March 30, 1910

Went to Leaders Class. K up to supper & Mable and Bertha Smith and Miss         from Fulton came up and I home at 8. Sat out on the porch. Let the furnace fire go out. 


W. Fine Warm
R. 11

I wonder how warm it was for sitting on the porch. It's supposed to be close to 80 degrees here this weekend so I suppose it could be that nice.

His furnace was probably a coal furnace and you can read some interesting stories about heating with coal here if you are so inclined.

This past summer while at the casino with my grandma and her partner  Bob they regaled us with stories about heating with coal and having the ice man come and deliver ice. Bob, at one time, was an ice man with his own truck. To be honest I "knew" they were of a generation who did those things but I never gave it much thought. I'd never thought through the logistics of having someone deliver ice, where it went, how it melted and how different it must have been when people delivered things from ice to coal to milk right to your home. The constant stream of people. Embarrasment for those who couldn't pay that week and the sometimes welcome distraction of another adult face during the day. Seriously, some days I could deal with a milk or ice delivery.  Heck, sometimes I open the door to our walking mailman just to say hello.

But I digress. This conversation happened in the restaurant of a sparkly new casino and I was struck by the difference and the path that their lives had taken in 85+ years. What a crazy world it must feel like to them sometimes. Am I going to feel like that someday?

Apparently I feel like that already.

The Last Word On Roast Chicken

My husband is a very good cook. And most evenings he cooks dinner for us. He spends a lot of time flipping through various cooking magazines, making grocery lists and meal plans for the week (I know!!!)  Most of the time I'm all on board with this.

Except for Roast Chicken.

We can't seem to agree on a Roast Chicken recipe. Ok, I don't actually have my own recipe. I just sit around complaining about the different ways that he makes his. He prefers a high temperature roast but I think that makes the house smell and I don't like the finished product and am constantly worried that it is undercooked. It skeeves me out. Sometimes he makes an Asian style bird that calls for boiling it before roasting but that is really complicated and messy. Mostly I steer him to something else when he's talking about making a whole chicken.

Pretty much lately we've resorted to Wegman's rotisserie chicken

A while back we had a roast chicken at Jeannine's house that I loved  so I stalked her on her home and cell phones today trying to get this magic recipe. Unfortunately I was unable to locate her before I had to work on the bird. I did know that she roasts hers for a longer time on lower heat.

That in mind I found THIS RECIPE!!!

OMG... I'm done. I've found the prefect roast chicken recipe. It was so easy and the chicken was tender and literally falling off the bone.  It roasted for 5 hours today and it was cold and rainy out. What a wonderful smell wafting through the house. It's not ideal for a work night if someone is not home during the day but it went together so fast that it would be the perfect centerpiece of a nice Sunday meal that you didn't have to slave over all day long. It says to keep the rub on overnight which would have probably been really great but I only had 45 minutes before it needed to cook. It was fine. I also cut the amount of salt down from 4 tsps to 2 tsp and it was still salty, next time I might go less.

I think you could probably use any kind of seasoning you like as long as you stick with the cooking time/temp. Jeannine told me she pierces the skin and pours wine over the bird. Next time I may try that with some rosemary and garlic.

And my husband? He agreed that it was absolutely delicious!

Game Night Cupcakes

We hosted Game Night here on Saturday. I'm not the original game night hostess in my circle of friends, that's Deanna my theme crazed best friend. But it was a good theme that stuck over the years and we have not had one in a long time! (Deanna, unfortunately could not make it this time)

We made pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw and everyone brought a munchie to share and something to drink. There were 10 people which worked for Apples to Apples and Outburst but it was too many for Things. I had never played Things before and we didn't finish it because each turn you had to write something down and people had to guess who said it. It was too hard with 10 people but the 4 rounds we played had everyone laughing hysterically. 6 people might be ideal. (I generally recommend 2 games. By the 3rd one people lose their momentum.)

I made these wonderful chocolate cupcakes with the best vanilla frosting.  I used special dark cocoa rather than regular for a grown-up chocolate taste and they were dense and dark. Yummy!  However, I added some sprinkles to add some whimsy and make them look festive.

March 28 & 29th 1910

March 28, 1910

Monarch Bowling Tournament 
50 Bowlers. I rolled 113-130-112. Ma Much better. 

W. Fine
R. 11:30

Seriously, bowling now??? I just about laughed out loud. ANOTHER outside activity.  He's a fair bowler though!

March 29, 1910


After supper Bess and I sat on the Front Porch & then went down to Cora's for a while. Ma better. Mrs W up all day. 


W. Fine Warm
R. 11:30

Cora is his other sister. I learned that on the 1900 census. By this time she is obviously married and living away from home.

I've Added Email

In keeping with the spring cleaning blog project I've added an email link under my picture on the right hand side. Now you can email me directly and it will not automatically be added into the comments section. Of course, I love comments so please keep them coming. The link is just for the instances when what you have to say isn't really a blog comment!

