Dreams deferred…and achieved
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Talking with my mother over dinner tonight made me realize how deeply our family has been affected by her father’s theatrical bent. Here’s a set of photographs with more drama than you can shake a stick at… MIndigo
(reposted from Mica Style Blog)
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beautiful mirror frames (& the dragonfly is definitely to mom’s taste…) MIndigo
yes, life can be demanding for little girls…MIndigo
Anyone else ever have a spectacularly busy day?
It’s been one of those. ^_^ My day started at 6:00 a.m., got to work by 7:00 a.m. And won’t be over until after my hair appointment, followed by music rehearsal (dinner has to be in there somewhere) and finally home at probably around 9:30 p.m.
But the rest of the week should be under control.
I hope.
Now, off I go!
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Folks: love conquers all (reblogged from Quadri Della Vita)…
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Victory Gardens played a big role in both world wars–far bigger than many people realize–and in Mom’s memory of those years.
The basic problem in both wars was the departure of agricultural workers for the fronts (a problem exacerbated by the internment of Japanese-American farm workers during WWII).
Victory gardens gave families at home something to do. Gas was rationed, dating (except by mail) severely curtailed, and the stress of worrying about family members at the front pervasive. Gardening offered an answer to all these problems. VGs played a big part in maintaining family and neighborhood morale; it was no small honor to have the best garden on the block.
A VG could be planted almost anywhere there was soil–front or back yard, in a curbside border, on an apartment building roof.
Mom’s VG (in southern California) included lettuce, cucumbers, chives, tomatoes, and carrots. Her mother also grew an assortment of herbs in pots. It was located in her house’s courtyard, so there wasn’t much space to play with. Artichokes were popular in roomier VGs. So were berries of every description.
Rationing was no joke: MFK Fischer’s How to Cook a Wolf was quite popular during these years.
In fact, VGs were the beginning of a culinary revolution on the West Coast. The renewed interest in culinary arts continued after the war, when soldiers brought home recipes from across Europe. The interest in quality, home-grown foods has only gotten stronger over the years. MIndigo
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Poster: USDA War Food Administration; WikiCmns; Public Domain.
And here, on a totally gratuitous note, is a beautiful image (reblogged from Sevgi Mac Photography), shot in black-and-white, as it might have been in the 1930s. It certainly reflects one of that decade’s themes–formal structure. MIndigo
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via Old man palm.
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Folks: Here, in the spirit of a previous posting about buttons & the smart fashions of an earlier era, is a photo (from Monya Neba’s blog) of silver & polymer brooches…enjoy! MIndigo
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via Under The Sea.
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We recently ran across this photo of Lower Manhattan, taken in 1932, and had to share it…the photo was taken at sunset: what a moment! MIndigo
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Photo: Lower Manhattan at Sunset, 1932; U.S. Coast Guard and Geodetic Survey; WikiCmns; Public Domain.
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Buttons have a more distinguished background than one might imagine these days. Before the arrival of the automobile, they were considered to be a form of jewelry, something that completed the look of a dress or a suit. In my father’s day, everyone was more invested in how they appeared; they walked around the downtown (or lived there), ran into each other at theatrical performances and parties, or sat out on the porch talking with neighbors. Buttons were a serious (even glamorous) business.
Buttons were made out of everything from bone to precious metal to bakelite to porcelain and sported hand-painted designs, miniature portraits, photographs…. You could get them at Woolworths or from a craftsman or a friend. They said, Wow! Look at me!
(They even have their own measurement system: 40 lignes=1 inch.)
So here is a gift from Christmas that folks in the 20s would have loved:
2&a half inch button
Merry
Xmas!
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photo sources: 1) green vintage buttons, CC 2.0, authr: Rachel C fr Scotland; WikiCmns; 2) 2&a half inch button, heatherknits photostream, Flicr; CC: attrib, no commerc, no derivs.
Mood Indigo 