Translation Tuesday: The Pocketbook
So, I was out for a fun night of shopping and girl talk last Thursday with my friend Rachel when this week’s Translation Tuesday came up. A cute little street downtown that is full of boutiques and local restaurants has a cool night out each December to promote shopping local during the holiday season, so Rach and I were in a store jam packed with people and I fell in love with this adorable garnet purse and I called Rach over to see it… but she calls them something else: pocket books.
Never in all the time I lived in the North did I hear them called a pocket book. They are a purse, a handbag, a shoulder bag. Occasionally I have heard them called by their style: clutch, hobo, half-moon. Or even by brand… Coach, Louis Vuitton, Kate Dooney and Burke, or Vera Bradely (that is a whole other topic on a blog about that South). But never until I moved down here did I hear them called a pocketbook AND on a regular basis. Actually, for some reason every time I hear Rach say pocketbook I usually think she is talking about her wallet. Seriously, we have been friends for eleven years and I still think she means her wallet every time she says it… you’d think I’d adjust at some point to the language! So… what do you call that contraption that women carry their wallet, phone, I-phone, chap stick, tissues, and hand sanitizer in?
Southern-made Holiday Gifts
Oh the Holiday Season! It means many, many things: events, time with family and friends, decorating, watching a ton of Christmas movies, celebrating various religious moments…but it also means shopping. Shopping for the perfect gifts for all the people you need to get things for can be a fun and stressful process. But it also means I get to shop for myself as well, so that is fun. In my shopping over the last few weeks, I have some great Southern-made stores and products to share with you! Hope it can help you with your future shopping!
- The Charleston Soap Chef. Love this stuff! Lotions, soaps and sugar scrubs made in Charleston with local ingredients and lots of them are organic. I bought the soap bar, body butter and sugar scrub in the Southern Magnolia scent. OMG, the stuff is amazing. It smells divine and does amazing things to my skin… it definitely seems to stay moisturized longer after using the sugar scrub, which is really great for the winter. Check them out on the web here: http://www.thecharlestonsoapchef.com/index.html
- Bella Collina Jewlrey. They are based in the Carolinas and she makes the most amazing jewelry. The materials are not local, the stones come from all over the world. Craftsmanship is wonderful, the pieces that she makes are sublime. I really love the detail that she puts into each piece, you can tell that it takes time and the result it worth it. I picked up this lovely necklace and earring set made out of African turquoise. Love it. She will do custom orders too! Check it out: http://www.bellacollinajewelry.com
- Rewined Candles. Also made in Charleston and they are heavenly. I stumbled on these in the historic market area a few months back and have seen them in some local stores as well throughout the region. First, they smell great and they really nailed the scents of the various wines. Also, it is a great reuse of old wine bottles! Love sustainability. They make great gifts! http://www.rewinedcandles.com/
- Carolina Crafts and Glass. Handmade glass pieces… coasters, plates, bowls, nightlights… all sorts of things. They are really pretty and make great statement pieces for a home. Just love them. They are also really well-made, so even though it is super pretty glass, I don’t feel like I am going to break a piece if I pick it up, which considering how clumsy I can be is a VERY good thing! http://www.scarolinaglass.com/default.html
So, those are four Southern places I am loving leading up to the holidays! I will be sure to add more as I come across them. Do you have any great suggestions on Southern products?
Wednesday Wedding Tips: Need A Bouncer?
Security at a wedding. Now, I understand it if you are a royal family member and are in line to inherit the throne… there may be people who want to disrupt that day, so it makes sense that they would have a lot of security. I will even give you the benefit of the doubt if you are big celebrity… they have crazy stalkers and have to deal with paparazzi. But for the rest of us normal people (or the 99% if we want to go with the whole Occupy protests of the moment) I don’t think security is an item to cross off on every bride’s to-do list. However, apparently even I can be wrong at times (trust me, it is a rare occurrence).
