3 August 1956 “How My Garden Grows: with Vintage Style.”

  I have not mentioned my garden in some time. It is coming along nicely. And though this year is an experimental year, I believe I have learned some good and bad to approach next year’s harvest.
One major issue for me has been the amount of sunlight I get. While I had extended the fence and trimmed trees to add to the veg garden towards the road next summer, I now realize it will have to go the other way. This will be fine and will probably look nicer over all. That area will become fenced as well and within that garden off the house, my greenhouse will eventually be built. The joy of starting more things early and trying many plants year round will be exciting.
So, with my lessened sunlight, I think I am still satisfied with what I have grown thus far. I tried to keep it simple and planted one half of the garden just in tomatoes. They are all heirloom varieties, and if you recall my earlier spring posts, are interesting as well. I have two rows of a green variety that when ripe stays green. I was at first worried as they grew very tall, about 5 feet now, but were not flowering. But, in the past two weeks have taken off and blooms abound as do ripening tomatoes.
My French Pole beans have taken off and are over six feet high now.They have not begun to flower and I was concerned, but read in one of my vintage garden books that pole beans need to be trimmed at the top once they reach the top of the structure  you are growing them on (for me that is cut pieces of bamboo that I grow myself). So, I am hoping if I trim off the heads of all the new runners, the energy from the plants will go into blooms and we shall have a bumper crop of beautiful blue French beans.
My cucumbers I started indoors with my tomatoes and they are doing rather well. I have trained them to climb up the side of the house that shares the veg garden bed. They are doing fairly well, but I misplaced my tags so my two varieties, slicing and pickling, are now mingled and a mystery. It should matter little as you can eat or pickle any cuke really, but shame on me. For fun, and do to lack of space in the veg garden proper, I decided to plant my heirloom antique pink squash in my flower boxes. They got planted later than I would have normally done so, but they are thriving.And they are covered in lush bright blooms the size of a baseball.I love the thought of eating a squash that has not been altered since the 1800’s and perhaps even Jane Austen partook of them. Squash blossoms, themselves, are also wonderful to eat as a blossom. If you stuff them with a soft cheese or anchovies and then deep fry them, they are delicious.
Now for the fruit. My grapes I adore. I am so happy that I was able to get six year old root stock ( grape stock needs to be at least three years to flower) and wish I had bought more. They are ripening and growing very well and I promise myself that half of the harvest shall go to a small batch of wine.The blackberries are beginning to ripen. Besides the few bushes I planted, we also have a field of them through which we ride every day on our bikes on the way to the shore. I keep watching them and waiting for there to be masses of them turned their rich purple black, for pies and jams await!
We have one little espaliered apple tree. Its fruit is ripening. My plan this fall is to get as many apple trees as I can and plant them along the fence I installed this summer and train those to also be espaliered. Fruit trees can be espaliered or trained in many ways. This is the idea I would like to have along my fence. This allows one to get much fruit from a small space. They can form rows or fences themselves. Or even be in an ornate pattern. It is a very ancient art, but for my purposes, it will be to get much fruit from a small space and allow low areas in front of them to be planted with other things.
While on the subject of fruit, Gussie was kind enough to pick tons of blueberries from our local farm. We have had blueberry pie, fresh blueberry pancakes this morning and the rest shall be jam.
I was having a rather busy day yesterday and so wanted a quick pie to use some of the berries.It tasted wonderful and though it set better after one day, it still was firm enough to enjoy in 15 minutes or so, as I put it in the freezer.The rich bumps and tart sweetness of the fresh berries almost had the taste of a cobbler.
My recipe for this fast and easy berry pie.
50’s Gal Easy Blueberry Pie
Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers. This is about one sleeve.
1/3 cup white sugar
6 TBS melted butter
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste (It is also good if you use cinnamon graham crackers)
Simply crush up the crackers. Some of you may have a food processor, but for we vintage gals here in 56 I used a potato masher and my hands. Then melt the butter and pour it in. Pour in the sugar and any spices. Bake at 375 F for 7 minutes and you are done. It couldn’t be easier. Press into 8-9” pie tin. Let cool. I, however, put it in the freezer while I made the blueberry pie filling.
Pie Filling
4 cups fresh blueberries (That is a quart I believe)
3/4 cup water
2 TBS flour
1/2 cup sugar
Take one cup of the blueberries and put in a pan with water and sugar and a dash of salt. Stir on high until it starts to boil. Then lower heat and keep stirring until it thickens about 5 minutes or so. Next, take the rest of the fresh blueberries and just stir them in until all coated. Now take your pie crust and pour in the berries. That’s it! You are done! Very good with whipped cream or, as we had it, vanilla ice cream. Next time I will zest some lemon rind into the cooking berries, but even without it, wonderful.
Since our staycation, we have really felt we are on an extended holiday. Our home really feels very much the summer house on the Cape. We bike almost every day to our little town or the shore. There is swimming and sun bathing, trips to the library and our local cafe’s and little sandwich shops. I have never been so happy to sweep up sand before!
Here are a couple shots of our enjoying our summer get away.
 This is Gussie and I along the canal on our way home from the beach.And here is Gussie and I at the beach. You can see our old bikes and dresses add to the atmosphere. It seems normal to me to ride in my dresses and I prefer it. It makes it so easy to slip out of them and into the cool waters ( I have my bathing suit on underneath of course).
A funny story about our old bikes. Having mostly ridden mountain bikes before my project the ‘girls’ bike I bought for my project was new to me. It took me a few trips to stop raising my leg over the back of the seat, especially as it was rather un-lady-like in a dress. It then dawned on me, “Oh, that is why girls bikes are this way” and I then stepped through, easy as pie. Then my vintage friend was over the other day, inspired by we and our old bikes, and had found herself an old vintage bike on criaglist. It was also a girls bike and after watching me get on, said, “Oh, I have been getting on like a boy”. Then, another friend of mine was over and used one of our old bikes to go with us and watched me and also commented that she was mounting the bike with the ‘boy back leg swing’. Really silly, I know, but it was one of those vintage moments when you think, “Oh, that’s why women’s bikes have the lowered top bar”.
Well, until tomorrow then, Happy Homemaking.

