Sick with the Flu

My project was to begin March 1, but alas, I've been struck with the flu. As I take my modern day medicines, I can't help but to wonder how they would've suffered with such ailments in the 1940's! Of course when I wonder such things, I turn to Google! It was actually in the 1940's when they came up with a crude vaccine to help prevent the flu but it wasn't until the 60's that the vaccination was truly effective. The 1940's era was also famous for public advertisement posters. Here is one that encourages people to cover up when they sneeze... and above all else~ NO SPITTING!

I'd love to see more posters like this in today's modern world. You'd think that we wouldn't need to be told not to spit in public, but just a couple of weeks ago (pre-flu!) I saw a woman (no less!) outside a strip mall who leaned over a rail and spit! Gross!! How unlady like!! Not that it's ever pleasant to see a man spit, but to see a woman do it was just somehow worse in my eyes. I had never thought before that spitting helps spread disease, but I can surely see how that would happen! I feel for the person that walks by and accidentally steps in it (bleah!) and then it's on their shoe, then on the carpet of the car, if she puts her purse or something down, germs can attach to that, you pick it up, and before you know it, the germs are on your hand! Wow... Germaphobia? Maybe... but that's how things spread and we need to be conscious of how our actions can affect others.

While working on recouping from this sickness, I've had a chance to read up on blogs and my housekeeping books. One of the housekeeping books I am using is "America's Housekeeping Book" from 1945 and I have also come across the blog "Destination 1940" where she is using the same manual to revisit 1940. It's nice to read and gather someone else's interpretation of the manual. I know that by reading her blog, some things just clicked with me, especially with the daily morning schedule. So I'm so pleased to have found her blog and wanted to share it!

Another great find from the previous blog was a link to a complete radio broadcast day from 1939. It is so interesting to listen too! Here is the link: http://www.archive.org/details/CompleteBroadcastDay

I am pleased to say that yesterday I felt well enough to cut out the pattern for the button down shirt I will be making. I chose this pattern for various reasons. First, I'd like to have a casual, work around the house button down blouse, and next, it is a fairly detailed blouse, so I figure if I can tackle the level of difficulty in this blouse, everything else will be easy peasy! It's going to be a pink and white check shirt, and I'm thinking I'd love to make a matching navy high waisted skirt. I'll keep you posted on how it comes along!

I wanted to make a round cake the other day, but I realized I didn't have any round cake pans. In my modern day mind, my first thought was "guess I can get some at Wal-Mart", but then I began to think... where would the 1940 me buy cake pans at? What was really scary is, I couldn't remember where I would have bought this at before Wal-Mart! I mean Wal-Mart's have been around since the 70's, but where I grew up it wasn't until the late 80's-early 90's that Wal-Mart arrived in our community. Before then, K-Mart was the big box store of choice. So, what was the big box store in the 1940's? F.W. Woolworth!



Woolworth was opened in 1878, and in 1979 was considered to be the world's largest department store. Woolworth's were eventually replaced by KMarts, Targets, and Wal-Marts. In fact, Wal-Mart purchased many of the Woolworth's in Canada. Now, the only company Woolworth still owns is Foot Locker.