Thelma and Lowell's Diary: Feb. 8, 1943

She sews a 'luncheon cloth'; shoe rationing makes headlines

Lowell worked another double shift today, lasting from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thelma saw him off and then stayed up, washing clothes, cleaning the apartment — including washing the baseboards! — going to the grocery store, and sewing a red luncheon cloth.

A stack of luncheon cloths was once a staple of a woman’s linen closet. They were smaller than formal tablecloths, suitable for a card table, for example, and often had fancy embroidery and crochet trim, like the one shown here, being offered on eBay. Thelma waited up for Lowell and they drank coffee (hope it was de-caf!) and read the newspapers together before going to bed.

Headlines in today’s Louisiana newspapers were focused on two things: the continuing success of Russian troops driving back the German army and the beginning of shoe rationing. To learn more, you need to be a paid subscriber, but it only costs 16 cents a day to upgrade and get the full Thelma and Lowell’s Diary experience! Thanks for reading.