2 August 1956 “Take Me To Your Leader…Er, Uh…I Mean Your Lawn: Robots and the Atomic Age.”

Many times I will come across things in my vintage magazines that surprise me. This was one of them. A remote controlled robotic lawn mower. I love this on so many levels.
First off, the idea of robots infiltrate the Atomic Age. Rather as an aggressor or a helpmeet. (first photo from this wonderful Flickr stream HERE of robots, Second photo from wonderful 1956 movie, Forbidden Planet) The advanced and sudden surge of technology due to WWII lead many people to expect a rapid advance in such things.
Second, the new obsession with the lawn. Prior to the world wars, lawns were really the province of the upper middle and upper classes. Big estates and large homes had the staff to maintain their endless green stretches. It was a form of decadence that allowed the leisure classes to have garden parties, ornamentation and places to put the pool and formal gardens. After WWII, the every man had his own little plot and home ownership was really up. Returning G.I.’s were promised a land of milk and honey, their own home, a happy beautiful wife, 2.5 children, a good job and of course a beautiful lawn to maintain. Yet, to the community minded 1950’s family, it was also a reason to socialize and be a part of the neighborhood, not a means to keep out others. It brought the family together with raking and mowing and the neighborhood with bbq’a and block parties.
Finally, it ushered in the beginning of the new product push. The lawn and garden chemical. Promises of beauty with ease was everywhere and we sprayed and poured and crystallized our way to a beautiful lawn. Of course, we were unaware that the chemical warfare of WWII was now the new money maker for burgeoning middle class desiring the perfect lawn. Things are not always better here in 1956. If only I were truly here and could help others to see that we are perched on the verge of such a great future. Sure, we can have a lovely yard and we should want to improve, but if only we could hold onto the 40’s Victory Garden and give some of that space over to veg and fruit. Yes, there is everything we need at our new local Grocery story, but to grow our own is part of our colonial and frontier heritage. And let’s embrace advancements such as robot lawn mowers, but also realize the joy in pushing the old heavy man powered beast around the yard as well.
I always feel that same sort of sadness and nostalgia when I think of such things. I, too, want that land of milk and honey, but I am sad how our modern 2010 world has been sold out from under us. To be those happy determined people of the 1950’s but not to slowly allow ourselves to be lead down the path of ease without consequence, we were promised, what a world we could have made! So, in many ways, my vintage life is an attempt to regain that. Firmly planted in 1956, but recalling the war year gardens, the canning and thrift of my childhood in the 1930’s and the determination of my fictional grandparents in the 19th century, all can culminate into a new modern way of living.
But, I have to admit, I do still want a Robot Helper, don’t you? Even if I will have to deal with this crazy Robot repair man. Although in 2010 where tv repair and such is no longer a profession, I am sure our future robots will be ‘throw away’ whenever the ‘new i-Robot’ comes out.

