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."

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 >

Saturday, November 14, 1936

Cloudy with Misty rain this afternoon-
Finished the ironing
Combed Mothers hair etc-
Mother very difficult this afternoon-
did not like the ironing and would not come to eat her supper-
Iliff and Mildred called this eve-

Wednesday, November 11, 1936

Armistice Day-
plesant all day south wind
Combed Mothers hair-
Carried in the onions-
and ironed some this afternoon-
Harry came about 4 o'clock
Had a plesant evening-
He told me about his trip to New Jersey and the Delaware water gap-
Had views to show me-
Rec'd letters from Iliff & Chester & Bertha-

Delaware Water Gap postcard*

*The Delaware Water Gap is a 70,000 acre area along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania & New Jersey. < image from Philadelphia Trolley Tracks website courtesy of Lew Hoy>

Thursday, October 8, 1936

plesant and cool
Finished the ironing
combed Mothers hair and washed her neck and ears
Harry came and brought 7 pigeons and pumpkins and 3 pts milk and cans of water and concord grapes-
We went to Ludlowville for tea and coffee and to Ben Worsells for Catauba grapes*-
We raked up the horse chestnuts-

Catawba grapes <image Cornell>*

*Catawba grapes are an American hybrid popular for making sparkling and desserts wine in Central NY. Read more on the blog New York Cork Report. Or check out this article from Cornell. <Image from Cornell University: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/reisch/grapegenetics/Varietyphotos/catawba.JPG>

 

Wednesday, September 16, 1936

plesant day but thunder showers about 5 P.M. continuing through evening
I finished the ironing this forenoon and got dinner
Combed Mothers hair but she has been very difficult all day
We went over to the Misses Bristol this afternoon-
Miss Kate is very likable and interesting-
Miss Alice is too much "school marm" to suit me*



*Too funny. I love you, Irene!

Tuesday, September 15, 1936

rainy this A.M-
plesant this afternoon
I made cornstarch pudding and iron all forenoon and went to town with Iliff after dinner-
Got me a pair of Selby Styleze shoes* $6.22 and a batch of groceries & fruit & vegetables-
Mother a little off balance today-
Not bad-

Essay contest for Selby Shoes c. 1936*

*The Styl-eez, & other Selby shoes were marketed as a way to "keep your feet young." They must have thought themselves quite comfortable for 1936. The Styl-eez is the one on the right in the above image.

Thursday, September 3, 1936

misty morning but cleared away before noon-
beautiful afternoon-
Made macaroni & cheese for dinner-
and finished ironing
Harry came after dinner and took Clara to Ithaca was back for supper and Harry stays all night-
I put down the carpet in Aunty's north living room this afternoon-

Wednesday, September 2, 1936

cloudy, & rainy all day-
I made tapioca custard for dinner-
I ironed all afternoon-
Clara & Mother sit up stairs and sewed nearly all day-
Mother has been very quiet all day-
I mended my dress this eve-

Tuesday, September 1, 1936

plesant and cool
Made bread today had fresh biscuits for supper-
gave Aunty 3 cups of light bread dough to make bread cake*-
It all came out fine-
I ironed some of the flat pieces an hour and a quarter-
Clara & Mother went for a ride this eve-
Clara has had indegestion all day-
Mother got nervous this P.M.

Bread Cake from Quinn's Baking Diary blog*

*I had never heard of this before. Apparently, it is simply bread & cake baked together in a loaf pan. I wasn't able to find a lot of recipes online, but I did discover this one from Quinn's Baking Diary, though she made hers in a fluted pan. <Image from Quinn's Baking Diary blog>

Tuesday, August 25, 1936

plesant all day with a little shower this eve-
Christine done the ironing of my clothes and Harrys' _
I made an elderberry pie and a shell and Harry, Christine, & I went to Ithaca for afternoon-
Harry bought a tire-
Iliff, Mildred, Harry & I took Christine home to McGraw for supper and spent the eve-
The Fowler family & Harry Messenger gave us a concert-
wonderfull time
*Iliff and Mildred home to stay


*This statement is written up the inner left hand side of the diary entry.

Wednesday, August 19, 1936

plesant & hot with thundershowers this eve-
I ironed some and mended sheets-
Iliff drilled holes in an iron for Alvord Baker and help start the team again for Delbert-
then went to town with Mildred this afternoon-
Harry went over to the Howell home* this afternoon and eve-
Alvord Baker and Bob Bailor called-


*This means that he went over to the house where Mother & Aunty live.

Monday, August 10, 1936

thunder shower all afternoon-
Finished the ironing this forenoon and swept and dusted Clara's room
and made up the beds all clean for their coming
Leroy Bower stopped on his way to town-
Aunty sent for roast of beef
Iliff came this afternoon a little while

Saturday, August 8, 1936

plesant all day
Charles came to get grocery list
Made molassas cookies
Lizzie Hughes came to suspend the day-
Done a part of the ironing and tacked scrim on one window in Aunty's south bedroom where Harry sleeps
Rec'd letters from Clara and Harry telling us they leave Libby 11 o'clock Saturday and arrive in Syracuse early Tuesday morning
*Jay and Elsie DeFano move to Ithaca today-


*This line is written vertically on the left hand side of the diary entry.

Tuesday, August 4, 1936

plesant and hot
Ironed the curtains and washed windows and paint all day.
Made tapioca custard for dinner*-
very tired and nearly sick from heat and lack sleep last night as it was so hot all night-



*I love how if Irene writes about what she makes for dinner, it is generally just the dessert.

Thursday, July 30, 1936

plesant and cool
Finished the ironing this forenoon-
Put down the bed room carpet for Aunty this afternoon-
and settled the room-
Aunty is very satisfied with it-
Charles called this eve-

Wednesday, July 29, 1936

rained last night but plesant and cool all day-
Made tapioca pudding-
done part of the ironing and pasted paper over Aunty's north room chimney and tacked down paper over floor and started her carpet but she had to patch it so had to stop-
Sent letter to Harry this morning-
Aunty and I walked up the lane to find apples this eve-
got a few-

Monday, July 20, 1936

plesant & cool
Picked lettuce and string beans enough for 5 pints canned-
4 pints in pressure canner-
Sprinkled down the rest of ironing to do in morning-
filled wood box as I thought it might rain-
Aunty had gas pains in bowells and did not feel well all day-

Sunday, July 5, 1936

Sunday plesant & cool
Mr & Mrs Albert Hall & 3 kids called also Mary Brong Miles & daughter & husband-
Iliff came & spent the evening with me-
Harry took the Aunties and Clara fo a ride-
Mother was good all day
Clara worked in garden & done ironing-
I picked swiss chard for dinner