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!

Saturday, November 2, 2019

December 30 and 31, 1972 Year End Wrap -up


Saturday, December 30, 1972

Bad stormy day. A lot of snow came. Very cold. Walt plowed us out. I didn’t do much except the regular work. Billie down country, Springvale, with Lawrence. Bill finished hooking up his colored TV aerial. It works very good. Betty and Walt up in PM.



Sunday, December 31, 1972

Cloudy when we got up and then snow and rain all day. Heavy rain. Carmen came up this forenoon. I done regular work. Bill and Billie out and in all day. We got supper started, had T-bone steaks. Carmen and I played tiddlywinks, put puzzle together. Carmen and I sat up and watch the old year out and the new year in. She enjoys it so much. Billie up to Chet and Lil’s to watch with them. Well another very eventful year has passed. Kimmy’s heart operation and Zachary’s many hospital entries. Also Bill in NEB  of Boston.

Awaiting the arrival of the New Year!

Freya and Mother





The important events of this year.

Bill up to the New England Baptist Hospital in Boston for checkups, examination etc. Was in the hospital for a few days. Walt took us up by car. He is so kind. Dorothea and I went. We got Bill into the hospital then we called Verna and stayed at her house and we rode back and forth on those subway buses and Taxicabs. What a miserable life that is for people of that city life. All I can think of how lucky and pleased we were we didn’t have to live a life like that. She and I came home one day, Bill came the next. We expected him to stay longer. Buddy and Joy brought him home. His test x-rays etc. proved to be okay. 

We had a lot of snow but nice weather during February and March. A bad or no spring at all. Winter then to a rainy miserable summer.

Early in April Zak entered Maine Medical Center for an operation. He was in and out of hospital all during the spring. He suffered so much.

Kimberly entered the Maine Medical Center for open heart surgery on March 23. She got a cold and had come back home. Got a new appointment to enter the Maine Medical Center on April 21. The operation set for April 25. In the meantime she was back to school. On April 25 she was operated on. What a day. Betty, Walt and Dorothea was with her at the hospital. Esther, Fern and I was at their house. At 2:30 PM we got a call from Betty, the operation which was performed 11 AM was over and successful. We had 24 hours of tension after, but she came along good. We all saw her at the hospital, poor little thing was so tiny and very unaware of what she was facing on the evening we visited her on April 22.

Poor little Zak was so sick and went through so much pain and in and out of hospitals so many times all spring. Dorothea spent all of her spare time which was visiting every day with both Kim and Zak at their bedside through at all. Also Betty and Walt was with them each day. After they both got home we got settled down to a pretty good summer except for the bad weather.

On July 8 Betty, kids and I went to Dorothea’s. We picked Dorothea and Jeff up and took them to airport. He left 11:45 ETD for Michigan. He looks so nice, in his new sports jacket, tie etc. We are proud of them. He had a nice time out there.

Bill worked all summer for Jean, Walt, Helen Jones and Gordon and other places. At Walt’s they did the bedrooms all over upstairs. They came out looking so nice, also they painted and papered some of the rooms downstairs.

Three nieces married this past year. Karen Joy Smith, Vickie Sue Ellen Weymouth, and Linda Weymouth. Two deaths, Lila Allen Walsh, Herbert Cook Brackett. Pat Smith in the NCMH hospital this past year. Delores been sick most of the year. Zak back in the hospital this fall.

Betty gave Judd to the Bridgton police force the summer. He was such a good dog. He loved his family. Later he came back because police didn’t work out. So he went to a good home. Dawn and Ed Babbitt. I’m so pleased he is there. The last trip was made to the moon this past year. Herman S Truman died late this year.

Billie raised to nice beef again this year. Still working at M and M Alloy and casting.

Pres. Richard M Nixon reelected this past year.

Dorothea made a headway on the family records this past year. We went over to West Stoneham and visited the old place, Mama’s home. Went up to the Cemetery where Aunt All was buried. Kennard went with us. We had a good time and up on the side of that mountain we found an old deserted cemetery and got some more information there.

Zak, Kim, Bill, Cliff and Joy all had operations this past year and Lila Walsh.

Aunt Betty

Kathy, Cindy, Lori and Debbie

Aunt Fern

Carmen 4th Grade, 9 YO

Regina Knick, 18 mos

Billie Deming - Sophomore
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