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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Rain, Rain Go Away

This has been the chilliest, wettest spring that I can ever remember.  Normally by now we've had to turn on the air conditioner and I would be wearing capris and sandals.   Not this year, we still have our furnace running!  Heck, one day last week it only got to 40 F as a high and we had to pull our winter coats back out of the closet.  That same day last week it snowed 9 inches in the northwest part of the state.  Right now I'm in my office at work with my space heater running.  It's May for cryin' out loud!  Ahhh, springtime in Nebraska!  ;)

All of the rain we've had lately got me thinking about how people of the past handled rainy days. 



Remember rubber galoshes?  Raincoats?  Umbrellas?  Ladie's plastic head scarves?  I never see any of those things anymore, except maybe umbrellas once in a while. 




But even umbrellas are scarce.  It seems people would rather look like a bedraggled wet cat than take the extra few seconds to pop open an umbrella.  Again, it may be different elsewhere, but especially here on the college campus I work at, I hardly ever see students or staff using umbrellas when it's raining.  They're all wearing hoodies that are plastered to their soaking heads. 

Did I miss something, some cultural memo that states it's now uncool to use an umbrella?  Now, I'm aware that plastic raincoats and galoshes have been relegated to elementary school age children (and probably no higher than 2nd grade, as fast as kids grow up these days) for decades now, but umbrellas?

I guess it just goes to show how casual our culture is now.  Perhaps it's because women no longer wear elaborate hairstyles that would need more rain protection, I don't know.  But then, we've become so casual that we see nothing wrong with going to Walmart in our pajamas.  Or, rather, ratty sweatpants with a wrinkled t-shirt, because of course no one wears actual pajamas anymore, dont'cha know.

I'm sure if I came to work in a dress, heels, curled hair and red lipstick, wearing galoshes over my heels, using an umbrella, I would be looked at as if I just stepped off a spaceship from Mars.  Not that the dress, heels, hair and red lippy wouldn't make them look at me like that anyway, but I'm sure the galoshes would be the proverbial straw that broke the camal's back.

Aren't these galoshes from the Montgomery Ward 1936-37 catalogue lovely?  It's a shame they're now just a memory, except to us vintagephiles. 




What about you, do you utilize proper rain gear when heading out on a rainy day? 




6 comments:

  1. UGH, I have always hated galoshes. I even hated them in the '50's and '60's when I was a kid. In all the places I've lived, the wind blows too hard to use an umbrella. They don't do much good and usually get bent wrong side out. My college attending daughter and I do try wear some sort of water resistant or repellent coat or jacket, but not a plastic slicker.

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  2. There are so many cute rubber boots now, I may have to snag a pink plaid pair I saw the other day...
    Once when she was caught in the rain, my Mom tied a grocery store bag over head (she believed that getting her hair wet made her sick). She looked hilarious, but didn't care, because her head was dry.

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  3. I've seen some adorable rubber galoshes. I absolutely love umbrellas myself!

    iamemmamusic.blogspot.com

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  4. Just discovered your blog and am lovin' it so far!

    I agree, our dress has become so casual, too much so in my opinion. Even though I'm not required to, I wear a dress & heels, full make-up and hair done almost every day to work. Even on "casual days" I pair my jeans with heels and a scarf, can't imagine wearing sneakers to the office!

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  5. Be happy to know that I love umbrellas :)

    I have no idea why but I htink them brilliant and a great accessorie :) Especially as they can now be purchased in so many pretty colours and designs :) Bring back the umbrella!! lol

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  6. Hi Betsy! Thank you for stopping by! and for your comments :) Dinner turned out great, thank you for asking! and you definitely have to check out PW's recipe's, they are to die for...and what I love about her recipe's is that she gives you step by step instructions..and her pictures are beautiful!

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