So, one of my friends (who shall remain nameless) works at a facility that occasionally hosts weddings, and she emails me one day to say she just met with a bride and one of the items on the list to discuss for the event prep was wedding security. Needless to say, I was intrigued. In all the weddings I had been involved in over the years or asked advice about, SECURITY is never a topic that had come up. Was this person someone famous? Was there a chance of paparazzi descending on her place of work? Nope. Nothing so entertaining, in fact the answer was very depressing, the security was to prevent the bride’s mother from attending the event.
Security to prevent your mother from attending your wedding? Apparently, the bride and mother did not have a good relationship and it had been made very clear that she was not welcome, but the mother was threatening to show up anyway. Wow. I know I have family drama and my Mom and I have major issues, but I can’t imagine that even with all of our drama I wouldn’t want her at a day that would matter so much. I also realize that we all have our own issues in our relationships and I have no clue what the circumstances were behind this issue. This helps get me to my point though… it seems that weddings often become about everyone else at times… the parents, the grandparents, the siblings, the party… all of the players. Even the WEDDING itself seems to become a bigger deal at times than what the wedding represents… two people committing themselves to each other in a marriage. When you have to have security present to get to that, it makes me wonder if that takes away from what the point of that event should be about?
I don’t actually have an answer to that, but my advice for this week when it comes to weddings: always be prepared to expect the unexpected. You never know what may pop up, and if you are friend helping someone with their wedding (which I feel I am an expert at by now) be prepared to be supportive in the planning and hard decision making process, like if they have to bar someone from a wedding. Actually, now that I think about it, I did play bouncer during a point of a wedding day. So I guess I have done security before. Huh. I wonder if I can put that on my résumé?
Christmas Cards
No Translation Tuesday today, I know you are all disappointed. I apologize, I’ll bring it back soon! Today I am making an admission, I am being a bit of a Grinch this year, I am not sending Christmas cards. Granted, I also swore up and down that I wasn’t going to put up my Christmas tree this year… I just wasn’t feeling it. However, I cracked on Sunday afternoon and my Christmas tree is now looking lovely in the corner of the living room. So, I could give in and send Christmas cards… The issue is that for being a happily single gal, I send a lot of Christmas cards. Apparently the gigantic family with a lot of branches and a lot of friends has me mailing between 70 and 85 Christmas cards each year. It is just a lot of work and I am not sure I am up to it this year… I still love you all though!
I actually buy my Christmas cards during the after Christmas sales the previous year. Why not get them for 75% off? It is not like they are dated or anything? So one of the sets I bought last year, I just love. Many of you who read this will be getting it from me NEXT year when I send cards. Until then, I hope everyone can enjoy the card below, a VERY Southern Christmas card. They are are part of the 12 days series from All Port Editions. You can find them here: http://www.allport.com/Catalog_Product.aspx?catid=4&prodid=134
A Southern Christmas from Allport Editions
Amazing Pie: Caramel Apple Pecan Pie
Carmel Apple Pecan Pie
This is one of my most favorite pies to make because EVERYONE loves it! It is now a staple at Thanksgiving for my family. I actually have people request that I make it, but it takes a while to make so it usually only makes an appearance at Thanksgiving. Now, I have to admit that I got the original recipe from somewhere on the internet, but I don’t remember where. However, I have been making this for about seven years now, and have made many of my own adaptions over the years! So I do apologize to whoever originally gave me the idea, if I could remember who you were I would thank you!!
Digging In!
Ingredients:
For Pie Filling:
- One pie crust. You can make your own or buy one. If I had the counter space, I would make my own because I use a deep dish pie pan and the store bought ones never cover it the way I would like. Alas, I don’t have the counter space, so I do buy the roll out shell and it works. Plus, it saves time.