March 27, 1910

EASTER
We did not get to church all day. At 11:30 we walked around ------ Ave to see the new houses. And down to S Ave & Over up home to dinner and walked around. (Long sentence I cannot read.) B. headache and did not get to our Easter.


W. Fair
R. 11

I think Bess just wanted to stay home and enjoy the silence. She probably read a book or something... Perhaps I'm projecting too much.....

Spring Cleaning

Oh boy, spring is here and I've been doing some spring cleaning on my blog. Do you like the new look? I'm not sure I can go without a picture at the top but I really love this template. I may try it for a week and see how it feels.

Blogger has a new template designer and I think it makes a world of difference. And I didn't even do anything fancy. I think the text is more reader friendly (it's presentation, not my writing. Unfortunately, you are stuck with that!) and I like the border it puts around pictures! I also like how the blue background matches my shirt. I love that shirt....

It feels so clean around here!

Old Farmer's Almanac Online

Last week in a bout of beautiful weather mixed with gardening withdrawal, I planted some pea seeds, kale seeds and radish seeds (ones that I already had). This morning dawned at 25 degrees.... I'm not sure if this is a problem or not.

The packages said "Plant when the soil is able to be worked." It clearly was but I still had my doubts.I also have a seed buying/girls day out planned with Jeannine next week so I knew that if they didn't take it was really not a big deal. But still, those package directions seemed vague.   And I've been gardening for a while now. Every year this wording puzzles me. Conventional wisdom dictates that you can plant peas on St Patrick's day but obviously that CANNOT be true for everyone from Maine to the Carolinas.  I do usually grow peas with no issues but I really would like to start AS SOON AS PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE.

My friend Diana recently pointed me in the direction of the Farmer's Almanac Online  They have a place where you can enter your zip code and see when the very best dates are to plant seeds in your area. They also have the best dates to plant per phase of the moon if you care. I'm going to experiment with that this year but more on that later. I love this tool.

I also think that it's hysterical that you can fine the Old Farmer's Almanac Online!

March 26, 1910

Final Athletic Contest
Worked till noon & made an ash si-- & 2 picture frames for Kathy. At night did------- ------ -----. At gym I got 4th in the yr standing & only         3 nights. 




W. Fine
R. 11

I hate when it's cryptic like this!

March 25, 1910 & Thoughts On Factory Work & Triangle Waist Fire

Did not get to work till 7:45. Kathy up to supper & stayed with Clara. I made a picture frame. Ma not feeling good. 


W. Fine. Colder
R. 11:30

I think he needs to start going to bed earlier. I wonder what time work actually starts. His friend Pearce was moved from 6 to 4 a few weeks back so I was thinking perhaps 6. Although then he seems REALLY late. I also thought the reduction from 6 to 4 might have been days scheduled as Adam recently talked of starting to work full time.

I find it interesting that he started working full time (perhaps there was a slow period and he started back to work full time) and yet he owns his own home. He's 26 and works in a Typewriter factory. The census records state that he does in fact, own it, but with a mortgage. His parents also own their home free and clear and his dad, Oscar & Ray all work at the Steel Factory.  He's involved in outside activities (some through his work), church & Leaders Class and he builds things like shelves & picture frames. He gardens. Ok you didn't know that yet but I had to throw that in there because I know it already and it thrills me! He partakes in various social activities/entertainment, spends time with friends and seems to have a strong family structure.

We often look to the past and compare living conditions. Most often we come to the conclusion that our lives are better, living conditions, more comfortable. But look at the paragraph above. He has a good life. He has a full life. Bess does not work even though they have no children (Who knows if this is by convention or by choice, his sister works so it's obviously not something unfamiliar to him.)

He has an enviable life in comparison to many people today. And yet, he works in a typewriter factory.

Factory work from that time period was often brutal & inhumane, What comes to mind first is the meatpacking industry chronicled in Upton Sinclair's, The Jungle (1906) and The Triangle Waist Factory Fire in 1911.   What's interesting (strange) to note is that when I looked up the Triangle Fire to see when it was, I was shocked to see that it occurred on MARCH 25th, 1911. Today is the 99th anniversary of that fire. (What are the odds that I would comment on Adam's factory work today of all days and then look up that particular fire? I think those odds are kind of staggering don't you???)

That said ,something brought me to that information tonight. So you should check out the link. The Triangle Factory Fire killed 146 people because the doors in the factory (sweatshop) were locked.  It was a horrifying & heartbreaking tragedy & led to many labor reforms. 

But back to Adam. Adam's typewriter factory experience (from the same time period) lies in stark contrast to my beliefs about factory work at that time. It actually seems ok. He routinely shows up late and gets time off to play basketball.  He doesn't seem scarred or downtrodden. His factory job enables him to live what looks like a pretty good life.(On paper anyway.)

PS. I know for a fact that Adam does not remain a factory worker for his whole life but you'll need to stay tuned to find out where he ends up!

Thursday March 24, 1910

Over home to supper. Mr. Billbeck & Ida Miller (to be married) came up and ordered some mission furniture. 1 desk and 1 settee. Fine summer day 72 degrees at 2pm.

