Mammamel
11-19-2007, 09:07 AM
This weekend at a yard sale I was blessed to find a box of memories. While they may not be my memories, they brought back some things I have nearly forgotten. You see I found a box full of ladies hankies, gloves, and fur collars.
My mom had fake fox collars when I was a kid. They looked like little foxes, and I LOVED them. I was not allowed to touch her costume jewelry, but the foxes I could play with. I was a grand lady with those foxes around my scrawny neck. I wonder what ever happened to those and her jewelry. I remember she had many little turtle pins.
I remember gloves when I was little, very vaguely, young ladies used to wear them when they went out. There are a pair of calf skin gloves in here I think. There is also a long, past the elbows pair, that went with a spring or summer evening gown (they are white, no real lady wore white until spring!) Most of the gloves go to my mid fore arm. They all fit. What a stir I could cause wearing them now! I love the hankies too. I have wanted hankies for a long time, and keep thinking of making some, but never find time. Think this is a hint? There is a very pretty sheer pink one, most have flowers of some kind on them, and a couple are (FYI, word says I should say, “a couple is … “) just white. There is a black one too. I wonder if it was reserved, as black dresses often were for mourning. I have no idea what I plan to do with these, they are so pretty, and they are vintage so I hesitate to use them. Yes, I the utilitarian gal hesitates to use something I bought! I think once I get the kitchen finished, I will use them for now it would just mean a small extra load at the laundry, and I have enough to drag there weekly!
More than this all though, there are 3 scarves in there, a black sparkly one, a cream knitted one, very warm feeling, and a cream silk one. The silk is marked, 100% silk, hand rolled Japan, and lists the company it was made for. The tag for the antique store it was last bought from is still attached reading $35.00. The scarf is gorgeous, and again I have no clue what to do with it just now. So it is hidden way from the cat that owns me, so he can not claim it as he has many beanies (fortunately, while I like mine with tags, he likes his with out!)
Something I have noticed, that puzzles me, is this box has evoked feelings of longing for a time when ladies wore these gadgets. I see women now days, and I remember the lessons I was taught to keep me a lady. Woman back then was a term reserved for factory workers who liked to drink and smoke. My mother was one of these, but she wanted more for me. Mom had a 3rd grade education, so she worked with me to make sure I could read, well, and do sums and encouraged my writing.
I myself wish there were more ladies today. Ladies are not brass, rude and pushy. When pushed they are strong, but never hurtful. They can answer a situation with grace and class. I try to remember the lessons I was taught, and sometimes I do, but more often I fail.
I have discovered that to be a lady is to be a Daughter of Sarah, as Peter tells us to be, if we are to please God. A lady handles pressure with ease, never being outwardly afraid. She handles bigotry and other distasteful things the same way. A lady, to use a popular phrase from years ago, never lets them see her sweat. Even if she is inwardly disturbed, she doesn’t let it show. She never raises her voice; she remains in control of herself. Self control is a big theme in the Bible. Yes I strive to be that kind of a lady.
I wear my dresses to keep me in mind of my goal. In a dress I am for one more comfortable, but also less prone to let my temper take over. I am more mindful of position too, and don’t tend to sprawl around as I used to do in pants. I notice guys are more respectful of women in dresses too; they treat us as men should. With kindness and care, as if we are precious and worthy of such things.
Yep, I wish for things to be simpler. I long for the times when women were ladies and men were gentlemen. I raised my sons to be gentlemen. One got it, the other, not so much, but I did try!
I myself am not as genteel and prim as my mom probably hoped. I am prone to pick up a hammer or drill and get things done, in my dress even! Yes I do think it is possible to be a lady and still work hard, even with power tools. Farm wives used to help and do all manner of things. When they “went to town” they wore the gloves and town dresses and such.
Being a lady is more from your inner self than outer. I mean, you can wear a dress and still be brassy and crass. You can wear jeans and be every inch a lady. I guess I want ladies to be more in evidence. In some ways I see them and either they are becoming more open about it, or I am just finally getting my eyes opened.
Maybe its in part the season, I love the old movies, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th , the Bishops Wife, all those. Of course I only like the originals, not the remakes. I like the Peanuts ones, and the old cartoon ones, the Grinch, NOT that Jim Carey mess, the original animated one. OK off now to get ready for work and decide what Dress suits me this glorious Monday!
