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

Tuesday, December 29, 1936

Cloudy & plesant, colder
Made tapioca custard
Harry took Mother & Clara to the Dr. Price and had her foot fixed and Dr. Moore for her heart condition-
Better, thank God-
Clara & I had another conferance-
Mush and milk supper-

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 >

Wednesday, December 16, 1936

plesant all day-
Made tapioca custard for dinner and 3 pt cans of beet and cabbage rellish-
Harry done the chores and fixed the weights on the coal box etc. etc and left us for Half Acre 3 P.M.
I rec'd new roll of films from the Agfa Ansco Corporation* Binghamton
Wrote leter to Iliff this eve-
Mother good today with no bad results from her fall-

Agfa Karat c. 1935-1955*

*This is film for her camera. For more information check out Ansco on Camerapedia. <Image from http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Agfa_Karat >

Thursday, December 10, 1936

Thawed all day-
Snow nearly gone-
I made Butterscotch pudding and oatflake cookies-
Aunty slipped on the ice and fell this morning-
was I scared
bruised her hip a little-
Mother very good all day-
Luther Bower called looking for Harry to sell his hay-
Wrote letter to Clara and Aunty wrote too-

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.

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-

Sunday, November 22, 1936

Snowy but warm
colder after sun set and windy
combed Mothers hair and washed her neck & ears-
Made tapioca custard and cooked onions for dinner* and took butter jar to Mrs. Evans-
Mother has been a real companion & good all day-



*I really hope that Irene is only relating part of what she cooked, & had more than tapioca & onions for dinner.

Thursday, November 19, 1936

plesant & cold
Made a rice pudding and finished cleaning the kitchen paint to day-
Rec'd a nice long letter from Alice also one from Iliff.
Aunty sent a letter to Clara
Mother has been good today.

Monday, November 16, 1936

regular blizzard all day-
windy & cold 20 [degrees] above zero this eve-
snow covers everything
I made tapioca custard for dinner and washed off the porch furniture and carried it up stairs this forenoon-
mended two dresses this afternoon-
Mother is difficult this eve and hugs the stove and wont go to bed-

Tuesday, November 10, 1936

plesant and windy
freezing a little-
Made Butterscotch custard and done the washing-
Clothes froze on the line-
Carried in Auntys' 20 gal crock and brass kettle-
Mother was not bad about the washing-
made her only a little nervous and could not understand how we had so large a wash-

Thursday, November 5, 1936

Snow 4 inches deep
wet and heavy hanging to trees
Shoveled paths all around
Made tapioca custard, cottage cheese and cooked cauliflower for dinner-
Sewed on my princess slips this afternoon
Rec'd card from Christine
Mother good all day-
Aunty helped shovel snow-

Cauliflower

Tuesday, October 27, 1936

plesant but cold
Made chocolate custard for dinner-
cleaned out the reservoir to the to the kitchen stove-
Harry took Mother and I to Ithaca-
I made application to the Ithaca Service Bureau for another place*-
got my shoes half soled and a new corset and slip-
Wrote to Clara this eve-
Vera & Gibb called
Harry bought clams for soup.


*Is Irene looking for another job?

Sunday, October 25, 1936

windy and cold
Made corn starch custard and combed Mothers hair and washed her neck and ears-
Harry Baker came for dinner and stay all night-
Mildred and Florence & Delbert called this late afternoon on the way to Francis-
I wrote letter to Iliff this eve-

Monday, October 19, 1936

windy, cloudy & cool-
Hunting season opened and guns cracking in every direction-
Howard Simm called
I made corn starch custard and got meals and washed the dishes-
Went to bed this afternoon-
I do not get over this Intestinal Grippe-
I ache and am so sore and weak-
Mother has been good today-
Sent letter to Aunt Sarah-

Wednesday, October 7, 1936

rainy forenoon
plesant afternoon & warmer-
I made butterscotch pudding and oat flake cookies* dug some potatoes and picked a pall full of tomatoes this forenoon-
Ironed this p.M.and mended this eve-
Rec'd a card from Iliff-
Mother has been good to day-



*If you are new to the blog, welcome. Oat flake cookies are one of Irene's favorite things to bake as regular readers are well aware. For my own oatmeal cookie recipe I take you back to January 21.

Tuesday, September 29, 1936

cloudy and cool-
Made apple pudding for dinner
Done out a small wash for myself-
Harry came and brought two milk cans of water and two qts of milk-
He stayed to dinner with us and went on to Iliffs-
Mother put on her rubbers and coat to go but sit on the porch instead while I picked up horse chestnuts*-
Gave her a tablet-

Horse chestnut Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885

*I am not sure why Irene was collecting horse chestnuts as they are poisonous to most mammals (except deer). Maybe she had them confused with the buckeye? Maybe she was trying to keep the other animals from eating them? Horse chestnut extract is used to treat issues like veracious veins, but it must be prepared properly. You can't just chow down on some roasted horse chestnuts. <Above image in public domain- Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885, Gera, Germany>

Monday, September 28, 1936

plesant and cool
Made Butterscotch pudding for dinner-
and combed Mothers hair-
Mother has been very good today after her all night prowl-
Iliff came this forenoon and stayed to dinner with us.
Delivered a message of good will from Mildred-
Had a wonderfull visit-
I had a bad headache all day-

Saturday, September 26, 1936

plesant and cool
Made a minute tapioca custard and done Saturday cleaning and washed kitchen windows
Mary Delano came with milk this eve-
Mother has been very good all day-

Tuesday, September 22, 1936

plesant
Leroy Bower started cutting the corn today-
Can hardly get enough water to use from the well*-
Canned more pickled pears and made rice pudding-
Harry and Iliff came over  and got me to go home for supper
Had a wonderfull time-



*1936 was the last year of the severe weather the rocked the nation & caused The Dust Bowl in the Mid-west. New York had it's hottest July on record, & was experiencing drought as well. Luckily, Irene's crops did not fail, but the dry well was a serious concern.