And That's All He Wrote. December 29 & 30, 1910

December 29, 1910

After supper B & I went over home. Ma home alone.

W. Rain
R. 11

December 30, 1910 (I hope you all know it pains me to write this.....)

Over home to supper. Intended going to sleigh ride to Sams uncle Jim but postponed till Monday. (It's friday BTW) Bess met me downtown. It rained last night & turned to snow & blizzard & very cold.

W. Very Cold
R. 10

Just normal stuff except for the sleigh ride bit. I wish I lived when in a time when it was still the norm to take a sleigh ride. Or at least, I wish it was still the norm in my current time period to take a sleigh ride. (And in the circles I hang in lateley, it kind of is ;-)

Without the internet none of this year's project would have been possible and I'd be reading this to myelf, not to mention, the easy access to information about 1910 that I've been able to come up with. However, it's really striking to me how much they actually DO without the phone, tv and internet to distract them. He's building things, joining clubs, playing a lot of sports, taking leadership classes, heads up his bible stude group and spends time with a lot of people.  His factory job seems to provide well for him and not once has he ever complained about money. My observation is that he lives a pretty full life.

Remember that mean boss he had? That was about the worst of it. And even he got fired after a while.

Things I wish I knew about Adam
What he and Bess looked like.
More about his job at the factory.
What he was like-Was he funny? Smart? A big softie or a pain in the butt (I don't imagine this is true of course)
I'd like more about his passions, fears, loves, etc
I wish he would have said "Bess made a fine pot roast tonight" I would have loved more about their food.
What is he struggling with right now?

It's just not enough for me.

There IS actually a little bit on the next page:

Clara   $10.
Ray     25.
Howard 200

What does this mean? Do these people owe him money? Who is Howard and why is the # so high...In fact, even Ray's $25  seems high. Remember when Bess won $22 in a raffle and I figured out it was like $252 today. Does he owe these people money???? I sure hope not.....

And then address listings for (and you'll probably recognize some of these!) :

P Paul Pearse
'Kate Surman
'Gertie Filsinger
'Ed Srits
'Kathy Witham
'Dave Gillette
'C.W. Babcock
'Florence H-------
'Etta Brom
Pierce Smich
Florence McDonald
Bessie Burke
Ida Bell
Irving Hill
'Ray & 'Oscar
RE Boschert

Notice that some of these have a ' next to them. He's used a check mark in the diary. What do those marks mean? What distinction is he making???

Also, Gertie's address also includes a hospital address as well. Remember when Gertie almost died? Well she marries in a few years so don't feel too badly.

I do know more about Adam and Bess but I'll share it in a day or two. I don't want this to be my last post about them really.

I hate endings. I'm very bad with them.

I think I'm going to pine over Bess and Adam awhile.

December 26 & 27, 1910

December 26, 1910

Factory closed. After breakfast I put in a window light and worked down cellar. The Witham's came over & Clara & Oscar over. Art & I skated ove the p----------. Ma in bed with a bad cold.

W. Fine.
R. 10:30

December 27, 1910

Hung my lamps in the living room. B & I over home awhile. Ma feeling better.

W. warmer.
R. 11:30

Don't worry all, Ma lives much longer. She's in no danger. I wonder if Adam is worried about he, if that is why he mentions it. She has been sick a lot this year.

It's almost over. Adam only writes until the 30th actually, which I think is funny because he hasn't missed a single day. I think this lends more evidence to my theory that he writes a few days at a time when he gets the chance.

And are there more diaries? This one starts in Feb so it's my assumption that it's the first. But that could be completely off track. He did write faithfully this year so I wonder if it's enough of a habit that he wants to keep doing it. I sure would love to see a whole collection!

I've had the opportunity to see a few diaries at the museum that looked like they would make compelling projects,(one is 4 years worth of writing!)  though I don't know that I have the time to devote to those. It would also be on the museum blog so I would have a lot less of my own opinions in there (and perhaps that's a good thing ;-) but my own conjecture has been fun, at least to me.

I also don't know if I could bond with someone other than Adam and Bess. Are Adam and Bess compelling or is it the examination of another ordinary life? I tend to think it's the latter.

At any rate, I will miss them next year.

Christmas with Adam & Bess

December 23, 1910

Bess did up Christmas presents and I printed pictures. Clara Merle here on her way home. Oscar & Clara over after supper.

W. Wamer, Rain & very windy

December 24, 1910

After supper Bess & I  & the Pratts & Dave          went over home for the Christmas tree. They all gave me a smoking coat & we came home at 10 and put up out stockings.

