Quotes from Susan E. Goodman

Girls would never do anything so unladylike as run, Norma explained. They would skip instead. And they would never, goodness gracious, sit so their skirts would hike up. Both boys and girls were taught respect for their elders, which included never interrupting or talking back to any adult. "I'm glad I didn't live back then," Catherine said (but not until later, when she wasn't interrupting anyone).

I haven't tried out one of those straw mattresses yet, but they look real uncomfortable," said Alex. "You'd have to be pretty tired to like it." "If you worked all day the way they did, you would be," answered Hilary.

At home, I set the table and make my bed," said Krista. "I like the chores I do here much better--like baking and taking food out to the pigs." Amanda helped get dinner ready. "I miss a normal carrot peeler," she said as she scraped vegetables with a knife. Then she started to shuck corn. "Now that I think about it," she added, "I wish someone in the future would invent a corn peeler.

This is a real pain in the neck," said Brandon M., wearing a yoke to carry two buckets of water.

I sort of wish they had invented hooky by now," said Brandon M.

Nineteenth-century children made work fun by having friends join in. In this "wool-picking bee," the kids got wool ready for spinning by picking out the sticks and burrs. "Talk and laugh," said Darlene, "but do a good job. You wouldn't want any twigs in there if your mom was knitting your woolen underwear!

Cool," said Alex, after he hit his croquet ball through the wicket. "Oh, it feels a little warm to me," replied Darlene, gently reminding Alex to have a nineteenth-century reaction next time he made a good shot.

Lorena liked it. "I'd say 'awesome,' but we're not supposed to," she said. "Not me," said Sam. "Now that I know how real butter is made, I'll never eat it again." "Don't worry," said Amy, "this is not the same as what you buy in the store." "I think it's better because we made it ourselves," said Allison.

At their sewing bee, the girls made a reticule, a small nineteenth-century version of a purse. Krista was glad. "I'm getting a cold," she said. "I can put Kleenex in it." "They didn't have Kleenex back then," said Holly. "That's why I'm hiding it in the bag," Krista replied.

Back in the 1800s, girls learned to sew as early as age four. Many of the girls at Kings Landing had never really used a needle and thread before. Being older didn't make their lesson any easier. "I'm always pricking myself," said Krista. "Look on the bright side," said Sarah, "burning yourself on the stove is worse.

Be careful," said Mark as Max picked up the potatoes Brandon T. unearthed with his hoe. "We don't want any fingers mixed in with our spuds.

Having a good team of oxen was the nineteenth-century version of macho, like having a fancy car today," said Gene, the oxen trainer. "A farmer was proud of owning a set matched in color and weight." Unlike a car, you can't take a team of oxen for a quick spin around the block; oxen don't do anything quickly.

A boy asked if the caps on the oxen's horns kept them from poking people. "They are just for decoration," answered Gene. "If he wanted to poke you with them on, he'd just make a larger hole.

As the girls changed into their nineteenth-century sleepwear, they all agreed that the nightcaps should stay in the 1800s where they belonged.

After walking on rocks in these shoes all week, I really miss good roads," said Amanda. "One thing I like a lot less here is the bugs," said Hilary. "Wait a minute," said Catherine, "We have the same bugs now, too." "Yeah," Hilary answered, "but they didn't have anything to kill them with back then.