Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Awful Library Books
One of the blogs I try to read occasionally is from two librarians in Michigan. The librarians feature books that are still on library shelves that should have been weeded years ago. HERE is the link.
So this book explains why my teenage years were so terrible, I never had access to Betty Betz Party Book, copyright 1947. But there is still time to save Rachel. Look at the advice Betty hands out: ( my favorite is the dead butterfly party)
- What to wear. “Always be sure that your dresses are at least an inch or so below the knee, because it’s always embarrassing to have a few cards wisecracking about your peekaboo knees.” In the late '60's and early '70's dresses were so short we hard to worry about other parts of our anatomy being peekaboo.
- Who to invite. “If you have singles, be sure that they can be paired off suitably. And don’t forget to consider such things as height, looks and IQ.” IQ? It has been a long time, but I don't recall that being a criteria for "pairing off".
- What food to serve. “Exotic foods are fine if your friends are making a point of going to an East Indian tea room or a Pizzeria, but if you’re dishing it up, it’s best to be strictly homespun.” Pizza? Exotic? Yes, Rachel, lets have a party and serve meatloaf!
- What songs to sing. “Nothing lets the hair down faster in a mixed group than a few peppy songs.” Such as “Shoo Fly,” “Buffalo Gals,” “Johnny Get Your Hoe-Cake Done,” and “Good-Night Ladies.” No song gets me up on the dance floor faster than "Good-Night Ladies".
- What games to play. “Each girl…takes off her right shoe, and puts it in a bag. All the bags are collected and put in a laundry basket. Each boy selects one of the packages. The girls are all seated in a line against the wall, and it’s up to the men to find the owners of the shoes. When this is done, they are all off in a swirl of swoony music, and woe unto the ‘dolly with the hole in her stockin’!'”
Miss Betz also has some suggestions for theme parties, such as a butterfly chase party. Each couple gets a butterfly net and small bottle of gasoline to “to chloroform the insects” and then sets off into the woods to “bag booty.” When it’s over, you have plenty of beautiful dead butterflies to mount for your rumpus room! What parents would think it a good idea to send their teens off into the woods, coupled by height, looks and IQ with a bottle of gasoline?
So this book explains why my teenage years were so terrible, I never had access to Betty Betz Party Book, copyright 1947. But there is still time to save Rachel. Look at the advice Betty hands out: ( my favorite is the dead butterfly party)
- What to wear. “Always be sure that your dresses are at least an inch or so below the knee, because it’s always embarrassing to have a few cards wisecracking about your peekaboo knees.” In the late '60's and early '70's dresses were so short we hard to worry about other parts of our anatomy being peekaboo. - Who to invite. “If you have singles, be sure that they can be paired off suitably. And don’t forget to consider such things as height, looks and IQ.” IQ? It has been a long time, but I don't recall that being a criteria for "pairing off".
- What food to serve. “Exotic foods are fine if your friends are making a point of going to an East Indian tea room or a Pizzeria, but if you’re dishing it up, it’s best to be strictly homespun.” Pizza? Exotic? Yes, Rachel, lets have a party and serve meatloaf!
- What songs to sing. “Nothing lets the hair down faster in a mixed group than a few peppy songs.” Such as “Shoo Fly,” “Buffalo Gals,” “Johnny Get Your Hoe-Cake Done,” and “Good-Night Ladies.” No song gets me up on the dance floor faster than "Good-Night Ladies".
- What games to play. “Each girl…takes off her right shoe, and puts it in a bag. All the bags are collected and put in a laundry basket. Each boy selects one of the packages. The girls are all seated in a line against the wall, and it’s up to the men to find the owners of the shoes. When this is done, they are all off in a swirl of swoony music, and woe unto the ‘dolly with the hole in her stockin’!'”
Miss Betz also has some suggestions for theme parties, such as a butterfly chase party. Each couple gets a butterfly net and small bottle of gasoline to “to chloroform the insects” and then sets off into the woods to “bag booty.” When it’s over, you have plenty of beautiful dead butterflies to mount for your rumpus room! What parents would think it a good idea to send their teens off into the woods, coupled by height, looks and IQ with a bottle of gasoline?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Genetics
Just a note to let you all know we're still here! We've been busy.
On Saturday, we went to Wellesley, in torrential rain, for a hand-papermaking workshop. It was fun, we made a ton of paper. (Darleen, Faith Marilynn Madzar was there and asked me to say hello to you.)
We've also been gradually cleaning the house, getting ready for Bruce and Judy Fink to come for Thanksgiving. (They arrive on Saturday.) This always takes longer than I expect it will. I am blaming my genes for expecting my house to be as clean as my mother's, even though it has non-square corners, strange nooks and crannies, old windows, and layers of dust going back more than 200 years. But still, I strive for the sparkly, clean, and tidy. The battle continues.
I am also blaming genetics for the fact that I've volunteered to serve a continental breakfast and a soup and sandwich lunch to twenty people tomorrow. I made the mistake of reading ingredient labels on items at BJ's (the wholesale club that camp belongs to). I know it will all taste fine, but I think that the ingredients in sliced turkey should be "turkey, water, salt" with maybe a few spices. I was, sadly, mistaken. To make myself feel better, I splurged on good coffee.
And, it is also your fault that I'm packing a basket full of tablecloths, napkins, pretty plates and bowls, etc., and will be decanting everything from its convenient plastic packaging. Really, would we want it any other way?
Okay, off to wash and cut grapes into serving-sized bunches.
Love you!
Amanda
On Saturday, we went to Wellesley, in torrential rain, for a hand-papermaking workshop. It was fun, we made a ton of paper. (Darleen, Faith Marilynn Madzar was there and asked me to say hello to you.)
We've also been gradually cleaning the house, getting ready for Bruce and Judy Fink to come for Thanksgiving. (They arrive on Saturday.) This always takes longer than I expect it will. I am blaming my genes for expecting my house to be as clean as my mother's, even though it has non-square corners, strange nooks and crannies, old windows, and layers of dust going back more than 200 years. But still, I strive for the sparkly, clean, and tidy. The battle continues.
I am also blaming genetics for the fact that I've volunteered to serve a continental breakfast and a soup and sandwich lunch to twenty people tomorrow. I made the mistake of reading ingredient labels on items at BJ's (the wholesale club that camp belongs to). I know it will all taste fine, but I think that the ingredients in sliced turkey should be "turkey, water, salt" with maybe a few spices. I was, sadly, mistaken. To make myself feel better, I splurged on good coffee.
And, it is also your fault that I'm packing a basket full of tablecloths, napkins, pretty plates and bowls, etc., and will be decanting everything from its convenient plastic packaging. Really, would we want it any other way?
Okay, off to wash and cut grapes into serving-sized bunches.
Love you!
Amanda
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Two Tiny Baskets
I just finished two little baskets of walnut and ash and since they are a gift I thought you might like to see them before I give them away later today. The market was just fun to make, the bushel basket, from it's waxed linen twined base, to tucking in such a small space to the 1/8" round oval ash rim was just miserable to weave. I must have soaked the rim for 6 hours and it still wouldn't bend easily. But overall I love weaving with real wood.
The nickel is in there to help you judge the size. The market is about 1 1/2" by 2" by 2" high. The bushel basket is about 2" in diameter and almost 2" high. Too bad no one plays with Barbie in this household anymore, Barbie and Ken could go on a picnic.
The nickel is in there to help you judge the size. The market is about 1 1/2" by 2" by 2" high. The bushel basket is about 2" in diameter and almost 2" high. Too bad no one plays with Barbie in this household anymore, Barbie and Ken could go on a picnic.
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