Monday, February 25, 2013

February 1941, Week 4

Feb. 22
Sat - We gavethe house a thorough cleaning. Washed My hair after dinner, some underwear etc -
Helen & Ab gave us some suckers & we cleaned them after supper. We played Michigan out to Helen & Abs tonite.

Feb. 23
Sun - Mom & I had a set-to -  this a.m.
As usual when two families try to live together. Went out to  Richardson & rented their house here. To church tonite & out to play cards at H. & A. Today was lots warmer. Hope it is warm Tues. when we move.

Feb. 24
Mon - I packed all day. Mom wouldnt even speak to me. Joe & I moved several car loads of stuff to our new home today. I think we'll like it fine.

Feb. 25
Tues - We got most of our stuff moved today and ate supper to ourselves tonite. Sure seems good to be by ourselves. It turned lots colder this evening.

Feb. 26
Wed - Walter Leach has sure been nice to us kids helping us; Ab helped Joe this a.m.
Didn't go to Priscilla's shower but took gift. Joe went to work after dinner, but came home about seven & said he was sick.

Feb. 27
Thurs - Joe was sick all nite & went back to bed this morning. Helen came in & said she had been sick & so had Snooky. Guess its the flu. Awfully tired tonight, trying to get straightened up

Feb. 28
Fri - We missed the S.S. party tonite. Joe felt so bad & was all broken out. I called the Humphreys & he confirmed our suspicions that is was measles. Where he got them, we dont know. I let Putch out for the 1st time this a.m. & he wandered away.

Well, that was quite a week in my grandmother's life. Suddenly moving out of her mother's place and then her husband getting the measles right afterward had to have been rough, especially after being ill around her birthday. I wonder what the fight was about?

Sunday, February 24, 2013

February 1941, Week 3

Feb. 15
Sat - Cleaned up part of the house today, then proceeded to chill & ache & have a slight temperature. Joe came in early Bed all day. Birthday greeting from Gishs.

Feb. 16
Sun - Went to S. School, with Helen, Mom, Snooky & Joe. Mildred Glen & Gwennie got her about 11:00 & Ab came in at noon - for our birthday dinner. Had this sinus infection this afternoon and went to bed. Felt better at Suppertime. We four went to church.

Feb. 17
Mon - Snowed last nite & we have a blizzard raging out side tonite (all day, too)
We washed, & this afternoon I cut out Helens dress, & started to take the enamel off my kitchen cabinet.

Feb. 18
Tues -  Only 7º above this a.m. We did our ironings worked on the cabinet letter from Ethel. Helen came in tonite & we practiced our trio tonite. It sounds swell.

Feb. 19
Wed -  3º this a.m. Went out to Helens & sewed on her dress. We went to C'Ville this afternoon for a little while. Came home & dusted. Wanted to go to the armory tonite to see the Radio Stars but Joe didn't get home until 8 & it was too cold to walk.

Feb. 20
Thurs -  Cut out my suit jacket this a.m. Helen Gerry came out about 1:00 for me to up & do some altering. Came home & sewed until 9 o clock. Mr. Partlow was here. Mom went to C'Ville & Lafayette with him.

Feb. 21
Fri - Sewing this a.m. Adah brought out some more things to do. Went out to Helens this p.m. to sew. Mildred, Glen & Gwennie came for a while. Finished Gerys things & they came for them. Joe passed his insurance test today.

It has been interesting typing these diary entries up during an equally cold February, but I live in Minnesota not the much warmer Indiana! 

Papa Joe, as we grandchildren called Joe, was an insurance salesman until he retired -- if I remember correctly. The last entry appears to be the beginnings of his getting involved with that business, but I'm unclear what he was doing at the time. I know that he worked at a factory during the war, so perhaps future entries will shed some light.

