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[Scylla Rhiadra 16,678]

My Great-Great-Aunt Winnie had come to Berlin seeking adventure, but also, it is clear from her early remarks, because Germany seemed in the mid-20s to be at the forefront of emancipation for women. The phenomenon of the "neue Frau" -- the "New Woman" at the vanguard of the supposed social revolution that was making skirts and women's hairstyles shorter, and their participation in public and political life more important -- certainly seems to have been a vital part of the allure that Berlin in particular had for Winnie.

Part of what Winnie sought in Berlin she certainly seems to have found: she records a stream of visits to coffeehouses, department stores, and cinemas. But the hard reality of the fact that the social liberation had not been accompanied by a universal utopian freedom from drudgery hit her quite hard. The Republic was certainly more prosperous in 1927 than it had been four years before, but unemployment was still high -- and non-traditional work for women was still relatively hard to come by, particularly where one was burdened by a language problem and a narrow education.

Consequently, after about a week and a half of "dissolute living" (which mostly seems to have involved buying a new cloche hat, and drinking too much), Winnie was forced to look for work. Three fruitless weeks of searching for work as a stenographer or secretary (her frustration is palpable in this part of her journal) compelled her to accept Frau Becker's suggestion that she take in laundry. And so Winnie became, for a time anyway, a laundress, a disheartening return to what she calls in her journal "the drear and endless round of our sex's foreordained drudgery."

And drudgery it does seem to have been. Although newer, semi-automated washing machines (even electric ones!) were coming on to the market in the 20s, Winnie's references to her laundry work, brief as they are, make it clear that she didn't have access to such luxury. Winnie had to fill a tub with hot water, drawn from a communal pump and heated in a bucket over her landlady's stove. The tub she used -- again, Frau Becker's -- had a hand-worked "agitator," but most of the washing involved scrubbing on a washboard, and two rinses with clean water. The tub seems to have had a spigot for draining, but the waste water still had to be taken bodily to the sink, one bucket at a time, to be emptied between each part of the cycle. Then, of course, the laundry had to be hung out to dry; in this picture, I think, Winnie is collecting dry clothes from the line.

Unsurprisingly, the early pages of the journal make more than one reference to tired and sore arms and back.

Winnie doesn't detail how much she earned from her work as a laundress, but she does note with some excitement that, in one particularly lucrative week in September, 1927, she had worked through 2 loads of "flat work and beastly collars," and collected the handsome sum of almost 40 Reichsmarks (each Reichsmark being worth a little more than 20 US cents) -- enough for a more-than-usually-extravagant evening out with Anne and unspecified others. A loaf of bread in 1927 cost about 50 Reichspfennig -- a half a Reichsmark -- so she had earned enough, I hope, for a bit of a splash!

If I can figure out the German in her journal -- and some of it seems to be coded, or use shorthand -- maybe I can get a better sense of how she actually was spending her leisure time!

 

[BelindaN 8,352]

5 hours ago, Talligurl said:

Where did you get this? I love it.

United Colors Maven...……...The net leggings detach...…...so it makes a fancy beach costume……….

[Scylla Rhiadra 16,678]

8 hours ago, Saravendi said:

However, in your defense,  you did hide it but, to Scylla’s point, I also would have unassumingly looked as well, not realizing that it might be a huge spoiler alert to end spoiler alerts that was hidden... (kinda like Luke kills his dad, Darth Vader) instead, maybe I’d thinking there might be a picture of Nephe with dragons or something like that 😮

IKR? I AM OWED!!!

 

8 hours ago, Saravendi said:

please keep the faith girl, the show gets a bit bogged down in season 4-5... IMHO, yet seasons 6, 7 and 8 are like blasting to the moon 🌝! The spoiler doesn’t ruin anything,  as many characters die easily in this show (remember the red wedding) ..., it’s really the incredible journey, with great dialog, acting, special effects and a wildly imaginative story that I guarantee will still keep you surprised regardless about what you hear 😮!

Yes, I'm enjoying it . . . most of it. There are some moments of rather gratuitous violence that I could probably do without, but the characters are compelling enough! Mind you, I've also become a little numb to losing characters I like. I still haven't forgiven them for killing off Cat.

