There really were schools back when I was growing up. I went to Catholic ones because my mother believed I might need a little extra discipline. (Do you think?) I’ll actually always be grateful for the reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic basics — we even diagrammed sentences back then. There are some other things I learned that are still hang-ups. I won’t share all the trouble I caused in our little schools! BUT one of the really cool things we did was to cover our heads when we went to church. The best head-covering time was Easter when my mom would take us three girls shopping for hats — wonderful big brimmed woven hats with flowers around the crown or with colors on the brim to match our dresses. My mom has been gone since the mid- 60’s (she died when she was only 39). But thinking about wearing a hat makes me think of her, and that makes me smile.
I don’t celebrate Easter any differently than I celebrate every day during which the sun shines or my dogs wag or I see my granddaughter or a friend calls. I’ve changed my focus since the early 60’s, but this morning the sun is shining, my granddaughter wished me a happy day, and the dogs are waiting while I type this.
So, to all my friends I say, “Have a beautiful day.”
Me too, on readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic, although I swear those nuns messed me up forever on math with those horrendous word problems that they made us put on the board. Ugh.
As for Easter, I don’t remember the hats as much as I do the shiny new patent leather shoes. Now that’s a memory that makes me smile!
Happy Easter day!!!!
I didn’t go to Catholic school, but we still diagrammed sentences. We had an English teach in 7th grade (her last year before retirement) who did the “head of the class” game. She would give a word and you would have to spell it, or say if it was an adjective or an adverb, or diagram a sentence: it varied. If you missed, you would go to the end desk and everyone would move up a desk.
Being of a competitive nature, I was always in the first seat or so. Probably too “cruel” a game for schools today where “no child is left behind” to think themselves a loser. She also rapped knuckles with a ruler. Maybe she was Catholic?
I spent my childhood attending a small Methodist church in Lakeport. I remember the dark wood inside and out which made the light coming through the immense stained-glass windows spectacular. We covered our heads only on Easter.
Another Catholic schoolgirl here. The indoctrination didn’t take, but the good education did. Those nuns were some strict teachers!
I don’t think I ever wore a hat (or a dress) as a child EVER, but I do find Easter to be a fabulous time to get my daughter, a shockingly girly girl for this tomboy to raise, all dolled up in a fabulous spring dress!