Friday, December 25, 1936

Cloudy with rain this eve-
Stuffed chicken with celery & onion dressing-
Fine dinner
Harry & Clara got a cedar tree and decorated it and took pictures of it with Mother & Aunty-
We exchanged presents this eve-
Gib & Vera spent the evening with us-
We served cake & tea & port wine-
Wonderfull day-
*Got $20.00 check from Clara paid to Dec 30, 1936

December 1936 edition of Home Arts Magazine

*This line was written vertically up the left hand side of the diary entry.

Thursday, December 24, 1936

plesant s wind
Made a layer cake with date filling and cherry pie and 2 shells and apple turn over for dinner-
Mopped the kitchen and dustedthrough the two living rooms & kitchen-
Clara & Harry came about four o'clock this afternoon-
Iliff came and took me over to the Searles' tree
Had a wonderfull evening-

My Christmas Tree from 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 1936

Frosty and cold N.W. wind-
Done the ironing today-
Sent packages to McGraw and letter to Iliff-
Rec'd Xmass card from Lloyd Bower- Montana-
James Bristol called on Aunty this forenoon-
Mother has been very good all day-

Monday, December 21, 1936

plesant but cloudy
Done the washing and got it all dry and sprinkled down to iron-
Mother did not trouble at all-
been very good all day-
I wrapped Xmas packages* all evening-
Sent all Xmas cards this morning-
Rec'd a card from Annabel and Matty today-

Tin soldier from wrapping paper c. 1935

*According to the Woolworths Museum UK website, "[b]y the 1930s a wide range of brightly coloured wrapping paper and ribbons was offered as Woolworths became established as the destination for Christmas."

Sunday, December 20, 1936

Stormy day west wind
rainy morning getting colder, after dinner and snowflurries this eve-
Made a rice pudding for dinner
Combed Mothers hair and washed her neck and ears
Addressed 40 Christmas cards* for Aunty and I-

Romantic Christmas card from 1936*

*I'm sure Irene would have given her husband a similar Christmas card if he had been alive in 1936. < image from a blog called Forgotten Buffalo in NY: http://www.forgottenbuffalo.com/forgottenbflofeatures/vintagexmascards.html >

Saturday, December 12, 1936

Cloudy but plesant day
Mildred, Florence & Delbert came for me at 11 A.M.-
to go to Ithaca to Xmas shop-
Went to Victoria Hotel for dinner-
Met Howard & Ida Ammack in Hotel too
Iliff did not get home as he had Saturday work-
Telegraphed to Mildred
Had a nice afternoon-
but what a crowd-

Friday, December 11, 1936

Rainy day-
Done all the Ironing today
Rec'd letter from Clara-
She is anxious to hear of Mother-
Mother has been good all day-
Aunty and I sorted Xmas cards* to send out this eve-

Hummel Christmas card 1936*

*< Image from http://polarbearstale.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmascard-1936.html >

Monday, December 7, 1936

plesant but cold
10 [degrees] above zero this morning and again this eve-
Harry and I went to Ithaca this forenoon-
He got Xmas^ present for Clara and arties and ash pan for Auntie-
He went back and changed Arties this afternoon-
Had a fine time
Mother was good all day-
*Met Edna Holmes- She lives in Cortland-



^"Xmas" is not a non-religious shorthand for Christmas. The "X" is actually an abbreviation of the Greek word for Christ. For more info check out these 2 links. The Origin of Xmas. & The "X" in "Xmas" Doesn't Take the "Christ" out of "Christmas".

*This is written up the left hand, inside margin of the diary entry.