W. Warm
R. 11

Wednesday March 23, 1910

Went to Leaders Class & Supper & Bess up home & I met her at 8:45.

W. Fine
R. 10:30

Blue Plate Special-Meatloaf for Dinner

I don't eat meat loaf. It's not a foodie bias mind you. Well maybe it is. See, my mother used to make terrible meatloaf when I was a child (Served with a brown mushroom gravy. She also makes bad meatballs. I think the act of forming ground beef into something other than hamburgers (which she does really well) is just something she never mastered) She also does not read my blog....

But meatloaf. Just the word makes me think of a hard slab of dense meat "product" (This is from my mom's  use of breadcrumbs rather than bread soaked in milk, my MIL makes awesome meatballs and she swears by the bread/milk combo.)

So I don't know what possessed me to make meatloaf for dinner. Well yes I do, last week we made (ok, my husband made) linguine with clam sauce from The Pioneer Woman Cooks, cookbook and it was delicious. (She's not a real pioneer like me of course, but her husband IS a cattle rancher while mine is a History teacher who makes clam sauce..... I guess she wins that round... Oh well. She's got a blog, it's great.) I don't think she makes her own butter though....

Today was rainy and cold and when we got back from pre-school the last thing I wanted to do was go to Wegmans. Unfortunately we had NOTHING in the refrigerator. Nothing except the ingredients to Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf. (I think half the people in America could probably make this meat loaf right now.)

Why not, I though, give Meatloaf another try.

Meatloaf
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 cup milk
6 bread slices
2 pound ground beef
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon Lawry's season salt
Fresh ground black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
8 -12 thin bacon slices

Tomato Gravy:
1 1/2 cups ketchup
6 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Hot Sauce, to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the milk over the bread and let it soak in for several minutes.

Then, combine the ground beef, milk soaked bread, Parmesan cheese, salt, seasoned salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the beaten eggs. With clean hands, mix the ingredients until combined.Form into a loaf on a broiler pan. Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking underneath.

To make the tomato gravy, pour the ketchup in a small mixing bowl, and add the brown sugar, dry mustard, and Tabasco. Stir until combined.

Pour one third of the tomato gravy over the meatloaf. Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another third of the gravy over top. Bake another 45 minutes.

I did not make a lot of changes to this recipe but I did not have Lawry's Season Salt so I just skipped it. I also did not have bread so I used whole wheat hot dog rolls from the freezer (I told you we had nothing in the fridge). I added some sauteed green onions and garlic to the meat mixture & I also made 2 meat loaves instead of one big one and it cooked for about an hour and 15 minutes. The next time I may half the recipe as it makes a LARGE amount of meatloaf. One was sufficient to feed my family (there are only 3 of us) but I like leftovers so it was ok.

My family LOVED LOVED LOVED this meatloaf. I liked it too. Meat wrapped in bacon, how can you go wrong. I was a little surprised by how much we all liked it. I think my daughter ate 3 pieces.  I've officially revised my stance on meatloaf.

I would have really liked it with mashed potatoes, but like I said, nothing in the fridge.... So for side dishes we had that giant turnip cubed and roasted in olive oil  with a side of Braised Leeks with Lemon and broccoli leftover from last night's dinner.

I really need to go grocery shopping tomorrow because I don't think I can pull another meal like that out of thin air!

Books on CD

In addition to reading books, I also really like to listen to them. I first started doing this on long car trips and then as a way to pass the time on my morning commute. Now I use them to keep occupied during mind numbing activities like cleaning the bathroom or folding laundry.

I don't necessarily think of this as "reading" per say, but it's worthwhile entertainment to me. I generally favor series mysteries because they don't make you work that hard when you are also focusing on another task. Also, series books usually have the same narrators who literally bring that character to life. It's very important that you like the narrator or you will be unable to listen to very much of the book.  I once listened to a Sherlock Holmes that I could only stand for about 5 minutes. It's very disconcerting when the reader doesn't sound like "your" version of the main character.

I get all of mine at the library because I will not listen to a book more than once.

My favorites include:

Judy Kaye as Kinsey Millhone. I'm currently listening to U is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton. I've read or listened to listened to all of Grafton's books, but I prefer to listen because Judy Kaye does the voice so well.  Grafton's plots are complex but make sense. This particular book is 11 CD's and 14 hours long. That's a lot of toilets. I have also painted rooms to this series.

George Guidell as James Qwilleran in all of Lilian Jackson Braun Cat Who mysteries. These are just ok from a readability standpoint but when George Guidell speaks as  he makes me want to be the 60 year old librarian, Polly Duncan out to dinner with the distinguished  Qwill of the Qwill Pen Column in Moose County.

Michael Prichard reading Rex Stout's Nero Wolf series. He's a perfect Wolf and a perfect Archie. Stout's books are classic in the mystery genre. What more do you need?

