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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Memory of My Mother and Tale of WWII

As we left town on Monday to go to the doctor over an hour away, my hair was poker straight, not a good look on me. Before I left the house, I intended to grab my foam rollers to put in my hair for the trip, just enough body/waves/curls not to look so undone.

The foam rollers were not there. So, I grabbed a pkg of bobby pins. As I sat in the car, I put pin curls in my long hair. I had never done this before. I knew something better than my present condition would occur with my hair.

When I finished, I remarked to exbf that I could not find the rollers as a moment's notice, but that this just looked like a short haircut instead of riding around with rollers in my hair. He said he HATES rollers in a woman's hair in public. I had no idea he felt this way since he has seen me in the house in foam rollers. It turns out he hates the brush rollers.

Just before we arrived at the doctor's office, I took the curls down and ran a pick through it. After I got out of the doctor's office, he said my hair needed combing when I asked how it looked. Nope! all that fluff is all I have.

My mother was a WAC in WWII. In the barracks there was a light's out, 10 pm, I think she said. Everyone would be rushing to get hair rolled before Lights Out.  The other women always commented that Mama was the only person who could roll her hair in the dark. She sat on her bunk and put in pin curls with bobby pins. The women were allowed to talk, so she could roll her hair and talk and laugh.

As I put in pin curls without a mirror as I rode in the car, I thought of my mother rolling hers in the dark, practically what I was doing. I think of my mother often and the things she told me when I was small and older.

I prefer the curling iron!

Your turn
Do you ever put pin curls in your hair? When you are doing things are you reminded of things your mother said or did or stories she told you about activities before you were born? Do these things comfort you as they do me? Or, are you like my friend who tried to never think of her mother because it made her too sad?

17 comments:

  1. Mom and I do most things differently, but this evening I was polishing my coffee service. When I get silver polish out I always think of Mom. When we were kids if she was having a dinner party it was my job to polish the silverware. The smell of Wright's silver cream always takes me back to the kitchen at my childhood home.
    I passed Cullman today on the way to the funeral in Huntsville and did remember to wave in your direction. After August we need to make plans to meet up.

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    1. Anne,
      It is nice to remember our mother's through our daily activities.

      Just this weekend, I was thinking we need a meetup of Alabama bloggers. However, you are the only one I know nearby. There is Lorraine, but she is so far away. So, it was just you and me...lol.

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    2. I have an app on my phone for the 100 best dishes in Alabama. Orange rolls at All Steak and the pork plate at Johnny's BBQ are both on the list. Would love to meet you at either and treat you to lunch.

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  2. I have crazy curly hair and I have never learned to tame it successfully so no, no pin curls.
    My mum is still around and driving me nutty so I don't know what will remind me of her after she's gone

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    1. kylie,
      I love your hair! I think curly hair is so pretty. No need to tame it.

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  3. I don't like seeing women in curlers in public too :) I do not think I have used curlers in may be 20 years. If the weather is humid, my hair is wavy, if it is dry, my hair is straight. I let nature do it's think. I like my pony tails despite my age.

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    Replies
    1. I am right there with you! I had straight with body - gorgeous hair before my 4th child, then funky waves and ringlets. Humid days are worse, but whose kidding - Houston is always humid. I am in a pony most of the time.

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    2. T'Pol,
      There is a woman here in town that spends all day Saturday in brush rollers just to look nice on Sunday. I don't get that! I don't think anyone is too old for a ponytail!

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    3. Jennifer,
      My head has never seen a ringlet. I have a wave that is hard to find on one side of my hair. My hair, if styled, goes limp since we are humid here, too.

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  4. Mom went to beauty school after high school so was an expert at pin curling hair- there are pictures of me that attest to her skill LOL. She married Dad right after she finished beauty school and just pretty much worked that first year and when I was an infant. I was born a year after their marriage with 5 kids to follow me. Occasionally she'd work for the same shop owner but just around the holidays. I was lucky Mom and I got along very well- she was never judgmental or critical and was a true church going woman who helped people a lot. I miss her and can often picture her sitting in a certain chair telling us she wasn't sleeping but resting her eyes- she was a true night owl but sometimes would doze off during the day. She died suddenly at age 74- way too soon.

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    Replies
    1. Nan,
      I can picture my mother in different places in the house, too. That must be nice to have a hairdresser for a mother and one who was not critical. Those are great memories of your mother. What caused her sudden death?

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  5. Linda I have not thought of pin curls in years. I thought rollers in public went out when hot rollers came in. Cant remember the last time I saw a woman with rollers in public. I never went to school for it but I had a talent for the bouffant hairdo with lots of big curls piled on top. My mother loved this look and I would do her hair before church. She did not wear slacks till her sixties but never got used to them. I worked at a shoe company right out of high school and one of the perks was shoes and purses at cost. I bought her a set each payday. Pointy toes and high heels!

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    1. carol,
      This woman was at least my age, and the rollers looked like a professional put them in--straight rows and tightly put in her hair, not one space left open. I never got the curls down, but I was good at teasing hair for a bouffant. She was a lucky woman with your buying shoes and purses for her. Good for you. I am so glad we have a stylish option to those pointy shoes!

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  6. My hair was so thick if I rolled it up when I was younger it would take at least two days to dry and sometimes would smell sour. Then those awful dryers with the plastic hat thingy came in and we all toasted ourselves.

    I cut my hair in high school and kept it short. It was thick enough with body and some curl that I could "wash and fluff."

    My Mom was born in Jasper, Alabama but left after high school. She was a great southern cook and I think of her when I make potato salad or some other dish and wonder why it isn't as good as hers even though I used the same ingredients.

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    Replies
    1. Janet,
      My hair was very thick and very fine, so it just lay down like a boy's hair. I remember the bonnets fondly.

      I make lots of food just like Mama did, and it tastes like hers except I had to make it. I think the fact I make it is the difference. Something made by another tastes much better because you are tasting it and in the kitchen! I have questions and will email you.

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  7. Throughout my career I have heard enough women fret they are turning into their mothers. I think this is the primal scream of women throughout history.
    I have no hair to put anything into it let alone curlers.

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Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.