Friday, February 22, 2013

February 1941, Week 2

Feb. 8
Sat - We cleaned the house thoroughly. I'm "slightly indisposed" Didn't feel like doing anything, but 'carried on'

Feb. 9
Sun - Mom & Snooks went to S.S. I didn't feel like going. Helped with dinner. Laid around all afternoon. Helen wanted us to come out this afternoon, but I didnt feel up to it

Feb. 10
Mon -  We washed and  got all the clothes dry. Mildred & Glenn, Gwennie were here tonite. Helen & Ab came in a while. Joe didn't get home until about 9:00

Feb. 11
Tues - Went to C'Ville with Joe this noon, & shopped. Went to the "Gone with the Wind" matinee. Was it swell? Gosh! We came home about 7 - I had a raging sinus headache tonite.

Feb. 12
Wed - I ironed this morning. Helen & Ab here for chicken supper. We were invited out to Helen & Abs to the prayer meeting, but Joe & I had already made arrangements to go to Helen & Pauls to play Michigan. Home at 11:30

Feb. 13
Thurs - Went to Ladoga & C'Ville with Joe
Visited with Joes dad & Mary, Ethel, Mrs Jones, Mrs Gish, & Maxine. Came home thru C'Ville, stopped at Hubbles. Went to bed sick. For my birthday Joe & Helen each gave me a blue silk gown, Snooky - pants; Mom - headkerchief

Feb. 14
Fri - Feel all sickish on this, my birthday. Greetings from Helen, Edna, Mom, Snooks, & Mary Boone. Letter from Mary Cuske. Mildred Maxwell mom, Snooks & I went to the box supper, & dedication of the organ at the church tonite. Helen played it.

I'm amazed how much traveling was done back in 1941. Also amazing is the amount of socializing that went on, it really was the main entertainment back then. 

Being sick on your birthday is no fun and Mamie would have been 33 when she wrote the last entry.

Monday, February 18, 2013

February 1941 Week 1

Feb. 1
Sat - Worked about all day putting permanent in moms hair. Dont believe I've got a 'Putchy' any more.

Feb. 2
Sun - 'Putch' came home about 10 this a.m. Went to church. Joe worked on the car. Went out to Helen & Abe & played cards. We all went to church again tonite

Feb. 3
Mon -  We washed today and I sewed some.

Feb. 4 
Tue - We did both ironings this morning. Still sewing. We went to  Mildred & Windys tonite & played rhum. Mildred, Glenn & Gwennie were here.

Feb. 5
Wed - We saw the school production 'Jabberwock' tonite. We went with Helen. She had to play for the tap dancers. It was good.

Feb. 6
Thurs - Joe & I went to Helen & Pauls tonite but they had the flu. So we went on to Walter & Ednas, & we played euchre. It was sure cold.

Feb. 7
Joe got the car out of the garage & went to C'Ville today... Went out to Helens with mom & snooks, to dust, but Helen wanted me to go to C'Ville with her to shop. We saw Joe while there. He came home early. It was 'slick' again.

"Jabberwock" was not the much later play base on James Thurber's life, but I haven't been able to find a play from that era that matches it. Could it have been an original production at the school?

Snooks was Mamie's younger sister who went by the nickname Snookie and I named a cat after her. She had quite the life despite never leaving Darlington.

C'Ville had to be Crawfordsville, a small city/big town near Darlington.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Diary: January 1941

Jan. 18

Saturday... Cold & snow. We went to a surprise party on Paul McMurry tonite. Had fun.

Jan. 19
Sunday - George called Helen last nite. Helen came in & said we were to go to Joes dads to a birthday dinner. We went and had a good time. It was awfully  cold today. Came home early. Mildreds here.

Jan. 22
Wed - Putchy came back today
We had prayer meeting here tonite
I enjoyed it. Would like to start back to S. School

Jan. 23
Thursday - Joe & I are down at C'Ville taking care of uncle Johno Rouse while the went to Luciles. I sewed all day. We went over to J. Hubbles when Joe sold an insurance policy.

Jan. 24
Fri -  Awoke this a.m. to see a fairyland of snow; our first big snow. Sewed again. Aunt M & uncle J. got home about 5:00. We came to Darlington & dressed & went to a S. S. party at Lucile Parnells. Had fun.

