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!

Wednesday, December 9, 2020

December 30 - 31, 1976 End of the Year

Thursday, December 30, 1976 Bill 68 today

 

It dawned a very nice clear day, wind blowing in early a.m. before daylight. It wasn’t too bad temperatures. I done up my regular work. I did a dite of washing. Carmen and Kim called, Bill out plowing early. Kim up here all day. Dawn down to Betty’s in p.m. Bill and Ilan gone up to Stearns Pond to fish or get ready to. Fern down to the hospital. Bill put the last coat of varnish on the cupboard.

 

 A modern day torture device!

The Birthday Boy

 

 

 

 

Friday, December 31, 1976

 

Last day of 1976. I went to town shopping early in a.m. Kim up here all day, going to stay up to watch the new year come in. Carmen away babysitting tonight. I have been busy cleaning up the house, changed the beds. Washed and ironed. A real nice day.

 

 

 

Memoranda

 

Bill in hospital. A bad case of Sugar Diabetes. Dorothea and David divorce. Esther and Cliff in Florida this winter. They looked nice and rested when they return home in the spring. Chet went up to the Open Door Boarding Home. His health isn’t good.

 

Bill worked at Phil Saltman’s Camp Encore and Coda a lot this past summer and fall. He built a new storage shed on to the barn. They exchanged tractors the spring.

 

Carmen Christie Horton in the hospital early spring. Also Billie in Maine Medical Center. Carmen at the Osteopathic. Kimberly very sick with a bad asthma attack in the Bridgton Hospital. Betty to hospital for a thorough examination.

 

It was a bad rainy cold summer. Gardens didn’t do very well. Also people lost a lot of hay crops.

 

In late August Kimberly Allie Horton entered the Maine Medical Center for another heart operation. It was successful. She is just fine now we hope.

 

Billie’s operation was his prostate gland. Carmen’s was a back trouble.

 

Lloyd broke his hip in early spring, was in the NCM hospital during most of the summer. He has been twice more is still not very well.

Fern and Lloyd

 

 

Another death in our family. Robert Allen Smith died October 21 (Fern’s birthday). He was found out in the woods, died of a heart condition. He was where he loved to be and died much happier than if he had been in the hospital. Joy and her family came home for the summer. After they went home Joy came right back because Robert had a severe heart attack. She went home that was called back because of his sudden death. Laurie came early this spring and stayed at Carmen’s, they had such a good time.

 

On April (blank) 1976 little Flicker was born. That was a big day. Many people called to see it. Angel was a good mother.

 

Zak got a brand-new bike this summer.

 

Dorothea and David remarried in December 11 of this year. I hope they will always be very happy.

Dorothea and David

 

 

Bill and I had a gift ticket (anniversary gift) to see the Irish Rovers in Portland this year. It was very good. For my Christmas, one gift was the corner cupboard I always wanted.

 

Susan living in Esther’s trailer this winter.

Vince 7 years old, 2nd Grade

Chris, 5 years old, Kindergarten

 

 

This has been a Bicentennial year, there was a nice celebration in Bridgton and most all town.

 




 

 

Dorothea finished working out this year, now she is home doing household duties. Jeff got his high school diploma from the last school he went to in Westbrook. He moved into an apartment of his own. He had a girlfriend. He is having a hard time getting started in life. He will do okay in the long run. He is a good boy and trying to stay on his own.

Jeff and friend David Woodbury -unknown girl

 

 

Bill has been plowing a lot of snow this winter.

 

Well on August 24 of this year 1976, Kimberly Allie Boutilier Horton entered Maine Medical for her other or second heart operation. On the 25th, Wednesday they did the catheterization test on Kim. It shook her up and she wasn’t feeling too good. On August 27 she had her last heart operation which we expect and hope to be her last one. She came through just fine, except she was a very sick little girl. Betty, Dawn and I were there. She was quite sick and upset for the first few days or so, but came out of it and came home and was able to start school on the eighth day of September, which was the first day. We are so relieved and pleased she is doing so well.

Betty, Carmen and Kim

 

 

All four of my grandchildren are my whole life. I love them. Am very proud of them all and so far in their lives I’m very proud of them. All is okay with them. Carmen has had her hair cut and I feel so pleased about that. Kimmy always had her hair cut. Zak looks very nice and a very nice looking young guy with his. Jeff may get his Sunday. I Hope.

 

Lloyd had several bad spells and a stroke later this year. Esther and Cliff went to go to Florida for another winter in November. Susan moved into the Deming residents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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