When I complimented Kathey on her tidy house and she confessed she never made a bed until she was on her own at age 20, I had to know more! I grew up in the 40’s and 50’s, she explained. My mother was a housewife and mother, par excellence! She wore a dress and apron every day. She sewed almost all my clothes. The cookie jar was always filled with home-baked cookies. Mom ironed everything and attended a quilting bee each week. Did she seem happy as a housewife? Mom was usually smiling, but who knows? She might have had her secrets. Did you always want to be a housewife, like your mom? Oh, no! I admired my aunt who was a secretary and wore high heels. I thought she was so glamourous! Knowing what we know now, Kathey and I agree—being a “housewife and mother, par excellence” back then was not easy. In fact, if we could go back we would say, Thank you, Mom! much more often.
June Cleever indeed! Kathey certainly inherited mom’s sense of order, but has her own knack for style and individuality. Thank goodness we have the freedom to develop our talents and interests as our moms didn’t.
By the way, Kathey is a good cook too!
I recall business classes during high school as an option. Not to have a business, but to be a secretary. I had a schedule that made it possible to take typing. So I did for one semester. I knew it would do me well for college. My mother had typed my brothers’ papers for college (with carbon paper) and I wanted to type my own. I was given a small portable typewriter for college
Sounds like your Mom was June Cleaver from “Leave it to Beaver”
I often wonder how many housewives did their jobs as housewives well, but dreamed of being able to do something else. I am glad we have the choice today.
P
Reading this brought my grandmother to mind. Grandma loved , “keeping up” the house, tending the gardens, “putting up jams, jellies, canning fruit, pressure cooking meats. On Mondays she washed, and Tuesdays she ironed. The smell of line-dried wash, being steamed/pressed is one of the most heavenly smells. I love scratchy, line dried towels to this day. All this and so much more in a dress with an apron. Thank you for igniting this memory. It was delicious and so was her home baked bread. That must have happened on Wednesday. Lol
My mother did go to college after high school but marrying a serviceman, raising 4 children in 6 states and 2 foreign countries was her main focus as I grew up. Not a fastidious housekeeper and a mediocre cook she was super organized with all our schedules and made sure our lives were enriched with hobbies, community activities, church, music and extended family gatherings when possible all on a meager budget. She did return to teaching when she divorced my dad.