Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
The age-old question…are the buttons of a garment, on the left side or on the right? If one is wearing women’s clothing, the buttons are on the left side of the garment. If one is a man, the buttons are lined up on the right side. This would really make sense if all women were left-handed and all men were right-handed, but the majority of people are right-handed so that’s clearly not the reason.
During the Victorian Era, women’s clothing was much more complicated with their thick petticoats, corsets, and bustles. But while rich men often dressed themselves, their female family members most likely had servants to help put on their clothes. Another fact is that many women breastfed while holding their baby in their left arm. To make it easier to dress correctly, clothiers might have started sewing buttons on the opposite side, making the buttons on the left.
Why did men have theirs on the right side? It is thought that it had something to do with the war and the military uniforms. Because male soldiers often drew their weapons with their right hand, putting buttons up the right side would make it easier to adjust and button with their free left hand. To ensure that their enemy’s lance point would not slip between the plates, they overlapped from left to right, since it was standard practice that the left side, which was protected by the shield, was turned to the enemy. Even to this day, men’s jackets button up on the right side.
Anyhow, it remains a traditional custom to this day, that men’s buttons are on the right side, and the women’s buttons are on the left side. This continues to dominate fashion design, regardless of mass production.
Life’s little instructions include the following:
- Quit complaining.
- Call, visit, or send a card to someone on the concerns list.
- Don’t badmouth other people.
- Do a kind deed every day.
- Help people when they least expect it, without a reason.
Farmers are busy making their second cutting of hay. Parts of the county are drier than others. The South Fork River is very low, which means rain is needed to bring up the water table. It is very difficult to find fish or minnows in the river, down to Brandywine.
Sitting inside by the air-conditioner is the best way to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Willard and Judy Rader and Benny and Linda Custer enjoyed a delicious dinner and visiting with family and friends Saturday in the home of Mike and Robin DelBiondo in Waynesboro, Virginia.
Little Charlee Marie Hoover has had a successful heart transplant. She is a walking miracle with lots of energy now. Charlee is the daughter of Danielle and Jaimie Hoover and granddaughter of Charlotte and the late Danny Hoover.
Several Pendleton County Farm Bureau members in the community enjoyed the organizations’s annual delicious dinner meeting Saturday evening at the Potomac Highlands Recreation Center in Franklin. The 36th annual service award was presented to Terri McCoy, a well-deserved recipient.
Visitors of Rosalee Grogg were Madison Grogg and Marleta Wimer.
Nice to see the Sugar Grove Maple Leaves 4-H Club serving food Saturday at the Gene Crigger personal property auction at 330 Idle Acres Lane (off Brushy Fork Road). There were 54 registered bidders.
Many family members and friends gathered Saturday at the Sugar Grove VFW pavilion to help Verla Puffenbarger celebrate her 80th birthday.
Saturday visitors of Evelyn Varner were Donnie and Judy Smith of Bridgewater, Virginia. Sunday visitors in the same home were Ronnie Pitsenbarger, Logan McMillen and Joyce and Richard Marshall of McGaheysville, Virginia.
Quotes for the week are as follows:
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can’t help them at least don’t hurt them.” — Dalai Lama
“There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” — Mandy Hale
“Gossip dies when it hits a wise person’s ear.” — Unknown
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” — Steve Maraboli
“Somewhere along the way, we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
This week’s clickety-clacks for the chin wagers are as follows:
- Australia is the only country that is also a continent.
- The Barbary Apes living on the Rock of Gibralter are the only wild monkeys left in Europe.
- Parts of New Orleans, Louisiana, are 5 feet below sea level.
- Boomerangs have been known to travel more than 300 feet before returning.
- Not all swans are white. In fact, one Australian species is almost completely black.
- A teaspoon of honey is the entire life’s hard work of 12 bees.
September birthdays include the following: Loretta Blankenship, first; Eldon Puffenbarger, second; Braxton Grogg and Trent Alt, third; Eleanor Simmons and Ralph Parker, fifth; Nila Bland, Sandy Smith and Mike Eye, sixth; Dawn Frame, seventh; Kelly Sites and Allen Sisson, eighth; Shaun Bowers, Lorena Hoover and Liz Somerville, ninth; Cara Mitchell and Jed Conrad, 10th; Mary Simpson, 12th; Laura George, Kyler Kiser, Barbara Woodward and Brenna Mitchell, 13th; and Dewayne Gillispie, 15th.
Concerns for this week are many, and they are as follows: Charles Anderson, Lynn Beatty, Jack Bennett, Bill Brackman, Scherry Chambers, Charlotte Copley, Jeff Craig, Ralph Dunkle, Jeff Evick, Lee Roy and Ina Evick, Mary Eye, Ron Gilkeson, Barry Gordon, Lola Graham, Marlene Harman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Starr Hedrick, George Hevener, Gary and Jackie Hills, Virgil Homan, Jr., Charlee Marie Hoover, Keith Hoover, Lorena Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Enos Horst, Bob Hurry, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Melissa Lambert, Robin and Kitty Lambert, Robert Lambert, Rex Landis, Angela Lung, Linda Malcolm, Betty Mallow, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Neil McLaughlin, Naomi Michael, Joe Moats, Lincoln Moore, Ernie Morgan, Aaron Nelson, Kathy Nelson, Ken and Ruth Nelson, Bennie Nesselrodt, Cheryl Paine, Sutton Parrack, Ronnie Pitsenbarger, Wanda Pitsenbarger, the Billy Pratt family, Alda Propst, Betty Lou Propst, Kara Propst, Kathy Propst, Linda Propst, Marilyn Propst, Sheldon Propst, Pam Rexrode, Donna Ruddle, Bernie Sasscer, Barbara Simmons, Emily Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, the Kittie Simmons family, Robbie Sites, Ona Smith, Stanna Smith, Patricia Swecker, Rosa Tichenor, Sandra Vandevander, Jack Vogel, Judy Waggy, Ron White, Judy Williams and Larry Wimer.
