Don’t get me wrong. I love the beach. It’s just that as a fair-skinned gal I’m a bit more comfortable in sweaters and snow than in shorts and sand. I promise you, though, by no means do I consider myself a “belle of the Winter Salon” ~ I swear. Where were we? Oh, yes. The […]
The Fine Art of Smiling
I just saw a program on Botox treatments, and boy does that look weird. No matter how many books I read on the subject of beauty, it’s still hard to understand the extent that folks will mutilate themselves for the sake of it all. Although I personally would never get a treatment such as that, […]
Foreign Substances
As I was flipping through The Art of Home Making, written by Margaret E. Sangster, I came across this most useful advice. It reminded me of an incident when I was a young girl in Auburn, N.Y. My family was on the way up the sidewalk to the public library when my older brother Chris suggested I […]
The Breath
Q Dear Miss Abigail: Sometimes I get self-conscious when talking to people because I have bad breath. It has lasted about three to four years now. I’m sixteen. Will I ever talk “carefree” again? Signed, Viv A Dear Viv: According to Mrs. A. Walker in this excerpt from her book Female Beauty, you might want to […]
Eating, Sleeping, and Speaking ~ Simple Precautions
I’ve got a bad sore throat. While recovering on the couch today, I browsed through the “Temperment and Health” section of Home and Health and Home Economics, written in 1880 by C. H. Fowler and W. H. De Puy. These tips may not help me this week, but maybe, just maybe, they’ll help someone out there! […]
Crying and Health
I’ve read a lot about the benefits of laughing, but I think this is the first I’ve seen on crying. When I saw this paragraph, Al Gore and his groaning and sighing in the presidential debate [years ago] came to mind, so I thought it was appropriate to share. It was written by C. H. Fowler […]
Qualities of a Good Doctor by a Doctor
My sweet sister is paying a quick visit to the hospital this week, so doctors are on my mind just a smidgen. Good doctors, that is. They better be very good doctors! They can just take this as a warning ~ don’t mess with Miss Abigail’s family! Oh, sorry, where was I . . . […]
Miscellaneous Health Notes
This time I have pulled out a few notes from 1880 about health. I thought it was important to let you know about the dangers of cold water. Be careful out there! 1880: Miscellaneous Health Notes Pine Woods and Health. The pleasant odor emitted by fir-trees in a sunny atmosphere has long been thought serviceable […]
To Live Without Sex
Q Dear Miss Abigail: The prospects for men are not good in my life ~ I fear I’ll ever have sex again. How does a woman in my situation cope? Signed, Flo A Dear Flo: With such a horrific situation like yours, it only seems appropriate to refer to the writings of a housewife who […]
Why Aren’t You Married?
Q Dear Miss Abigail: What are some good responses for a single woman to use when she is constantly hassled about her non-marital status, for example, “You are so young, and beautiful, why aren’t you married?” I have found that my own personal response of “I like my independence, dammit!” has proven inadequate. Please help! […]