Friday, April 30, 1926

Friday, April 30, 1926
Hot

Let the fire go out but it got too hot before it went and Marjorie took an awful cold. She rattles something awful when she breathes. Made Gilbert’s shirt with goods Mama gave him for Christmas.

(They did not seem to buy any of their clothes. I'm sure the fabric was nice, but it seems like an odd Christmas gift, since it meant more work for Grandma.)

Thursday, April 29, 1926

Thursday, April 29, 1926
Warmer

(Another diary entry with nothing noted except it was warmer. Spring can be busy!)

Wednesday, April 28, 1926

Wednesday, April 28, 1926
Cool

Mama came and we mended. She helped me some this time. Made the buttonholes for Ned’s new brown pants I made last Friday.

(I wonder what made this day different that her Mama was a help versus a hindrance to her work?)

Tuesday, April 27, 1926

Tuesday, April 27, 1926
Warmer

Didn’t get my ironing done till supper time for all my good start yesterday.

(At times, Grandma's world did seem to revolve around washing and ironing clothes. Some days, ironing must have been all she did, and I think that even when she wasn't ironing, she was thinking about how she needed to get to her ironing.

What's our 21st century "ironing"? What are we constantly doing or worrying about not doing?)

Monday, April 26, 1926

Monday, April 26, 1926

Got up early and washed got done by noon and ironed some in the afternoon but was so tired by supper I don’t know whether it pays or not.

(Eleanor wrote, "Sounds like she could have used some household help. I'm always exhausted after reading about her work day."

My other grandmother, who lived on a working farm in southern Indiana, had a hired girl who came and helped with cooking and all, especially during the summers when they were canning food.)

Sunday, April 25, 1926

Sunday, April 25, 1926
Cooler in evening

Took Ned to Sunday school and wore my new hat and coat and nearly froze. I should have worn my winter coat but I feel so tacky in it.

(Eleanor wrote, "I remember having new Easter clothes and insisting on wearing them even when it was cold enough for winter coats."

I can't believe Grandma thought she should have a winter coat so late in the spring...)

Saturday, April 24, 1926

No diary entry for this day. Maybe it was one of those beautiful spring days and they spent it outside working in the yard? Grandma liked to garden and I remember she had many different flowers in her back yard, along with a quince shrub. I think in the 1920's, she also grew some vegetables and had more fruit trees than later on when she was living alone.

Friday, April 23, 1926

Friday, April 23, 1926

Made a Ned a new suit and a pair of pants, fixed up his old ones. He had torn the back of one pair and the front of the other so, as they were the same goods, I ripped the bad front out of one pair and put the good front in and they are okay for Sunday. Last week he cried to go with the boys so I promised to take him next Sunday.

(Eleanor wrote, "Good repair job, but she had a lot of experience mending clothes."

I can't sew at all. Grandma would be appalled at how I sew on a button. And sewing clothes? Out of my league. Mom (Eleanor) sewed a lot of our clothes when we were growing up, and did a great job.)

Thursday, April 22, 1926

Thursday, April 22, 1926
Warmer

Hoping Spring might be on the way. I invoiced the boxes in the attic and got out our summer underwear, boy’s short sleeved waists, etc.

(Eleanor wrote, "I got my summer clothes out too early this year (2007) which is why we had a cold spell!)

Wednesday, April 21, 1926

Wednesday, April 21, 1926
Fair and warm

Spring at last. The first day I could dress the baby without putting on an extra little sack around her shoulders. I thought I would get some sewing done today, but had to mend first as usual and that took all day. Ned tore his best and only wool pants so if it doesn’t get warm by Sunday, we will have to stay home again and last Sunday he said when the boys left that he wanted to go to Sunday school, too and I told him we would next time. He is old enough to start regularly now, and get used to playing with other children.

(I feel the same way in 2007, "spring at last". I thought it would never get here!)

Tuesday, April 20, 1926

Tuesday, April 20, 1926
Fair and warmer

I felt awfully bum today – felt like I might be taking the flu. Took anti cold tabs, etc but ironing was uphill business. I got done however although it was draggy work and I ought to have finished lots sooner, but I had to stop and lie down a while at noon. Ned and Marjorie both still have their head colds. Lots of people are cleaning house and I must get at it as soon as their colds dry up a little. I dread it this year as these two babies will be right with me in the dirt and inhale all of it.

(Eleanor wrote, "This must be spring cleaning season when everyone tried to get the soot and dirt out of their homes. I know I always had to clean the wallpaper."