Jan. 25
Sat - Made a big snow-man this a.m and helped with the work.

Jan. 26
Sun - Joe &7 I went to SS. this a.m. Our to Helen & Abs this afternoon, to play 'Michigan'
Ate supper there, and all of us went to church. Went back there and played cards again

Jan. 28
Tues - Lucile Parnell came down tonite; also Walter & Edna. Together with mom, we played euchre - losers get up.

Jan. 29
Wed - Helen, Paul & Kay came out tonite. We taught them to play Michigan and they were so enthused they stayed until 1:00 A.M. Joe turned the car over today slid on the ice and and a narrow escape

Jan. 30
Thurs - Putchy went away this morning again. I'm sewing. We saw 'Arise my love' with Colbert & Milland tonite. It was awfully good.

Jan. 31

Fri - I ironed this morning. Putchy still hasn't come back. I wonder whats happened? Mildred, Glenn & Gwennie here tonite.

These entries are from the earliest handwritten diary I have in my possession. It's a patchy beginning, but Mamie became more faithful making entries as time went by. This is a glimpse of life before America entered WWII and before television took over homes around the world. Socializing was a regular part of life with card playing being one of the bigger pastimes.

Without a clue what Michigan was, I turned to the Net to find out. It appears to be a form of rummy which can be highly addictive in its regular form.

Arise My Love was a comedy movie starring Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland set in fascist Spain.

Putchy was a battered old tomcat who liked to prowl the town.

A Work in Progress

Now that I finally have something up here, I'll go into the plans for the blog a little more. There will be a page for photos, writings, and diary entries with the latter two being an index of links. At the moment, how the diary entries will be posted is something of a dilemma due to Mamie keeping entries in five year diaries.

For those who are unfamiliar (I was) with the concept, the diaries came pre-printed with pages for each day of the year and room for five entries. I'd rather not put up each day covering those five years in one go, so posts will most likely consist of a week's worth of entries. A month might be a bit much for one post.  We will see how it works out.

Eventually it would be nice to come up with some customized graphics for the site, however that is going to be on the back burner. For the moment, getting Mamie's words up is the priority.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Mamie's Plea


 Autumn Drought's End


The creaking, protesting window, unaccustomed to lowering
The forgotten music of water drops against the panes.
The spiteful cracks of lightning, the ominous roll of
Thunder reverberating. The clouds glowering (and lowering)
And the earth parched dusty, sucks at the dents of rain.
Louder the thunder, faster the noisy tympany
Drums against the attic eaves, and swirls the ser leaves
and water rushing through the troughs, a gutter symphony
Rivulets. Cymbals crash. leaves plastered, house shudders.

Where is God?

In the sparkling prisms of a rainbow's hue
The mornings clear sky an azure blue
In a fragrant rosebud, a drop of dew.
There is God.

In a trees lofty grandeur, with limbs upspread
In a rushing river, from a mountain stream fed.
In a golden ringlet on an infants head
There is God.

In the bear of a doves wings as it lifts on high
In the culminous and nimbus in the sky
The limpid eyes of a fawn so shy
There is God.

I, an inarticulate sensitive soul, with out the ability to
put into words the: beauty of the sunset, a trees stalwart limbs,
and whispering leaves - a drop of dew in a roses heart, the
clear eyes of a little child, the music of the rain on the roof.
                               ****
Put words into my mouth, let me not be forever dumb
or give to my fingers that certain touch with a brush
that I might give to others, who do not see these in reality.
Or let my fingers transpose the sigh of the night wind
The hush of natures soothing lullaby to her children

My love, it has become September
Autumn sunlight filter through my senses
with increasing haste
Sere corn leaves rustle the story to astar
cat tail and goldenrod.
a glorious roadside waste

by Mamie Boone

This was a possibly unfinished work labeled "for a poem" by Mamie that I found in a typed collection of her writings. It conveys her desire to express herself along with a bittersweet understanding of her limitations that I found endearing. Also, it seemed like a good place to begin with publishing her writings here.