About gDonna
The photo is my son and myself. Now days you can get a photo made to look old like this one. This photo was taken when this was the new look.

Harry S Truman was president when I was born and world war II had ended. I grew up in a time when lunch was put in a brown paper bag and a sandwich was wrapped with wax paper. There was no such thing as pantyhose, we wore stockings that attached to the rubbery clippy things that attached to the girdle. Convenience stores were not common and when we took a trip we packed a picnic basket because many places did not have fast food. Highways had places to pull over and stop, some with picnic tables. Read more ....
 

Donna's Diary Posts

My Favorite Blog and Books
Recent Posts
Some things to consider
I am tickled about the excitement about this new 1930's study, this study will be different because we are going back further in time and further away from knowing how it was in the home during these difficult years. Above is our Portiere to help with our cold weather.It was not difficult for everyone, some people did not lose their jobs but many did. Some very wealthy, lost much money and became destitute, and some struggled to hide how bad off they were by trying to remain in the society level they once were. Then strangely, many people went on with life, shopping, going to movies, and living life as they had always done. Surely it had to aff ......
Items available to purchase for the home in 1927
We continue to get our information together for the New great depression study. I am trying to get this information out to you as fast as I can and it may seem to be a lot but we need to know to understand the time. We also have to look into the 1920s because this is the time they would have purchased many of the things they had in the 1930s.For those of you that are packing away items in your home that would have not been in the 1930s, I will be posting on things we might need to know before the study starts. If there is something that you cannot find in your research, please email me to ask and I will see if I can find the answer for you since I have a lot ......
New information for the New 1930s  History Study
For anyone just finding my blog, my husband Charles, and I live a old fashioned simple life and we enjoy studying history. We do one year studies and live like the year we are studying. We try to live the way they did as much as we can so we can learn what it was like. There are diaries that go along with the study and are in separate posts. Charles and I are considered Seniors now, Our Grandchildren are now adults. Our new study in 2023, we will be living like the early 1930s and going through the great depression. We have been moving furniture in our home (again) so that we have sitting areas positioned in a way to do some of the same activities ......
Busy with research and setting the house for the study
Charles and I research most anything that pops in our heads and we also like to keep journals and we do our best to keep records by calculating our usage. This new study is making us realize how important this will be during the new history study of the great depression. I have tried to dip into the 1930s twice now but it was not time. Last study year of 2021 there were many problems that hijacked our study again. Main thing was my vision. I was having a very difficult time with cataracts that suddenly got worse to a point I just could not see even with a magnifying glass. I also had a bleed/clot in one eye and then eye surgery, a complication an ......
Final Diary Reading for Lena and Richard 1943. Also Bonus information
The last reading of Lena and Richards 1943 diary.Friday, December 10, 1943. Today is very comfortable Went down to P.M. and got potatoes and one lb of steak all the points I had 10. Cam home and made a chicken stew & dumplins then had enough to have a chicken soup with rice for his supper he said it was good. Went over street and ordered a coconut cream pie I wonder if Ill get it at the Somain Resturant but he said he would do the best he could So Ill go down and try. Got oranges and grapefruit among other groceries Had enough to carry. They had boxes of Pimento cheese it is 20 points for 2 lbs. Saturday, December 11. Only 6 above wi ......
Final Diary Reading for Lil and Bob 1943 plus Bonus Information
This is the last readings of Lil and Bob's diary. I am doing separate diary reading posts for this last reading since we are reading out the month of December. This diary shown above Lil wrote each day for five years.Last weeks diary reading we left with storm damage all over their surrounding area.Now starting this weeks reading to the end of December.Friday, December 10, 1943. Fine day - Done some cleaning up of debray after yesterdays storms-Saturday, December 11. Cold day - Cleaned up house a bit = Bob home - 1-30 - Up town to shop.Sunday, December 12. Fine - Bob up for a chronicle - spent day reading & resting.Monday - SickTuesday - SickWednesday, December 15. Ver ......
