Nanny's Diaries: February 2017

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!

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

September 1 - 4, 1962

Saturday, September 1, 1962

Cloudy, miserable day. I cooked. Bill home all lamed up. Betty cleaned up the whole house. Finished the barn. Billie didn’t have to work. Fern and Lloyd getting ready to go to Ohio. In evening Betty and I down to Ferns.

Sunday, September 2, 1962

Cleared off in a.m. yet kind of cloudy. I got up early so as to prepare dinner and eat at around 11. Fern and Lloyd here for dinner. At 1230 Bill, Betty and I left with Fern and Lloyd to meet the Trailways bus in Portland to go to Ohio. A nice afternoon. We bought sandwiches on the way home. Aunt Ava and Uncle Lewis here with Mama while we were gone.

Monday, September 3, 1962

A beautiful day. I did my wash. Bill rototilled the garden. Billie picked the shell beans. We picked some pickling cukes. In PM Billie, Betty and I took a ride way down in Casco, Poland, Minot, Oxford, Norway, Harrison and home to find pullets. None. Came home, got supper. Aunt Ava and Uncle Lewis here. Bob called. Kennie and Dot called. A phone call from Fern and Esther. They got there all safe and sound and was in high glory. A happy time to them all.

Tuesday, September 4, 1962

Beautiful day. I did a big ironing. Dolores called. Done some shell beans. Canned. Betty got her CHECK. She walked to town, met Dawn. She and Steve brought her home and visited. Dolores called again in PM. Took care of Lloyd’s hens again today.

Monday, February 27, 2017

August 28 - 31, 1962

Tuesday, August 28, 1962

Some sun in a.m. Cloudy in PM. I went to town in a.m. with Fern and Lloyd. Came home, done a big ironing. I done up the work. I wrote three letters this morning to Esther, Susan and Billie. Stella Cole was here today. I am signed up for Press Herald for three months. Betty didn’t feel too good today. She cut Mama’s hair and shampooed it. Aunt Ava here and fixed Mama’s toe. Bill and I called at Sally and Gordon’s in evening. Kennie and Dot called here in evening. Alma hurricane today. Got black top today.

Wednesday, August 29, 1962

Cloudy and heavy rain showers all day. Caused from Hurricane Alma. Betty and I did the work out in the shed chambers. Begun our fall cleaning, getting ready for the Adair family. Didn’t do much today.

Thursday, August 30, 1962

A nice day. Very clear blue sky with fair weather clouds. Done up regular work. Lloyd called. And Delores called. Snaps came back. Betty, Lassie and I down through the woods to Lloyd’s. Fern called Trailways Bus. They are going Trailways. We called Esther. In evening we went down to Dawn’s and took Fern. Mama to band concert with Kennie and family.

Friday, August 31, 1962

Very nice day after the fog burned off. Hot. Betty and I worked up in the shed chambers. Betty gave it a big going over. I went to town after supper. Billie had to take me. Bill came home lame. Kennie and Dot called in evening.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

August 25 - 27, 1962

Beautiful!

Very pretty around the farm!

Saturday, August 25, 1962

A beautiful day. Got my cooking done early. We did up rest of the work, washed kitchen and porch floor. Billie up to help Chet in a.m. for a little while. He came home, mowed some lawns and helped him in p.m. to get some hay in. Betty, Bill and I down to Fern and Lloyd’s and took a short drive over to the old Monk place up to North Bridgton. Came home, she and I made plans for our outdoor flower gardens for next summer. Fern up for supper. (Good old beans). She and Betty fixed a smock Fern let her borrow. Billie home early tonight. Betty, Fern and I played cards all evening. Sent snaps.

Sunday, August 26, 1962

A real nice hot summer day. On the humid side today. We done up the work. Bill picked melons, squash and tomatoes. Billie gone to Acton Fair to drive a truck full of cattle home for Lawrence Boynton. Betty, Lassie, TooMaine and I sat under the pine tree. Bill, Betty and I went for a short ride. Fern, Lloyd and Delores here when we got back.

Monday, August 27, 1962

A wonderful day after the fog burned off. I did a big wash. Fern and Lloyd called, brought up their Rototiller. Betty helped me with the work. Bill called at Gordon’s in evening.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

August 21 - 24, 1962

Tuesday, August 21, 1962

A cloudy miserable day. Except it cleared in late p.m. Showers in early evening. Amy L. brought Mama down some gladiolus. Betts hair looks so nice this day. Kennie, Dot called in evening. Art took cow home tonight. Robert Frank Faucher born today.

Wednesday, August 22, 1962

Rain and rained hard all morning. I went down and cleaned Mary Chamberlain’s cottage. About noon it cleared off. I had dinner with Fern and Lloyd. Came home, got some shell beans picked for supper. Betty had a letter from her husband. He is such a home sick boy.

Thursday, August 23, 19

A nice day at last. All day it has been just a beautiful day, not too hot. Betty and I took a long walk way down through the woods. TooMaine and Lassie went with us. Came home. I made a macaroni and cheese for supper. Had greens. Betty had another homesick letter from Mike, poor kid. In evening Mama went to the band concert with Kennie, Dot and Karen.

Friday, August 24, 1962

A nice day, on the hot side. I got my work done early. To town with Fern and Lloyd, got my glasses. Didn’t do much after I got home except work. Betty and I sat outside for a while. Billie to town or someplace in evening.

Friday, February 24, 2017

August 17 - 20, 1962

Friday, August 17, 1962 Eyes

Hazy, quite warm. I went to town with Lloyd, had my eyes tested at Dr. Seidel’s. Came home, done a few odds and end jobs. Had showers in PM, a bad one. Betty called on the Carsley family today. To town tonight.

Saturday, August 18, 1962

A nice day, on the clear and cooler side. A very nice day. Billie to Skowhegan Fair with the Boyntons. Done a general cleaning and some cooking. Paid some bills by mail.

Sunday, August 19, 1962

A nice day. Done up all the work. A bad CAR ACCIDENT at Fern and Lloyd’s. A New Hampshire man (drinking) was thrown clear from his car when it was completely demolished after a terrific speed and skidding down length of stone wall and thrown into air about 20 feet and landed bottom side up. He was taken to hospital by ambulance. Had a cookout here. Fern, Lloyd, Aunt Ava, Uncle Lewis, Kennie, Dot, Ken and Delores.

Monday, August 20, 1962

I washed, fair, hot in sun. Clothes dried fairly well. I washed. Cooked a little. In p.m. Betty and I sat underneath pine tree. I got my papers all read.