Oh, and remember we pronounce robot:  ROW-BITT here in 1956.

1 August 1956 “Oh, You Beautiful Doll: Betsy McCall”

In the May 1951 issue of McCall’s magazine, the company introduced Betsy McCall. She was a little girl “five going on six” that included a story of her life and dolls of she and various family members and friends that you could cut out.
This was the first image of her ‘family’ and was introduced as:
“Betsy is five going on six and she lives in a little white house with a porch and a yard to play in. Her mother and daddy and Nosy, her puppy, live in the white house too. Nosy is six months old. Betsy and Nosy and Betsy’s friends play together all the time. And every month now on they’ll come to play with you too.”
As time went on, Betsy’s images changed with various artists. She was an immediate hit and soon after, in 1952, Ideal acquired the rights to make a 14” Betsy McCall doll. Then American Character followed with their 8" doll in 1957.
Betsy McCall have been made as large as 36" and also in 20" and other sizes. During the 50’s you could also get many patterns for her clothing for the doll. At first, you could see she had very much a little girl wardrobe, but as time went on in the 50’s she was often given more adult clothes.  Like this where she is given a wedding dress. So, in a sense, one would imagine themselves as Betsy and getting to dress up as they would want to themselves. This was all pre Barbie (she was not introduced until 1959).
So, here she is in her first appearance in that May 51 McCalls. You can click on the image to get a full size version you can print out for yourself.
Now, for my purpose, here is how she would look this month in August 1956.(You can click and enlarge here as well)
The site where I found these pages is HERE. The owner of that site was kind enough to scan all the pages in a large format so you can download and print them to play with your little girl or even yourself. It is worth a visit to see the transformations of Betsy’s image and her clothing and follow the history of the doll. There is an obvious difference from the first Betsy to my 1956 version as you can see. I actually prefer her look in 51, but in the 1956 version you can already begin to see the movement towards the more modern line and coloring we will see into the early 1960’s.
So, what does all of this “Betsy Business” have to do with my project? Well, both inspired by my research of her and also inspired by our July Apronite of the Month, Jenny, I thought I would try my hand at doll making. I have never done any such sewing, only just learning to make dresses (slowly but surely) since my 55 project. I figure it will be a good exercise in fine tuning my sewing skills.
And, the best part and what really got me thinking about it was when I found out that in 1956 McCall’s patterns introduced this version of Betsy you could make yourself. I was lucky enough to find the actual Vintage pattern on ebay (copyrighted 1956) and the happy news was that the pattern had been cut out in the 50’s and the fabric for the doll body was still pinned to the doll.I am very excited to have vintage fabric to make her. And you make all her clothes you see pictured as well.
Another thing that is so lovely about this particular pattern is you can see that one of the dresses you make for the doll is the same as this month’s, August 1956, paper doll: the striped dress wtih the red jumper.
Then, further research revealed to me that they have a reproduction of this original pattern.which I also purchased. I wanted to see the difference in the instructions and suggested materials. I noticed the modern version has less outfits to make and they suggest unbleached muslin for the body while the original suggests cotton (which I have found a similar shade to the vintage in Egyptian cotton). The old pattern has a face transferthat you iron on and then stitch in her features with embroidery thread. So, for the vintage version, I will do that. The modern version just has the same face, but you are instructed to copy it with pen and acrylic paint. However, I have decided to scan the face and manipulate it and change it a bit and then print it on iron on transfer printer paper for the modern version. I figure that way I have made the vintage in its intended way and the modern one I can interoperate how I like.
What shall I do with these two dolls when and if I complete them? I haven’t a clue. I have no children and none of my friends have little girls. My nieces are close to me in age and have no children themselves. If she is not too dear to me, perhaps I would try to sell her, I am not sure. Either way, I think the process shall be fun, frustrating, rewarding, and a great learning experience. I can already guess how hard it shall be to sew her tiny clothes.

