SHEETS, NOT THE GHOST KIND

a picture posted by Old Trunks came back to haunt us. It isn't about sheets but it is about what about sheets?


The photo was of a large family, standing in front of a need-to-be-painted two story house. There was a sleigh and even more people. I suppose to get everyone into the picture, the photographer stepped into the next county. That is the way it was done, yet wouldn't it be great if one could SEE the people's faces? Let that be a lesson to all. Please.

Now what tickled me so was LLA posted the picture as her icon on Facebook. I have no problem with that because it wasn't my photograph to begin with and since I don't copyright, I am out of luck anyway, unless, of course, I screw up the picture with a stamp.

Now, I am not certain why LLA posted a notice that she liked Wamsetta sheets but it struck me funny that it was posted next to a picture of a zillion kids, a sleigh and a need-of-paint house. We may have to leave that in the mystery box.

My question was: Did those people have sheets? And when did sheets start, anyway? I could not imagine living in a Soddy in NW MN and having a loom big enough to weave them, besides cotton isn't grown this far north.

Old Trunks has since learned the first mention of sheets was for the wealthy back in the mid sixteen hundreds. It was learned that, once again, wealthy people had them on the east coast. The articles talked about the pillow cases being embroidered and were part of the hope chest. When is the last time you slept on a pillow case with fancy stitching and crocheting, for that matter?

It is wondered if these folks even had sheets, rather slept between quilts and by the looks of the house several quilts. OR perhaps someone gave them sheets--that is--handed them down. Maybe they where on the third set of users. Maybe they were really thin. Maybe they were patched.

There is nothing that smells better than sheets have been hung on the line in the winter and freeze dried then brought in and hung over clothes drying racks. Oh, can you smell that?

Personally, sheets have always been a part of my history. They were all flat then. The beds were changed on Friday--every Friday. The sheets were mangled, (ironed). Until I left home, I never slept on a sheet that wasn't ironed. What a shocker! Imagine, not ironed sheets? I am smiling because it really was a treat!

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