When Queens Ride By

Poor Mrs. Williams. I could tell right away she was embarrassed about the disorderly kitchen. She laid the baby in a cradle in the corner and turned to me with such a tired look of despair. Quickly, she started to take the dirty dishes to the already full sink and told me to put my basket down on the table. As she pulled out a chair and motioned for me to sit down I noticed she was walking slow and looked like she might be in pain. I asked if she was alright and she said she was, but I didn't believe her one minute. She offered me a cup of tea and I said no. Ruthann asked if she could go outside with the boys and I said yes'm but to stay by the front. I got up to see the baby and asked her name-it's Nancy. Such a sweet name I told her and I made a fuss how cute her girl was. I gave her the little package of hand knit pink baby booties I had made and she slipped them on her right away.  A bright smile crossed her face when she started to cry. I wasn't quite ...

After church yesterday, Edna Beaton, head of the church meals ministry, asked if I would bring a home cooked meal to a young mother in our church who had a baby several days ago. After I gave it a moment of thought I said sure I could do that. Is tomorrow too soon Edna asked and I said no I could throw something together for her. I didn't know this gal even though our congregation wasn't that large , but Edna said they had only been coming to worship for about two months or so. Edna also confided they had moved into the old Bennett place right outside of town just a few months back and the woman had four littles and seemed a bit overwhelmed often times. Edna gave me the gals information and we all headed home. This morning after chores and getting the breakfast dishes done I sent the boys off with John. He had fences to check and they went along with him. RuthAnn and I set to work baking. Since this young mum had four boys I figured they must eat a heap. I knew I was goin...

Sweet, sweet July, I do love ya! Well now the gardens are flourishing and life is good. The good Lord is blessing John an me plenty. We are diggin' out of our pit slow but sure. I am so busy keepin' home I have neglected my poor journal. I find myself with a bit of time on the porch tonight. The children have all tucked in early after a full day of helping weed the garden, collecting eggs, house chores, and then a long dip in the pond with a picnic supper there in the grass. It was fairly hot today, oh bout 82 or so and a bit muggy. John and I enjoyed a swim in the pond too. The children love climbing up on their Daddy's strong shoulders and being hoisted in the air. Poor John, he might need a back rub tonight after all that play. We had a tasty supper by the pond. I fried up some chicken out in the summer kitchen John rigged up for me so as to not overheat the kitchen and house. I snuck in making a strawberry and rhubarb pie for dessert. Boy did they gobble that pie...

Tonight I will be hostess to a New Year's eve party. I am hopin' I can pull this one off. All John's idea and a right surprise too. After church  on Sunday he told me that he offered our place to hold a New Year's eve bonfire for fellowship. Before I knew it I had so many ladies asking me what they could bring! I was so taken back I told them whatever they please for their family and some to share. What that is gonna look like I haven't got a clue.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I put up some large crocks of my grape juice on the back porch to chill and I have ten pies baked, apple, blueberry and peach, all from my summer canning. John has a large smoked shoulder warming and I have about twenty taters cooking in the stove. John told me to keep it real simple and not to overwork myself, so I am takin' his advice. He has hay bales all outside the bonfire pit for folks to sit on and I do hope they remember quilts to cover th...

(For Laura-Merry Christmas to you and yours!) Oh what a Christmas! It's been a lovely season for sure. The children enjoyed their gifts so. John made a beautiful set of wooden building blocks for Virginia. Sanded them smooth as silk to the touch.  Ruth Ann got a big dollhouse, just a plain kind of house made of maple. The kind of dollhouse a child needs to use their imagination a bit. There is a tiny staircase and a few twig beds with little quilts I made. She has been playing with it nonstop! The boys got themselves new slingshots and some coon skin hats. They reckon they are Davey Crockett.  John made me a beautiful new cutting board for the kitchen and surprised me with a pair of leather shoes from the Sears & Roebuck catalog. I had the page bookmarked and was saving for them. John said he got stumped about a present for me and wanted something pretty when he grabbed the catalog and saw my notation on the page. They are a perfect fit and just right pretty to l...

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What a lovely June day we had! After a glorious mornin' of worship the family headed home for our lunch. There was a slight breeze on this warm day, so I thought, why not spread a cloth and have us a picnic. My dear friend Rosealee and her family joined us too! What a delight to have our new and dear friends over to share an afternoon of relaxin' and fun. I spread a nice red checked gingham over the old table out back and cut a few apple blossoms and decorated the table with a jar full of those. I am glad I had the foresight to fry up a bit of extra chicken last night. Lately, I always make more than a couple of pies on the weekends, just in case we have the opportunity to share a meal. Boy, now that would not have been me a short year or so ago! Haven't I changed some! We lunched on fine fried chicken from last night's supper, stewed tomatoes, chilled pickles , a pepper chutney from Rosealee I have never had the likes of, simply the tastiest chutney ever. Rosela...

