Oh no!  Both the in-Laws were aware (you know what it's like, when 
you're tense about it, you keep looking for it!).  My friend _knew_ 
there was something wrong, but she couldn't quite work it out...  of 
course, it was the poncho that caused it, for she'd not fastened up 
properly, as she had flapping material on her.

And then she bought a tartan sling, to carry the baby around the 
in-law's home town in, utterly unaware that she was causing 
mortification to her elderly mother-in-law, as babies strapped in tartan 
shawls on the back and side of the Mum, was a sign of extreme lower 
working class women, too poor for prams (fishwives).  So there was my 
friend, jaunting all over the place, completely unaware of the hidden 
messages in hints about using a buggy the MiL was giving her.  And her 
the Minister's Wife, an'all!

Makes it sound long ago - but her kids are 5 and 3!  Although the 
in-laws were in their 70s.  Lovely couple in all other ways, just 
completely flabber gasted by this new-fangled breastfeeding, 
baby-wearing stuff.  Although, of course, neither were new-fangled.  It 
was decent women being able to afford otherwise, doing it, that was new 
fangled!

I do remember babies being carried on backs in tartan shawls, by the 
women in the slums behind our house.  I was always fascinated by it, and 
how come the babies didn't fall out?  I asked an elder female relative 
to explain how to do it, once, and she showed me, but I forget the 
technique.  Every women did it sometimes in the home - for it was what 
you did with 'hinging' weans, who were poorly and demanding constant 
cuddles.  You bundled them in the shawl, and clamped them to you hip. so 
you could 'get on'... but you didn't do it 'outside'.  Just like you 
always wore a coat outside, in case someone thought you were so poor you 
didn't have one.

Morgan

> Dear Friends:
>  
> Oh Morgan, I love this image....I wonder what the Scottish minister  thought. 
> Maybe he was on her other, non-soup passing side??
>  
>   

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