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!

Friday, December 1, 2023

December 31, 1987 End of Another Year

 

Thursday, December 31, 1987 checks came, Bill $413 me $175

 

A quite nice day. Much warmer. Wind died down. I was busy all day. I took care of the apples and squashes. They had frozen a dite. I made two apple pies and a swiss steak for supper. One for Betty. I was busy all day. Betty better and over to Norway. She had guests for New Year’s Eve. Zack came up here for a little while. Bill is improving and Milan. I have a puzzle to do tonight. Carmen called in PM. Betty and David. David helped Billie get the water bowl fixed in the barn. Billie and Dave over to Norway and got the new water bowl.

 

 



 

First of this year we had two bad storms. Betty was in hospital very sick the first of this year. Zack returned home from school in Virginia. Zack went back down to Lake Region. He was sick with Mono during February (sleeping sickness). Kim never got her luggage back from the trip to Jakarta Indonesia. Kim moved to a new place in Massachusetts. She got a new job, did very well. Betty and Walt to see Vi. She was very sick. She died in March. Betty S and Dorothea to exercise classes this past winter. Billie had trouble with his toe, had it removed. We did a lot of shopping this year for birthdays etc. Carmen had flu in April. Milan in hospital in April, heart. Had Easter dinner at Carmen and Dennis’s, very good. All the families. Zack got his first truck.

 

April 29 Carmen got a new modular home. Zack had an accident with his truck in it was May, some guy pushed him off the road (Dugway) in May. Brand-new roof on Walt’s barn. Kim returned home to live and work in June. She went to work on her new job June 15 at NCM hospital. Jeff began work on a new job June 16. He does well in that kind of work. Carmen got a new deep-freeze, I got a new self defrosting refrigerator. On Kim’s birthday she got a new car, the red Toyota. They made the shelter all over new inside. Very nice, also fixed the outside. It is a nice place for Kim. Barry Richardson worked on it all summer.

 

There are many cookout parties etc. at twin Oaks this past year. They gave me a huge expensive birthday party. I appreciate all. Kathy Wolff had one before she left for London England in September, a school exchange. We had a nice garden. Carmen and Dennis raised a nice one at Walt’s to this year. Zack lost his license because of speeding for a month. He change trucks this summer. He worked at Brill Lumber during summer. Also at Rudy’s Garage. Vince in trouble with the law, had to serve a month in April. Also Chris in the correctional school for boys in South Portland. Carmen working for me this past year. I’m a lamed up old lady now. Billie had his toe taken off July 28. Kim and Eddie took a trip to Vermont. Very pretty and interesting. Esther came in August 5. Carmen and Betty did my spring cleaning and fall too. Milan and Betty on a trip up to Rangeley to meet some friends. Dorothea took Milan, Fern, Es and me over to Evergreen Valley. It used to be our home. Mama’s family home. In August we took a long trip up to the Height of the Land. It was very nice. We made our annual visit at Thena’s. Zack had pictures taken for yearbook in August. Bill to hospital in late August for tests, x-rays of the liver and kidneys. They started to work on this road September 3. Betty’s horse very sick the summer. Dorothea and Jeff up to Massachusetts to meet Sandy, Dennis’s sister. Had a nice visit.

 

Carmen and I made pickles this fall. Zack got a $50 fine. That is all. Zack to Portland with friends to see the US Kennedy ship. This past year stock market went to puts. Then came back some. Billie raised cattle this summer, hard on his feet. David helped Billie a lot this past year. We had a quite nice summer. A new fence built at the farm. Bill had problems this fall, gallstones etc. David in hospital for an operation this past fall. Very sick. We had a rich 57th wedding anniversary.

 

Also a big party on October 17 for Brogan’s first year old party. This has been a great year for all of us with Brogan in this family. Picnics, swimming, parties of all kinds, watching her grow, change and become a great gift to all. We took a very nice trip up to Vermont and into the edge of Canada this fall, a beautiful state. Betty, girls, Zack and I. Dennis had Brogan. Had the usual good Thanksgiving and Christmas at Betty and Walt’s. No end to all the gifts. Had a nice party at Betty and Milan’s, here and down to Betty’s. Bill had his 79th birthday at Mercy Hospital. This has been a good year except for all the hospital calls, so many made this past year. February 27 a brand-new Subaru station wagon at Hortons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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