Josephine Jordan was my great, great, grandmother. She lived the life of a common farm wife in northern Maine. She kept a line a-day diary. I have her complete diaries from 1892 to 1898. You can learn more about Josephine, her diaries, and some historical perspective by going back to the first installment of this series.
Your questions, insights, or comments about this month's diary entries are welcomed.
--Wed, June 1
Quite fine. Men finished putting in potatoes.
--Thurs, June 2
Feel rather blue, but my God is so good. Moved out the stove.
--Frid, June 3
Scrubbed doors and windows. Am real busy.
--Sat, June 4
Churned this morning. Had a drive in the afternoon.
--Sund, June 5
Blanche & Frank went to church.
--Mon, June 6
Frank went down town. Bought Laurie a pair of shoes.
--Tues, June 7
Finished sowing oats this morning.
--Wed, June 8
Men just finished piling. Mrs. Shaw here.
--Thurs, June 9
Went away to try to get some money.
--Frid, June 10
Washed. Men put in our buckwheat.
--Sat, June 11
Got my baking all done for Sunday. All quite well.
--Sund, June 12
None of us went to church but Frank.
--Mond, June 13
We have been white washing. Feel very tired.
--Tues, June 14
Blanche has gone to circle at Mrs. Brown's. Feel quite smart.
--Wed, June 15
Papered our pantry.
--Thurs, May 16
Have been in bed all day. Worked too hard yesterday.
--Frid, June 17
Did not get up until most night.
--Sat, June 18
Got up this morning and did what I could.
--Sund, June 19
Got up this morning and cooked the steak. Had strawberries and cream.
--Mon, June 20
Dear little Gertie got stung. Hope she'll soon be better.
--Tues, June 21
Raining. Sold a little pig for $2.50
--Wed, June 22
Dear little Gertie most well. Sold two pigs today.
--Thurs, June 23
Would like to go to circle but cannot.
--Frid, June 24
Have picked some berries and done some weeding.
--Sat, June 25
Made hogs head cheese & done some other work.
--Sund, June 26
Nice and fine. None of us went to church but Frank.
--Mond, June 27
Dull. Went down town. Did not stay long.
--Tues, June 28
Raining all day. Children at school.
--Wed, June 29
Husband, Gertie & I went to Woodland. I stopped at W.B.
--Thurs, June 30
Lovely and fine. Washed today. All quite well.
Your questions, insights, or comments about this month's diary entries are welcomed.
###
--Wed, June 1
Quite fine. Men finished putting in potatoes.
--Thurs, June 2
Feel rather blue, but my God is so good. Moved out the stove.
--Frid, June 3
Scrubbed doors and windows. Am real busy.
--Sat, June 4
Churned this morning. Had a drive in the afternoon.
--Sund, June 5
Blanche & Frank went to church.
--Mon, June 6
Frank went down town. Bought Laurie a pair of shoes.
--Tues, June 7
Finished sowing oats this morning.
--Wed, June 8
Men just finished piling. Mrs. Shaw here.
--Thurs, June 9
Went away to try to get some money.
--Frid, June 10
Washed. Men put in our buckwheat.
--Sat, June 11
Got my baking all done for Sunday. All quite well.
--Sund, June 12
None of us went to church but Frank.
--Mond, June 13
We have been white washing. Feel very tired.
--Tues, June 14
Blanche has gone to circle at Mrs. Brown's. Feel quite smart.
--Wed, June 15
Papered our pantry.
--Thurs, May 16
Have been in bed all day. Worked too hard yesterday.
--Frid, June 17
Did not get up until most night.
--Sat, June 18
Got up this morning and did what I could.
--Sund, June 19
Got up this morning and cooked the steak. Had strawberries and cream.
--Mon, June 20
Dear little Gertie got stung. Hope she'll soon be better.
--Tues, June 21
Raining. Sold a little pig for $2.50
--Wed, June 22
Dear little Gertie most well. Sold two pigs today.
--Thurs, June 23
Would like to go to circle but cannot.
--Frid, June 24
Have picked some berries and done some weeding.
--Sat, June 25
Made hogs head cheese & done some other work.
--Sund, June 26
Nice and fine. None of us went to church but Frank.
--Mond, June 27
Dull. Went down town. Did not stay long.
--Tues, June 28
Raining all day. Children at school.
--Wed, June 29
Husband, Gertie & I went to Woodland. I stopped at W.B.
--Thurs, June 30
Lovely and fine. Washed today. All quite well.
6 comments:
i believe "whitewashing" was painting.
This diary is bringing back family stories to me. My family went back to the family farm during the summer. They lived in town during the winter. My grandmother had a "summer kitchen" with the wood stove outside. This was during the depression era, but it was interesting to me that your family also moved the stove. Apparently this was a common practice.
"Got up this morning and cooked the steak. Had strawberries and
cream."
One of my fondest memories of returning to Presque Isle as a young child is picking fresh strawberries and having one of my aunts pour cream, or half-n-half, into my bowl. It's one of my favorites even today!
Sund, June 19
Got up this morning and cooked the steak. Had strawberries and
cream.
Very cool.
June 19, 2012 was our 36th anniversary.
Six day per week around noon I have a wonderful smoothy of 10 ounces of heavy raw cream and a bunch of strawberries.
Just a random place to say thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of history. I am enthralled with the stories of our American past, and although personally caught up in all the modern conveniences can appreciate the idea of a time when "simpler" did not mean "easier". At the end of the day, these ancestors gained satisfaction from the work they did, which was almost exclusively the work of home and family. Today the "busy-ness" of life mostly has to do with non-essential tasks. I can't imagine the work involved in laundry, cooking, and planting as they did then, but know that I would have gone to bed glad for the rest. Thanks again for sharing your families history.
I am enthralled with the stories of our American past.
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