My all time favorites books to listen to on tape are the Ladies No 1 Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith read by Lisette Lecat.  Her melodic rendering of Botswana Detective Precious Ramotswe compliments the richness of the stories perfectly. These are actually books I love to physically read  (and have read a few) , however, the recordings are SO  good that I usually listen. I should probably write an entire post on these books. While the books are about a detective agency, the crux of the stories is always human nature, not the mystery being solved. If you've never read these you are in for such a treat! Precious Ramotswe is one of my favorite characters and this Wikipedia write up of her does her better justice than I can. I often wonder if Alexander McCall Smith is not really a woman because of how completely accurate he is is his characterization of Mma Ramotswe. (Mma and Rra are the formal terms of greeting and respect in Botswana. Mma is pronounced ‘Ma’, with a gentle m sound and a shortish a.)  You will fall in love with the books (or recordings, whichever route you choose!)

March 20 21st & 22nd 1910

Sunday March 20th, 1910

Stayed home all day. Over to dinner. Weather rain. 


W. Rain
R. 9

Monday March 21, 1910

Met Etta B----- after work on Salinas St & she told me all about her quitting. I did not get home until 7 pm. Fixed my wheel. (another sentence I cannot read) 


W. Fine
R. 10


Tuesday March 22, 1910

Did not get up on time & got to work at 7:45. Rain early AM. Went over home after supper. Miller Monts Pa's & my insurance papers. 


W. Fine 
R. 10
P.S. Bess got $100 bond in Crane Contest


Wow, $100 was a lot of money back then. I wonder what she had to do to win it?

They are dropping like flies over at the factory these days. First Pearce and now Etta. Could that be why he feels comfortable going to work late ALMOST EVERY DAY????? Are they so afraid of people quitting that he can be habitually late? 

In The Garden Again

I can't get enough of this nice weather.  I promise I won't post garden pictures every day (there really isn't that much even growing at this point.  Though I still have an abundance of leeks.) It just feels so GOOD to be out there in the dirt again.

 I removed these strawberry plants from the garden to free up space. There are still 3 in there that I don't know what to do with. Last year the squirrels ate EVERY SINGLE BERRY that was growing. I tried barricading them but after winning the war with the deer,  (and how funny if you click that link you will see that I wrote that post exactly one year ago today! ) I had very little energy left to fight any more vermin as the squirrels can easily slip under the deer fence. I don't even know why I put them in this planter because I have no real plan to protect it currently. By the way, I made this Hypertufa planter about 6 years ago and I leave it out all winter all the time. It looks like real stone and weathers the storms quite well.

 

 

  

We found this gorgeous little nest upside down in the yard. Look how perfect it is. 

My girl took over the nest and it is now up in the tree house part of her swing set with the rest of her outdoor treasures.  (Please excuse the face paint, it was circus day at pre-school today.)

She was actually a big help today. I raked and she picked up leaves and put them in buckets and then emptied them in the woods. She's getting garden tools in her Easter Basket this year. 

Incidentally, she asked me yesterday if the Easter Bunny was real or if it was me. (Now garden tools MAY be a dead giveaway, I know) But isn't it way to early to question this??? Isn't it? I don't know why I'm so bothered by this, I didn't want to do Santa or the Easter Bunny to begin with. Now I'm all in it and I don't want to leave it behind just yet.  

She hasn't even MET the darn tooth fairy....

Saturday March 19, 1910

Started in to work full time. Had a talk with          at the office about Bill. Dave and I to auto show at night. Met Bess from home. 

W. warm
R. 12:30

Ok, at least now I can understand how he does so many things. He's only been working part time. (or at least not full time.)

I don't think I like his boss Bill either. I bet he gets mad every day that Adam comes in late....

The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment -A.J. Jacobs

 Do you need a laugh? You probably do.

 I can usually use one. However,  I rarely read funny books. I don't generally read morose books but humor isn't high on the list of qualities I look for in reading material. (maybe it should be though.) When searching for non-fiction (at the library)  I usually head to the section for specific books on gardening, knitting, etc. or I just browse the new non-fiction. (That's usually a good way to learn something new about something you never realized you wanted to know about in the first place.)

New non fiction was where I was the other day  stifling audible giggles, reading parts of A. J. Jacobs new book, The Guinea Pig Diaries: My life as an Experiment. You may have heard of Mr. Jacobs as the man who spent a year following the Bible as literally as possible. In real life he's a writer for Esquire magazine who undertakes various experiments in the name of self-discovery and magazine article fodder. My favorites from the book included him outsourcing his personal life to assistants in India (complete with having his Indian assistant argue with his wife,) living by George Washington's Rules of Civility for a month (there are 110), and  dabbling in Radical Honesty (Yes, I DO think that makes your butt look fat.) He's clever, he's witty and I found myself laughing out loud.

I have to admit, I love books where people decide to do something out-of-the-ordinary for a year, like eat only local foods or live with the Amish. The best parts of such memoirs tend to be when the law of unintended consequence takes over and the author learns something profound about themselves and/or the world at large. This book doesn't have too many of these moment but there are a few. It does have a lot of laughs though! It's still a worthwhile read.