- ½ cup of sugar
- ½ cup of finely chopped pecans
- 3 Tbsp. of flour (all-purpose)
- A pinch of salt
- A little more than 1 tsp. of cinnamon
- 5-6 medium to large apples. Peel and slice very thin. This is why it takes so long, the peeling and slicing. I used Pink Ladies this last time and Granny Smith the year before…both have been excellent.
For topping one:
- 1 and ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour (maybe a smidge more than a half cup)
- 1/3 cup of oats
- 1/3 cup of chopped pecan
- ½ cup of butter, cut into squares.
Topping two:
- Carmel
- Pecans for decoration
Steps.
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash your hands. You will need to do this a lot with this recipe.
3. Line pie dish with pie crust
4. Slice Apples, set aside
5. Mix Sugar, pecans, flour, salt and cinnamon as listed in pie filling section. After it is thoroughly mixed, toss in sliced apples until apples are completely coated.
6. Spoon pie filling in pie dish, set aside. (Arrange filling as best you can and fit as much into the dish as possible!
7. Make topping one
a. Wash hands
b. Mix all ingredients together except butter
c. Add in cut butter pieces and mix well with hands so it all sort of crumbles together. It almost makes a crumble/ paste.
8. Spread (with hands) topping one all over the top of the pie filling. Pack it all on and cover every apple… it gets a bit messy, but using your hands is the best way to cover the whole thing and mold it into a nice round shape!
9. Wrap sides of pie in tin foil and bake for 45 minutes!
10. Remove tin foil and bake for another ten minutes
11. Remove from oven…. If you are serving right away, drizzle caramel and remaining pecans in topping two ingredients. I usually make mine the day before we are going to eat it, then on the day we eat it I will drizzle it with caramel (a fair bit) and the pecans and I pop it back in the oven for another 30 minutes or so. That way the caramel has time to warm and seep into the pie…. SO GOOD!
My family and I love this pie… if there are ever left overs, they get better as the days go on! Just be aware that prep work takes a lot of time, so be prepared!
So good, can you see the carmel pooling on the sides? Yum!
Holiday Let Down: Lights at the Zoo
At home, in the Fort, one of the things I loved about the Holidays were the Lights at the Zoo. We went many times over the years and it is was always a blast. Every imaginable thing is wrapped from top to bottom in lights… the zoo positively glows from a distance. There is ice skating, a puppet show, visits with Santa and petting zoo with reindeer. The lake in the center of the zoo is surrounded by lights with and there are displays in the water and strobe light/ laser light thing and it is all timed to music. There is snow on all the non-walk way areas, staff dressed up in costumes and lovely tunnels of lights you can walk through. The train runs around the park and they even show movies! Plus, all of the indoor exhibits are open you can see all of those animals… it is fun!
So, we decided that our end of semester activity with our exchange students to the local lights at the zoo. Even though I have been living down here for years I had never been to the lights at the zoo! Needless to say, I was really looking forward to the evening because 1) I love hanging out with the exchange students, they are such fun and 2) I loved the lights at the zoo back in the Fort, so I had high expectations. And I am so sad to report back to you all that it was a huge disappointment!
The palm trees were very cool!
There were lights, but not everything was covered. There was nothing to do but walk around and look at the lights, no ice skating, no puppets, no reindeers and we couldn’t even go into the indoor exhibits. It was actually really hard to even see where the path was and there weren’t any signs really to point us in any direction. We did see a lot of flamingos, and they were entertaining. I did love the palm trees wrapped in lights, that is something we definitely DO NOT have in the North! We did get a group picture with Santa and we all got funnel cakes. It was the first time one of my students had ever had funnel cake! I am happy to report that she gave it two thumbs up. So we enjoyed our time together and catching up, plus eating some yummy deep-fried treats, but the cost of the ticket wasn’t really worth what you got at the zoo. So, if you live near me I would not add it to your holiday plans. Sorry 😦
Sad little lights
Wednesday Wedding Tips: Introductions, Please.