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Spring housecleaning was very important every year. I can remember all of us kids spending spring vacation cleaning wallpaper, varnishing floors and steps, cleaning windows, and Mother washing curtains. It was kind of exciting accomplishing things."

Also, I've added some additional throughts from Aunt Marjorie to April 18 and April 19.)

Monday, April 19, 1926

Monday, April 19, 1926
Fair

Still cool. I got the washing out by noon and ironed some in the afternoon. The boys – me too and Marjorie all have colds in our heads. They insist in playing out and digging a cave in the damp ground. They turned the sand box upside down over it a for a roof, just had a little opening in it big enough to get in. It was dark down there so they got a wick for the old lantern and took it down there. But Gilbert put a stop to that for if it should upset and explode the boys would not have a chance in the world to get out before they burned to death.

(Those boys were at it again. Must have been quite a big hole if the three older boys fit in it. Good thing Gilbert was there to stop them from setting themselves on fire. Remember, these boys still fairly young when they were doing this. Dale, the oldest, was not quite 10.

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Our backyard was only 40 feet wide (I believe) but long. The half close to the house contained a vegetable garden and a lot of flowers and forysthia, snowball bush, and lilacs & grapes. Then an apple tree and a couple of cherry trees & quince - then the back with an old barn like building and plenty of space for the boys to dig all they wanted to. One summer, they built a "town" with roads to drive their little metal cars on. I thought it was a perfect yard to live with. Oh, yes, Daddy got 2 tall pipes from the gas company connected at the top holding the clothes line with a swing for Eleanor and me.)

Sunday, April 18, 1926

Sunday, April 18, 1926
Fair and warmer

Papa and Mama came over for dinner. Winifred was to have come too but Mable arrived from Memphis at 11:35 and Winifred had to go home with her as she was so tired. She has been there since the first of the month, where she applied for a divorce and custody of Winifred. It seems to me if she is as bad as Harry makes out, she ought not be allowed to have Winifred if he thinks as much of her as he lets on. The boys went out and were rolling down the long ladder in the barrel my dishes came in and Dale tore his good clothes so Gilbert got them in and give them a whipping.

(Harry was Grandma's brother, Mable was his wife and Winifred was their daughter. I think later Harry ended up with Winifred, but I'm not sure how it all worked out that way. I know that Winifred joined the Army during WWII and married a solder, who was killed in the war. She was pregnant when she was given the news of her husband's death, and ended up in labor, giving birth to twin boys. She and her father, Harry, ended up raising the two boys.

It sounds like my uncles were quite the daredevils as young boys. I can't believe they got in the barrel and rolled down a ladder in it. What were they thinking!?

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Mother had said that this was the only time Daddy ever spanked his kids, as he felt so bad about it afterward. Mother did the spanking and didn't believe in leaving the discipline to children - not fair to Dads having to be the "bad guy". ... I have heard not too many nice things about Aunt Mabel, but I always liked her and she was good to me. Mother always had good relationships with Mabel. Besides, I remember the beautiful flower garden she had in Irvington when I was young. Mabel taught Winifred the lovely needlecraft work they were both masters of.")

Saturday, April 17, 1926

Saturday, April 17, 1926
Snow

A cold damp disagreeable day. However I went to the show at the Apollo. Harold Lloyd’s “For Heaven’s Sake”. It was good. It looked foolish for me to go out in the bad weather but I had stayed in so long, was disappointed so often that Gilbert insisted that I go and get a good laugh. I did.

(Note for the weather, Grandma wrote "snow". 81 years later, we've had a few "cold, damp disagreeable" days in April, too.)

Friday, April 16, 1926

Friday, April 16, 1926

An awfully discouraging day and I don’t like to record my discouragements as they really do not last long and always are a result of my not feeling quite tip top. I am very nervous this week and below par all around.

(Everyone has bad weeks, it seems, even in the "roaring 20's". Maybe it had to do with paying taxes because since 1913, when the 16th amendment was passed, there has been a permanent income tax in the United States.

Thursday, April 15, 1926

Thursday, April 15, 1926
Fair

A lovely day but cold. I feel much better but Marjorie has taken such a bad head cold and Ned too, so I was undecided as to whether to take them or not. I called up Mrs. Collins and found she had the flu and Pegg’s had it too. Well I guess there is lots of it around and all the children diseases too, so I had better not expose the babies with their colds. I was so disappointed I had a cry about it. I have been shut in so long. But I guess the two babies are worth it and I can go plenty when they are bigger.