St. Patrick's Day In The Garden

Today was a gorgeous day and we spent the afternoon in the garden. I'm pleased to report that we ate the first vegetables of the year! This is a record as far as I am concerned. Never before have I eaten anything as early as St Patrick's Day. Last year we didn't eat from the garden until May.

 I'll be honest though, I planted turnips last summer and let some overwinter. This may make me a cheater at my own game.

Behold a mammoth turnip!

 

This thing is huge. (See the photo below for comparison). This guy is literally as big as a softball!  And probably heavier. Heck, I bet I could win a turnip growing contest with this. (At least one that was held in, say, my neighborhood...)

I like to think I'm a gardener. 

Sometimes I'll say " I grew a large turnip." However, when I really think about it, I didn't grow it at all. I placed a seed in the ground and watered it. It grew all by itself. In truth, "A large turnip grew in my garden."  The only role I had was the placement of where it grew.

Sometimes you may have a greater hand in it than that, maybe spraying your tomato plants with water to knock off aphids or staking a pepper that's falling over from an overabundance of fruit. 

But that makes you a maintenance man. A groundskeeper if you want to get fancy.

You can't grow a garden any more than you can grow a child or a dog. They grow on their own.

 

Mother Nature is the true Gardener. 

I am just lucky enough to have some of her work at my house. 

 

Friday March 18, 1910

Bill came in at 8:30. Ma, Ray & Clara home sick. Bess and I went to Kaneenda Canoe Club lantern slides at Assembly Hall.    Blvd. 


W. Fine. Warm
R. 12:30

My goodness, what is everyone sick with? Even the boss is late now.   It's not 1918, too early for the influenza epidemic.....

I can't find anything about the Kaneenda Canoe Club except that it is, in fact, a club for canoeing....

Thursday March 17, 1910

Pearse Smith Quit.


St Patricks, I was so hoarse I could hardly talk. Bill (Boss) had a cold & just shivered. Ma could hardly breathe. 


W. Fine
R. 10

I guess Smith didn't wait for Sat.

I wonder if he was hoarse from his party last night or if he's coming down with something?

My R: time this evening is 12:04 so my book report will have to wait for tomorrow (Or rather later today...) 

Thoughts on Books

I like to read a lot.

What I mean is I really like to read and I do it a lot.  Recently, I realized that given my penchant for the written word, it's strange that I hardly ever talk books on this blog.  In the side column you'll find 14 entries about books, 62 about frugality, 61 about food and 56 categorized as "about me." Apparently I like saving money and eating only slightly more than talking about myself....(Boy, that makes me sound like a fun party date doesn't it?)

But books, 14??? Heck, I have 14 entries about Entertainment and I feel like I hardly partake in that.... 17 for friends. And yes, I do like my friends as much as my books. (well maybe not AS much, but they ARE a CLOSE 2nd). But I really love books. I read at least one book a week and for those of you not as enamored of 1910 as I am, perhaps a book review each  week will be a welcome change for you. (Or perhaps not, as we all remember that most of you like it when I talk about Snuggies and rag on your scrambled eggs.)  Maybe book talk will be more of the same.

But I'll give it a shot.

I was an English major in college (Mostly because I love to read-I really should have been a Business or History major-I know, strange dichotomy right? ) But reading has served me well and accounts for much of who I am today. Back then I was strictly a fiction gal but my reading tastes have evolved over the years and now I find  I find I enjoy non-fiction as much as fiction. Strangely, when I have a lot on my mind I find it easier to get lost in non-fiction than fiction as I don't want to process someone else's personal life when I'm thinking about my own. For fiction I need a quiet mind.
 
I meant to review a book this evening but my own thoughts ran too long.  I'll start tomorrow. Review may be the wrong word, because I don't plan on talking about  books that I do not like.  

And this evening, I'll file this post under, what else, "About me."

Wednesday March 16, 1910-Happy Birthday Adam

My birthday (26). Syracuse Lighting Co (Fulton St $40,000 fire at 1 A.M.)  Bess woke me at 2:30 and I got up & got her some Bromo Seltzer. Went to Leaders Class and hair cut. All of Ma's & Caras family & the Witham family & Dave       were up. Clara Merle sick.  Kathy stayed and slept with Bess. I'm down stairs.


W. Fine
R. 12

Happy 126th Birthday today Adam.

Sounds like a nice 1910 birthday surrounded by family and friends and a new hair cut to boot!

I think I should mention that Clara Merle is not his sister Clara that I've been talking about recently. When I researched our Clara  I noted 2 Clara Filsingers with different birthday's and different middle initials. Upon closer inspection I discovered that Clara Merle actually married Adam's brother Oscar some time before the 1920 census. Following me so far? The first time I read the diary I didn't make this distinction. This time when Clara Merle's name appeared I was kind of excited as I had just recently figured it out!

 I wonder if that Bromo Seltzer really works?