W. fine
R. 11:30

So it seems that Bess & Adan don't have a Christmas tree. I recently learned that Christmas lights did not come into wide use until the 1930s when they became affordable for the general public. I wonder if Adam and Bess saw candles on the Christmas tree this night.

A few weeks ago I attended the Yuletide in The Country event at the museum. The very last house had in it, a Christmas tree lit by candles. Since I read about a tree lit like this  as a little girl, I've always wanted to see this. It was so so beautiful that I got tears in my eyes. For some awesome pics (not mine) of this event you can click here. The last batch of photos include the tree. The candle chandelier in the Brooks Grove Church was also pretty impressive.

December 25, 1910

Bess & I came down at 8 a.m. & started a fire in the fireplace & looked at our presents. We both gave small gifts. To Bess's church and up home to dinner. K came home with us.

W. fine
R: 11:30

Oh I can just picture this cosy little morning, can't you?!?!  I wonder if they had coffee? I wonder if they are coffee drinkers. This scene seems perfect to me if it includes coffee... What a sweet Christmas.

Stats from 2010

I'm not much of a Facebook status writer. I don't think you care what I had for lunch or that it's snowing or raining or whatever the weather is doing in my corner of the world. I do think this one app is pretty cute though and every year it makes me want to write/better status updates!! Short as it is, it sums up my year pretty well... Museum, kingergarten, etc....

Bah Humbug!

Have I mentioned that I like bald men?

I do. And one of my favorite bald men is Patrick Stewart in A Christmas Carol. (I also like him in the X-men movies although I admit to never having watched him on Star Trek)

Along with Little Women, this is my other favorite Christmas movie of all time. If you haven't seen this version you must. Once you do you'll never watch another version.   I try to skip years watching tjem so I don't wear them out (though I almost ALWAYS watch Little Women.)

These following scenes are some of my favorite in the movie. Please excuse the Romanian subtitles. This was the only clip of this scene that I could find.

And I'll throw in the trailer of Little Women as a bonus. You might surmise that I most like movies where people wear 19th Century Garb. You would be right. (With the notable exception of Harry Potter)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cheer

Tonight we went to Dinner With Santa at the school where my husand teaches.

These are the only photos that I have of her on Santa's Lap. I mean ever, not just tonight. Historically she has been terrified of him and tells me she's "Going to let Santa Surprise Me" just so she doesn't have to go and talk to him.

All she told him that she wanted was a Zu Zu Pet and a Barbie....Guess what? Santa didin't buy either of those things this year! I guess Santa still needs a few things.

After, we went to Starbucks, got some coffees and a kids hot cocoa and went crusing for Chistmas lights. This was one of those houses. It was the biggest one I've ever seen. It's also a really huge house. Look at the gigantic santa in the left hand side of the picture!!!!

These pictures don't do it justice. This display was incredible with all kinds of lights and statues and nativity and santa... It was so fun and crazy. You can't believe the traffic on this street either. While we were there a bus full of old people drove on by. The street ends a few houses down in a circle. I'm sure the neighbors were thrilled.

A good time was had by all. 

Merry Christmas????

So today my husband and I were looking at a Christmas card that he received and the family that is usually there looked a little odd to me. 

The conversation went like this:

"What about X? Where is he?" (He's the husband)
"Oh, he's not in the picture anymore."
"Oh....Well...Who are these other people?"
"I really don't know...."

First of all, I don't know these people at all. I look at their card each year because one of them has a funny name (Yes, I know that sounds childish....) but it is funny and it completely fits the family that they look like.

But they don't look like that family any more. And even more puzzling is that the card includes 2 additional people who look too old to be friends of the children, cousins, etc... and too young to be dating the now single mother.... I'm sure people closer to them know who these mystery people are but what about the rest of us????? What about those of us who want to laugh at the silly name of the husband (ooops, I said it.)??How are we supposed to know who these people are??? There are no names, just Merry Christmas from the (Insert Family Name) I find a Christmas card to be a strange place to announce your new family status, especially if I can't figure out what that status exactly is!!! Somebody needs to tell me what's going on here!

Technical Difficulties Resolved

In an interesting twist today one of my friends on Facebook (and in real life too) Toni Lynn offered me a pink razor phone free for the asking. And I'm taking it. I need to back away from the techology....

At the same time Leighanne offered me a samsung that was similar. Toni said she missed her Samsung so we brokered a completely free deal between all of us, Thank you very much gals!

The funny thing is that Toni and Leighanne have never met in real life! Love the internet sometimes. (mostly not really, but sometimes....)

Technology Update, Verizion Are Big Meanies

Excuse my title, I've been reading Junie B Jones again....

I really want to change thaty M to a W in Meanies.... Because Verizion was no help whatsoever in my phone debacle.

