Adolescence
“Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, lemme tell you. Those are big years. Everybody always thinks of it as adolescence—just getting through to the real part of your life—but it’s more than that. Sometimes your whole life happens in those years, and the rest of your life it’s just the same story playing out with different characters. I could die tomorrow and have lived the main ups and downs of life. Pain. Loss. Love. And what you all so fondly refer to as wisdom.” Lidia Yuknavitch, Dora: A Headcase We’ve all heard school reunion stories about the nerd who’s now a...
Read MoreCinderella Redux
Cinderella is a timeless tale of good vs. evil, kindness vs. oppression. The origin of the story is ambiguous, although many claim authorship. Attributions range from Roman historian Strabo in the first century BC, to Sheh Hsien in China, to French author Charles Perrault in 1697…and on infinitum. According to SurLaLune, there are anywhere from 345 to 1,500 versions of the tale! The site opines “Most…tales include an epiphany sparked by an article of clothing (usually a shoe) that causes the heroine to be recognized for her true worth. With Carrie Bradshaw leading the charge, we’ll embrace...
Read MoreCinderella in Four Acts
I don’t know if this charming quartet of Cinderella hankies came as a boxed set, or if a little girl had to collect each image individually, perhaps as a reward for good behavior. This is an intriguing ensemble, for the heart theme unifies the images both visually and through subtext. Each scenario is ensconced in a heart, while Cinderella’s ball gown is awash in tiny valentines. Let’s start with Chapter One, where Cinderella appears to bypass her Fairy Godmother, white mice, pumpkin coach, stepsisters, frankly the who shebang, and zips directly to the Fashion Tree....
Read MoreDon’t Cry Rudolph
Even if a lady rarely received a handkerchief for a gift, come Christmastime, every mother, sister, daughter, aunt, mother-in-law, teacher, tutor, and favorite friend could count on Santa gracing her stocking with a beautiful embroidered hankie, or if she were really lucky, a boxed set of hankies under the tree. A full page ad in The Saturday Evening Post, December 5, 1953, features a wreath of Irish Linen handkerchiefs – embroidered, monogrammed, and more. They made the recipient feel like a lady, feminine and cherished. (An ad on the reverse for the “Magnificent Magnavox high...
Read MoreTea
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” Henry James The Portrait of a Lady Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Sleet and snow, blizzards and cloudbursts envelope and surround us. Yet the flip side to winter’s frosty coin always lands happily heads up when we can take a moment for a cup of tea. It’s the perfect prelude for a snuggle or siesta, a game of backgammon or chess, or burrowing with a best seller by a blazing fire. Perhaps most comforting of all, it’s an elixir for every hour – from purple pre-dawns,...
Read MoreLabor Day
“Every job from the heart is, ultimately, of equal value. The nurse injects the syringe; the writer slides the pen; the farmer plows the dirt; the comedian draws the laughter. Monetary income is the perfect deceiver of a man’s true worth.” Criss Jami We saw one interpretation of a woman’s work week in the blog 7th Day Chauvinist, and indeed, for decades Monday was reserved for washing laundry, Tuesday was spent ironing, Saturday was often baking day, and depending on the season, a week or more might be spent boiling, peeling, chopping and canning fruits and vegetables. Children had...
Read MoreBack to School
Before I started college, my dad told me to pick classes based on the teacher whenever you can, not the subject….his point was that good teachers are priceless. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don’t know it. Nicholas Sparks, Dear John It seems every retail outlet is running specials on back to school supplies and clothing, as moms gratefully and children grudgingly prepare for the fall semester. One wardrobe staple in days past was a supply of fresh handkerchiefs. As far back as the late 1800’s children were required to bring a fresh...
Read MoreSaddle Up Cowboy
“A good old rodeo never hurt anyone.” Taylor Kitsch Summertime spells Rodeo and this week we celebrate the National Day of the American Cowboy on July 27th. So all you bronc riders and buckaroos saddle up and swing by the O.K. Corral for some hankie viewin’. The crisp red and green sets off our buckin ’broncs with graphics that giddy up. . The border on the hankie above leaves little doubt as to what’s going on here. Yeeeooouuch! Those little doggies are getting a ‘cowboy tattoo.’ At least we’ll know what ranch they call home if they ever wander too far away. “Trust your neighbor, but...