Measured Intention
We are at the last part of our 1943 study, I hope that all of you that have been living like 1943 have learned many new facts about this time in history. There is always much more to learn and why we go back many times to study.We have learned with our history studies that often we need to back up and gather new information further back in history and I mentioned in my last post we are moving into the great depression years for a new study on January 1, 2023.Charles and I have jumped into 1929 as of today as I am writing this, December 1, 2022. We felt we need the month to get things ready for the history study and work out our plan.We are ending our study of 1943 and there is st ......
Diary Readings December 3-9 - 1943
We continue the 1943 diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. I type the diaries as they are written including mispelling.We are getting close to the end of these diary readings. We will be starting our new History project taking us into the great depression times starting January 1, 2023. I will be doing readings from new diaries for the new study.We continue this weeks reading with Lil's diary pictured above.Friday, December 3, 1943. Nice day - Worked Nuco and hashed up the last of the turkey - Up town with Bob to shop.Saturday, December 4. Some sun and light sprinkle of rain at noon - then sunshine. Bob home at 1:30 Done some mending o ......
We are in this together
We are in this together... if you want it to be and if not that is okay too.Some have been asking and some of you long timers here reading along are most likely wondering, what is our next history study going to be? It will be January 1 soon and for many years now we start a new history study.Other questions are will I continue the diaries? Many look forward to reading them and some do not care for them at all and why I make sure to do a diary post and then a regular post. We are all different and that is the way it is suppose to be and we should not try and change another.I don't usually announce the new study this early, but this years study more people were interested in actually li ......
Post running late due to Thanksgiving Holiday
We had a little too much fun today and messed up the house. The blog post is going to be late.So we are all going to bed early and the post will be after we get things put back in order. Bernadette, Elizabeth, Katherine, Belle, Grandpa Charles and Grandma DonnaHappy Thanksgiving.... See you soon....
Diary readings November 26 - December 2, 1943
We continue the Diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. These diaries were written during world war 2 in the year of 1943.This weeks reading of Lil and Bob. Friday November 26, 1943. Fog all a.m. -Done the ironing - Home pulling weeds out working lawn. Eating turkey today.Saturday, November 27. Nice day, cleaned up the house - Roy to M.L. & Helen here all evening with us nice visit.Sunday, November 28. Nice day - up at 8;30 - Bob up for a chronicle & raked leaves & cut grass at Frahms.Monday, November 29. Cloudy, a little misty - rain - Bob M - in with letter from Ollie. Over at Emmas - Bob to C.H.Tuesday, November 30. Nice i ......
Let's Talk
I just posted yesterday the regular blog post but I want to add this extra post today to ask you all for your help with ideas for staying warm in winter. So if you have not read yesterdays post it is called, Learning about the past and.... I have several posts that I have written talking about what people did long ago to stay warm, such as soapstones and bed warmers and such as that. Charles and I turn on a electric blanket and get the bed warm when it is really cold and then turn it off and we normally stay warm all night. Our fur babies sleep in the bottom of our closet that has a rug and warm doggie beds and piles of blankets. Our cockatiel Belle has a small he ......
Learning about the past and....
The title of this post, Learning from the past and changing to what makes more sense. Many of you have read my blog for years and some of you are new and so I am going to explain just a little here that my husband Charles, and I, love studying history. We live somewhat the era we study, not by clothing but by skills and things that make sense to us. There have been some clothing changes that I have made to what I feel more comfortable wearing. Some of the clothing from the past is very pretty. We have grown to love the old ways and old furnishings. We are middle class American, I am retired, Charles is still working but will soon retire and that will put us ......
Diary readings November 19 -25, 1943
We continue the reading of the 1943 diaries. First diary is Lil and Bob and the Second Diary is Lena and her son Richard. This is during world war 2 and I type the diaries as they are written mistakes and all.This is Lil and Bob. Friday, November 19, 1943. Rain all a.m. Ruth & Judy over with a bass - Bob home at 1-o-clock -Saturday, November 20. Some rain today, but clear this Eve - cleaned venetian Blinds & rugs - Bob home early no shopping to do today.Sunday, November 21. Light frost - Fine, clear day - Slept late - Bob up for chronicle & raked leaves.Monday, November 22. Frost & fog till noon - Up Town to shop & bring home Ruth's groceries. Tu ......