**Note-Of course after writing that last bit about if Bromo Seltzer really works I had to go and look up what exactly is IN Bromo Seltzer.

From Wikipedia: Bromo-Seltzer (acetaminophen, sodium bicarbonate, and citric acid), Originally produced by inventor Isaac E. Emerson's Emerson Drug Company of Baltimore, Bromo-Seltzer is sold in the United States in the form of effervescent granules which must be mixed with water before ingestion.

The product took its name from a component of the original formula, sodium bromide; it contained 3.2 mEq/teaspoon of this active ingredient. Bromides are a class of tranquilizers that were withdrawn from the American market in 1975 due to their toxicity. Their sedative effect probably accounted for Bromo-Seltzer's popularity as a hangover remedy.

So yeah, I'm guessing it DID work!

March 13th, 14th & 15th 1910

Sunday March 13, 1910

Dave up and I went to S.S. & up to dinner. K to Auburn. It was a bad rainy day got colder and windy after 9:30 & snowed. 


W. Bad. Colder
R. 11

I think S.S. means Sunday School as he mentions Sunday School a few Sundays back. I tried to research which church used to hold Adult Sunday school and there were many. It's a Christian church obviously (not that I had many doubts, being a German man living in 1910 but you never know.)

Monday March 14, 1910

Clara, Bess & I went to see the Lotus Fr-------at High School. It was very good. A lady ahead of Bess left a       took amb in the top of her hair and everybody laughing.


W. Stormy & snow
R. 11

What?? What does this mean? I sure would like to know what the heck the lady had in her hair to make everyone laugh.


Tuesday March 15, 1910

Rode my wheel in the snow to get to work on time. Perce Smith was cut from 6 to 4 and told the boss that he would quit Sat.  Bess over home all morning and supper with a sick head ache. 


W. Fine. Cold
R. 9

My guess is that Bess doesn't have a sick headache, she's sick of hanging out over at her in-laws house all day. 

I'm starting to wonder about the "wheel"? Can you really ride one of those big wheel bikes in the snow successfully? (even if you are trying to make it to work on time?) I don't doubt that it is a bike.

All I can say is he better start getting to work on time or else he's going to suffer the same fate as Perce Smith and get cut to the 4 shift. I would hate to have that happen to him.

Is Clara A Spinster?

You may have noticed that Adam's sister Clara is around a lot. She lives with her parents and 2 of her brothers.  She's also 29 years old and a schoolteacher. The perfect makings of a typical spinster. 

Correct?

Jen asked this question a little while ago and I had to find out for myself.

So is Clara a spinster?

I am happy to report folks, that Clara did  NOT end up a lonely spinster living with her parents for the rest of her life.

In both the 1920 and 1930 census records she is married to a Mr. William Hoffman, making her Clara Hoffman. It does not however, state when they married so it could be any time between her 29th and 39th birthday.  We'll have to keep our eyes out for someone named William in the diary. At the end of the diary there are some names and addresses of people that Adam has mentioned already, but no addresses for William Hoffman, or any William for that matter.

March 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th, 1910

Wednesday March 9th, 1910

Clara's Birthday. Rode my wheel for the first time. The boss had me at his desk for an hour. After work up to       's shop. To gym &      and I ran 1 mile. I took a steam bath.         Sewing club at Clara. I stopped and I got a bad cold & took a mustard foil bath.

W. Colder
R. 11

I am going to guess that his "wheel" is a bicycle. Especially because he uses the term "rode" rather than drove.  My romantic side wants to believe it is one of these large front wheel bicycles but I can't be sure. When I researched this, I found that both this type of bicycle (Called an ordinary bicycle) and the standard 2 wheel version that we have today (called a saftey bicycle, for obvious reasons) were both in use in 1910. Is he using the term "wheel" to refer to the fact that his bike only has one prominent wheel? I really wish I knew.


Thursday March 10, 1910

Late for work.  (a long sentence I cannot read) Stayed home at night & framed a picture.

W. Fine
R. 10:30

I think he needs to make a better effort to get to work on time seeing as he was at the boss's desk for an hour yesterday....


Friday March 11, 1910

Rome & Oswego against Syracuse Y.M.C.A Athletic meet.
Syracuse 62 points
Combined Team 3
I was in Stadium & Mile "Relay" & 3rd in R. B. J. 17" 5"
Small crowd

W. Fine
R. 11

I guess he found something to do without basketball.

Saturday March 12, 1910

Worked A.M. After dinner I cleaned the cellar & raked up the back yard & carried in some wood. Ma & Clara came over and sat with Bess on the back porch in the sun.  Home at night.

W. Fine Warm
R. 11

In case you have not noticed this before, he uses dinner to refer to lunch and supper to refer to, well, supper.

Who Has Rochester's Best Cupcake-On Chic and Green!

I did take a break from my computer woes last night to join my friend Karley on her search for Rochester's Best Cupcake at the Sugar Mountain Bake Shop.

Head on over to her blog Chic and Green for the scoop on our trip, what we ordered and who does, in fact, have the best cupcake in Rochester!

