May 1941, Week 4

May 22
Thur - Got up at 5:30 & got Joe off to Evansville on at Real E. Deal. A long day. Rain at noon
Putchy worse. Helen & I saw "Mr & Mrs Smith" tonite. Joe came in about 10:00. Bed at 11:00. What a long day.

May 23
Fri - Went to the Vets -  to see about Putchy. Joe had to go Indplis & might be gone all nite.
I asked Edna to stay with me. Mildred brought M & S. home. Ab came home & brought us fish.
Were to Moms for supper. Joe came in about 9:30. Edna stayed anyway.

May 24
Sat - Letter from Mary Boone
Straightened up some more. Joe came in about 2:30. He' completed his Real Est. deal. Helen & Joe, Mildred & Windy here tonite for "Aristocratic Craps"  We took Putchy to the Vet. Seems he cant get better.

May 25
Sun - Up & to Sunday School. Home, & had sick headache. Dinner & then a nap. Down to Moms awhile. We all went to church tonite. Helen & Ab, Mom & Snooky, Joe & I.

May 26
Mon -  Went over to Moms & covered a chair. Hot today. Joe went to Indplis with Mr. Wolf & didn't get home until 10:15.

May 27
Tues - Joe & I went to C'Ville & I bought new shoes. Home & then Joe went to Indplis
Mom & S. here for supper. Went over & finished the other chair. Joe came home about 7:30. We all listened to Pres. Roosevelt tonite.

May 28
Wed - Joe joined the State Guards.
Awfully hot. Putchy worse. Finished Helens dress. Edythe Cain here -- Joe here for dinner - (Mildred took Mom & S home with her) - Up to Lucile Parnells tonite until 10:00 Joe home at 11:45.

May 29
Thur - Joe home this a.m. - Ironed -- Went with Helen to fix urn at cemetery. Joe & Ab went to the Speedway with the Guards. Helen & I went over to Mildreds tonite. Mom & Snooky came home with us.

May 30
Fri - Memorial Day.
Stayed with Helen last nite. We went to the cemeteries here, this a.m. & to Liberty this afternoon. Joe got home at seven tonite - fagged out. I was too, so we went to bed at 8:00

May 31
Sat - Had some rain today. Joe came home early. Mom & Snooky were here for supper - Joe went to the show. Afterward Edna & Walter came home with him & we played euchre until almost twelve.

Putchy is one seriously ill cat at this point and there is a note of resignation in Mamie's entry on the 24th. One of the things we take for granted today is the ease in getting antibiotics for sick pets, but in 1941 there was no such thing. Penicillin may have been discovered in 1928, however it didn't see mass production and usage until 1944-1945 for humans. Animals came much later.

Mary Boone was Joe's stepmother. My father has fond memories of her being a very nice lady.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith was a 1941 comedy directed by the great Alfred Hitchcock which starred Carol Lombard and Robert Montgomery as a feuding married couple who suddenly find out their marriage license is invalid. Though Hitchcock didn't like his own film, it was a smash hit and the last film of Lombard's released before her tragic death in 1942.

Aristocratic craps? There is nothing on the Web about it, so it must have been a local rules version of the infamous dice game.

I hadn't realized Joe was a member of the National State Guard so that was a surprise to read. He never mentioned it around me, but then again there weren't any heart to hearts with my grandfather when I was growing up.