(Grandma was upset she couldn't go someplace, I assume it was to the Sunday school party she mentioned in yesterday's diary entry.)

Wednesday, April 14, 1926

Wednesday, April 14, 1926
Partly cloudy

Mothers’ meeting at the school. Entertainment by the primary grades and Albert was in it and I wanted to go so bad, but I had a bad sick headache and had to lie down a while. I simply wouldn’t make it over there. Mended what time I could work and shortened my coat, so as to be ready to go tomorrow to the Sunday school class party at Mrs. Raferts.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I recognize the name Rafert. When I was in Methodist Hospital with appendix operation when I was 18, Cora Rafert was at the same hospital and had a bouquet sent to my room, as she had so many flowers and no room for them all.

I would guess Albert was also disappointed that Grandma didn't make it the mother's meeting at school.)

Tuesday, April 13, 1926

Tuesday, April 13, 1926
Warm and fair

Ironed all day. Put the baby on a comfort on the floor in the door in the sun. It would have been a lovely day to go out, but of course nothing doing in that line for me.

(Tuesday seems to be the day for ironing, since Monday was the day for washing! I can't imagine spending a whole day ironing, especially if it was a nice day outside.)

Monday, April 12, 1926

Monday, April 12, 1926
Clear and cool

Washed as usual.

(Grandma always did her laundry on Monday. I do mine on Saturday and it doesn't take near the effort. When do you do your laundry?)

Sunday, April 11, 1926

Sunday, April 11, 1926

Well it turned cool and rainy so we went to the folks between showers but I wore my old coat. Ventured my new hat and didn’t get it wet it happens. The kids were worse than usual. They didn’t know what to do with themselves and we had a time keeping them from tearing up jack. Was glad when the time came to come home.

(Hats were an important part of a woman's wardrobe in the 1920's. And Grandma worked as milliner (hat maker) before she got married, so I think she had an 'eye' for pretty hats.

Those boys must have been something else when they all played together. Hmmm... reminds me of a couple of nephews, well, actually reminds me of all of my nephews who in their day were quite capable of "tearing up jack".)

Saturday, April 10, 1926

Saturday, April 10, 1926
Fair and warm

Hustled around and got the house all cleaned up. Bathed Ned and Dick and went to town after Gilbert came to take care of Marjorie. This spring like weather makes me want to get out in some new togs. I had $25 to go on. Got Dick and Ned shoes, me a spring coat and hat, Ned a hat and stockings. A few notions and had 6 to go on. Felt like I did well at that. Came home too tired to shorten my coat. I’m getting so fat I take a 42 now and it is too long. I can easily fix it.

(Grandma did pretty good with what she got for $25! I used an online calculator to determine that she had about $287 in today's dollars.

On the dishes she wrote about yesterday, Mom commented that she doesn't remember them. My sister and I don't remember them either. We wonder if we have the wrong pattern or she didn't have them for long?)

Friday, April 9, 1926

Friday, April 9, 1926
Fair and warm

A big day for my new set of dishes came. The Maytime pattern, Martha Washington design very good looking, however the salesman misrepresented the things to me to get my order and I had to pay freight and have it hauled out, which I was not expecting to do. I had intended put in a big day sewing and got Gilbert’s shirt started and that’s about all. It took all afternoon to unpack and wash the dishes. Marjorie nursing and grabs my pen as I try to write so I will have to give up.

(The best I can do to provide a picture of what these new dishes looked like is this link on eBay, which may not be there for long. I don't recall dishes with this pattern. I have some of Grandma's plates, but they are all different designs. I'm told that when she got married, brides received all kinds of dishes with different patterns.)

Thursday, April 8, 1926

Thursday, April 8, 1926
Cool – rainy – clear in evening

Marjorie let me get a good night’s rest last night and I got up at 5:30 with more pep than usual. Got my work done early – cut out a shirt for Gilbert and then Mama came. She talked and talked and I picked up some mending because I couldn’t do anything else. Marjorie couldn’t sleep, and the day seemed to end in a fizzle in spite of my good beginning. Got a few little odd jobs of mending done – that’s all. Went in the attic and got out my box of short baby clothes for Marjorie and found lots of things that she needs now. She will be on the floor as soon as it is warm enough.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Apparently I was about to start crawling!"

Grandma still seemed to get a lot done in a day! I guess she didn't have distractions of television, the Internet, etc. , just her mother.)