If you've never vistited her blog before , please do check it out! You'll find green living and beauty articles, local and indie shopping, her views on life & more. She has 2 little boys but is the ultinate girlie girl. She's an excellent writer and her perspective is always honest and refreshing!

We interrupt this blog......

So for my 4 readers who are wondering what happened to Adam after the basketball league ended, it may be a few more days.

For the past couple days I've been spending all of my free time trying to fix my $*&# & *^%#$  &*#)@  @&#*&*&  %!$#_) laptop. I'm on my clunky slow upstairs computer currently and while it works ok for blogging, I've been otherwise engaged, spending hours of my life that I will never get back fixing a problem that I can't identify.... I even have a bit of working computer knowledge and this is stumping me.

I think I'll write an Adam catchup entry tomorrow for the past few days.

I cerrtainly DO have words inside of me right now but they aren't ones I want to post on this blog......

Tuesday March 8, 1910

City Factory BB League
at Y.M.C.A  W.L. 1910


1st Aluminum Casting Co
2 Monarch Typewriter Co
   Smith Bros Typewrite Co
   Franklin Automobile
5 Nettle 
6. Smith Premier dropped out.


Well now perhaps he'll be spending some more time at home! He' s been playing at the YMCA which is interesting but I'm not going to tell you why right now!

Durand Eastman Park

Today was beautiful, 48 degrees and sunny so we headed 5 minutes from our house to the park along the lake. 

 

We watched firemen doing rescue drills on the pond. 

 

  

Decided to climb to the top of White Lady's Castle.  You can click on the link to read the ghost story but it's also thought to be the crumbling foundation to an old hotel, although no one can seem to find any pictures of it.

Whoooooooooo!!!!

There are steps in the summer but they were all icy so we just climbed the hill. 

 

It was kind of steep. Almost there. 

It was at this point that we noticed a much easier trail up on the other side!!

View from the top.

 

Also at the top.  We were the only people there and it was pretty beautiful up there. The sky and the lake were a gorgeous blue. We saw animal prints and people prints and snowshoe prints!  I would love to try snowshoeing!

If you have not yet read my posts a little further down the page you'll probably think I'm a terrible parent when you get there. My girl has 2 ear infections (she IS wearing a hat with ear flaps!) But she has no fever and is on antibiotics. I'm not really the kind of person who gets all crazy about sick children outside (don't tell my mom)  and we felt like the sunshine would do her good. She was also ready for a rare nap this afternoon which was a treat for everone and we napped too!

Monday March 7, 1910

Spring AM  went  to work without over coat & by 10AM it was snowing hard & getting colder. Up to K to supper. Came home at 9:30. 


W. Colder Snow
R. 11

Ear Infections, Holistic Remedies and Wegmans

Friday evening my girl complained that her ear hurt so we gave her some Children's Tylenol and I told her that we would need to call her Dr in the morning.  At 11 pm she woke up crying hysterically that it really hurt and we held her for the next hour while she cried until she finally exhausted herself and fell back to sleep.

 

Current sick bay in our house includes a full size tent and 

that creepy guy from Yo Gabba Gabba. 

Upon visiting the Dr this morning, he determined that she has infections in both ears.  I mentioned to him that I wasn't sure last night if I could have given her more Tylenol before the 4 hrs was up. He told me no, I should not do that, BUT, a good trick is to warm a little olive oil up and put a few drops in the ear and it stops the pain almost immediately. I love that guy! Olive oil. Doesn't this sound like a trick from the old country? I half expected him to tell me to rub her ear with a garlic clove too.  Her Dr, is not at all like someone from "The Old Country" and in truth, is probably not much older than I am. But this is a hint I can use. My girl is an ear infection kid so I'm sure this will come up again.

I also noticed that the Dr's office was offering H1N1 vaccines to parents or grandparents of their patients. I did not get one but I did note that this was in stark contrast to the hysterical flu clinics that were happening around town where people were on the news paralyzed with fear that they might not be able to get one.  This is not really germain to the story but I thought it was an interesting aside.

On to Wegmans where I went to fill the prescription. What a nice surprise when it rung up FREE. Yes, free. Like don't even need to see my insurance card, no co-pay, just give me the medication and the little plastic spoon and send me on my way free. They did this for a month last year but apparently now they offer it all the time. I think this is such a generous thing.What business gives products away? Just another reason why Wegmans rocks.

I felt like everyone was helping to make my girl feel better today.

Tonight she's much better & I think the tent did as much to make her feel better as the antibiotics!

Sunday March 6, 1910

Went to Sunday School with with Dave & Ray. Bertha and Smith up to dinner. I met Jeannie White ----'s sister on the car. Mr & Mrs Hudson & Mable Smith up the Corper & Mr & Mrs W up. At 7:30 Lightning & Thunder & Rain.


W. Daytime June Warm
R. 10:30

Seriously, it's as warm as June??

