I started posting Sarah's diary on December 28, 1922. I took a little pause during some health issues but I am getting the diary postings back on track with this diary posting.
In Sarah's writings she addresses her husband as Father. Many people did this in the past, when children address their father as Father often their mother will start addressing her husband as Father.
Even though we have ended the great depression study and moved to living a simple old fashioned life, I want to finish this diary of Sarah because it is a great diary to learn how it was to work hard and live during the great depression years.
Sarah and her husband live in Ohio. They have a busy life, Sarah a housewife, involved with her church and activities and she is also a local news contributor for their community. Her husband she calls Father, is a farmer. They have five grown children, two sons and three daughters. A total of 14 grandchildren at the time of this diary.
Their son Joseph, his wife and children live in another house on the same land as Sarah and her husband and Joseph farms with his father. The other four children live on their own farms.
Now to start the reading of this diary from where we left off on Saturday, March 26, 1932 .
Saturday, March 26, 1932 Cold, cloudy all the day. Had the usual morning tasks to see to and the care of the poultry (baby chickens). Baked a few pies and, bread & Kuche, made a batch of pickled eggs & boiled a small shoulder. Scrubbed the west porch and pavements, mopped the linoleum's, gave the bedrooms an especial clean-up and hunted the eggs. Prepared supper, Ernest, V. & Jimmie arrived late. Colored eggs this evening, did mending & then a bath.
Sunday, March 27, Easter, Dull dark & gloomy all this day with a a sprinkle of rain this PM. Had the usual early morning tasks to see to. Fixed up the chickies with father's help. Prepared and attended church service and the Easter Program during the S.S. hour. Home for noon lunch. This P.M. father, Joseph & I visited with Uncle Paul at Springboro & then Dan, Usual evening tasks. Ernest Vera & Jimmie here this evening.
Monday, March 28. Bright and breezy this A.M. quite favorable for washing and drying clothes. However, by noon it was quite cloudy and this P.M. the breeze kept increasing unit it was a gale instead of a breeze. Besides the usual daily routine, I did the wks washing this A.M. and hung out our clothes together with a load of Shirley's. This P.M. I was busy collecting news items, evening tasks, Supper. Did a little copying but found myself too dull.
Tuesday, March 29. Bright and clear to-day with a good breeze astir. Usual morning tasks and care of the chicks. Copied the remaining news items and carried to the mail box. Attended to the daily tasks. Prepared and served dinner. This P.M. I used my spare time mending and sewing . Made a hand hold for a comforter and put it on the comforter. Evening tasks, Supper rather late. I feel dull and sleepy. 9:40
Wednesday, March 30. Warm & cloudy and threatening rain all day. The rain came this evening & looks as if it may rain all night. Had the usual daily routine of tasks indoors and outside. Mopped up the linoleum in the living room. Worked in the middle bed-room upstairs for a while - Transferring some of the worst potatoes. Dressed a hen which flew down in the middle shed from a high point and got hurt. Did a big ironing this P.M. spending all this P.M. at it usual evening tasks 9:30.
Thursday, March 31. A most disagreeable day - dull, gloomy, rain, snow, a cold wind - I should say March went out like a lion. Arose quite early and, as soon as I was dressed, went up to Joseph's to stay with the kiddies while he came down to milk, Got their breakfast ready & as soon as Joseph could return dame down and got our breakfast. Usual morning tasks. Prepared a kettle of chicken noodles for dinner. Joseph & the children eat dinner & supper with us, as Sherley has gone to Ky. to her sister's funeral.
New Month
Friday, April 1, 1932. Cold and cloudy the early part of the day. Bright this P.M. but still quite cold. Hat the usual morning tasks to see to. Made preparations & went with Joseph, Papa & Char to Franklin, took in the eggs and did my trading there. We then went on to Middletown where we bought some hardware cloth & called on Clenon, Eva & Roy & Phyllis Hazelton. Home by 1 o'clock Late Dinner Gave the bed-room and extra cleaning. Sleepy.
