often just a painful or awkward reminder for those who aren’t. Charlie¹ sort of feels that pain himself, as you will see… Continue reading
Lido Hat
Price: $1.95
Description Charming face looks its best under the chic silhouetted lines of this model. Suave lines copied from a high-priced import, in a pleasingly soft, good quality wool felt. Shaped in low helmet fashion at sides; close-cropped at back for utmost coat-collar ease. The soft-rolling, graduated brim is clipped in two-tab effect at side and edged with finely plaited grosgrain ribbon matching the band with cut loop ends. Double-ended rhinestone pins flash from tabs.
This lovely Lido¹ hat was Continue reading
I had the chance to pitch my story to some friends the other day. But as soon as bootlegging was mentioned, a listener said, “Oh! So NASCAR fans will love it.”
It was a depressing moment, Continue reading
I’ve started perusing the 1929/1930 newspaper of the day each morning and just had to share this rather facetious take on Groundhog’s Day.
In case you’re interested in learning more about the day, here’s the Wikipedia article detailing just how this little rodent came to dictate our seasons.
Of course, Mr. Groundhog is about as accurate as our Weather Guessers are today, so there is that.
I ran across this article in a rural newspaper published on this day in 1930: Harry Hansen … had the misfortune to lose the thumb of his right hand Wednesday afternoon when his hand was caught in a corn sheller. Mr. Hansen was helping with corn shelling … when the accident occurred.
The article really disturbed me because Harold is doing this exact same thing—shelling corn—over the winter months. I had no idea Continue reading
Not too long ago, I joked about putting a little whiskey in my tea to help fight a cold I was battling. Truth is, people have been using alcohol as medicine since the Middle Ages (a drop of gin was believed to ward off the plague, a glug of wine could defend the body from corruption, and a sip of absinthe would rid the body of roundworms), even though there is scientific evidence that not only does it not help, it is often detrimental. What you may not realize, however, is what this interesting bit of trivia has to do with Prohibition… or Rose. Continue reading
Rose has a little story to tell us. About Gorgeous George. Get a cup of coffee (or whatever your favorite beverage might be) then sit down and enjoy!
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Taylor MacDowell 