Hugs y’all
My mom had fake fox collars when I was a kid. They looked like little foxes, and I LOVED them. I was not allowed to touch her costume jewelry, but the foxes I could play with. I was a grand lady with those foxes around my scrawny neck. I wonder what ever happened to those and her jewelry. I remember she had many little turtle pins.
I remember gloves when I was little, very vaguely, young ladies used to wear them when they went out. There are a pair of calf skin gloves in here I think. There is also a long, past the elbows pair, that went with a spring or summer evening gown (they are white, no real lady wore white until spring!) Most of the gloves go to my mid fore arm. They all fit. What a stir I could cause wearing them now! I love the hankies too. I have wanted hankies for a long time, and keep thinking of making some, but never find time. Think this is a hint? There is a very pretty sheer pink one, most have flowers of some kind on them, and a couple are (FYI, word says I should say, “a couple is … “) just white. There is a black one too. I wonder if it was reserved, as black dresses often were for mourning. I have no idea what I plan to do with these, they are so pretty, and they are vintage so I hesitate to use them. Yes, I the utilitarian gal hesitates to use something I bought! I think once I get the kitchen finished, I will use them for now it would just mean a small extra load at the laundry, and I have enough to drag there weekly!
More than this all though, there are 3 scarves in there, a black sparkly one, a cream knitted one, very warm feeling, and a cream silk one. The silk is marked, 100% silk, hand rolled Japan, and lists the company it was made for. The tag for the antique store it was last bought from is still attached reading $35.00. The scarf is gorgeous, and again I have no clue what to do with it just now. So it is hidden way from the cat that owns me, so he can not claim it as he has many beanies (fortunately, while I like mine with tags, he likes his with out!)
Something I have noticed, that puzzles me, is this box has evoked feelings of longing for a time when ladies wore these gadgets. I see women now days, and I remember the lessons I was taught to keep me a lady. Woman back then was a term reserved for factory workers who liked to drink and smoke. My mother was one of these, but she wanted more for me. Mom had a 3rd grade education, so she worked with me to make sure I could read, well, and do sums and encouraged my writing.
I myself wish there were more ladies today. Ladies are not brass, rude and pushy. When pushed they are strong, but never hurtful. They can answer a situation with grace and class. I try to remember the lessons I was taught, and sometimes I do, but more often I fail.
I have discovered that to be a lady is to be a Daughter of Sarah, as Peter tells us to be, if we are to please God. A lady handles pressure with ease, never being outwardly afraid. She handles bigotry and other distasteful things the same way. A lady, to use a popular phrase from years ago, never lets them see her sweat. Even if she is inwardly disturbed, she doesn’t let it show. She never raises her voice; she remains in control of herself. Self control is a big theme in the Bible. Yes I strive to be that kind of a lady.
I wear my dresses to keep me in mind of my goal. In a dress I am for one more comfortable, but also less prone to let my temper take over. I am more mindful of position too, and don’t tend to sprawl around as I used to do in pants. I notice guys are more respectful of women in dresses too; they treat us as men should. With kindness and care, as if we are precious and worthy of such things.
Yep, I wish for things to be simpler. I long for the times when women were ladies and men were gentlemen. I raised my sons to be gentlemen. One got it, the other, not so much, but I did try!
I myself am not as genteel and prim as my mom probably hoped. I am prone to pick up a hammer or drill and get things done, in my dress even! Yes I do think it is possible to be a lady and still work hard, even with power tools. Farm wives used to help and do all manner of things. When they “went to town” they wore the gloves and town dresses and such.
Being a lady is more from your inner self than outer. I mean, you can wear a dress and still be brassy and crass. You can wear jeans and be every inch a lady. I guess I want ladies to be more in evidence. In some ways I see them and either they are becoming more open about it, or I am just finally getting my eyes opened.
Maybe its in part the season, I love the old movies, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th , the Bishops Wife, all those. Of course I only like the originals, not the remakes. I like the Peanuts ones, and the old cartoon ones, the Grinch, NOT that Jim Carey mess, the original animated one. OK off now to get ready for work and decide what Dress suits me this glorious Monday!
Hugs y’all