she would have been more carefree.
Viola, who experienced a level of prosperity, had a different view. She could make the occasional frivolous purchase, and aspire beyond her humble beginnings on the farm, knowing that her partnership with my grandfather would protect her.
Viola worried about overindulging her children because she had a career. Unlike her childhood friends, who worked as operators, or were exclusively homemakers, she was the Boss, and was burdened with the responsibility of running the mill.
At the end of a working day, she did not walk away from it. The kind of ambition Viola had in the 1930s and 1940s was the stuff of shop girl storylines in Hollywood movies. She encountered her share of detractors, but nothing mattered to her as much as the dictates of her own conscience. She was proud to work outside her home, and would not have chosen otherwise.
Lucy was handed her circumstances not by choice but by fate. But I imagine that Lucyâs diligence and craftsmanship would have been there, regardless of the level of success and support she had from Carlo. She was also intent on working, because her craft added dimension and purpose to her life.
When my mother married, she gave up her career. My parents married in the late 1950s, and that was the expectation. Now, whether my mother suffered because of this is another story entirely. I knew from the time that I was small that my grandmothers ran their own shows. I felt sorry for my beautiful mother that she hadnât been able to work after she had our family. But as it turns out, my generation is back to basics, surviving like our grandmothers, fending off the wolf at the door.
Chapter Six
La Bella Figura
Viola â s bella figura.
A serene Lucy.
The Basics
Viola established a beauty routine and a look that was simple. She wore cherries in the snow lipstick, Arpège perfume, and a hat in the sun. Her skin creams were strictly Estée Lauder because she appreciated the free gift with purchase. Her sister Helen, the hairdresser, gave her the latest medium cuts for wavy hair, through 1980. Then Viola went with the modified Betty White: height on top, loose waves to the side, fringe of curls in a flip.
Lucy used a face cream, powder, and a little rouge from time to time. I donât know what they would make of my tackle box of cosmetics, but whatever I do, I do in the hopes of looking like my grandmothers.
Begin each day in a state of calm.
Lucy taught me to begin each day in a state of calm.
In Lucyâs home, you did not wake up to alarms, chaos, arguments, and noise. Lucy rose an hour before her children, put on her coffee, ate her breakfast, and read her papers, and by the time the children were up, she was ready to help them get up and out the door.
Eat a good breakfast.
The small act of rising early and eating breakfast will make a big difference in your state of mind as you face the workday. When we take advantage of the early hours of the morning, we have a chance to think and prepare for our day. Once everyone is up, the day takes off and almost runs away from you. Here, in the serenity of early morning, you can take time for yourself and your thoughts. I read the papers, check my calendar, and read something for pleasure. I prepare my breakfast, Viola style.
Every morning, Viola prepared her version of a latté, a bowl of steamed milk with half a cup of strong coffee in it. Viola added sugar, and then would take the heel of the bread from the day before and dip it into the milk and coffee. Sometimes sheâd break up crackers in the milk instead of the heel of the bread. I substitute whole wheat toast with peanut butter, or I have an egg with the latté.
The very act of holding the warm, oversize ceramic cup in a big easy chair in the quiet of the morning begins my day with a ritual that reminds me of the women that came before me.
Lucyâs breakfast routine included a poached egg, toast, and freshly squeezed
Viola, who experienced a level of prosperity, had a different view. She could make the occasional frivolous purchase, and aspire beyond her humble beginnings on the farm, knowing that her partnership with my grandfather would protect her.
Viola worried about overindulging her children because she had a career. Unlike her childhood friends, who worked as operators, or were exclusively homemakers, she was the Boss, and was burdened with the responsibility of running the mill.
At the end of a working day, she did not walk away from it. The kind of ambition Viola had in the 1930s and 1940s was the stuff of shop girl storylines in Hollywood movies. She encountered her share of detractors, but nothing mattered to her as much as the dictates of her own conscience. She was proud to work outside her home, and would not have chosen otherwise.
Lucy was handed her circumstances not by choice but by fate. But I imagine that Lucyâs diligence and craftsmanship would have been there, regardless of the level of success and support she had from Carlo. She was also intent on working, because her craft added dimension and purpose to her life.
When my mother married, she gave up her career. My parents married in the late 1950s, and that was the expectation. Now, whether my mother suffered because of this is another story entirely. I knew from the time that I was small that my grandmothers ran their own shows. I felt sorry for my beautiful mother that she hadnât been able to work after she had our family. But as it turns out, my generation is back to basics, surviving like our grandmothers, fending off the wolf at the door.
Chapter Six
La Bella Figura
Viola â s bella figura.
A serene Lucy.
The Basics
Viola established a beauty routine and a look that was simple. She wore cherries in the snow lipstick, Arpège perfume, and a hat in the sun. Her skin creams were strictly Estée Lauder because she appreciated the free gift with purchase. Her sister Helen, the hairdresser, gave her the latest medium cuts for wavy hair, through 1980. Then Viola went with the modified Betty White: height on top, loose waves to the side, fringe of curls in a flip.
Lucy used a face cream, powder, and a little rouge from time to time. I donât know what they would make of my tackle box of cosmetics, but whatever I do, I do in the hopes of looking like my grandmothers.
Begin each day in a state of calm.
Lucy taught me to begin each day in a state of calm.
In Lucyâs home, you did not wake up to alarms, chaos, arguments, and noise. Lucy rose an hour before her children, put on her coffee, ate her breakfast, and read her papers, and by the time the children were up, she was ready to help them get up and out the door.
Eat a good breakfast.
The small act of rising early and eating breakfast will make a big difference in your state of mind as you face the workday. When we take advantage of the early hours of the morning, we have a chance to think and prepare for our day. Once everyone is up, the day takes off and almost runs away from you. Here, in the serenity of early morning, you can take time for yourself and your thoughts. I read the papers, check my calendar, and read something for pleasure. I prepare my breakfast, Viola style.
Every morning, Viola prepared her version of a latté, a bowl of steamed milk with half a cup of strong coffee in it. Viola added sugar, and then would take the heel of the bread from the day before and dip it into the milk and coffee. Sometimes sheâd break up crackers in the milk instead of the heel of the bread. I substitute whole wheat toast with peanut butter, or I have an egg with the latté.
The very act of holding the warm, oversize ceramic cup in a big easy chair in the quiet of the morning begins my day with a ritual that reminds me of the women that came before me.
Lucyâs breakfast routine included a poached egg, toast, and freshly squeezed
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