Survivor

 Gina was a survivor.  Mom always paints a picture of a no-nonsense, hardworking, practical woman with little patience for whiney little girls who can't even deliver a single egg without smooshing it.  I've talked before about her strength and wisdom.  I'm sure she was the motivating force behind educating the children and leaving behind the share cropping life.  She certainly did not have the inclination to stay in the good graces of the church over practical matters.  Going her own way from the family (Read The Old Farmhouse blog) showed she had courage.  I like to think once you tap that well, you find courage to do other hard things.  

Anyway, she always sent the kids and husband to church without her.  I'm sure she had shit to do, or simply wanted an hour or so of peace.  Who can say.  What this did give her though was freedom (to some extent) of judgement, and freedom to make practical clothes for her children.  Mom biked a lot, both for errands and recreation.  That calls for pants.  Skirts are too problematic when in the vicinity of spokes and gears.  Oh but the scandal!  A girl in pants!  The boys will be too tempted by the shape of her legs!  Honestly, I'm sure the boys never saw past Mom's huge knockers.  

Still what's the takeway?  Boys will be boys and can't be held accountable.  Girls have all the power.  It may sound laughable by today's standards, but these tenets still lurk in our culture's subconscious.  They're losing their hold, thank god, but not everywhere.  To this day, a woman can't walk into the Vatican with her shoulders exposed.  Then again just a few miles away at the local beach the Italians think nothing of bare breasts and naked babies, so maybe those toxic ideas aren't that prevalent.  

Side note.  Many people back in the day made their own clothes, but going to a tailor or seamstress was also normal practice.  

In summary:  Gina!   No fucks given!