Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends! I thought I’d share with you some recent finds from a shopping trip I took in Austin, Texas, with my budding antique-loving 10 year old niece, Olivia. We had a grand day shopping at Uncommon Objects. She scored a great mechanical pencil and a cute little painted wooden bug, plus […]
Tag: marriage
A Helpmeet (1890)
“A compendium of valuable information for women” so describes the title page of the 1890 book The Mother’s Guide and Daughter’s Friend. It’s true, this book covers just about anything a woman of the late 1800s might need to know. The anonymous author (who suggests that if you really must find out who [she or […]
Permit of Freedom
My dear sweet husband made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies today, and it’s the anniversary of the week of our first date (I know, sappy!), so I hereby dedicate this special Lover’s Fun Card to him.
How to Win a Woman, part II (1923)
Recently, I featured some advice from the lovely and talented Elinor Glyn on how to win a woman. Excerpted from her 1923 book The Philosophy of Love, Glyn tells the story of Richard, who is trying to woo his love, Sallie. We left off wondering if any of Glyn’s tips might have paid off for […]
Why Girls Go to College
Just got back from a jaunt to Southern Ohio to visit some relatives and learn more about our Moore and Patterson ancestors. We visited the old family farms, saw the house where Grandma Bailey was born, and tried to remember who was who on the family tree. Not easy! One favorite ancestor: Mae Patterson, who […]
He’s a Bust With Dust!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: How do you train your husband to help around the house? I’ve asked him, pleaded with him, threatened him, but he still can’t “see” the mess around him and will not take the initiative to clean it up. We both work out of the home with competitive salaries, and I feel […]
Cooking for Two
I swear that the color in this image is true to the original. Do you think I could adjust that brussel-sprout green? Never. 1965: Cooking for Two THE HONEYMOON IS OVER; the die is cast. You and you only stand between your husband’s and your own starvation. Either you surrender to the can-opener method of […]
Housewives 101
Q Dear Miss Abigail: Why did they have housewives in the olden days? Signed, Mime A Dear Mime: I’ve often wondered the very same thing. Here’s a bit of guilt ~ oops, I mean advice ~ that should give you some insight into those wacky olden days. Richard A. Wells wrote it in 1891 for […]
She Smells Worse Than Wet Mulch!
Q Dear Miss Abigail: I have a co-worker who smells worse than wet mulch. It’s not that she looks dirty, or dresses in dirty clothing or even has a trace of filth on her person. No, it’s just that there seems to be an invisible cloud of BO floating where ever she roams. Before I […]
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! […]