Suds in Your Eye

Guest post by Mom, normally the author of Northview Diary

My all time favorite fictional character is Annie Feeley, one of the stars of the show in this Mary Lasswell book about San Francisco during the WWII era. Suds in Your Eye is one of a series about three ladies, two widows and a spinster, who, although they may be a tad chronologically challenged, never let ANYTHING get them down.

When I first read the books I was too young to enjoy them, not getting the jokes, not understanding the culture of war time America. (And reading them even today can be a great way to get a feel for how Americans were thinking and living during that time.) However, the older I have become, the more I have come to love Miss Tinkham, Mrs. Rasmussen and Mrs. Feeley. In fact I would like to grow up to BE Mrs. Feeley and live in a junkyard called Noah's Ark (two of everything in there don't you know) and have a wall made of beer cans and planted with ice plants all around my yard. The three ladies are intrepid, fearless, strong and able, but most of all they are happy with what they have. They make very little seem bountiful and then share it with everyone they meet.

The story covers their adventures as they move in together, deal with a conniving thief who makes off with the tax money, and plan a wonderful wedding for Mrs. Feeley's nephew, Danny, and their Spanish teacher.

Mrs. Rasmussen is a cook after my own heart, able to take two cabbages, some caraway seed and a bratwurst and feed twenty people a meal fit for a five-star restaurant. (in fact there are two Mrs. Rasmussen cookbooks and thanks to my marvelous mother, I have both of them). Just reading about the food she produces will have you looking around for something to munch on.

Miss Tinkham is a music teacher fallen on hard times, whose motto is, "It's Cheerio my deario that sees a lady through."

Mrs. Feeley is a little rough around the edges, but with a hammer, nails and a bit of wire turns her storefront house into a home for all three. She likes to go barefoot and cadge beer from sailors.

From Miss Tinkham's vintage dresses (always a bit longer in back and just a little moth eaten) to Mrs. Feeley's green thumb, these books make for a feel good fun read that you will come back to again and again. (I have easily read every single one of them more than twenty times each).

As the three Noah's Arkies are known to say (early and often) "They sure go good with the beer!"