31 July 1956 “In God We Trust”

Yesterday, the 30th of July, a Joint Resolution of Congress was signed by President  Eisenhower, authorizing "In God We Trust" as the U.S. national motto.
The motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War. The motto first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin, followed in 1866 by the 5 cent nickel (1866-1883), quarter dollar, half dollar, silver dollar and gold dollars.  And now, only since yesterday 30 July 1956, has it become the official U.S. motto.
This was considered a Cold War measure which, "In these days when imperialistic and materialistic Communism seeks to attack and destroy freedom, it is proper" to "remind all of us of this self-evident truth" that "as long as this country trusts in God, it will prevail."
I only wish that by 2010 we could see that Materialism Capitalism also seems to be touching on our personal freedoms of small business and I am sad to know that while here in 1956 we are happily growing our middle class with local business, American made and production, how quickly it shall all fade away; sad indeed.
Maria Callas will perform Puccini this year in NYC.

OPERA - Maria Callas - Puccini - Vissi D'arte NY 1956
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Thinking of coming winter fashion, now that we are more than half way through summer, I was rather surprised to see how modern some of these leather looks appear. This is from a Fashion show this year in Italy for coming fall. The final shorter skirt with colored stocking and boots seems so modern for 1956. Though, here comfortable in my middle class New England life, I don’t think I would be seeing anything like that around my town or at local clubs. Possibly in NYC it might appear, but Boston would be to staid and reserved for that yet.

I do apologize for my last few days of non posting, but it can be hard, here in summer, to want to even go near the computer. I have been biking to the shore to swim, enjoying our nice cool days and evening fires on the terrace. I shouldn’t make excuses, but I do find it hard to get to my computer time. I shall endeavor to do better.
Happy Homemaking.

28 July 1956 “TV Time: Betty White and Jimmy Boyd”

I thought it might be fun to let you watch an episode of the Betty White Show. This is the type of programming we are accustomed to here in 1956 (though this original airdate was 54 I believe). This was a sort of variety show where in Betty would play different characters. This episode is fun because she plays a rather hoity toity movie actress staying with a down home family in Nebraska. It even includes the car commercial (as commercials were then being sponsored by and actually a part of the show).
Both of these clips here include Jimmy Boyd who is rather an interesting character and singer. Read his info HERE. He sang “I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus” when he was 11. He picked cotton to help feed his family of 21 brothers and sisters. Originally from Mississippi his family moved to California and couldn’t afford tickets for all, so Boyd had to ‘hobo’ his way out to his family.
Enjoy:

The second clip has a return of Jimmy Boyd doing a duet with Betty White. It just honestly seems rather wholesome, good natured and well, innocent fun. I do wish we could turn back the clock on sarcasm and meanness. I enjoy the modern ribbing as much as the next person, but whenever I see such shows I think maybe innocence and general kindness is such an important thing we have somehow lost.

Later Betty White would have Boyd as a guest star on her show entitled “Date with the Angels” Here is that episode of that to enjoy:

26 July 1956 “A Look Back at Youth Worship”

Back in 27 January 1955 my post for that day included an article from one of my vintage magazines. It was discussing the new trend towards Youth Worship. I felt, today, might be fun to revisit that article and see how we feel about it today.
Do we see that this trend has definitely come to fruition? It seems so to me. Many would see the woman on the left and think, “Wow, she looks great, so young”  Our first impulse is to associate youth with beauty. Yet, to me now, as she looks on the left, in her ‘mature clothes’ she seems more confident and someone to look up to. Perhaps our youth today are so lost and always turning to the fantasy of the internet and text because where are all the examples of showing how wonderful it is to be grown up and mature? What does being an adult even mean today?
So, here is the article. Simply click on the images and they will enlarge. Enjoy and discuss.