Well now hasn't it been too long since I wrote a bit in my diary! Life is just rollin' on by faster than a filly in a derby, my John would say. My Granny Nettie loved Decoration Day, she told us stories of all the parades in her day. My they were grand! Granny Nettie made the most delicious 4 layer cakes you ever did taste and every Decoration Day she made a lot of them for the church table. Everyone wanted a slice of Nettie's cake. Her husband Sam, my Grandpa used to tell us stories of folks fightin' in line to get a slice. Granny always shushed him, but he kept on. He always had a good laugh which Granny weren't none too happy about. I most remember the vanilla ice cream done in the old crank ice cream maker. Was it delicious! I do hope there will be a bit of ice cream there! I am gonna ask John to get our ice cream maker down from the attic. Seems there was never time to do things like that--now it is so different. Won't the children love some homemade i...

How I have missed my quiet times writing in my diary! My Grandma used to tell me never to waste time as it slips through your fingers like sand. I never understood what she meant, but now I sure do! John and I had a darling baby girl July 10.. Her name is Virginia Rose. I named her after my Mum and my new friend Rosealee. She is a petite little thing only weighin  6lbs at birth. It was a tough pregnancy boy! Right after Thanksgiving I got sick with my blood pressure. The midwife wanted me in hospital, but with a family at home and my responsibilities I told her that won't work.  John got right fussy with me and took me in to hospital and they gave me some new fangled medication that was supposed to help and told me to stay in bed. Now, I have never stayed in bed unless I am really sick. Course the doctor who was pretty no nonsense told me and John if I didn't stay in bed I would lose the baby and maybe die! That did it-John insisted I be in bed. My lands all the thought...

Well now if the days aren't just buzzin' by as fast as can be! The autumn harvest was a success, praise the Lord! We had lots of help with the orchard. Church family came to help us, what a true blessing that was. Then one morn' a colored man showed up with a wagonload of folk and asked us if we needed help with the orchard. Seems they call these folks migrant workers.John said years ago his grandad would employ these kind of workers.  John explained to them we couldn't pay much and they were fine with what we could offer. The two abandoned shacks on the back acre where the orchard ends is where they stayed, guess this is where these kind of workers stayed years back when John's grandad had the orchard buzzin'.  Why I was right mortified and ran out there to try and clean those places up a bit, but their women folk already had it under control.  One thing I was able to do was share the food we had, I am so thankful I put up such a bountiful harvest.  John eve...

I have met so many nice folks the last months. Why the ladies at church are wonderful! And my dear friend Harriet up the road has been an angel sent from heaven. But, what I have been hoping for is a lady friend. One with a husband and children like me that I can have a cup of coffee or tea with here and there. Kind of share the troubles of the day with and know she'll have a sympathetic ear. Well, I found that friend a month ago! Or maybe she found me. Her name is Rosealee and she is a sweet lady for sure. Her and her husband Dominic have five children, three girls and two boys. They came here from Italy two years ago and have been living in the city with relatives. With enough money saved from her husband working in the family meat packing business they decided to buy the little abandoned farm up the road from us. It's a bit run down and needs lots of love to bring it back , but they ain't afraid of hard work and I think the Lord will bless them mightily. Dominic had vin...

My poor, poor journal! How I have neglected writing my days down here.  Let's see, where should I start. Well, me and Ruth Ann got over the sickness , but then the menfolk here got it. Made for a very interesting few weeks. I never in all my born days boiled so many chicken carcasses for broth as I did when those three were layed low.  Old Mac McCarthy from up the road came and helped with the milkin' and I can never repay his help and kindness. Of course, I fed him real good and sent him home with plenty of my canning, but all that help, I just feel like we should do more. I keep prayin' for the Lord to show me how to bless him so I will just wait for the sign. I planned my kitchen garden during the eves while the men were sick.  Got all the seeds too! I am not overextending myself. I remember all too clearly the toll all my ideas and back breaking labor took on my household and I don't ever want to go back to that.  No, my place is right here in the home, makin...

 Well here I lay covered in my grandmum's old quilt. Grandma could handle needle and thread better than anyone I have ever come across. I believe she made this quilt for her hope chest. Each time I visited her and Pop's home I would go to her bedroom and run  my hands over the little stitches and squares of pretty calico colors. Whenever I slept over there Grandma would cover me in her handmade quilt.  Grandma told me one time that everytime she worked on her quilt she prayed to God that it would bless whoever was under it. I think she prayed comfort and healin' into it.  Ruth Ann is laying right next to me. We're both sick. Terrible flu that is hitting the county hard. Even had to have Doc Layton out here twice. Poor John is trying his best to hold down the fort here. He has been seeing little Jim off to school and getting meals for him and the boys. I have smelt a few things burning on the stove, but John always yells up that it's alright, it's alright.  ...

Oh what a glorious Thanksgiving we had! The food was all too delicious, the warmth of the kitchen with all the good smells had all the family waiting anxiously for the dinner. Yet, to be truthful, the best part was to be surrounded by my family and dear friend Harriet. John was the jovial host. I swear he is becoming a bit less serious. He was sharing some funny stories from his childhood and had us all belly laughing. Although, I best have a word with him , some of the dangerous stunts him and his siblings pulled could have gotten him injured. No wonder his Mum went gray early!   And all the children just sitting listenin' to him , wide eyed. I could see on the boys faces they were already thinkin' of trying a few of his shananigans. I don't want none of my children taking the shovels and sleddin' down the north slope onto the pond! Why one never knows if it would be frozen or not--yes,  a word about that story is in order. Well, I am so excited for C...