[Saravendi 8,815]

54 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

IKR? I AM OWED!!!

Yes, I'm enjoying it . . . most of it. There are some moments of rather gratuitous violence that I could probably do without, but the characters are compelling enough! Mind you, I've also become a little numb to losing characters I like. I still haven't forgiven them for killing off Cat.

Keeeeepppppp goooooing!!!! 

[Eva Knoller 5,785]

1 hour ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

IKR? I AM OWED!!!

 

Yes, I'm enjoying it . . . most of it. There are some moments of rather gratuitous violence that I could probably do without, but the characters are compelling enough! Mind you, I've also become a little numb to losing characters I like. I still haven't forgiven them for killing off Cat.

It is so so good. I read the books a while ago and the red wedding was definitely the moment when I knew no one was safe. But that’s what makes it stand out from other series, which may have one or two main characters die, at most. Here we have any main character dying at any given moment! I love the unpredictability. Ok, I’m done fangirling and off-topicing!

[Rhonda Huntress 19,463]

I know it's not officially Summer yet but I'm ready for swimsuit season anyway.

[DjNolastname 348]

meow

[VictoriaGrwd 7,280]

[Catrie 11,545]

I was inspired more by the aesthetics, of the video, than the actual song.

 

Edited June 4 by Catrie

[Orwar 10,713]

5 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

There are some moments of rather gratuitous violence that I could probably do without

   And I thought it went too tame after the first few seasons.

[Zeta Vandyke 10,476]

[Scylla Rhiadra 16,678]

50 minutes ago, Orwar said:

   And I thought it went too tame after the first few seasons.

We'll have to agree to disagree. Except that you're wrong.

On the other hand, the show could have done with a LOT more naked Oberyn.

[Angelina String 7,289]

Had to try to put together a decent(ish) outfit from the anniversary gifts at an event - Hair, glasses, jacket, dress, shoes (and even some panties under that short dress to stay somewhat proper)

[Amanda Dallin 3,533]

5 hours ago, Rhonda Huntress said:

I know it's not officially Summer yet but I'm ready for swimsuit season anyway.

I love this picture. Especially the reflection of your toes.

[dokitten 39]

58 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

the show could have done with a LOT more naked Oberyn.

Hell, yeah!!!! *dies of laughing*

52 minutes ago, Angelina String said:

the anniversary gifts at an event

wait, stop, explain! which event has now those gifties????

[Angelina String 7,289]

34 minutes ago, dokitten said:

wait, stop, explain! which event has now those gifties????

 This one...

Edited June 5 by Angelina String

[TatianaNikolay 15,125]

Seems like a few of us are in the summer mood.

[Coby Foden 9,155]

 

[Angelina String 7,289]

Awww, now you guys got me really longing for the summer

Edited June 5 by Angelina String

[Scylla Rhiadra 16,678]

Sometimes I just get in a mood.

 

"Fire and Ice" (1920) by Robert Frost.

Photograph taken at Everwinter

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elven%20Mist/242/122/26

Edited June 5 by Scylla Rhiadra

[Saravendi 8,815]

On 5/28/2019 at 2:02 PM, Angelina String said:

 

Lovely

On 5/31/2019 at 12:15 PM, Skell Dagger said:

Swoon

On 6/1/2019 at 12:01 PM, Talligurl said:

 

 

Stunning

On 6/2/2019 at 12:10 AM, NightDreamer09 said:

 

Electrifying  

On 6/2/2019 at 12:10 PM, Kotelle said:

Aloof (above)                            Awesome (below)

On 6/2/2019 at 4:33 PM, VictoriaGrwd said:

On 6/2/2019 at 4:35 PM, Catrie said:

 

 

Sultry 

On 6/3/2019 at 10:27 AM, Scylla Rhiadra said:

 

Intensity 

21 hours ago, Jeny Howlett said:

 

Innocence 

5 hours ago, Angelina String said:

 

Rejuvenation 

...and these are a few of my favorite things...

Edited June 5 by Saravendi

[Opal Gustafson 413]

[Kotelle 4,121]

[Orwar 10,713]

12 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

We'll have to agree to disagree. Except that you're wrong.

On the other hand, the show could have done with a LOT more naked Oberyn.

 

 

[Eva Knoller 5,785]