Here is the rest of the article with the ads on the page as well.

If you would like to read my original post that contained this article it is HERE.

25 July 1956 “Cooking and Life : The New and Old Way.”

This image from June 1956 Woman’s Day shows the Old and New way of cooking (Click to enlarge and Read).
I found it interesting on many levels. First off, we have the comparison of the Old way with an older woman who ‘has the time’ to prepare all her food from scratch. While the ‘new’ way by the younger woman mentions that she most likely is a working woman. So, even here in 1956 it is not completely uncommon to hear of or know working women. I think the idea that all women are at home is probably not true, but it is true that many woman do see being at home with a husband as an actual goal. To modern women this seems an affront or somehow shocking. Yet, I think there are many busy working wives who would gladly become a stay at home, so not sure why we have such a taboo about that.
Secondly, what I found interesting is that myself, since my trip back to the 50’s, have begun to move away from the ‘new’ way shown here to the old way. Surely in 1956 I am older than the young 20 something woman in the article, but I am not as old as the grandmother image. So, I wonder if I would truly, having come through what  I would have come through in history, would probably have a mixture of these two.
It has only been since my voyage back that I have learned to bake bread and cakes from scratch. That I take it in a matter of course to whip up homemade pancakes or waffles for breakfast without Bisquick. Even my veg is more often than not cut up from fresh (especially now that it is summer, come fall and winter I will have more  of my own canned to access).
In the beginning of my project I was all Wonder Bread and Jell-o. I mean, I felt the need to try and use and make the old pre-packaged things available. What I now think is rather spot on, is that in so doing I probably did recreate what I would have done. I would have been intrigued by the new. I would have tried it and found that it was okay, but not comparable to homemade, which I would have been used to and grown up with. So, I gradually moved back to the ‘old way’. Of course in reality I was just learning the way to make more things from scratch, but you know what I mean, the 50’s me was simply, “returning to the old way”.
It’s very easy to cook the NEW way here in 1956. There are so many things pre-made for my convenience.
I don’t even have to wait to brew coffee the old fashioned way if I don’t want (though the flavor is different as is the price). Even our sweet drinks are easy and plentiful, no squeezing lemons or crushing fruit to make summer drinks. Of course the result, they are easier to have and will increasingly be in our children's hands as time goes by and so increases their waistlines and diabetes. Yet, simply being responsible with such easy products could be useful and not harmful, but with ease comes disinterest and laziness. Who knows what kids are drinking, I can’t be bothered, I have to work and get home and nuke dinner.

