The Finale

Happy New Year! This is the final entry of the 1936 Diary of Irene Smith Dolton blog. Thank you to all who have stepped back in time with me; the devotees, & casual observers alike. I appreciate everyone who has taken time out of their crazy modern lives to read a little about a 55 year old widow trying to make it through the Great Depression. She baked like crazy. Maybe that's where me & my sister's get it from. It's in our genes!

Irene Smith Dolton lived to see her only grandchild, my father (Iliff W. Dolton, Jr.), get married & have 2 children of his own. Unfortunately, she died on January 28, 1969, & never got to meet me & my younger sister. She lived with my father & his parents, Iliff Sr. & Mildred for a time. When she didn't live with them, Dad would visit her in the summer for weeks, & she would bake him oat flake cookies! Iliff Sr. always called his mother "sauerkraut", because she was always ready. She just took off her apron, and grabbed her cardigan & purse.

For those of you who find your way to this blog in the future, feel free to comment. I will keep this active & will respond to all comments. To start at the beginning, click HERE.

Irene Smith Dolton c. 1945

Thank you for coming along on this journey.

Wednesday, December 30, 1936

windy-
I made a baked custard for dinner-
Mr. John Nobles tuned the piano* this morning-
Harry took Clara to town to get her hair curled-
Rec'd a letter from Iliff-

John Noble, piano tuner*

*John Noble was indeed a piano tuner in Ithaca, NY. http://tcpl.org/local-history/documents/IthacaDirectories/ICD_1936L-Z.pdf

Sunday, December 27, 1936

Sunday-
Made a banana cream pie for dinner-
Harry took Clara & Mother to call on the Bristol sisters and then took us all for a ride-
Had a very nice ride-
Aunty & Clara on their high horse all day-
I have felt like a worm-
Mother good all day-
Midnight

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.

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 19, 1936

Cold south wind all day with snow flurries changing to rain this eve-
Harry brought a spare rib and I made dressing and baked it today-
was it good-
Harry went back to Half Acre this afternoon-
Mildred called for me to go to town but I did not need to go-
Mother good all day-
Finished two pair pillow cases-

Wednesday, December 9, 1936

Strong south wind cold-
Done the washing today-
Mother very good about it-
Rec'd letter and some postage stamps from Iliff-
Leroy Bower finished drawing the corn from the field-
Mother had nose bleed this eve-


                                                                       

Tuesday, December 8, 1936

plesant but cold
6 [degrees] above zero this morning
Made a grape pie* and macaroni and cheese for dinner-
Harry put weather strips on my bedroom door this morning-
He went home to Half Acre this afternoon-
Susie Harring called this afternoon-
She invited me too come to church-
I got warmer shirt and another skirt on Mother this morning-
She has been good today-

Grape Pie recipe by Irene Bouchard*

*Grape pie is a Central NY tradition. Check out this recipe featured in the Fall/Winter 2002 edition of Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore.

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.

Sunday, December 6, 1936

South wind & cold but thaws this evening-
Baked smoked ham slices in milk for dinner & creamed onions-
Harry shelled 2 bushels of corn in the sheller*-
Claude Bergdoff called to see Harry-
I combed Mothers hair and washed her neck etc-
She has been very good today-

Ad for corn shellers*- Sears 1936

Saturday, December 5, 1936

Saturday-
plesant but cloudy & cold-
Made a rice pudding-
Harry and I went to Ithaca this afternoon-
Went to the  Temple Theater and see George O'Brian in "Daniel Boone"*.
It was fine-
Mother very good today-

*Daniel Boone (1936) with George O'Brien, Heather Angel, & John Carradine.

Friday, December 4, 1936

Cloudy with snow covering trees and shrubs
Harry took pictures this forenoon and done all the chores-
I rec'd letter from Iliff-
Mother has been good all day-
I sent letter to Iliff-

Thursday, December 3, 1936

Cloudy & thawed in middle of day-
colder this eve-
Made cornstarch cup custard
cooked soup bone and a roast of beef for dinner-
Had soup for supper.
Harry shovelled paths all around-
Saved me a back ache-
Mother good all day but difficult this eve-

Wednesday, December 2, 1936

Snowed all day
thaws this eve
Mother rec'd letter from Clara
I made oatflake cookies and creamed onions this forenoon
Combed Mothers hair and done general work-
Shovelled walks this afternoon-
Harry came before supper to stay all night-

Tuesday, December 1, 1936

4 [degrees] below zero-
south wind
dinner and creamed celery
Sent a letter to Iliff and rec'd one from him-
Temperature rising this eve
12 [degrees] above zero at nine o'clock P.M.

Monday, November 30, 1936

Blizzard & cold 5 [degrees]
I washed out four pair of stockings and mended them and button holed Mothers slippers-
Milk bottles frozen hard*-
We have all been tired today
Mother has been good-
but a little difficult toward Aunty about the kitchen-
this evening-
Sent letters to Chester and Hattie Morey-

Frozen milk bottles and kitten- Chicago, 1947*

*Image from the Chicago Tribune. < http://galleries.apps.chicagotribune.com/chi-140207-classic-cold-chicago-pictures/ >

Saturday, November 28, 1936

Harry took Clara, Mother & Aunty to Dr. Price and had their feet treated and to Dr. Moore and had a thorough examination-
Aunty is better but Mothers heart is very bad and her limbs are swelling-
I stayed home and done the work and had 2 o'clock dinner-
Mother nervous & excited all day-

Friday, November 27, 1936

plesant & cold 12 [degrees] above zero this eve-
Made Duck puff with a cup of chopped duck meat*- very good
Fried Brazil nut meats in a little butter and salt very good-
and had dates to serve this evening-
Had fire in Auntys' living room-
Clara washed and hung the curtains in Auntys' north room
Harry russeled wood-
Mother good

Roasted Duck in Puff Pastry from The Toasted Sprinkle blog*

*Most of the duck puff pastry recipes I came across seemed too fussy for Irene, so I chose this one. It specifically talks about using leftovers. Rosted Duck in Puff Pastry.

Wednesday, November 25, 1936

plesant & thawed
I made a pumpkin pie & a shell and a layer cake with lemon filling
Harry came for dinner & Mother & I went to Ithaca with him for supplies-
I got me some stockings-
I rec'd a nice letter from Iliff today-