Home Ec Class

I was one of the last grades to be part of a dying tradition : the "Girls take Home Ec, boys take Shop" system. (Also, the principal still had a wooden paddle, which he used on Bad Kids.)


The class was divided on Home Ec day. The boys trooped off to make a wooden lamp, and we went to the sewing room to make smock tops with heart-shaped pockets. SO attractive; I think mine was done in purple and pink, reflecting my already heightened fashion sense.

There it is, on the left. I didn't look quite as good in mine.

We also learned to crochet, a vital Home Economy skill, and we made hexagons that were eventually sewed together to make a ball. Because, how can that not come in handy!

This kind of deal, except in more violent, 70's-ish colors. I'm talking avocado.

Our teacher was a slender, pretty shy gal. I was fascinated by her, since it came out during the year that she was dating the very single, very dashing geography teacher. His first name was Rod. He looked like the casino owner from The Flying Nun. I wonder how that all worked out?

Dude from The Flying Nun. God, I'm old.

One day in spring, the pretty, slender teacher took us outside to crochet our balls (and, yes, the boys did snicker when we reported that sentence later.) The sky was a radiant blue. We sang "You are My Sunshine" in three-part harmony. Rod "just happened" to come walking by, and he and the lovely Home Ec teacher giggled together for a bit. 


It was old-fashioned, it was hokey, and the class was about to be axed for something more politically correct, but that day was a good day.