First Day of Spring

Happy Spring!

Don't you just love the seasons? The change is good for me.  Every time the seasons change I think, oooh, this is my favorite season.  I don't think I can pick a favorite. 

This week I was sick, a virus last week which was a 24 hour bug, ended in throat, sinus and ear infections this week.  I've been down.  A Z pack from my doctor and I am on the mend.  There hasn't been any walking, very little working and zero fun this week.  Oh, and no voice, so no talking.  So, I am ready for Spring, a change and some fun.  Though I have a low key weekend planned.  I think the fun will come later as my throat still hurts and the cough is setting in.   

The First Day of Spring does make me feel better.

When I was in school the girls wore dresses until I got in 6th grade, then the rules changed and we were allowed to wear dress pants.  By the time I was a freshman in high school we were allowed to wear jeans to school.  A dress, everyday!  On the First Day of Spring we wore a brand new Spring dress.  When I was in first grade my Grandma Vander Haak bought my dress.  It's a very clear memory as it was unusual to receive a gift for no reason.  It wasn't my birthday or Christmas and I got a dress in a gift box from a store in Bellingham. Oh, the joy!  It was empire waist with a pale chambray fabric on the bottom and the top was red with tiny white polka dots.  There was a small ruffle on the neckline, gold buttons and a tie around the empire waist of the red fabric.  When I got to school I was happy that I had the new dress from my Grandma.  I am the oldest child and I don't think my Mom or I would have known of this tradition had my Grandma not stepped up and bought the dress.

My Mom quite often sewed my First Day of Spring dresses.  I remember one of them was a print with white, and a bright pink and green.  A drop waist and some small lace trim at the neckline and a green bow at the ruffle.  My sis, Kathi and I wore identical dresses that year.

When I was in junior high my Mom sewed a red, white and blue dress with a collar and a front zipper.  I ordered red, white and blue boat shoes from the JC Penney's catalog using my babysitting money.  Practically a fashionista!

Little girls wore dresses, ankle socks with black mary janes on Sunday and saddle shoes on school days.  Play clothes after school and on Saturdays.  My Mom sewed many of our dresses, or ordered them from the Sears or JC Penney's catalogs.

I don't have pictures of the First Day of Spring but this picture is of first grade or kindergarten on the first day of school.

 I think this picture was third or fourth grade first day of school.

 My sister, Kathi, my brother Ken and myself are in this next picture.  There was a lot of plaid.  I still  love  plaid dresses.  My Mom did a lot of sewing for us and our dolls.

 Girls wore dresses and had to learn to sit like a lady from a very young age.
Never mind that I am sitting on the arm of the sofa instead of on the sofa.

Getting a perm was NOT a fun tradition for little girls.  I remember my Mom and my Aunt Clarice giving Kathi and me perms.  Aunt Clarice went to Newberrys in Bellingham in the morning and bought the perms and popcorn.  My life changed that day.  I was bent over the kitchen sink, perm running in my eyes as Aunt Clarice rinsed my head.  I was crying, my eyes were stinging, and it was stinky when Aunt Clarice gave me the bad news about suffering to be beautiful.  It was the first time I heard that girls have to suffer to be beautiful. 

Obviously, the picture was taken prior to the rinse and the bad news.
Kathi and I didn't even see that rinse and bad news coming.  We had popcorn from Newberrys, oh happy day!

 There is no new outfit for me today.  Just my old jeans, a T and sneakers for some house cleaning and laundry.  I wonder if the little girls at Lynden Christian School still have a new First Day of Spring dresses.  Probably not.  It was a fun tradition but it's probably over now.  Fortunately, little girls don't have to get perms anymore, or wear a dress everyday.  Of course, they aren't learning to sit like a lady or how to suffer to be beautiful either.
And on that note, I sound like an old lady, so let's wrap this up.
Have a good weekend, enjoy Spring and remember to sit like a lady!