Today’s Wednesday Wedding Tip is really more common sense and good manners… introduce people. Yes, brides and grooms, I am talking to you… please, introduce your bridal party to one another.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that I work in higher ed, so I am constantly working with new groups of students that need to be introduced to one another and made to feel comfortable. Now, I am not expecting every wedding party to start busting out ice breakers, but it would be nice if there could be a quick go around the room and say who you are and how you know the lovely couple. Yes, I am perfectly capable of going up and introducing myself to people, I have done it a million times. All I am saying is that it would be nice if the people who you are all there for would make it a little easier. So take a few minutes before you start the wedding rehearsal and have people introduce themselves. Actually, this is even better if it can be done before the rehearsal…. Engagement party, couples shower, wedding prep parties, any sort of party or event… heck, even a day when a bunch of people are helping with moving furniture. Anything is better than having to trying and remember which groomsman is which based on the random tales you have heard from the couple; or having to randomly find another bridesmaid on Facebook: “ excuse, I know we haven’t met yet, but we are both in so and so’s wedding… did you find a handbag as requested by the bride, I am so lost on where to get one… help?”
So, everyone planning these future events, set aside a few minutes to introduce all the players for the big day. But that is just my two cents.
Translation Tuesday: Tarnation
Happy last full week of classes in University land! This means that everyone around me… students, faculty and staff are ALL stressed out as we count down until the time that grades are turned in and the students depart the campus in a mass exodus for the winter holidays (and I can then find prime parking spots). As we count down to this time, student sometimes do things in their stress that make many of exclaim the topic of today’s Translation Tuesday: Tarnation! As in what in tarnation have they done now.
I don’t actually use it that often, I usually just say, “what the heck?” but I occasionally will exclaim, “what in tarnation!” It is really just a way to express shock, or dismay… really it is an expression to express disbelief. Examples:
- “What in tarnation have they done now?!”
- “He said what? What in tarnation is THAT supposed to mean?”
And the list goes on. I mean really, TARNATION, it is just a fun word. And you really don’t hear it all the time. Even living in the South, I hear it, but I don’t hear it every week. It’s fun and distinctive. Go ahead, expand your vocabulary and give it a try.
My Fave: Cranberry-Apple Casserole
Cranberry-Apple Casserole
Cranberry-Apple Yumminess!
Ingredients:
Base:
1 bag fresh cranberries
2-3 apples (I like granny smith, but use whichever you like)
1 Cup Sugar (I actually use a little less sugar than this b/c I soak in the cranberries in OJ, so use whichever method you like)
OJ
Topping:
1 and ¼ Cup raw oats
1 stick melted butter
½ to 1/3 cup brown sugar
½ to 1/3 cup chopped nuts (I like pecans)
- Soak cranberries in some orange juice the night before, and save about a tablespoon of the OJ before draining.
- Chop apples into bite-sized pieces (do not peel)
- When ready to bake, combine drained cranberries, tablespoon of leftover OJ, Apples and sugar in ziplock bag and shake together.
- Empty fruit mix into a baking dish, I recommend a square dish that may be a little deeper that a standard 9×13.
- To make the topping, mix all 4 topping ingredients in a ziplock bag and mix together. Empty the bag on top of the fruit mixture and spread it around.
- Bake the casserole for 45 minutes at 325 degrees!
This is great and easy recipe that is wonderful as a side dish during the holiday. It is also yummy on top of oatmeal for breakfast!
Black Friday Survival
Black Friday… more like sore feet Friday. Yes, I braved the crowds and went shopping yesterday and it really wasn’t all that bad. Well it wasn’t all that bad when we are talking crowds, it wasn’t the best on my wallet, but that was expected! Now, I didn’t do the midnight or 3am thing, but I was walking into the mall at 8:45am. My theory is that if I am going shopping at about the same time I would be getting to my office, it isn’t that crazy!