Saturday, April 2. Quite warm all the day and evening -cloudy with a good breeze astir this A.M. but blowing a perfect gale this P.M. Had the usual morning tasks to see to. Got busy and finished up chicken and put it under press. Baked four pies also bread & kuche. Set the house in order, cleaned the hallway & stairway, moped up the living-room and kitchen linoleum, Sarah Frances & Edwin here all this P.M. Ernest Vera, Jimmie & Lizzie all here for supper. After-supper work, a bath, Late.
Sunday, April 3. A very fine day, through somewhat cooler. Had the usual morning tasks and, with father's help saw to the baby chicks. Made some preparations for dinner, & then dressed for services. Attended church and S.S. services and also Meeting Home at noon after calling to see Dan & Julie on our way. Harry, Polly and family here for dinner & the afternoon. Some reading Usual evening tasks. Ernest, Vera and Jimmie here for a call this evening. Late.
Monday, April 4. Bright and sunshiny for a while but cloudy and breezy late in the day. Usual morning tasks & care of the baby chickies. Did the wks washing for both families and hung those on the line by dinner time. This P.M., I emptied the washer and then got busy collecting the news for the paper. Stopped to get in the clothes and attend to the usual evening tasks. Supper & after - supper work. Copied a few pages of items. Sleepy.
Tuesday, April 5. A fine bright and beautiful day. Had the usual early morning tasks to see to and, with father's help saw to the baby chicks in the brooder. Then settled down to copy the news items which took me up to almost 10 o'clock. Carried the news to the mail- box. Prepared and served dinner. Did a bit of mending and stored some of the clothes that did not require ironing. Started painting a big new brooder but father took it off my hands & sent me to the usual evening tasks.
Wednesday, April 6. Cloudy and breezy all day but no rain. Had the usual early morning tasks and the little chickies to see to. Mopped up the linoleum in the living-room and shaped up generally. Started the plant and did the weeks ironing. (Started to paint Tuesday the new brooder but father finished). Dinner, This P.M. I worked at the family genealogy for a while & then got busy with the evening tasks. Attended an Meeting at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Knox their bringing me home.
Thursday, April 7. Cloudy, Breezy and threating all day, finally beginning to rain about 4:30 & has been raining a little all the evening. Had the usual daily household tasks to see to & also the battery brooder full of baby chicks. Made a few new nests in the lower shed for the turkeys. Mended my hosiery. Dinner, This P.M., I attended the L.A.S. meeting at the church. Home again for the usual evening tasks. 10 o'clock.
Friday, April 8. Raining and disagreeable all the day through with a high wind this evening. Had the usual morning tasks to see to. Then, father & I got busy with the baby chicks. We put 80 of the largest ones over into the big brooder & then divided the others as nearly as possible into the four compartments of the battery brooder. which Joseph & father carried to the strop room, by the time we hung up the feeders and saw that all were fed I watered them, noon. This P.M. father & I made 81 popcorn balls for the O.B. for this evening.
Saturday, April 9. Dull, dark drizzling, gloomy and disagreeable generally all the day through. Usual morning tasks and care of the baby chicks. Baked several pies. Dinner. This P.M. I set sponge and by supper time, fried a fine lot of doughnuts with Vera's help. During the afternoon, I set things to right, did all the washing up after the baking and dinner, mopped the linoleum and saw to the evening tasks. Ernest, Vera & Jimmie here for supper. Late.
End of this reading.
I will be going back to weekly diary postings for Sarah's dairy, it is easier for me to post this way. This post is catching us up from where we left off and putting us back on a weekly diary routine. The diary will posts for the new week that is coming. I have typed a reserve for when I have surgery so those will be ready to be posted and possibly my son will post these for me.
There is one day difference in our 2023 and Sarah's 1932. Example our Thursday is her Wednesday, or our Sunday is her Saturday as far as the date goes.
See you the end of next week with a new diary posting. Grandma Donna
