An original blogger long before the "easy" media existed. Compilation of newspaper articles and stories written by Betty Ainslie (my mother) from early 1960's onward, about everyday life as a wife and mother. Snapshots of life in suburban Chicago...
This is a time machine, in a way. To go back and learn a career of Mom, the small "bits and pieces", the snippets of thoughts behind, the reality, the humor. Her outside world moved forward at 60 miles per hour blending in a way with her childhood generational memories contrary to the times (she went to college--Ohio State--during the depression, a mother, shortly thereafter war wife) and found their way on paper.
I'm in process of collecting more newspaper articles by her--going further than Dad had time left to do. He compiled a handful but I'm finding a bushel basket. The subject matter varied, a "have -to -do" assignment at the start in the late forties early fifties, but also some of the subject people became life long friends, frequent bridge players and a source for her life articles in the future and hobbies.
She enjoyed antiquing through other assignments. Learned about Long Grove and, at that time, it was the place. Privileged? No, just middle class working for spending money, raising a family full time and creating a beautiful home. She was able to communicate through the media of her day, the newspaper, her thoughts and observations of that fast outside world steadily conflicting with the one of her, Pop and family.
This was her first contribution to the newspaper, April 1, 1949, after settling in a new area:
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The population of Arlington Heights was approximately 8,500 in 1949 and even less when they had moved in 3 years prior. When Mom left in 1977 it was over 65,000. This "introduction" was on page 1.
Wouldn't you hire her?
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Above is a photo of the Arlington Heights Village Hall taken in 1961 before it was raised. It is the same as it was when Mom wrote her introduction. The building housed police, jail, village offices and the library.