It wasn’t until I was trying clothes on at Loft that I realized how much I had actually planned out the details of the day, which I guess isn’t that much of a surprise… I had multiple plans in place to make the day go smoothly:
- Driving Plan: I intentionally mapped out my day by starting at the mall. Why the mall? Well one, the conglomeration of stores all in one place and two it is easy to get to from the freeway. You get off the exit and are dumped into the lane to make a right hand turn into the mall. Easy. It was even not difficult to find a parking spot… first row I went down! After the mall I drove to the other end of the main drag with all of the stores and made my one and only left hand turn of the day across the busy road (really lots of stores on one road, it is a giant pain to deal with). I then started at Kohls and made my way back up the road, but all the stores were on the same side, so only easy and quick righthand turns from there. From the last store it was a quick and easy right turn onto the interstate and headed back to my side of town.
- Clothing: So, I knew I would be trying on lots of clothes. I was shopping for some Christmas gifts, but I was also shopping for myself. Look, I’m thirty and single… I don’t have kids that I HAVE to buy things for, so I don’t really feel bad spending most of the day shopping for me. Anyway, I knew I would be in and out of fitting rooms, so I was sure to wear clothes that were easy to get I and out of… comfy ballet flats that were easy to slip on and off, not shoes with laces. Jeans and an easy pull over the head top, no button downs. Also, no jacket… that would have been one layer to many… besides it was about 70 degrees out by the late afternoon!
- Prep work the night before: I had all my coupons clipped and I had gone through all the ads from the paper that day. I had also checked my e-mail because I am on eight million mailing lists it seems like, so I knew where all the deals were! Finally, I cleaned out my pursue so I only had my wallet and some tissues… not the camera, I-pod and various mail I carry around on a normal basis. Add in a bottle of water in case I get thirsty, and I was ready to go!
There were some good deals to be had… 50% off your total purchase at Loft and The Limited, 40% off at Banana Republic, 50% plus an additional 10% at New York and Co, a lot of stuff at Belk was 40-55% off and then 15% on top of that. I got some very cute clothes for work (very excited about my $80 pants from The Limited that I got for $30). I also bought new dishes at Bed, Bath and Beyond that I really love and was very happy to use the 20% off your total purchase deal and the $30 gift card I had! But none of my deals were quite as big as the deals the soon-to-be-step-mom got. She went out at midnight and got two fabulous deals at HH Greg. She got an forty-something inch LG, 3D TV and Blueray player for $800 and a beautiful Maytag stainless steel refrigerator. It is the cool kind with the freezer on the bottom and double doors on top… originally about $2,100 and she got it for about a $1,000. PLUS, they delivered and installed the damn thing today!
Black Friday Deal at Dad's!
For all the good deals, I was a little surprised it wasn’t crazier out. I mean, it is not like there was a crowd every place I went. I found a parking spot in the first row I went down at when I got to the mall. There was a line to try on and pay at Loft and JC Pennys, but there was no line at all at New York and Company, The Limited, Dillards (granted they had no good sales) or at some of the other places I went. The crowds were just hit and miss. Probably not a bad thing for my patience, don’t know if that is good for the economy!
I had fun shopping!
So, I survived Black Friday and will be continuing the rest of my Christmas shopping at Holiday Fair next weekend!
Thanksgiving Traditions, with a Southern Twist
Thanksgiving is my MOST favorite holiday each year. I love the food, I love good and relaxing time with family and friends, I love time off, I love the fact that it is fall, I love the rivalry weekend in football, I love the traditions. My traditions are that I am always with my Dad’s side of the family. I can remember driving down the 500 plus miles from where I grew up above the Mason Dixon line to visit my grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins in the South. I can remember them all coming up to the cold weather for the holiday a few times, regardless, I have always had Thanksgiving with my Dad.