Well now, finally I am finding time to get to puttin' my thoughts and memories of Thanksgiving in this here journal. I don't want to forget a minute of it, it was all too wonderful! My sister Emma and her husband Frank arrived Wednesday around 4pm with their boys Thomas and George. My how those boys have grown! Babes the last time I saw them. I must have hugged my sister for 5 straight minutes before I let her go, we both had tears streaming down our faces we were so happy to see each other.  The menfolk brought in the bags and I started a pot of coffe and got us a supper of potato soup and ham steaks going. Emma just couldn't believe how grown my children got to either. We both realized that time was speedin' by.  Us two got supper together while chatting wildly about this and that. My we had years of catchin' up to do. A lovely sup was had and we enjoyed some apple buckle with our coffee. Frank and John went out to do the evening milkin' with the boys while us...

Tonight I stayed up much too late. I was finishing up a new apron for myself. My others were showing terrible signs of all the work I have undertaken over the last two months.  I 'spose I could wear those aprons as a sort of badge of honor! Well, I didn't want to be a sight on Thanksgiving with my company so I picked up a very pretty light blue cotton check at Percy's store.  I was able to barter eggs for a nice cut of it   A bit of a ruffle on the sweeping edge and a ruffle around the bib too. Not only is it functional, but so pretty and right ladylike.  I also finished up my new dress which this apron compliments beautifully.  Fancy Jenny on Thanksgiving is what I shall be!  I also made a plain apron from the check fabric too, that way if a guest wants to put one on to help out, there is a nice, new apron to offer them.  My treadle has seen more treadlin' in the last few days than in the whole time I have had her since my Mum pas...

We had us a weekend full of surprises! One of our gals that was expectin' birthed a nice little calf on Saturday. John had estimated that she wasn't due for another two weeks ,but when he went to do the evenin's milking she was in labor. About 8 o'clock a little brown fella came slidin' out and proceeded to try and get up not too long after. That calf was pretty funny trying to get up on his wobbly little legs. The children were cheering him on!  John had let the children watch the birth. I wasn't too sure about the little ones seein' but it all worked out and they were quite amazed. Little Jim decided the little fellow would be named Stanley.  John and I had a good chuckle and asked him why Stanley and he told us in school he had read a story about a little boy who was clumsy and kinda wobbly named Stanley and this calf reminded him of the boy. Well alrighty then John said--we'll call him Stanley. Today we attended church and Pastor Miller was preac...

I am so incredibly tired! Right now I am in bed with my pillows puffed up behind me writing in my diary by lamplight. My feet are aching and even my back is a bit sore. John brought me up a nice hot water bottle to put on the small of my back and it feels so good. John told me to get myself to bed, that I looked plum tuckered out. I admit I am .  The last couple of days have been busy with getting the house ready for Thanksgiving and our guests.  I tackled the spare bedroom and boy I wasn't prepared for just how much work was needin' to be done in there. This room hadn't been touched since my Momma passed away 7 years ago.  Steppin' into this room and having to really look at it brought back a flood of memories of my Momma.  She died too young she did--from the polio.  I did snap out of it and opened the windows to let the fresh air in. It became so cold I had to put a heavy sweater on! The curtains were so dirty and old that I took them down and go...

I just couldn't go off to bed without jotting this down! My sister Emma and her family are coming to stay for the Thanksgiving holiday. Not just dinner but an overnight stay! They're driving up Wednesday night and will leave Friday after breakfast. I am going to have overnight guests in this old farmhouse. I reckon I have never had an overnight guest except for my Ma when she took ill and needed to stay a spell. First thing in the morning I am going to tackle getting the guest room ready. I haven't even thought of doing anything to that room since getting the house in order. I am going to be one busy bee for sure. And I have another guest at the Thanksgiving table. At church today the Pastor asked if we could give Harriet Pritchard a ride home since she lived up the road from us. She is a sweet old lady with a right peppery streak in her.  Well, John invited her over to have dinner with us to my surprise. Of course, I was secretly delighted that he asked her as it tells m...

Well now, I have right neglected my journal for weeks now! I have so many things to put down here, but so little time. This is good though. I am not spinning my wheels anymore wonderin' where my day got to-no I am seeing work accomplished and it feels pretty good.  All my cannin' was finished and the supply on the shelves is bountiful. We won't starve that's for sure!  I put my garden to bed and have plans to enlarge it next year by just a bit. I am planning on planting vegetables that we eat and maybe some we can sell.  We did have alot of our apples rot. It is a shame I know. John and I were surprised at how many of the folks from the church came to buy some though. Once word got out about our orchard the ladies came and bought bushels for their own puttin up. I am grateful to God for this provision. Because of the business from the church ladies I have a bit saved up for some shoes for the children. The milkin' is going good and the barn is full of hay. The...