Diary Readings November 12-18, 1943
I type the diaries as they are written including mispelling.We continue our 1943 diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard.. We continue the diary of Lil.Friday, November 12, 1943. Another nice day - Done the washing - Emma over to call in a.m.Saturday, November 13. Heavy fog in forenoon - Done the ironing - made Jello, fried chicken for dinner - Sunday, November 14. Heavy fog - Bob up for a Chronicle - been busy day raking & burning leaves -Monday, November 15. Light frost, fine day - Baked ginger bread - Bob home late. Shopped on way home.Tuesday, November 16. Cloudy & a misty rain this eve - usual routine of house work.W ......
Down the Road
This past January we started off the year with a new history study of living like 1943. Now it is already November, we have kept up with the two 1943 diaries and we are doing our best to continue to study and live a similar life to 1943 in our home.This time of year is when we start thinking what will our next history project be and we are in the very early stages of this now. First a little bit about home. As many of you know we have been busy up at Myrtles, our old shed/workshop now itty bitty house. We have taken a break to catch up here at home. Since we took a bed up to Myrtle and we did not have the time to shop for a mattress that we took the ma ......
Diary Readings November 5 - 11, 1943
We continue the two 1943 Diary readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard. During this year, world war 2 is going on and rationing of food and goods are everyday. We peek inside their lives and find that they continue on as usual and adjust to the changes. I type out the diaries as they are written misspelling as well. We start with Lil's diary. Friday, November 5, 1943. Fine day - washed kitchen curtains - called on Emma a few minutes.Saturday, November 6. Fine day - Frost in a.m. & cooler this Eve- Bob done the shopping - Lena & Nancy in with letter from Babs -Sunday, November 7. Fine day - Slept late - Bob up for Chronicle, over to stay with Emm ......
Why are we waiting?
Certain people in our world that have power and wealth have caused much turmoil and uncertainty for the majority of people. It has spilled over into politics and religion and really most everything. When we study history we find that it has always been this way. It makes me realize that it is time to stop waiting for things to change. When I did history studies about home life long ago I could see how people concentrated on their family and home, they made sensible choices and did the work that was needed to care and maintain their home and they seemed to have had a better chance to make it through difficult times than most people would today. I was very fortuna ......
Diary Readings October 29 - November 4, 1943
We continue the 1943 Diary Readings of Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard.We start with Lil and Bob.Friday, October 29, 1943. Nice Day - Done the ironing and mending - Called on Emma - Bob burned garbage over - Storm Sewer-Saturday, October 30. Fine day - All Halloween Made a pudding cleaned living room dressed 2 roosters- Bobs up town to shop - Took Marjorie & Jackie to party.Sunday, October 31. Nice day - Bob walked up for a Chronicle - Cut the lawns Had Chicken for dinner - Ruth brought us a live bass.Monday, November 1. Frost last night Nice day - Bob home late for dinner stoped up Town to shop for Richard.Tuesday, November 2. Hard frost - fine day u ......
Diary Reading October 22 - 28, 1943
We continue our 1943 Diary Readings from two diaries, Lil and Bob and Lena and her son Richard.To read starting January 1st look in the menu Living Like the Past and scroll down to January 1st 2022 and you will find the beginning of this years diary readings.We are starting with Lil and Bob's Diary.Friday October 22, 1943. Fine day - Cleaned our sleeping room bath & hall worked Nuco - Bob had Car Serviced - Mrs. Pettygrew in P.M.Saturday October 23, 1943. Nice day, Baked Cookies & usual Saturday. housework - Bob home at 1-15.Sunday, October 24. Cloudy but no rain Bob up for the Chronicle. Mowed all lawns - the Marshalls all here all P.M.Monday, October 25. ......
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