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, May 31, 2025

June 20 - 23, 1993

 

Sunday, June 20, 1993

 




 

 

Well David came to help feed the cattle. They are doing very well. A quite nice day. Mild and sunny. I done reading. The Horton kids took their father Walt out for dinner, all bought him a nice sign for his office. He was pleased. This is been a long day but Carmen and kids called also Susan and Dorothea dropped in.

 

 

 

Monday, June 21, 1993

 

Well it has been rainy and cloudy all day. I got my work done up and got the washing to going. Carmen came, made the beds. Took care of the clothes. Also Mr. Dan Knox called again today. I am going to get the aid for housework.

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 22, 1993 TOM AND KIM 2 year anniversary

 

A quite nice day. I done up my work. Carmen, Betty and I went down to school and got Brogan then we went to Ames to do Cameron’s birthday shopping. All kinds of weather all around today. Kim and Tom up to camp for the day.

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 23, 1993

 

It has been a sunny day, but awful awful windy. It has been on the cold side. Mowed Walt’s hay today. John Saliba. Carmen came this morning, done some jobs then she went to town and done the grocery shopping. Cameron has two new teeth. He was very good all morning. Betty dropped in this forenoon. Carmen had an appointment at the doctor’s this p.m. Cameron Alexander Crook Horton one YEAR old.

 

Friday, May 30, 2025

June 16 - 19, 1993

 

Wednesday, June 16, 1993

 

Not so hot today. I cleaned some of the pollen dust off the porch. Jason came this morning. Carmen called this morning. She had to work at the hospital last night. Brogan called today on her way down to see her grandma. A man coming to see me tomorrow about someone coming to help out here.

 

 

 

Thursday, June 17, 1993

 

Mostly clear, some haze. A quite nice day. Carmen called for a little while. Rodney Williams came and fixed the pump today. Kim came and got the supper. Tom came too for supper. Zak and Kim came up. Kim rode home with Tom on the motorcycle. Betty came up for a little while.

 

 

 

Friday, June 18, 1993

 

A very hot day, it was sunny and humid. Dorothea came and did the cleaning. Also a man called Dan Knox from Southern Maine Agency on Aging. We or I’m eligible for care. Not much money in that. I don’t know who I will get to work. Maybe the agency will have to send someone. Dorothea cleaned up good yesterday, it was a mess from the pollen. Arnold’s sister lost two horses in the bad shower this past week.

 

 

 

Saturday, June 19, 1993 beef heifers came today from Wade Kimball. Two nice Herefords

 

David came for coffee. Carmen came early. She did a few chores for me this morning. I made cocoa. Carmen worked last night. Dorothea came, got the supper. A very good roast pork supper. Also David came which is quite unusual. David was here when heifers came. He helped to get the things done. This has been a cloudy rainy and sunny day. It cooled off some today.

 

Thursday, May 29, 2025

June 12 - 15, 1993

 

Saturday, June 12, 1993

 

A very nice and sunny day, on the very warm side. I done up my regular work. Today Carmen didn’t come because she worked over to Harrison on the lot they are going to sell. Gone all day. Carmen, Kim, Betty, Walt, Arnold, Tom, they got a lot done. Joan Gardiner had Brogan and Cameron for the day. Dorothea came about suppertime. I got it ready for us. Betty baked beans and made brown bread. A very good supper. They all ate at Betty’s tonight. Susan was here so we asked her to stay and she enjoyed the supper very much. Zak to Portland to look for an apartment.

 

 

 

Sunday, June 13, 1993

 

Walt and dogs up for coffee this morning. It was kind of a cloudy morning to start off the day then it cleared away and it was a very hot kind of a day. There was clouds and showers around noon. They all went away and sunny all p.m. Carmen and children called a minute this morning. I was very glad to see them. BJ was when them. I was glad to see her too. I got Esther’s letter ready to go.

 

 

 

Monday, June 14, 1993 Kennard and Kenny’s birthdays

 

A nice sunny morning, hot. I washed. Betty came at about 10. I had Cameron while Carmen did a customer. Betty did all the cleaning, made the beds. Make preparations for supper. After she got done work she got sandwiches for lunch. Done up the dishes then she went home and done her lawns. Then she came back and got the supper. Carmen helped. They washed the dishes together. Dorothea came after supper, brought the things she got for us today. She and Betty Smith up to New Hampshire shopping today. It is very hot tonight. The tree toads are peeping, also the regular frogs.

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 15, 1993 Lloyd’s birthday

 

A hot hot day and the pollen was terrible coming off the trees. Everything was a mess. I went over Harrison with Betty where they are working on the lot. Then came back and rode around Betty’s fields etc. Watched programs in p.m. Betty made Italian sandwiches for supper. Very good. Dorothea was away all day.

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

June 8 - 11, 1993

 

Tuesday, June 8, 1993

 

A very nice sunny day, the wind blowed some more. I did my regular work. Carmen and Cameron came for a little while. She made a rhubarb pie. I set out on porch all a.m. I read the papers etc. They worked over to the lot today. Betty got the supper. It was good. Pie was very good. Betty cleaned up the house, it looked very nice.

 

 

 

Wednesday, June 9, 1993

 

Another one of those miserable cloudy all day. I didn’t do much. Carmen came, went to and done the shopping. Cameron was here a little while. I washed my hair today. I will get it done tomorrow. Watched the soaps today. David down for coffee. Carmen came and got the supper. Bro and Cameron was here too. Jason came and worked.

 

 

 

Thursday, June 10, 1993

 

Well occasional break in the clouds. Carmen called after she had taken bro to school. She was so tired. She had been awake more or less during the night. She got the supper tonight. Betty and Zak cleaned her barn today. Anna Hewson died late today, it came over the scanner. We was quite a shock. It was about suppertime.

 

 

 

Friday, June 11, 1993

 

A quite nice day, some cloud and a lot of sun. I got my work done then I did a washing. Dorothea came and worked all day cleaning etc. It looks very nice. Carmen went to the school entertainment at Brogan’s school. It was very nice she said. Cameron was here. Zak up this morning to have some coffee.

 

 

 

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

June 4 - 7, 1993

 

Friday, June 4, 1993

 

Well a mixed weather day. It was cloudy, rainy and sunny. It was nice in last part of day. I had Cameron during first part of day. Carmen came. Brogan went to her friends after school. She was very pleased and excited about that. Carmen went to the bank for us today. Dorothea framed my pictures. I got to get some more frames. Susan came over today for a little while.

 

 

 

Saturday, June 5, 1993

 

It was nice and clear in the morning early. Then it got cloudy and was cloudy rest of the day. I did sit on the porch in the forenoon. Got rest of my papers read. Dorothea came and got the supper, very good. Betty and Walt out for supper. David down for coffee. Zak dropped in on his way to work.

 

 

 

Sunday, June 6, 1993

 

A all day rainy day. Miserable day. Billie read, I did too. Betty came and got the supper. Carmen called a little while. Walt up for coffee this morning. I wrote to Esther today. Betty and Brogan brought up some popcorn this p.m. It was good.

 

 

 

Monday, June 7, 1993 Carlton’s birthday

 

A very nice and sunny day, on the windy side. It want cold. I done my regular work, did a washing. Betty came at about 10 AM and started to do the cleaning. Then after she got through, went home came back and got the supper. A good one, done up the regular work. Carmen and Cameron came for a few minutes. Brogan called also this p.m. Dorothea called in evening. I was on the porch for a while today. Dorothea saw a moose at Betty Smith’s tonight.