Saturday March 5, 1910

So sorry for a break in the action. You would think if I was going to let Adam Filsinger write all of my blog posts for the past month, that I would at least not miss a day!

Monarch teams had their picture taken at the gym. I picked up the stones in the side yard-cleaned up around the house. Bess to sewing club and I to gym. K stayed with Clara. 


W. ----- ----- spring
R. 11:30

Well I'm glad to see Bess getting out of the house with a little hobby.  I can't believe it's nice enough to pick up stones around the house. Sigh....If only I could see stones right now.....

Friday March 4, 1910

Bess got a bad cold & cough. Ma better. Free exhibition at gym. I met K & B after work & we went to cafeteria for supper. Bess got a sore throat & cough in Free Exhibition. 


W. Nice
R. 11:45

I wish I knew what this Free Exhibition was all about. And I bet Bess is cursing Ma right about now.

Thursday March 3, 1910- Adam & Bess Fight

This is my favorite entry yet!

I stopped from work to see Alderman about          .  Over home to supper and helped Pa cement up cellar wall. More water was leaking through. In fooling, I kicked B's shoes under Ma's bed & she would not come home until after I went home in bed & got up & came up after her. She was in bed with Clara. 

W. (unreadable)
R. 12 (Of course it's late he had to go up home and get Bess.)

What is going on here I wonder? I'm a pretty feisty gal sometimes and I can tell you I've never had an argument which resulted in me sleeping elsewhere on account of someone hiding my shoes...At least I don't think I've had an argument that stupid but I probably have... Haven't we all? 

But I'm left to wonder, is Bess terribly high maintenance? Is she so fragile that something like this sets her off so much so that she decides to sleep over his parent's house?  Really? Over shoes?

OR

Has Adam been a total pain-in-the-butt all night long and the shoes were finally the last straw. She's got a bad cold (That she probably caught from Ma) and has probably been tending to Ma all day long (again) and now her clown of a husband has hidden her shoes under her sick mother-in-law's bed probably at the exact moment she wants to put them on and finally go to her own home. In aggravation she decides that yes, if he's going to hide her shoes so she can't leave then she darn well won't leave. He can go home alone.

Can you imagine this drama going on in front of the whole family? Ma and Pa and Clara and Raymond?

When I first read this, my impression was that Bess was kind of a baby about the whole thing. Now I'm not so sure.

At least he went after her...

Wednesday March 2, 1910

Ma's Birthday. Did not get up until 7:25 and got to work at 8:20. Went to Leaders class and practice for Exhibition Friday. Oscar and I got 10:05 car & fell asleep and went to the end. Bess over at home. Bess bad cold. 


W. Fine 
R. 11:30 

I'm sure Bess caught something from Ma. Ma is 53 today. I imagine her older than that after the week she's had though. I think it's cute that he rode the streetcar to the end on accident but it probably annoyed him when it happened.

Dreaming of April

Well I never did get a  Leopard Print Snuggie, but today I got something I've been wanting for a while  now

Leopard Print Rain Boots!!

 Seriously, I can't WAIT to garden in these babies.  I can't wait until it rains rather than snows. I kind of  hate March. And March is so darn L O N G after February . I should probably move somewhere slightly warmer because, although I like the snow, and (a real) winter and the holidays are a nice break from the garden, by March I'm feeling, well, I guess shriveled would be the word for it. At least my soul feels like that. My Vitamin D levels are at an all time low and I'm itching, really really itching to get back into my garden. Alas, that usually doesn't happen until April.

 

So when I saw these boots today at Aldi for $10 I jumped on them and started dreaming of spring.  I thought I would share some of my gardening favorites.

Designing The New Kitchen Garden

It was kind of funny because right after I left Aldi I went to the library and right on the book display was this lovely book. It's the book that I based my own vegetable garden on. Beautiful vegetable gardens with a nice history of the European style potager garden in the beginning. This year my goal is to have a more beautiful vegetable garden. I actually think a healthy vegetable garden is pretty beautiful but I didn't try and consciously plant for beauty. This year that is my goal. I brought this book home for all kinds of inspiration.

 

I also placed my order at Seed Savers Exchange for my FAVORITE La Ratte Potatoes pictured below.  I'm going to place a seed order as well but I wanted to make sure to get the potato order in ASAP because they do run out. 

If you like to garden and you've never seen Seed Savers Exchange you are in for such a treat. Seed Savers is  the Mac Daddy of Heirloom Seeds/Plants. (Did I just say Mac Daddy???) I rarely even look anywhere else. Look at that cover, do I even need to say anything else.

 

La Ratte 

Then off to Gardener's Supply Company, a place that will make you think you need way more gardening gadgets than you actually do. I want half of this stuff. I'm toying with the thought of these Tomato Automators, which are supposed to prevent cutworms and boost production but I think they may be in direct conflict with my resolution to have a more beautiful vegetable garden. Tell me, are these ugly? I can't decide.

Ah well, that feels a little better. I think even writing about gardening makes my soul feel a little better. Maybe March won't be so long after all.