Monday, December 8, 2014

Thank God for Leggings!

Now that cold weather has arrived it takes more effort to stay warm,
especially when the wind blows.  All of the layers - sweaters and pullovers
leggings, knee socks, wool stockings, boots, hats, mittens and coats and scarves -
are needed some days.  The list goes on and on depending on what activity you are
heading for.  





I don't know how many times someone has asked me,
"How in the world do you keep your legs warm with only a dress on?"




I don't have to answer, "Long johns" any more.
      or "Thermal underwear." 

I can say "Leggings have been invented." 




Moms and their daughters who wear skirts should jump out of bed
on a winter morning and perform a happy little dance along with a
happy little song - James Herriot style.





"Leggings are in, leggings are in, leggings are in today!" 
     or something like that . . .  Oh, wait! that's a song from a story about
Paddington that we used to get from the library back in the days
when we could get stories on records.





I know James Herriot was celebrating a new break-through in medicine,
back when penicillin began saving lives in the days of World War II.




Of course that is an entirely different thing altogether. 


But leggings may help women and girls keep their sanity.  =)




Remember Laura's story in The Long Winter?* The family moved to town
for the winter after Pa heard that this winter was going to be a doozy.




The girls loved school so much they couldn't wait for Monday mornings.
But one Monday Laura begged to leave the red flannel underwear
at home.  Ma sympathized but wouldn't agree so Laura went off to
a miserable day at school.




She describes the red flannels this way, "It made her back itch, and her neck,
and her wrists, and where it was folded around her ankles, under her stockings
and shoe-tops, that red flannel almost drove her crazy,"


With the soft cotton leggings we have today we may have some embarrassing
moments like this one mentioned here .
(Look for Nothing New Under the Sun and Embarrassing Moments  posted Wed. Dec. 3, 2014)

After I read my cousin's embarrassing moment I had the same thing happen to me -
fortunately in my own yard with mom and me the only witnesses.  I was getting in the
car and felt my half slip entwined around my ankles.
(I am blaming the leggings for this one.)    
. . . should I say mom and me? or mom and I?  Help me out, people, I am confused.


*The Long Winter  by Laura Ingalls Wilder

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I feel so sorry for Laura and Mary! Isn't there a place where they begged to go around in their petticoats when it was terribly hot and Pa was even gone...but Ma was horrified? I'm not sure if I have the details right. But I know it's a part that makes me feel sorry for them. :)

I enjoyed reading a bit of your blog tonight, Dawn. Thanks for your kind comment on mine. ~Luci Martin~