In celebration of Women’s History Month, Lisa Alzo of The Accidental Genealogist has presented 31 prompts to honor the “fearless females”
in our family trees.
Today’s prompt is:
Post a photo of one of your female
ancestors. Who is in the photo? When was it taken? Why did you select this
photo?
This photograph of my mother Mary Eleanor Davis Slade
(1929-2005) always amuses me. She’s
wearing fringed “pedal pushers” and a tee-shirt in the snow, with no boots, no
coat -- must have had a warm snap. Since
she is wearing a Davidson shirt, I would date this photo about 1947 or 48,
probably taken somewhere in Dayton, Virginia.
Her high school sweetheart Dickie Blanks was away at Davidson in North
Carolina while she was at Dayton College.
For some reason, Momma and snow didn’t mix. Two quick stories will prove my point:
- In January 1959, it snowed in Portsmouth. My dad decided it would be fun to put my 9-months pregnant mother on a sled and pull her up and down the street. It was indeed fun – until she tried to get up. It took Daddy and a couple neighbors to pull her up off the sled.
- Sometime in the late 1970s we had a really good snow here in Chesapeake. Everyone was pretty much housebound. I was married and living a good two miles away from my parents and my sister. What does anyone do when they get cabin fever? Put on their mittens and boots and go for a walk. Destination? My house. However, Momma had no boots. So Daddy suggested she cover her shoes with plastic bags. Tip: don’t do that. She slipped and slid all the way. It was torture. But this incident has provided our family with a line we always use whenever someone is facing a challenge: “Just put on your plastic bags and do it.”
©
2014, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.
“Just put on your plastic bags and do it.”
ReplyDeleteThat's a great family motto.
What a happy photograph. And another fine example of images and memories co-existing in perfect harmony.
ReplyDeleteLoving your family quote, "Put on your plastic baggies and do it."!! Sounds kind something one of the guys on Duck Dynasty would say.
ReplyDeleteYour mom looks so cute!
Oh my - those Duck Dynasty guys are too much. How did they rate such good looking wives??
DeleteHaha! Great family motto!
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful picture of your mom. I love that big smile on her face.
Happy Saturday. ☺
We should probably put it on a plaque.
DeleteGreat Motto! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove the plastic bag story!
ReplyDeleteI lived in the snow for one very loooong winter, in a little town that is listed as a ghost town...we were snowed in more than a few days in 83'...and I know that cabin fever feeling.
If I did this prompt I would post a photo of my mom's ID card for work at a metal company where she worked as Rosie the Riviter- doing a man's job during WWII.
That would be a great post. I'd like to see that picture.
DeleteThis was so fun! I don't even remember fringed pedal-pushers, but I do recall using that word pedal-pushers when I moved to Minnesota and spoke about getting them as a child with my Thumbelina doll and my mother made her matching pedal-pushers and they replied, what are pedal-pushers! I haven't heard that word forever. Thank you- I was beginning to think I dreamed it up! It's so funny- another word that Minnesota and Michigan had completely different views were rubber binders! I said that's what we called my grandmother's (binders ha! ha!) and in Minnesota they believe rubber binders are what I knew as rubber bands that go around stacks of paper! So what word do use for those rubber-circle fasteners?!
ReplyDeleteI guess "pedal pushers" have been replaced by "Capris." I remember the term "clam diggers" too. Rubber binders? I was scared until you got to the real definition. Rubber bands.
Delete~~Just Do It!~~ Universally Good Advice!
ReplyDeleteYeah, Nike should consider it for a slogan.
DeleteWhat a fun photo of your mom! But, what was she thinking going out in spring/summer attire in winter? She sure looked cute though!
ReplyDeleteOh the sled story! Your poor mom. Nine months pregnant on a sled. Hope it was a smooth ride. She sure was a good sport to go along with your dad's "fun" idea. Kind of embarrassing to have to ask the whole neighborhood for help getting off the sled though. :)
And ya, I guess plastic bags don't have a lot of traction on them do they. Your poor mom again!
What WAS she thinking? Do you think for one minute she would have let me out of the house looking like that?? I couldn't walk to the drug store without being sure I had a Kleenex and a quarter.
DeleteI love it! Great photo and advice. I need to stock up on plastic bags. ;)
ReplyDeleteSo many things come to mind as I read your post and the comments. First, to Karen S. - I had a Tiny Thumbelina doll, too, and I wore pedal pushers. Just wish my mom had been crafty enough to make some for my doll.
ReplyDeleteLove the reference to "put on your plastic bags and do it". Such simple advice.
Did you see the news report of a woman who went into labor during the big snow storm in the northeast a few weeks ago? They couldn't get her to the hospital so they put her on a sled and several neighbors hauled her out until they could get her to a point where they could drive her. I wondered at the time how they got her off of that darned sled :-)
I don't know why Momma trusted Daddy. The sled story is the like the time we were all at the beach and Daddy said, why don't you ride this wave in, and Momma didn't want her hair messed up. She looked like a rag doll tossed around in the waves!
ReplyDelete