Thursday, March 31, 1927

Thursday, March 31, 1927

Church night. Dale and I went after supper. I enjoy going but when I get home I find the boys asleep on the couch and the baby put to bed. Everybody cries at having to wake up and undress and it spoils my whole evening forever.

Wednesday, March 30, 1927

Wednesday, March 30, 1927

The house is a sight with the kids running in and out and Dick with his papers, etc. Mess and paper all over the floor.


(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Speaking of papers, I wonder if Dale and maybe Albert had been carrying Dick's paper route since he broke his leg.)

Tuesday, March 29, 1927

Tuesday, March 29, 1927

Dick has Albert to play with now and they had offices & play together writing newspapers. John Morgan sent Dick a while lot of little tablets, etc. and it sure keeps them busy.



(Later on in life, Dick, a philosophy professor at University of Louisville, and Albert, a theology professor at University of San Francisco, wrote one another letters that would probably have been quite interesting to read now. However, Mom said her grandmother threw them away when she came to live with them.)

Monday, March 28, 1927

Monday, March 28, 1927

Dick went out in back yard and watched the boys dig a cave. Spring vacation week they always become cave dwellers and carry in all the mud possible.



(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I remember a cave right against the old garage, that ran underneath the wall (no concrete floor just a dirt floor) as the kids went down from the outside and came up on the inside. Also, the neighborhood boys and Mary Wells climbed a ladder and played on top of the garage frequently. Bill Moon, later head of the Music Department at Tech (High School) once fell off our garage and broke his arm.")

Sunday, March 27, 1926

Sunday, March 27, 1927

Got Dick’s crutches. Dick was dressed for the first time and learning to walk on crutches. He is so happy.

Saturday, March 26, 1927

Saturday, March 26, 1927

Haggard came out but did not change the cast, ordered crutches, but no weight on leg yet.


(Aunt Marjorie noted that she has a picture of Dick with the crutches.)

Friday, March 25, 1927

Friday, March 25, 1927

The day of our class dinner when we entertain our husbands. Took most of the time finishing up my dress to wear. Lola and the Collins’ kids came over to stay with the boys.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I have heard about the program to entertain their husbands. Mother had told me of the stunned look on Daddy's face when it was announced that Mother would sing, "Passing On the Rye". Someone played the piano while Mother mouthed the words and gestured and Mrs. Ragsdale, a very good singer, hid behind the piano and sang."

Apparently, though Grandma could play the piano, she did not have much of a singing voice.)

Thursday, March 24, 1927

Thursday, March 24, 1927

Ironed till noon, then stopped and cleaned up the house as Dick’s teacher called and told me a committee from his class was going to call and present him with a box of candy. Of course he was delighted.

(I assume the "committee" was a group of other students from the class.)

Wednesday, March 23, 1927

Wednesday, March 23, 1927
Cool and cloudy

Washed and then cut out and almost made my silk dress. Still awfully tired. Dick’s teachers, Mrs. Kayser, Mrs. Aufderhreide, Miss Swope, and Mrs. Shelby all called on him. I made his birthday cake – angelfood.

(Mom tells a funny story about someone in the family always bringing the best tasting, lightest angel food cakes to family gatherings. She would never give out her recipe. It turned out that her neighbor was baking them for her! At least Grandma made her own cakes.

Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Dick's 9th birthday! Helen Aufderheide was also one of my teachers, probably the most dedicated teacher I ever had. I had her for the 3rd or 4th grade class, then had her again as our science teacher for 7th, 8th grade. She would take groups of us on the street car to the Butler University campus to spot birds in the woods and on a clear evening, she would meet groups of us to point out the stars and tell us their names and constellations. Her patient husband would accompany her. When we had problems learning something, she would arrive at school a half hour early for a week at a time to tudor us.)

Tuesday, March 22, 1927

Tuesday, March 22, 1927
Fair and warmer

Went to Mrs. Shullenberger’s with Mrs. Peggs in the machine to missionary meeting. Mrs. Collins and her kids were with Dick and he enjoyed having them so much and I had a delightful time.

(Grandma called cars, "machines". I wonder when she started calling them "cars"? Aunt Marjorie wrote that Mrs. Shullenberger was their pastor's wife.)