So I will head over to my Dad’s house in a few hours for some yummy turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, sourdough and sausage dressing, green bean casserole, squash casserole and the list goes on! I am taking two of my favorite dishes that I’ve made from scratch: Carmel Apple Pecan Pie and Cranberry-Apple relish (or crisp, or casserole, I am not sure of what the classification should be) I will be sure to post the recipes some time! We will hang out eat and maybe watch a movie or take a walk. Then, come 8pm or so, the best Thanksgiving tradition… the Turkey sandwich. I love the turkey sandwich during the holidays. Steps to the best turkey sandwich:
- Wheat toast with miracle whip (Yes, I like miracle whip over mayo)
- Salt and pepper sprinkled on the miracle whip, that way it doesn’t fall off
- Swiss cheese
- Crisp, cold lettuce and sliced tomato
- White meat from the turkey (the dark is fine too, but I like white meat more)
- Serve the sandwich with a large coke and a side of crispy kettle cooked chips!
So, later tonight I will be having my yummy sandwich while talking to the Bestie, which is also a thanksgiving tradition… long phone call with the Bestie recapping the events of the day from our crazy families. Friday I will hit the shops and have an annual Friday night dinner with some family members and Saturday is the big rivalry game in these parts! I am looking forward to every minute!
Now, I do have a few observations to make about differences between this holiday in the North and the South. My Aunt Joy (my Dad’s sister-in-law) is one of my most favorite people in the world. She grew up in the low country and her family has a historical beach house down on the coast, and I have been down there for Thanksgiving a few times over the years. I guess the first time I noticed the differences was about eight years ago and the two biggest thing were the turkey and the rice.
- Deep Fried Turkey. Now, I realize that this is becoming a popular thing across the country, but let’s be honest, if it is deep fried it got its start in the South! My Uncle is a big fan of the deep fried turkey and it is yummy because you can inject all sorts of seasoning into it (I vote Cajun) and it is nice and crispy. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it gets a little oily after a few hours of being out of the fryer, so it doesn’t really work for the late night turkey sandwich.
- Rice and Gravy. Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE mashed potatoes. Love them. To me, they are an essential part of the Thanksgiving meal. Now, as I mentioned, my Aunt is from the low country. And many years ago (I mean, a really long time ago), rice was a cash crop in that part of the country. So rice is a historic staple in their meals, and rice and gravy is a favorite. So in that part of the country it often replaces my beloved mashed potatoes. Crazy.
Okay, time to make that cranberry dish and finish watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade! I hope you each have a lovely Thanksgiving! There are so many things that I am thankful for in my life, I appreciate that I get to spend this weekend with people I love!
Great Artwork, Southern Style
I need this.
Souhthern Slang via http://90daysofart.com/southern-slang-11
Wednesday Wedding Tips: Avoid David’s Bridal
As I am Skyping with the Bestie as I write this, I ran the topic by her and she has several pros and cons about the topic…. David’s Bridal. Now, for those of you who have been living under a rock, David’s Bridal is a national chain store for all of your wedding outfit paraphernalia. The bride dress, the bridesmaids, mothers of the bride/groom, flower girls. Dresses, veils, shoes (dyed to match), headbands, purses (dyed to match), shrugs… they have it all and I HATE THEM. With a passion.
Now the Bestie knows of this strong hatred, which was a small factor in opting to have her bridesmaid dresses made by a seamstress. It was a also a small factor in why TT opted to get her bridesmaid dresses at a cute boutique. But, the Bestie has pointed out several good things about David’s Bridal, which I must share:
- Reasonable prices
- Can be relatively fast
- Decent selection of varying styles
- All over the place, so people from out of town and are in the wedding party can get sized easily
- Can go in and browse without too much trouble
Now, the many negatives:
- The sales staff are pressured to make the sell, so they pressure you in turn. My friend EWH and I went shopping for her dress earlier this year and they were so forceful that she had to make a decision THAT day. Back off people.
- Not the best quality
- The Bestie’s dress when it came in looked like it had been shoved in the bottom of the bag and sat on for a week.
- My college roommate Heather got her dress there and it had to have some major alterations. When she bought it they said no problem, we can take it up at the waist and it will be less than $100. When she took it back turns out they had lied and they had to take ALL the beading off the bottom and hem it from there… so it cost her several hundred dollars. And then they were rude!
- The staff are not always very knowledgeable
- I have had friends who have lost dresses there. And it took many extra weeks to then get the dress for the second time.
Now, imagine you have been in a lot of weddings, or just gone wedding dress shopping with a lot of friends. This never just involves ONE trip, but multiple ones. So all of these negative experiences build on one another. And I can say without a doubt, that I really dislike David’s Bridal. Try somewhere else folks, that is my opinion after shopping there many times!
Translation Tuesday: Dixie
Today’s translation of the day: Dixie.
As in the land of Dixie. This was the nickname that was given to the Southern states during the Civil War. It comes from the Mason-Dixon line (Dixon….Dixie), which was the line that was established in the mid-1800s to determine which states would be allowed to have slaves and which would not. The Dixon part comes from the last name of one of the people who surveyed the land and established that line (I am assuming the other part of that team was someone named Mason).
Dixie pops up in a number of songs, statements, books, stores, roads…. Lots of things with Dixie in the name to make that connection to the South. There is also the famous song “Dixie” but the actual title is “ I wish I was in Dixieland.” The first lyrics go like this:
“I wish I was in the land of cotton,
Old times they are not forgotten;
Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.
In Dixie Land where I was born,
Early on one frosty mornin,
Look away! Look away! Look away! Dixie Land.”
Feels Like Home: Homecoming 2011
I love working at my alma mater. I also loved going to school there, it was a great experience. One of the things I really adore about this place, is the history I feel to it because of my family. My Dad was a graduate of this school, as were his brother and one of his sisters. My younger cousin was a freshmen when I was a senior. My great-uncle and my grandmother both graduated from there. I love that we all have that connection.
A story that most of my students’ love is the fact that I lived in the exact same residence hall room my freshmen year that my Grandma Pat lived in when she was a freshmen! It was a very random occurrence, was not planned at all and the only reason we were able to figure it out was because of the proximity of the room to the phone booth. Back in the day they didn’t have phones in each room or cell phones, so all the calls for the whole floor came in to the hall phone… which was across the hall from our room. It didn’t have a phone in it when I was there, but the booth was still in place!
A graduate student in University Housing had heard this story about us living in the same room, so she reached out to me to see if my Grandmother would be willing to come and talk to the students in the residence hall about the what it was like then as compared to now. They slated it for Homecoming Week and that is how I ended up spending last Wednesday evening very late on campus hanging out with my super cool Grandma Pat and about 30 freshmen women. They were actually quite fascinated with her and what it was like on campus fifty plus years ago. My Grandmother had them in the palm of her hand, it was so cool of her to volunteer her evening like that. But listed below are some of the things that the ladies of the residence hall (all female halls) just couldn’t get over:
- They were only allowed to wear shorts when going to gym class. Even then they had to wear rain jackets over their outfits when going to class!
- Men were not allowed one step past the lobby.
- Curfew on weeknights was 10pm. It was 11pm on weekends. If you missed curfew you were out of luck and locked out!
- Each building had a house mom. If she thought your date picking you up was rude or intoxicated she would stop them from leaving the building!
- Classes were Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Then Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday! Yes, they had classes on Saturday, but they let them out by noon.
- One phone in the hall for all the residents. Hopefully people took good messages if you were out.
- Tailgating didn’t really exist yet among the student crowd. And adults didn’t do it at all like they do today.
- The stadium wasn’t nearly as big.
- NO AIR CONDITIOMNING in the residence halls or classrooms. (I’m not sure I could have made it).
There were other things, but those were some of the highlights. Love that she was willing to do that, love that I got to be there, love that I work at a place that feels like home!
Me and my Grandma Pat. Circa 1983
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