Nanny's Diaries

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!

Thursday, November 25, 2021

August 19 - 22, 1980

Tuesday, August 19, 1980

A very heavy rainy day. I did my ironing, made 2 squash pies. I cleaned the meat chopper and my aluminum frypan. Done up the housework. Bill didn’t do much, he got new TIRES and battery for the car. Billie gone all day. Dorothea had Es and Fern up for the day. Too bad it rained.

Wednesday, August 20, 1980

Well it has been a cloudy showery day. I didn’t do much. I worked on my scraps. Zak up here in PM. He watched the TV shows. Bill and Billie didn’t do much. Billie gone most of the day.

Thursday, August 21, 1980

Well it cleared off today. A dite warmer. I got my work done up, went to town. Betty took Delores, Susan, Esther and me. I came home and done some odds and end jobs. Watched programs. I got a batch of pickles ready. It evening I called at Fern and Esther’s. Zak called.

Friday, August 22, 1980 very warm in midday in PM

A very nice day after some cloudiness in early morning. I done up my work. I dusted the whole house and vacuumed the breezeway. I made a batch of ripe cuke pickles. I got some things from the garden. I got 2 papers read. I watched TV soaps in PM. Bill worked at Dorothea’s. Billie fixed a fence. Carmen’s last day of work. Kim babysitting this evening. Betty and Walt had company, last night.

Wednesday, November 24, 2021

August 16 - 18, 1980 Open House at the new Thomas House

Saturday, August 16, 1980 new cow, a Jersey, a cold windy day

Kind of a cloudy day, a lot of sunshine, windy and a few rain showers. I done up my work, did some cooking. Then I went with Billie over to Clyde Rowe’s. He had a nice young Jersey cow. She is a beauty and I hope she will work out to be a very good family cow. We have wanted one for so long. I came home, we finished our or my cooking. Washed the floors, took a bath and ready for the big event tonight.

Sunday, August 17, 1980 sunny except cooler

A quite nice day. Sunny and not as windy, on the cool side. I done up the work. Got the B News all read. Zak here all day. Well last night Dorothea and David had a good time and they got a lot of nice gifts. All people were there that was invited except for a few. Two called in today. Everyone liked their new home.

Monday, August 18, 1980 Brown Swiss went

A nice sunny day, the clothes dried good. I have been busy all day. I went down and helped the kids get some beans (shelled) ready for the freezer. Betty and Fern and Es came and helped. Chris Rager gone to camp for a few days. Dorothea came and got some shell beans.

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

August 12 - 15, 1980

Tuesday, August 12, 1980

A heavy rain most of the day. I done regular work, put a rinse on my hair. Made a lemon pie for Carmen. Also made a chocolate pudding. I did my hair, washed out the clothes, towels etc. Also regular wash that was in the machine. In evening I went down to Fern’s to visit she and Esther. I did the ironing early. Nola Raye and husband called. He is a nice guy.

Wednesday, August 13, 1980 hair set, Carmen had pictures taken

I done up work. Got ready to have my hair set over to Janet’s. Carmen down to have pictures taken for yearbook at Lake Region High School. Susan, Esther and children to town to do some school shopping. Carmen up a little while.

Thursday, August 14, 1980

Mostly cloudy all day. Bill up to Dorothea’s. Billie worked around doing odd jobs. He did some trimming with the mowing machine here and at Walt’s. I went to town early with Bill. Betty called. She took Delores and rest to town. I saw TV soaps in PM. Kim called in evening. Haven’t seen her very much this summer.

Friday, August 15, 1980

Well it was kind of cloudy and showers. It cleared away and I did a dite of wash. I made cookies for the upcoming party. David here and got the tractor. He and Billie mowed rest of his grass. Then Billie finished Walt’s front pasture. I watched soaps but I was busy during that time. Billie got some more blueberries.

Monday, November 22, 2021

August 8 - 11, 1980 Nanny's Birthday

Friday, August 8, 1980 a very hot and humid day, 70 years old today

I done a dite of wash. Done up regular work, defrosted refrigerator, got beans ready for supper. Fern and Es was up for all day. It was my 70^th birthday. It won’t be long now. We talked etc. Betty and Kim called a minute.

Saturday, August 9, 1980

A nice day, clear and the humidity is gone. It has been very windy all day. I done up my regular work, went down town. Came home, made bread and rolls, washed floors, took bath etc. Billie went away and got a big mess of blueberries. I picked them over and got them frozen. Carmen came in for a little while.

Sunday, August 10, 1980 a nice clear and cooler day a very nice birthday at Betty and Walt and children.

Got up not until about 7:30 AM. I put a rinse on my hair. I got breakfast and done up my work. Got ready and went down to Betty’s about noon. They had a very nice cookout and a beautiful cake and ice cream and I got many nice gifts and a cream separator. Fern, Es, Susan and children all were there. Betty’s family, Dorothea and David and us. It was always very nice on these birthday doings and it was nice today as usual.