Monday, March 21, 1927

Monday, March 21, 1927
Cloudy and cool

Too tired to drag. A good thing Dick is no longer upstairs as I would have been in bed next I believe if I had to run up and down any more. My toe gives me fits besides. Pains so.

(Grandma broke her toe or stubbed it badly a few years before this, which caused a lot of pain later.)

Sunday, March 20, 1927

Sunday, March 20, 1927
Rain and cooler

We moved Dick downstairs and put him in a rocker today. He says he would like to sleep down there on the couch. Certainly would help me. Ella and Mama and boys spent the afternoon and Mac’s came in the evening.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "The couch was in the kitchen - right next to our only bathroom. No wonder it was a help to mother! Ella was Uncle Guy's wife and the boys were our cousins, Bob & Don Campbell).

Saturday, March 19, 1927

Saturday, March 19, 1927

Dale went down this AM and got his glasses. Grandpa Smith came to see Dick. Gilbert took Albert down to get a him a sweater and new shoes.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote that perhaps Dale was getting headaches because he needed glasses.

Grandpa Smith lived in Crawfordsville.)

Friday, March 18, 1927

Friday, March 18, 1927

Gilbert’s class banquet this evening so I found Lola Parsons could come and keep the kids so we went and enjoyed the supper and pictures but found a dull, old crowd. No wonder Gilbert doesn’t enjoy the class anymore.

(Grandma finally gets to go out for a change, and finds herself in a "dull, old crowd"!)

Thursday, March 17, 1927

Thursday, March 17, 1927
Fair and warm

I went with Dale to J.C.E. and enjoyed staying with the kiddies. They certainly have opportunities to develop that were never offered to my generation & I’m not so old, either. Dale had a bad headache. Mama came out.

(I suppose there was no aspirin or Tylenol (obviously) for Dale to take? Also, J.C.E. is Junior Christian Endeavor, a youth group at their church.)

Wednesday, March 16, 1927

Wednesday, March 16, 1927
Spring

The lessons in cartooning came and Dick is delighted with it. He did some very good drawings it seems to me. Albert set up a tune for some roller skates which Gilbert got for him. Made Dick wish he could get out.

Tuesday, March 15, 1927

Tuesday, March 15, 1927
Fair and warmer

Dick’s school nurse was here. She is so pleasant. She came as we were eating lunch and I hadn’t put my ironing board away yet out of Dick’s room, but I guess she understands.

(I wonder if the school nurse visited to confirm that Dick really had a broken leg and couldn't go to school?)

Monday, March 14, 1927

Monday, March 14, 1927
Cloudy and cold – report cards

Sat with Dick all day, sewing and put the clothes to soak while he napped. Then after Gilbert got home I washed, hung the colored clothes up in the bathroom and attic. Mama was out a little while.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I forgot, wet clothes were hung up in the bathroom, too! Any place we could dry clothes, hooks were fastened on the walls to stretch up a line!")

Sunday, March 13, 1927

Sunday, March 13, 1927
Fair and cold

Took the babies to Sunday School and Gilbert stayed with Dick. I hate to leave him but all think I ought to get out all I can & Dick isn’t suffering at all. Too nice to keep the babies in & I want Ned to get over his bashfulness. Anne and Ray Mock and Betty Jane were here and brought Dick a book.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Mock's were Mother's old friends. Betty Jane was about Albert's age, I believe.")

Saturday, March 12, 1927

Saturday, March 12, 1927
Rain and cooler

My how the boys hate rainy Saturdays and I do too. They make me so much work. The boys won’t stay in! Papa came to see Dick, but I was down town after Gilbert got home. Got Dale and Ned each a cricket sweater and some goods for Marjorie and myself.

Friday, March 11, 1927

Friday, March 11, 1927
Fair and warm

Mr. Gordon, Dick’s news boss was here this morning while I was still ironing. He took quite an interest in Dick’s pictures and poems and promised to take Dick down to the news to see Kim Hubbard and Chas. Kuhn some Saturday morning when he gets well.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Mr. Gordon must have been in charge of the kids who had paper routes. The news was the Indianapolis News, an afternoon dialy newspaper. Kim Hubbard was a daily (I think) contributor for a number of years. He was well known for his folksy poems. I don't know who Chas. Kuhn was.")

