Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family
history through old photographs.
This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt is people standing in
water.
When my mother attended Shenandoah College from 1946 to
1948, there probably wasn't much for students to do in their spare time. Saturdays found the co-eds hanging out on the
school lawn
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| Possibly Momma's roommates |
 |
| College friends Momma is second from the left |
Or tickling their toes in nearby Cooks Creek
Or even walking in the creek.
 |
| Unknown friend |
 |
| On the back of the photo to the right: It's such a beautiful snap I thought you'd like to have it. |
But sometimes that need to let loose took one college sophomore out of the icy river water right into HOT WATER with the college Dean.
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| Reprimand from the Women's Student Government Association for making noise and keeping students awake |
And not just once.
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| Oh no -- Campus Restriction! No Snack Bar? That had to hurt! |
It seems my prim-and-proper-you’d-better-behave-or-else
mother was sent to COOL HER HEELS before the Student Government numerous times. Since she saved the index card reprimands,
she must not have been too ashamed.
Somehow I doubt she would have found such behavior from me to be amusing though.
Somehow I doubt she would have found such behavior from me to be amusing though.
Wade into the soothing waters of Sepia Saturday.
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
Such a clever play on words Wendy! Really fun post. I love finding little clues to ancestors (especially the close ones like parents) personalities as youth. Sometimes those clues are hard to come by, so those index cards of yours are priceless. It's funny to me that the ultimate punishment was to be restricted from the snack bar!
ReplyDeleteI love finding a little insight into personalities too. And I agree -- denial of snack bar privileges was serious business!
DeleteHa Ha Ha. She must have been proud of her little rebellion to keep the cards. Did she tell you about them or did you discover and get a giggle?
ReplyDeleteActually the cards were in a manila envelope of pictures that were never hidden per se, but not anything I ever recall looking through or noticing really.
DeleteI wonder where that use of "hot water" came from.
ReplyDeleteOK, you made me go looking. Apparently the expression has been around since the 1500s. One explanation is that one way to get rid of troublesome intruders was to throw boiling water on them. Another simply points to cooking since boiling was a way to break down food to make it edible. Nothing hurts like really hot water even in a bathtub. Well, that's the best I can do.
DeleteThe summer after high school graduation I attended a summer music camp at the College of the Pacific (now University) in Stockton, CA. They had beautiful lawns on campus. In the summer it's very hot there & the way they kept those lawns green was to flood them with what seemed like a foot of water once a week, & of course when they did that, everyone took off their shoes & went wading! So cool & refreshing on those hot days. As for 'being in hot water' meaning to be in trouble, it probably comes from the Viking's use of hot water to prove or disprove a lie. The accused liar protesting their innocence had to place their hand & arm in a pot of boiling water. It was then wrapped in clean linen for 2 or 3 days. If, when it was unwrapped, it was found to be festering, it was assumed the person had lied. If not, they had successfully protested the accusation. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteOh wow -- that sounds like the witch test: if she drowned, she was obviously innocent. "Sorry 'bout that!"
DeleteI too love finding those little hints of life before me.
ReplyDeleteAnd you've found a lot with all those letters!
DeleteWhat great additions to knowing your mom, her college escapades!
ReplyDeleteI think so too -- it took me a while to realize some of the photos were her college friends.
DeleteHow clever going from cold water to hot water, girl! Yeah, Momma wouldn't have thought it ONE BIT funny if we had done any of this.
ReplyDeleteShe was probably laughing to have kept other girls awake. =)
I wonder if she had a partner in crime.
DeleteI am sure she did. I can't imagine Momma going down alone!
DeleteYour mother sounds like good fun. Nice finding out one's parents were human too.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it?
DeleteSo that warning "this is going to be on your permanent record" was true!
ReplyDeleteBut I don't remember anything about it being available for the grandkids to read.
Yeah, it's a lesson to all of us to destroy all evidence!
DeleteGreat post and a lovely insight into college life at that time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, no malls or slick night clubs or spas back then, I guess. They had to make their own fun.
DeleteWhat harsh punishment! I wonder if your mother ever told her parents about it.
ReplyDeleteOh Jo, I hadn't even thought of that. Now I'm wondering what Grandma and Granddaddy might have thought.
DeleteNicely done; great wordplay and lovely snaps. What a rebel your mama was - thank goodness!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marilyn. Yes, Momma seemed like more of an original the older she got, or maybe it was the older I got.
DeleteYour mom sounds like she was a lot of fun. I love it when I stumble onto something like those index cards.
ReplyDeleteShe was fun!
DeleteOh, well, just consider it a diet aid before the next social event!
ReplyDeleteJust priceless that your mom saved these cards...and actually kept them where you could find them!
That's why I think she must have thought it was funny rather than shameful.
DeleteIsn't it nice to know your mom liked to get in a little trouble. My mom was the same and I cherish that memory of her youth.
ReplyDeleteIt's just such a contrast to the mother I had growing up who expected good behavior all the time. Or maybe I was just afraid of what she would do IF I crossed the line. So I didn't.
DeleteCan't match those reprimands although one report said 'reclines rather than sits at desk.' Hardly daring is it? I wonder what today's students would think of those cards.
ReplyDeleteOh, such a bad boy! When I was growing up, chewing gum in class was a serious offense. Over the years, schools have had to choose other battles.
DeleteWhat an excellent connection to your family. I enjoyed your post and your unique take on the Sepia Saturday prompt. Good post!
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank-you!
DeleteI would love to find out that my mother was a bit of a troublemaker sometimes, but nothing has come out so far. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat will your children discover about YOU?
DeleteWhat a great post. I love that your mother kept those reminders of her reprimands. Imagine what the reprimands to college students would be these days. A little noise would be nothing!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Ladies of the Grove
Do they even get reprimanded??
DeleteLooks like your mom was basically barred from having any fun for a couple of days from the sounds of the reprimand in the second case. Not only was she barred from the snack bar, but she only had 5 minutes to return from the dining hall and she couldn't go visit and talk with other girls in their rooms. Ya. That must not have been very fun at the time.
ReplyDeletePathetic, isn't it?
DeleteA super collection here. It's so funny to read those reprimands written in such neat handwriting!
ReplyDeleteNeat handwriting doesn't seem as common as it used to. I know mine has gone to heck since the age of the computer.
DeleteLove this!!
ReplyDelete