Norm Larson
Miss Elzinga was my Senior-Boys Home Economics teacher at Annandale HS, Annandale, Virginia in the Spring of 1974. I remember her ever-smiling visage, even when we would cut up in class. She was very patient with us and made sure we didn't stitch our fingers with the sewing machine needle, or burn ourselves at the stove or oven.
Each of us had to select, purchase, sew together, and then MODEL our clothing creations! Although it no longer fits, I still have the swim trunks/cover-up combination for which she gave me a grade of B since I had to ripout and resew the elastic waistband three times.
Along with our culinary masterpieces, Miss Elzinga taught the proper procedure for setting the dinner table for a full-course meal. In groups of four, we had to invite guests, prepare and serve the meal and then clean up afterwards. My group received a grade of A-. Dessert was a red velvet cake recipe that called for eight sticks of butter; four each for the cake and icing. Turned out the recipe we chose was copyrighted, and the school had to pay a royalty of $300 to use it - an expensive dessert in the mid-70s!
In the course of my life, I have often been commended for my domestic abilities - I have Miss Elzinga to thank for that.
