Books, Bedlam, and A Lively Hope

Encouragement for Homemakers: A Look Back at the Way We Aren't

11:37, Saturday, April 5, 2008 .. Posted in Small Homemaking .. 3 comments .. Link

As I mentioned in a very early post on this blog, I actually have a small collection of antique homemaking books. My favorites are the educational instruction-type books used in public schools from the 1950's and 60's. The first time I came across one, it really had an impression on my young mind. All those young women in a-lined shaped skirts over fluffy crinoline slips that flared out from impossibly small waists! (And I do mean impossibly small waists- according to the pattern size charts in these books, a Misses' size ten measurements are 31-24-33.) They looked so polished and happy, their shiny bobbed hair flipped up at the very ends as they measured flour in their home economics classroom, readying themselves for their world. They looked so glamorous to me, and it saddened me to know I would never be one of them.

Now, a little older and critical, these books fill me with gratitude. And many, many laughs.

Although my husband is a great sport who will eat almost anything, it is with a degree of certainty that he would much prefer the meals I cook today instead of some of the meal plans in these old texts. No, we don't want to eat broiled grapefruit, meat and gelatin salad, or the ambiguously titled "dinner loaf" which is an entire dinner shaped into a loaf and baked. We don't want "frosted sandwich loaf" either. And what exactly would "stuffed hamburgers" be stuffed with? We have such a higher quality of food and so much more variety today.

I definitely do not want to sweep my floors with a canister vacuum carried by a shoulder strap (which someone no doubt thought would make it easy and portable) while wearing high-heeled dress shoes. In fact, when people talk about longing for a simpler time, that time surely was not fifty years ago. Judging from the extreme beauty-pageant appearance of all of the women in the pictures, simplicity never existed for them. As for home life, an overall feeling of caring what the neighbors think and having the right shade of orange-colored furniture were also prominent themes.

Sometimes it seems as if our lives today are so complicated, but in comparison, homemaking today has never been easier or simpler. Perhaps we just look for ways to complicate things.
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12:00, Saturday, April 5, 2008 .. Posted by rildapeel1
How true! It tis bitter sweet. I found your post very interesting. Thanks for sharing! It is the fast pace for sure in this day. I am home more than ever although my son is gone and hubby at work I do have the time needed to do the things things needed and then the things I want. 8 hrs for work, 8 for play then 8 for sleep. Making it simple. Have a blessed weekend! Blessings, rilda

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03:13, Saturday, April 5, 2008 .. Posted by haflinger
Those were days.. When I see that laundry room I think of my Amish friends that have a set up something like that..
As being small I never will be but the women in those days they did work hard..
I could live those days with no problems..
Blessings Sister Brenda

***Oh Brenda, when I lived with my old order aunt/uncle, I never could get the motor started on that complicated laundry set-up. And then having to haul fifty pounds of wet laundry into the spinner- you can keep it! ****

Edited by Mennobrarian on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 02:51

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04:46, Saturday, April 5, 2008 .. Posted by gabbie427
How true is this. I used to read my Grandmother's old Kitchen Klatter magazines and they had wonderful pictures of the homemakers and the sponge cakes and other things, including recipes. I longed to be June Cleaver vacumming the house with high heels a tiny waist and pearls. LOL What was I thinking?? LOL

Cute post.

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo