Have you seen this episode of The Donna Reed Show? I must admit that I often sympathize with Donna’s frustration about being thought of as “just a housewife”. I can tell myself that it’s an important job and a high calling and oftentimes I am even convinced. But the truth of the matter is that…
Blame it on Lucy
One of my very favorite television programs as a young girl was “I Love Lucy”. It still is, actually. I have the first 5 seasons on DVD and the rest on my Amazon wishlist (David, if you’re reading this and looking for a no-occasion surprise for me one of these days, that’s a hint). For…
1950s Housewife
Last week my daughter who blogs at Retrohousewife Goes Green shared a blog with me, Jen But Never Jenn. A couple of years ago Jen had undertaken a two-week experiment of living like a typical 1950s housewife. I spent the better part of two days reading all the entries (she ended up doing a second…
Homemaking is back in style
The other day I read this post by Jamie Lee Curtis in which she muses about how she became a woman who is “obsessed with making gourmet food, organically grown, artisanally produced as (she) plays Words With Friends…this generation’s Coffee Klatch…”. She’s certainly not the first to make the observation that there seems to be…
My day as a 1950s housewife…
While searching for a Leave it to Beaver video clip to share this past Monday, I found myself thinking about what it was like to be a 1950s housewife. I realize that what we saw on television was an idealized view – I’m sure that most housewives didn’t always vacuum in high heels and pearls. …