So, what I really see happening here in 1956 is rather similar to 2010. There is a new crop of young wives and teens who are going to grow up with this instant world. Here they will become used to such ease and will slowly leave off the domestic arts. Today in 2010, the young do not know a world without the internet and digital devices. The old way for them, talking to someone in person rather than texting, or writing a paper after reading a book or going to the library rather than cutting and pasting info from websites and sites such as SPARKNOTES so they don’t even have to read the entire book. Again, I find the parallel between then and now. The threshold to the modern world truly lives here in 1950’s. The choices we make, however, leads us to where we are now, but if we go back and try new choices, reset the clock as it were, can we change our own modern reality and the way we make choices? It seems, at least by my reckoning, that we can.
I think the happy medium I have now between these Old and New way of cooking described in this article is a good balance. I honestly enjoy taking the time to steam my own asparagus and make hollandaise from scratch as described in the old way, but if I were in a rush and many things planned, I could easily use frozen veg, but instead would have made my own homemade ahead of time and kept it in the ice box. And I think that is the glaring difference. I have learned, as my 50’s counterpart would have inherently known, to plan for that rainy day.
There is no prep work any more. We don’t think ahead about our savings and retirement, let alone our dinners. Even our government these past ten years has been so shortsighted and has planned for nothing to the point that we are now borrowing to pay for the care of our elderly in Medicare and Medicaid. So, when even our own government and parents are completely oblivious to the adage “a penny saved is a penny earned”. So, if we are all happy to live in debt and to simply exist from moment to moment with no thought of tomorrow, no wonder it is so easy to slide into this ‘new way’ of cooking. It is in comparison not as extreme here in 1956, but I can tell you as an older homemaker, I would most likely look at my younger married nieces or friends and think, “Hmmm, this must be from a box” or “In my day, we’d have shucked our own peas and used butter not margarine”.
There will always be the contrast of the old vs. the new, but what I have come to realize is that rather than it be a war of who wins, it if it is a great learning experience of what works best for me and for our future (and not just my future, the world  for others as well) then that is the right path. We like to think there is no ‘right path’ and that we can, we modern people, do whatever we like. I think we are coming to find in our environment, politically, financially, environmentally, and in the family unit, that is not true. That same lesson keeps coming back to me again and again:REPSONSIBILITY. Every time I uncover more aspects of 1950’s it is always there, staring up at me with its knowing eyes. Be responsible for yourself and your actions and the world around you will be better.
That’s a lot of realization from plucking your own chicken, I know, but that is how it comes to me here in 1956. And, now I am even considering the older old way, the way of my own fictional grandparents here in 1950’s, raising my own chicken to kill and pluck. It all leads down a path of what is doable and makes sense for you and also helps out the bigger picture. Whenever I stop and think about the modern world and our current financial situation of debt both amongst our people and the insanity of our government, I can feel helpless. I can almost feel that modern, “Oh well, can’t fix it, just use up what you want, get a joy ride and go out in a ball of fire” attitude that seemed to prevail from the late 1960’s to now. Yet, I realize, my own actions can make a difference in my sphere and if it is infectious enough to bleed out to others, than one never knows. At the end of the day, when I am stuffing my chicken and making my potatoes from scratch, I feel connected to my home and my food. I feel the positive result in my bankbook, as it really is cheaper to cook from the basics, and I feel a sense of accomplishment and a hope. That is another main element I have learned here in the 1950’s, HOPE. There is a joy to a new day to learn more and want to keep growing both in my skills and in my education. The Old modern me would often face a day with ‘well, what do i do today’ even when I was a busy working woman, my free time was often just spent wasting away in front of the tv or buying things I didn’t need and couldn’t use because I was too busy working anyway.
So, take what you will from this article on the New and Old way of cooking, but do consider Responsibility and Hope, no matter what decade you live in,  as a good recipe for a happy life.
Happy Homemaking.

24 July 1956 “Charles and Ray Eames”

Charles and Ray Eames were a husband and wife duo whose work in Art, Film, Furniture, Interiors and the list goes on, made a major stamp on mid-century life. This was their 1944 Christmas card, in the background is a plywood sculpture of theirs.
Much of what we think of when we think mid-century modern is often their work or touched by them in some way. I find it telling, as well, that a married couple should have made such an impact, when you consider our over general impression of 1950’s is the married couple.
By my time, here in 1956, their work had become literally a household name. Here is a two part special on their work which airs this year (56) on NBC.

They did much work for Herman Miller, an office furniture manufacturer in Michigan (which still resides and produces furniture there.) This chair for Herman Miller is the quintessential Herman Miller/Eames look with which most of us are familiar.
The organic nature of their work and its fluidity mingled with sharp almost space age angles really defined the style of the 1950’s from drapes, to dresses. In the second part of the above NBC special Charles talks about his work with Herman Miller and I found it refreshing that he mentions they were not trying to make a mass market product. That the work, even for that company, was more about design and quality for the consumer, such a stark contrast from the make it quick, pump it out by the millions mentality of our modern IKEA world.
Even their own home built in 1949 with its Mondrian-esque color block facade couldn’t be more 1950’s (even though it was not yet the 50’s). HERE is an interesting page about this house and the project of their house, #8 in their ‘case study’ of building 24 houses.
I was never that intrigued by mid-century design or even art prior to my journey to 1955, but I keep finding myself becoming more enamored with it. And feeling that even in my 1710 cape style American Colonial Pre-Revolutionary house, that their clean lines and functionality can find a comfortable home with the minimal line and quality of actual colonial furniture. I find myself increasingly captivated by their work.
For more information of the amazing and interesting Eames’, HERE is a great site about their work and its affect on our culture and country.