18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, April 25, 1913: Had company a little while this afternoon. I am sure I looked pretty seedy.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Hmmm. . . Was Grandma wearing ragged, patched clothes? Was her hair a mess? Did she look any different from how she looked on other days? Why was she so self-conscience about her looks?
She was probably still worn out from her graduation and just enjoying being finished with school.
If I didn’t have access to a hot daily shower I’d look seedy too! That’s a great expression though. Very graphic.
You’re right rural homes wouldn’t have had showers (or bathtubs)–though this was the era when relaxing, therapeutic baths were the rage in urban areas.
How did she wash her hair? Boiled water on a wood stove? I’m feeling seedy just thinking about that!
Graduation ceremonies can be draining!
The more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s a saying that seems to make a lot of sense, especially when it comes to young women being self conscious of their looks. This is a delightful idea for a blog, and I look forward to more posts!
I find that I’m much less self-conscious now than I was when I was younger. I wonder why we tend to be more accepting of our looks as we get older.
We get wiser. Plus, we are busier and have less time to fuss over such foolish things.
Sounds like the sort of unexpected company I get when I am still mucking about in my pyjamas at the weekend. Always cause for red cheeks but I never seem to learn!
Your comment reminds me of when my children were younger and there often were toys scattered about the living room. We always seemed to get company on the days when the living room was particularly messy.
Indeed. I have experienced that one too.
When I saw the title of your post, I thought it was one of my other blogger friends writing about spring seeds!
You just have to wonder what Grandma didn’t like about the way she looked…
Hmm–Now that it is spring maybe I should write a post about seeds. 🙂
Maybe she was having a bad hair day 🙂
I’m having a bad hair day today. 🙂
My mom says when she was young everybody wore really old clothes and tied kerchiefs around their heads to clean the house. I had such an image of her!
By the way
I bet your mother looked adorable in her kerchief. 🙂
She probably did. She’s cute.
Sounds like the company may have been unexpected, and your Grandma wasn’t dressed to receive visitors.
The diary entry does suggest that the guest took her by surprise.
I can empathize… Even today if someone stops in an I’ve been out gardening (or whatever chore is at hand) I feel self-conscious and less than my best.
However… the apron you chose to show? LOVE it!
I selected the illustration because it was in a magazine for dairy farmers–but I agree that the apron is adorable. Back then farm magazines included a women’s section that contained pictures of dress patterns that readers could order.
It always seems like I look seedy when someone stops by or my husband wants to go out unexpectedly. 🙂
So do I–though I tend to make my husband wait until I change before I’ll go somewhere. 🙂
I wonder who the company was? It sounds as though she wanted to impress them. I wonder if it was your grandfather who dropped by? 🙂
The same thought crossed my mind–though he was only 14 1/2 and that she may have had her sights on an older guy at the time.
Hmmmm! I suspect her company was a fella! 🙂
I thought the same thing. An unexpected male visitor probably made her particularly self-conscience about how she was dressed.
Nothing a cute apron couldn’t fix I’m sure. Can’t image how long it took to do your hair with those crazy old tools
When those old hair curlers and straighteners led to a disastrous hairdo–a cute apron could do wonders. 🙂
One of the definitions of “seedy” on http://www.thefreedictionary.com is “tired or sick”, and she mentioned being tired the day before. Maybe that’s what she meant? I’ve never heard the word used like that before.