Sunday, January 24, 1926
Bright
A beautiful day and I believe warmer although I didn’t even stick my nose out. My head got achy and I feel so dull staying indoors all the time. The three boys went to Sunday school. Gilbert stayed at home and helped clean up. We didn’t get up early and so we didn’t get done with the work until 3:30. I read all the rest of the day, anxious for the time to come to go to bed so as I could open the window and breathe the fresh air. Collin’s came over about when we were about to get ready for bed.
(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "We grew up with bedroom windows open and bedroom doors closed to keep the rest of the house warm. In bitter cold weather, we had newspapers between the blankets, which kept us very warm. In winter the bedrooms were warmed about once a week to change the sheets and clean the rooms. I remember jumping out of bed and running out to the warm hallway to get dressed. Ah, I love springtime!"
I think breathing all that outside air is probably what saved them from the sooty air that they seemed to have inside because of the coke furnace. I think that is why Grandma was achy and dull after being inside all day long. But sleeping in that cold air doesn't seem like it would be all that restful.
It is nice to read that Gilbert helped out on the weekends. We should keep in mind that with his disability, one leg much shorter than the other, it probably involved some pain to do a lot of walking. And, he died from Parkinson disease in 1935, so at this time, 9 years earlier, would he be starting to experience some of the symptoms?)
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why was one leg shorter? I don't think I ever heard why. When did Grandma convert to a regular furnace?
ReplyDeleteKathy, the older sister
I think Mother got a regular gas furnace right after WW2, as I remember carrying out furnace ashes in the early 40's, shich meant the boys weren't there, just us women. When Daddy (Gilbert) was 5 years old he became sick, was sick for a long time. Medicine being what it was back then they were never positive what caused his illness,- some form of arthritis, polio, osteomelitis,etc. He didn't start to school till he was 8, and then he used crutches, then one crutch then a cane. I can't imagine what kind of pain he may have suffered all his life. Marjorie & I disagree about the open windows in winter. She says we opened the bedroom windows. But I remember then as being ill fitting & leaky & we got the winter air anyway, open or closed.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me cold just thinking about sleeping in the winter with the windows open. How did you stay warm enough to even sleep?
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