The end of May and the beginning of June, a time filled with optimism and high hopes. For us in the United States, the Memorial weekend kicks off the summer season. Scenes like this lift the spirits of officeworkers and any other workers who can only weekend at the lake, or at the cabin, or at the lake cabin. Summer doesn’t begin on the solstice on the 21st of June, it begins three weeks earlier.
As a teacher, let me tell you a big secret, schoolkids: Teachers looked forward to summer as much or more than you do or did. Staying in the teaching profession after the 17 years of schooling, the summer break continued to be routine for me, a joyful routine. For people in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and maybe Michigan and New York, the summer breaks and weekends meant going “UP North” or as locally stated, UP Nort. For other states, my guess it they’d head somewhere that became synonymous with getting away and enjoying the ease of leisure. As my nephew reflected on this when he told me that putting the dock in by the cabin is great fun, a signal that the warm season is ahead. Fall and taking the dock in, not such a wonderful feeling.
In addition, a time of family reunions and celebrations.
The end of May, a time of great anticipation.
I did not know that ‘consumption’ was TB!
Yes, Sue, good to hear from you. The term up through 1900 was consumption, on death certificates and all kinds of documents. The origin I just found is that with the TB bacteria and attack on the body, a person deteriorates and loses weight, muscle, and that is where the consumption comes in. I did a study of people dying in the 1880s and this was common, and as I indicated, lots of different treatments to TRY to combat it, not all of them worked. By the way, the lady on the group picture, with the sour look on her face upper left, in front of the old guy. Her name is Sue or Susan and she’s either a patient/ resident or a staff worker. Not sure. Congrats, Susan, you’re one of these. Thanks for writing. Loren
I would love to be in the chairs by the lake. I’ve never had a dock, but it would be glorious. I can feel the cool breeze just thinking about it.
Hi Terrie. Thanks for writing, and I know how that feels out there on a dock, and even cooler weather and wearing a sweatshirt is a great experience. I am in the process of figuring out which character from the 1910 picture of the Blalock Asylum is TERRIE. Will tell you when I narrow it down. It will be on the new Elkfarm coming out shortly. Good to hear from you.
Terrie, two things to tell you. One, the devil got hold of me and I put a Terrie in the Elkfarm email. And 2nd, I figured out which patient/ staff member you were on the Blalock photo. You’re the little girl in the middle in the front. That looks a little like you as a kid, doesn’t it? Good Sunday to you.