The Ruby Chronicles (#5)

Editor Note:  The Ruby Chronicles essays come to me courtesy of Sid Stivland. 

The Attic

Spring or fall was the only time we could play in the attic.  It was not heated or air conditioned. Rummaging through the many big boxes containing old dresses and hats was so much fun.  There were the black velvet, wide-brimmed with fancy plumes, the plain hats, and the straw hats.  Rhoda and I often played we had a millinery shop like Mrs. Irgens in part of their Mercantile Store in Farwell.  Mrs. Irgens was a high pressured saleslady whom we often mimicked “If this hat is too plain-looking, I can put some flowers on it, or “I can put a plume on this hat – how would you like that?”  A chicken long tail feather or turkey tail feather found in the yard made a nice plume, we thought.  The long black skirt made of cotton or sateen and the sheer white blouse trimmed with fancy small buttons or lace trim made quite an outfit.

Another day we would go in to the restaurant business.  Little did we know about restaurants as the only time we went into one was when we went into the little café in Lowry and bought an ice cream cone for five cents.  To be a waitress was so much fun.  The customers, our dolls, sat on an overturned box.  Larger cardboard boxes served as tables.  The dolls ordered coffee (water) and cookies or crackers. Many of the youngsters drank coffee in those days.

Clothes dryers were unheard of.  The attic was a good place to hang the wet clothes on long lines.  At least the clothes froze and this speeded up the drying.  To go up two flights of stairs to get these heavy clothes – long underwear with frozen arms and legs sticking out wasn’t much fun.

In the middle of the roof was a trap door.  Pa climbed a ladder, opened the door and got on top of the roof to check on the chimney.  We thought it would be such fun to get on top of the roof and look over the country side.  But that was definitely a no-no.

The last year I lived in my childhood home the attic was almost empty.  During World War II, Mother and I sent many boxes of good used clothing – men’s suits, sweaters, dresses, and curtains to my relatives in Norway.  Clothes and many commodities were scarce there.  We read with great interest their letters telling who used the clothing.  It was especially interesting to hear how Aunt Margith made a bridal veil and train from one of the long lace curtain panels we sent.  And when Aunt Margith visited us in the fall of 1947, she brought me a wedding photo of my cousin and husband.  

She was wearing the veil made from the lace curtain.

Ruby Johnson Anderson