Calling Cards

“Wash on Monday,

Iron on Tuesday,

Mend on Wednesday,

Churn on Thursday,

Clean on Friday,

Bake on Saturday,

Rest on Sunday.”

-Laura Ingalls Wilder

When chores like laundry or baking could take all day, our foremothers set aside a day to devote to said chores. These appointed days varied, woman to woman, as each set their own schedules. But as my mother pointed out, the women in a close-knit community had a general sense of who was doing what each day. Therefore, on Errand Day, a woman could expect to visit her neighbor with some expectation of seeing her at home. Thus, before the era of telephones, the tradition of leaving calling cards such as these came to be. If, by chance, your neighbor was not following her routine you could leave your beautifully personalized card indicating that said neighbor owed you a visit soon!