Read MoreUnder the Big Top
“The circus had been unlike anything I could ever imagine and I could not walk away. I wanted to be a part of the magic, create it and wield it with such skill that it looked effortless. I wanted to fly.” Laura Lam, Pantomime From P. T. Barnum in the 1800’s right up to today’s spectacular Cirque de Soleil, the circus has always stood for spectacle, awe, and magic. The costumes, calliopes, and clowns, the trainers, technicians and tightrope walkers, the animals, acrobats and atmosphere transport us to a realm of wonder and escape. As one young father taking his son to the circus for the...
Read MoreOh Baby, Oh Baby!
“There is really nothing quite so sweet as tiny little baby feet.” Author unknown This adorable teddy and his sidekick bunny towing love balloons gently rock “Welcome Home” to the new arrival. This child’s handkerchief was perhaps gifted to an older sibling in an effort to include them in celebrating the new addition to the family. Old fashioned and traditional, right down to the ABC blocks and a spinning top, it’s a far cry from the following sleek Welcome Home, which is as up-to-the-minute hip as any graphic of today. To enhance your viewing, please enjoy Brahm’s Lullaby...
Read MoreBig Bad Wolf
A Cautionary Tale “Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen.” So began Charles Perrault’s tale. The story first appeared in 1697, and is still popular today. This very faded image appears so soft and gentle that unless we look closely, we’re apt to miss the warning signs. Sweet rosy cheeked Miss Red is all wide eyed innocence, even though the wolf has jaws like a great white shark, and could snap her head in one bite. Her round toed shoes contrast to his menacing razor sharp claws The butterflies and...
Read MoreEaster Rabbits
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” William Shakespeare Much like the colorful eggs showcased in Easter Eggs, the rabbit too, symbolizes fertility and renewal. Hares and rabbits were deemed prolific procreators, thus an apt representation of rebirth, spring and the Easter season. Some believe the custom of the Easter Rabbit originated in Germany, where mention is found in literature as far back as the 1500s. German settlers, arriving in Pennsylvania in the 1700’s, brought with them their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Children would line...
Read MoreSweaters for Penguins?
BBBBBRRRRRRRRR…… “March comes in like a lion but goes out like a lamb” declared English playwright John Fletcher (1624-1647) in his play A Wife for A Month, and indeed, his observation still holds true centuries later. When my nephew and his family transferred from Minnesota to Kansas City last year, they garnered plenty of guffaws when their snow blower came off the moving van in 100 degree heat. Until last week, that is, when perhaps a neighbor or two lined up to borrow it, or simply sigh in surrender as they tossed endless shovels full of God’s bounty. Here my niece gingerly...
Read MoreOur Gang – Friends Forever
“Wherever you are, it’s your friends who make your world.” William James I love this hankie featuring Farina, Mary, Joe and Mickey (Freckles), all characters from the original Our Gang Comedies. Perhaps it should have been included in the Hollywood blogs, as heaven knows, it’s a classic, dating all the way back to a time before movies were “talkies.” It seemed to me, however, to fit another category or two even better – Wabi Sabi and Friendship, so I’m giving it ‘face time’ separate and apart from the hoopla of Hollywood for you to savor and enjoy. It’s not what we...
Read MoreZip Zap Zing it’s Christmas
If you’ve read our Hip Holiday review, you know that the hip 50’s jive and swingin’ 60’s cool influenced clothing, furnishings, lifestyles, and even tweaked the traditions of Christmas. Artists adopted a brave and vibrant palette that included zaps of hot pink, zips of turquoise, zings of chartreuse, and a zesty squeeze of lime and orange, topped with a zealous oomph of aluminum. Stores like Neiman Marcus and Lord &Taylor, ever vigilant in the hunt for “new” and “fresh” embraced the hues with gusto. To accommodate a range of consumers, retailers offered the gamut from...
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