Tuesday, September 22, 1925
Cold
Finished up lots of odds and ends I wanted to do. New pillow covers, pants for Ned, etc. Then it got so cold had to put on my sweater and the boys looked so cold with their knees bare that I decided to darn up their long stockings which was a big undertaking. The boys took a big skate this evening, the first of the season.
(The boys primarily wore short pants or knickers with socks. That’s apparently what all boys wore in the 1920’s.
It sounds like “took a big skate” means they went to a roller skating party; it wouldn’t be cold enough for ice skating.
And, no baby yet. Grandma was still catching up on sewing, waiting for the big event. I am intentionally not revealing the actual day she gives birth, to keep everyone coming back. And obviously you can't read ahead, like you can with a book. I publish one day at a time, so you have to check back. I know that earlier in the spring some readers were concerned that Albert was going to take a turn for the worse when he was sick, and I did reveal that he recovered and provided information on what he did as an adult. But, for the birth, I'm just going to let it be announced when it occurs, just like in real life.)
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I'm not sure what she means by "a big skate".In that day and age all skating was done on the sidewalks. I remember those long socks - ugly. I had to wear long stockings too, & I remember that I was afraid people would think I was a boy (never mind I had long curls} I wonder if the younger generation knows what a darning egg is?
ReplyDeleteCome on baby, come on...I am heading out of town!!! :0
ReplyDeleteI love that you aren't telling us when the baby is born. Every day I keep wondering if today is the day!
ReplyDeleteEleanor, maybe I'll take a poll on knowing about darning eggs. [At least among those of my young relatives who answer my emails.]
ReplyDeleteNot only did Ruth not know when that child was coming, she had no idea of the gender, or even whether it was only one baby, and it was that way when my older kids were born, too. Do you think that the element of surprise enters into any 2006 pregnancies?
Annie
I just talked to my older sibling (who hasn't been born yet) and that person said the "big skate" was when they all put on their roller skates & packed a lunch & skated to the park, or even farther east past the RR tracks. It seems they were allowed to go almost wherever they want,
ReplyDeleteAnnie in Austin,
ReplyDeleteYes, some mothers in 2006 still have babies without knowing when exactly they're due or what gender. I think the main difference now is that even women who go the low-tech route still use the services of a midwife and have regular prenatal care etc. They would probably know if twins were on the way!
I live in a neighborhood of 1870s - 1930s houses and had two of my babies at home in the past 5 years. My experience probably wasn't too different from Ruth's. It's really fun for me to wonder if other babies were born in past decades in this very house. I definitely feel a kinship with Ruth and women of her era.
Oh!! AND I know what a darning egg is! :-)
OK. So is anyone going to tell the rest of us what a darning egg is?
ReplyDelete