Happy New(bie) Year!

[Jay2TheRescue]

Oceangurl, there must be a national law that everyone who takes (took?) home ec has to make a dirndl skirt.  Honesty, I almost flunked it and my grammie made it for me.

I got only a "C" in home ec. I found it boring. I was a first generation Sicilian girl in a WASPY environment (New England, dahling) learning how to make white-bread food, and then I would go home and FEAST on all sorts of wonderful Italian food, freshly made. Nobody measured anything at home, we cooked by instinct, by feel. In school everything was measured and rules were NEVER broken. It was like being indoctrinated. There was no heart, no soul for the food.

BTW, I am still a disinterested cook, lol. But I am a five-star eater. Whenever I go home, my mother cooks for me and I eat like there's no tomorrow, lol.   

Not Me... 

I took Home Ec in school because it was either that or take some other class I wasn't interested in.  At least in home ec you got to have fun, and out of the entire class I was one of only 2 guys so I was surrounded by girls.  Its funny that a lot of the stuff I hear Miss Choksondik talk to the girls about on Southpark are true.  I remember once the teacher told the class if a guy tells you "I'll pull out early" don't believe him.  Well, once she said this I was ready to hide under the table, because all eyes were on me.

I think the worst part of Home Ec was the fact that my teacher went to our church, and was very good friends with my Mom.  I think she was harder on me because of that.  I remember when I made pumpkin spice muffins she gave me a "C".  Not for any particular reason, but because "They are not an example of your best work."  I asked and asked what was wrong with them but I never got an answer.  They weren't under/overdone, over/under mixed, etc., just not my best . 

As far as my sewing project goes I made a vest to go with my suit.  That was not easy, and the teacher tired to talk me out of it, but I figured I'd rather make something I could actually wear instead of a skirt.

-Jay

[valleythriftshopper]

We only had home ec in junior high.  Cooking was OK, but the one sewing class that was offered in the 8th grade was terrible.  The teacher was really interested in Astrology & wanted to talk more about that than sewing.  I think the only thing I completed was a pillow, although I think got a good grade in the class (again because the teacher was more interested in atrology than sewing).  The first day of class she gave us our horoscopes & told us what our character traits were based on our birthdates.  When I told her that none of what she said about me was accurate she looked like she wated to shoot lasers out of her eyes at me.  That is why I have to take sewing classes as an adult- because I learned nothing in that class!

Massachusetts took the sewing/clothing requirement out of the "Family & Consumer Science" (formerly Home Ec.) curriculum several years ago.  I am sure most schools don't even offer it anymore.

I actually did enjoy wood/metal shop & took that even after it was not required (junior high).  In High School shop classes were for the "burnouts" so I never took them again.

[Jay2TheRescue]

We only had home ec in junior high.  Cooking was OK, but the one sewing class that was offered in the 8th grade was terrible.  The teacher was really interested in Astrology & wanted to talk more about that than sewing.  I think the only thing I completed was a pillow, although I think got a good grade in the class (again because the teacher was more interested in astrology than sewing).  The first day of class she gave us our horoscopes & told us what our character traits were based on our birthdates.  When I told her that none of what she said about me was accurate she looked like she wanted to shoot lasers out of her eyes at me.  That is why I have to take sewing classes as an adult- because I learned nothing in that class!

Massachusetts took the sewing/clothing requirement out of the "Family & Consumer Science" (formerly Home Ec.) curriculum several years ago.  I am sure most schools don't even offer it anymore.

I actually did enjoy wood/metal shop & took that even after it was not required (junior high).  In High School shop classes were for the "burnouts" so I never took them again.

Here in Virginia it was called "Life Management Skills" on paper, but everyone called it Home Ec.  We didn't call shop class shop either, it was "Industrial Arts"

-Jay

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Jay, I took Home Ec in 1967, fer gosh sakes! Most of us thought babies were still found under cabbage leaves or happened you got married, LOL! And we didn't have a choice, either. It WAS Home Ec for girls and Shop for boys. Period.

I think I might enjoy an "Industrial Arts" class for kids NOW, lol. I'd like to learn how to weld--on a small scale of course.

Also, for anyone who is interested:  I heard on my local PBS radio station that today's edition of "All Things Considered" will be featuring an tailor from Philly who has been making handmade suits and things for 51 years and his 27 year old apprentice, who is learning to do so. How I envy people who sew like that and/or people who live near a tailor who's been in the biz for 51 years and makes hand-tailored clothes (sigh).

