Nanny's Diaries: February 2016

The blog posts below are taken from my grandmother's diaries. Althea Green Smith Crook was lovingly referred to as Nanny to her immediate family ~ thus her diaries are called Nanny's Diaries.

Nanny wrote in her diaries when she remembered to - mostly in the evening. There will be some years in which she didn't keep diaries and there will also be some days/weeks in her yearly diaries in which she skipped or forgot to write in them. For the most part, these are her words - written as she wrote them. There will be typos, forgotten punctuation, and other grammatical errors - but I am rewriting these as my Nanny originally wrote them.

As with all old handwriting, there are some entries that I can't quite make out - and these entries will be followed with a (?) to signify that this may or may not be correct or I can't figure out what she is trying to write.

Thank you Nanny for leaving us 50 years worth of memories! We miss you!

Monday, February 29, 2016

May 30 - June 1, 1958

Friday, May 30, 1958

A cold cloudy day. I washed, cooked, cleaned up the house. Carlton called on us. Betty down to parade. Bill painted tonight.

Saturday, May 31, 1958

A very nice warm day. I cooked. Churned, cleaned the house. Billie and I to town in p.m. Also to Ferns, Parks, and Aunt Ava’s.

3 Generations - Steve Morgan, Mabel Nevers and Dawn Parks

Sunday, June 1, 1958

Rain again. Kennard, Lloyd here in a.m. Saw a doe deer out on the lawn. Aunt Ava and Ethel Lovejoy and Blanche here in p.m. Betty studying. Bill watching game. Gordon and girls called.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

May 26 - 29, 1958

Monday, May 26, 1958

Cleared off. I washed, cleaned up the house. Dr. Bish called. I churned, cooked too. Bill painted windows on backside of house. Billie out to supper tonight. Real nice during the day.

Tuesday, May 27, 1958

A very nice day. I ironed. Made the flowerbeds, planted seeds and set out dahlias. Kennie and Dot up tonight. Kennie planted cukes. Mr. Tinkham sent Betty home to get her lamb. Bill worked tonight, Billie helped Lloyd.

Wednesday, May 28, 1958

A cloudy day, rained in a.m., cleared some in p.m. I went down to the Dearborn cottage and began to clean today. Billie away for supper tonight. It cleared off late in p.m. Kennard called. Bill made rain gutters tonight for front of house.

Thursday, May 29, 1958

Today I worked at Dearborn’s, finished. It was a fair day, got cloudy in p.m. Bill got $61 tonight. Carlton and Dolores came today. They called here. Down to Cemetery tonight.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

May 22 - 25, 1958

Thursday, May 22, 1958

Fair, a very nice pretty morning. I churned, cooked, done up the housework. Had Aunt Ava and Uncle Lewis over for dinner.

Friday, May 23, 1958

A nice sunny day. On the cold side. I cleaned at Seavy’s cottage. LETTER from DOROTHEA and DENNIS. Bill and I to town before supper. Sent L. C. Andrews money, ordered more paint.

Saturday, May 24, 1958

A nice day, still cool. I cooked, cleaned up a little in the house. Betty, Holly and Penny went for a walk. David Nevers here today. Billie got paint over to Lovell for the barn. Aunt Ava got her new stove today.

Sunday, May 25, 1958

Clouded up and rained. Couldn’t paint the barn. I done up the work, wrote letters. Kennie and Dot called and Fern and Lloyd. They took Bill, Betty and I for a ride down over the new road. Betty got supper.

Friday, February 26, 2016

May 17 - 21, 1958

Saturday, May 17, 1958

Cleared off nice in forenoon. I done up the work. Billie home in p.m. Betty enjoyed the lamb. Linda Berry, Terri and Sylvia Moffett called also Kennard.

Sunday, May 18, 1958

A very nice warm or hot day. Bill got the front of barn all done and some of the back. Billie and Betty got her henhouse fixed up, the rubbish hauled off and a load of sawdust. Fern and Lloyd called in p.m.

Monday, May 19, 1958

A very good day. I worked, cleaned the back porch. It showered in p.m. Billie sold his white head calf to Davis Kimball. A hot day. Had the house all opened.

Tuesday, May 20, 1958

Another nice day. I ironed, cooked. Billie and Bobby fishing.

Wednesday, May 21, 1958

A nice day, but windy. I cleaned up the house and the grain room. To town after supper and got pills for Bill, dieting food for Mama. Holly Smart 15 today.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

May 12 - 16, 1958

Monday, May 12, 1958

A partly cloudy day. I washed, clothes got dry. We had a thunder shower in p.m. Judy had a big black and white CALF today. Betty got her LAMB tonight. It came from Rhines farm at Westbrook.

Tuesday, May 13, 1958

Partly cloudy and cold. It has been such a cold month so far. I ironed. Picked dandelions for supper. Picked over some of the dishes Betty had upstairs. Kay up here for supper. Billie and Dennis hauled hay. Bill painted.

Wednesday, May 14, 1958

A fair day. Cold. I cleaned up the whole house good. Put the shed chamber back into shape. Dot, Lorraine, Joan and kids called. Showers in the early evening.

Thursday, May 15, 1958

A very cold day, so cold tonight Bill couldn’t paint. Nancy Smart Dyer called in forenoon. I did up housework. Betty took the lamb up to corner. He is very cunning. Aunt Ava and Hilda called. Pigs born at Chet’s today.

Friday, May 16, 1958

I done up the house cleaning. Got ready and went to town. Bill didn’t work. It rained. I cooked.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

May 8 - 11, 1958

Thursday, May 8, 1958

Rain today, cold. Bill didn’t work. I didn’t do much. Milan and family came, Betty to her brother-in-law’s funeral at Readfield. Bill and I moved the kitchen stove out and moved the refrigerator over. Looks good. Dorothea’s letter came.

Friday, May 9, 1958

Nice day, except it is awful cold. Betty and I worked upstairs on her things. Bill and I to town after he got home from work. We had some of Jim’s beans tonight, good. In evening Billie, Betty, Milan and I to town and up to Bob’s. Betty C and Norma Gay to movies.

Saturday, May 10, 1958

A very nice day but cold. I cooked pies, cakes and doughnuts, bread and rolls, baked beans. Milan, Mama, Betty Crook and Norma Gay went for a long ride. Betty and I stayed home, done the work. Billie got his first pay today after five months. Fern, Lloyd called and Aunt Ava.

Sunday, May 11, 1958

Cold and rainy and showers. Bill and Billie graded the driveway. Bill painted. Billie and Betty mowed lawns for first time of 1958. Milan’s family left at 3 AM. I got $15, wastebasket and pretty card. Kennie and Dot called. Bob and Kennard. Mama got nice gifts and cards.