Thursday, March 10, 1927

Thursday, March 10, 1927
Fair

I got up early and washed before Gilbert left and have been ironing upstairs in Dick’s room in the mornings and sewing or darning of afternoons. This evening I was ready to go to C.E. with Dale and Mr. and Mrs. Harry Yockey brought us a flower for Dick. Mac was here while we were gone.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "C.E. was Christian Endeavor, a program for young people at the church. The Yockeys were long-time church members, and Mac was Paul McMullen, a close friend of Gilbert's.")

Wednesday, March 9, 1927

Wednesday, March 9, 1927
Fair.

This was the day of the party. Miss Parsons had said she would stay with Dick but I found out that Mrs. Peggs wanted her as she wanted to go so I stayed at home. After supper Mr. and Mrs. Peggs called and brought us some flowers from the party.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Miss Parsons must have been a member of our church, since knew both Mother & Mrs. Peggs. I wonder if Mother got her new dress made."

I would guess with Dick laid up with a broken leg and Ned sick with a fever, that Grandma didn't get much sewing done.)

Tuesday, March 8, 1927

Tuesday, March 8, 1927
Fair

Mrs. W.C. Smith loaned us her machine and chauffeur who took Dick to Dr. Funkhouser’s office to have an x-ray, picture showed it set OK. Robert Johnson came to visit him.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Robert Johnson lived in the big house across the streeet where Chester Smith and his brother's family later lived. Mrs. W.C. Smith was mother's Sunday school teacher from the time she was a teenager. She sent her car and chauffeur for us for Daddy's funeral, also.)

Monday, March 7, 1927

Monday, March 7, 1927
Rain

Dr. Haggard came out and opened up the cast so as to allow for the swelling and Dick was easier. So restless and painful last night. Dr. Shullenberger came and Miss Parsons. Ned woke up from his nap feverish. Hope he won’t be sick. I had a strenuous evening.

(There was no diary post yesterday. I'm sure Grandma had more than enough to do with Dick laid up with a broken leg. Sounds like some trying days.)

Saturday, March 5, 1927

Saturday, March 5, 1927
Showery

Got the children’s clothes ready for Sunday School this morning. Mrs. Kilby invited me to a party at her house next Wed. so I went down to get silk for a spring dress. Had been home only 1 ½ hours when Dick and Dale started to the show and Dick started to cross the street and stepped in front of a machine without a light and his leg broken. Called Papa who had Haggard and son set it. Of course, no sleep for me and no rest in sight. John and Grace and Mrs. Collins and kids called. Dick suffered on account of swelling.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "Dr. Haggard was a good friend of Grandpa's. I was old that Dick was laid on the kitchen table to have his leg set."

That had to have hurt!)

Friday, March 4, 1927

Friday, March 4, 1927

Went down town for some thread that was on sale. Got Ned and Marjorie a hair cut at Ayres. Their first trip to the barber. Both were as still as mice, but I doubt if Ned would have been if she had not set the example.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I remember my oldest son's first haircut. He didn't move but cried as though his hair had nerves."

I assume Grandma had cut Ned's hair before, since he was around three years old in 1927.)

Thursday, March 3, 1927

Thursday, March 3, 1927
Fair

Dick got 50 cents from the Junior World Jr. for a poem and illustration. His first acceptance in the literary world. Not so bad for a boy not yet nine.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "I'm not surprised Dick won something. I remember his clever cartoons."

Dick was a professor of philosophy at the University of Louisville, so probably had many papers published over time.)

Wednesday, March 2, 1927

Wednesday, March 2, 1927

Marjorie not a bit well today. Not very cross a that but her eyes are awfully dull. She is cutting some belated teeth that are coming awfully hard.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "My teeth were all slow to come through, I was the only one in the family to have teeth straightened. Mother didn't understand why I had crooked teeth. But one time at the Jordan reunion, I looked around and knew exactly why I had crooked teeth."

Hmmm... I guess all the Jordans had crooked teeth!)

Tuesday, March 1, 1927

Tuesday, March 1, 1927
Blustery – cold

The March lion for sure. Not an ideal wash day but I washed just the same. Then wrote a long letter to Aunt Sallie. The new typewriter works fine.

(Aunt Marjorie wrote, "If it was just cold and blustery the wash probably dried quickly (outside). If moist, the wash was probably hung in the attic, the upstairs hallway and over a broom and ceiling brush on the big register that divided the living room and dining room, held up by dining room chairs.")