[oceangurl]

Seso, seems like we have alot in common! I too am an Italian/Portuguese (I know your not Portuguese) girl and was born in Portchester, New York but then raised in Greenwich, Conn, the epitomy of wasp New England living, where the town is mainley Republican and mansions on the shoreline and mansions in the back country, alot of celebrities and people with money lived and had estates in Greenwich, it is your typical East Coast Old money town, and although I and my family came from the projects, Wilbur Peck Court to be exact I had many friends who were wealthy and came from these estates , with their own nannies, housekeepers etc, alot of my friends families took me in (so to speak) the little waif that I was, and took me to their ski chalets in Vermont and vacation homes, toting me along like I was one of their own, so I had alot of fun when I was little and though we were challenged money wise it never seemed to matter because I ran with the best of them, Also got a kick out of you saying how your mother still cooks for you, Iam 48 yrs young and have 3 sisters and 2 brothers (what would you expect, big Italian family) my mother still feeds us endlessley when we are over her house, you know Munija, Munija, Munija! and yes it's all your typical Italian fare! by the way Iam Napeldon (grandparents from Naples, other grandparents from Lisbon, Portugal) I knew right away when I started posting here there was something special about you, We seemed to just "click" Ciao!

[SecondhandSophisticate]

O mi GAWD--Greenwich! Ye Gods, how did you cope? LOL!!! Did you know the Skakels?

Did you go into the city to party all the time? I miss the mass transportation.  Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Nobody knows food like Italians, lol.  My mother and grammie were the best cooks.They should have had their own shows. My grammie used to go to the "chicken store", pick the live chicken out, take it home and wring its neck. Yum Yum!

Ciao, Bella!
SeSo

[Femme1]

Hey you guys, I'm another paisana!  My grandparents were from Abruzzo (the Kentucky of Italy). And I can cook some good pasta fagioli and polenta (my soul food).

As my nonna used to say "Mange, mange, tutti quand..."

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Femme1, How great!

I've never heard of Abruzzi as the "Kentucky of Italy"! What a hoot!

Yeah, Italians=food and love and art. Ain't it grand?  And the three of us are thrifters, too.

Ciao, Bella!
SeSo

[oceangurl]

I know this is all to funny you girls! I make a mean pastafazoli, eggplant parmagiana,  meatballs, bracciole, spaghetti ala oli, etc.. and yes Seso I lived right down the street from the Skakals, not in their neighborhood mind you, for they were in coveted real estate on the Long Island Sound, in a community known as "BelleHaven", you might have heard of that community if you ever heard anything about the Martha Moxely murder? She lived right next door to the Skakels in BelleHaven and was murdered maybe like 20 yrs ago or so, they tried to put the finger on Michael Skakel the son, and I to this day still think he done it, but their Republican heritige and who they knew bought them out of Michael being convicted.  I lived on the other side of town, the poor section, but I cleaned homes in BelleHaven and even lived in one of the mansions (when I was around 18yrs ) as a nanny for awhile. .. Ciao Bella..Oceangurl1

[SecondhandSophisticate]

Oceangurl, I personally didn't know the Skakels (At least I don't think I did. I dated some rich guy from that area in the early 70s  and he partied with all these kids from Greenwich/Cos Cob/Stamford, so maybe) I met somebody who worked for the Skakels at that time and got called in on the Moxley case, so that's why I am asking.


Did you ever thrift through that area?  I imagine it would have been spectacular thrifting.  I used to thrift in Westport back in the 80s, but when I did it a few years ago, there was just nothing worth buying.  There was this incredible thrift in Westport where I would get next-to-new Coach handbags (when they were still made in America and meant something) for $2 that sold new for (at the time) $250.  Ahhhh, the good old days. Ciao, Bella!

[Good Buddy]

The same Mark Fuhrman from the O.J. Simpson trial proved it was the Skakel guy.
The book is called Murder in Greenwich and is actually a good read if you're into that sort of thing (true crime).
My comment as we pack up 100's of books...

Bye

[Femme1]

True crime is one of my (secret) guilty pleasures. 

[SecondhandSophisticate]

GB, I will look for that book when I am thrifting.

While my task at hand is not as tedious as yours, I finally, after three months, was able to see the floor of my dining room today. And vacuum it. It's where we had the bulk of the kitchen stuff. What I haven't put away or given away yet, I've moved into the living room.

I feel your pain