Wednesday, April 7, 1926

Wednesday, April 7, 1926
Warm rain

Felt awfully draggy. I guess I took a little cold washing. Spent all day doing what ought to have been done in half a day. Cleaned up the house thoroughly, put away the clothes, scrubbed and didn’t get to mending till after supper. Sent Dale down to Papa’s office with a sample of Ned’s urine and he came back with the report that his kidneys were ok. However his appetite is poor and he sent some medicine I judge a tonic. Everyone seems about over the pink eye now although several of us seem to have weak eyes yet.

(Remember that Papa was a physician. They seemed to have needed his services quite often. I wonder if other people consulted physicians as often as they did in 1926, or was that just one of the benefits of having a physician in the family?

And even feeling draggy, Grandma seems to get more done in a day than I would. Note she said she "cleaned the house thoroughly".)

Tuesday, April 6, 1926

Tuesday, April 6, 1926
Rain

Gilbert went to the office so I stacked my dishes in the sink. Only picked up the muss on the floor and left the cleaning till after my ironing was done thinking that possibly if I hurried I could finish any ironing by noon. So of course I had to get caught – when my house is dirty. Bess came and Gilbert came back – the two crankiest people I now of. Bess has quit Wasson’s and is going back to Crawfordsville to her old place which has changed hands. She feels good over that but the Drs. say she has chronic appendicitis and needs an operation, so that makes her blue. Well I had to stop and get a meal instead of the lunch the boys and I would have had, cleaned up the house and ironed till almost 5 o’clock.

(Grandma noted in her family history that Bess always had a job and supported herself all her life, though she did end up in the county nursing home before she died.

I guess Gilbert was cranky because of the pink eye, and maybe he was sent home work because he still had it.)

Monday, April 5, 1926

Monday, April 5, 1926
Cloudy and north wind

Mr. Hile the superintendent of the plant would rather Gilbert stayed home then run the risk of getting the pink eye so he had plenty of his office work here to do and he also watched the baby while I washed. Ned was playing around me and climbed the wire fence. “Oh no Ned, you mustn’t climb that” I said. “I will” sang out Ned, imitating Dale who is not disobedient but tries to be funny. “Don’t do that” I say – “all right I will” he replies but he doesn’t all the same. Dick had the stomach ache this AM yet – all night in fact – and didn’t go to school till noon. Too much Easter candy.

(I guess we have our answer, the boys did get Easter candy. I wonder if Grandma made the candy, like she made the candy for Christmas?

Ned sounds like quite a handful as a two year old, I would guess it didn't help that he had three older brothers to imitate and learn from.)

Sunday, April 4, 1926

Sunday, April 4, 1926

Easter. The folks came out for dinner and Papa pronounced our ailment “pink eye” all right. Our eye salve was the best thing for it. I’ve heard of other cases that were pretty serious.

(Easter. I wonder if they had an egg hunt for the boys, if they had any special foods they cooked for Easter dinner? Did the boys get Easter baskets?)

Saturday, April 3, 1926

Saturday, April 3, 1926

I have the eye ailment and although I had intended to take Dick down town and get him some pants I did not plan to go but here suddenly Gilbert developed it too at work. However, he took Dick although his eyes are as bad as mine but I had so many other things to look after. Dale is about all right again.

(Today if a child has pink eye, they won't take them at a day care, because we know how contagious it is. If someone shows up with work and says their child is home with pink eye, we treat that person, who doesn't have it, a though they are a leper, it seems. I still wonder if they knew how to keep from spreading pink eye through the whole family?)

Friday, April 2, 1926

Friday, April 2, 1926

My eyes begin to bother me. I guess it is the “pink eye” from the way it goes around.

(I guess Grandma was just destined to catch this from the boys. In the 1920's, were they aware of how infections like this spread?)

Thursday, April 1, 1926

Thursday, April 1, 1926

Dale’s eyes got red and mattery. The boys are not having nice weather for their vacation. It was so bad out I had no trouble keeping Dale in with his eyes although it was hard on us all to have them in the house for they made airplanes out of the furniture, scattered Lincoln logs and blocks all over the house – kept Marjorie awake and nearly raised the roof. I don’t know how to train them to be less noisy in the house. They talk and laugh at the tops of their voices at all times and it is awful.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Reminds me when Ned and Virginia kept our 2 boys for a couple of weeks when they were 6 & 9 years old, and they complained my boys were so loud!"

Sounds like Grandma is having quite a week, and whatever they have (pink eye?) they are giving to each other.)