I called them to request a new phone. I called the store. I called the 800#. I have had this phone less than 2 weeks.

So the man at the Verizion store in Greece NY told me that he could not help me because "GASP" I broke the touch screen. Apparentlyt this is some kind of mortal sin in the cell phone world because this is the only thing that voids the warranty....

Convienient....

And of course, I didn't choose insurance on the phone.  I had the other phone for like 17 years without issue. Insurance seemed like overkill.

But here is the thing. I really and truly didn't do anything to it.

And the meanie cell phone man told me that these phone are very delicate. And he said it like I was 5 years old so that I could understand him..... That I could have had it in my purse or in my pocket and sit down or bend over and it could crack.

Seriously, he said that. That I could sit down with it in my pocket and break it.

And I do sit down and bend over fairly frequently.

But answer me this people-Why on earth would they make a phone that fits in your pocket if carrying it there would be dangerous? And where else am I supposed to carry it, if not in my purse????  I currently carry a Garmin GPS, a portable flip video camera, a digitil camera and sometimes my nook in my work bag with no incident... They all still work and it's been months.

When I also told them the cell phone had terrible sound quality he asked why I didn't bring it in to them to look at.

I tell you why buster-I only had the thing for 11 days. And I have a life.

One that doesn't REVOLVE around a cell phone.... (but quickly deteriorating into one that does obviously....)

And of course, they can't take the expensive data package off until I get a new phone that doesnn't require a data package. And of course, my actual LIFE then intruded in the form of a child home from school, taking my grandma Christmas shopping, Girl Scouts and today, Work. So I still haven't gotten a phone.

And my husband has this phone too now and he also wants out  because he doesn't need this technology either and would just as soon go back to his old phone. Which means I could have his. But I don't want this device. It's just too much.

And of course, they will take the phone back and give me a new one for a  $35 restocking fee.

I  just looked, I can sell this thing used on eBay for about $100. 

Nice try Verizion.

I also noticed that one could purchase a protective covering for the palm pixi as well.....

And finally, I noticed that I could purchase a used pink Razor phone in working condition for $10.......

I'm thinking about it.

Technical Difficulties

Bess and Adam are across the room and I'm sitting next to a roraing fire and I don't want to get up. So lets talk technical difficulties.

I've been having a lot of technical difficulties. I used  to have this boss at my old job who couldn't wear a watch. Something about his body chemistry messed up the watch and it was always wrong. No matter what watch he wore.

I feel like I'm having that impact on things around me. My laptop randomly died, (I'm on my husband's), the other day my seat belt broke, I mean it just won't stay buckled,(don't worry, it's getting fixed) and I think something is wrong with my beloved front loading washing machine. And I washed my cell phone. It was an old phone. A pink Razor phone. The kids in Pre-school last year had one in the play house as a toy.

So I called Verizion and got a new phone.  A Palm Pixi. For this I needed to upgrade to the more expensive data package. Ok fine, it looks pretty slick I'm thinking and who the heck doesn't need to check their emails a gagillion times a day? Right?

And "oh", twittered the chirpy customer service rep, "You can look at Facebook from anywhere. It's a 3G device!"  Why I don't mention to her or even remember that I think people who have to check Facebook from their phones all the time are complete tools I don't rightly know. (Don't worry all you Facebook peeps, I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about other tools.)

So this slick little phone comes and it's a complete b*tch to set up. And I have to call customer service and it's just a huge PITA.
Then the sound quality on this thing BITES. I mean really. I'm either asking someone to repeat themselves or they are asking me what I just said. It's very frustrating... Very...I don't feel like shouting to have a conversation. That completely throws me, what with my noise issues and all....

And then a few days ago the touch screen developed these cracks. Just DEVELOPED them. I did not drop it or bang it on anything. And when I try and use the damn thing the cracks spread. And now I can't use it at all... So now I still have no phone again.... And now I've used up the "free" phone from Verizion. (And now I know why it was free.)

And through this entire thing I've asked myself how this phone contributes to my version of A Good Life. You know what-It doesn't...Not at all. I've wasted much time setting this thing up, looking at the useless apps (Palm has way less than Apple) and no matter how special I seem to think I am, I don't need to be reachable by email, phone, or text message all the time. Who do I think I am anyway?

The phone beeps when you get any form of message-text, email, etc.. and I found myself  wasting minutes I will never get back, looking at email from, say, TALBOTS.... In front of a compuer I can just delete those. On this Palm, you need to open them before you can delete them.

Wasted minutes. That. I. Will. Never. Get. Back. Do you ever think about that? All the time you spend doing something completely meaningless that adds nothing to your life?  I do, and it pisses me off. I'm not saying I'm walking around having "big moments" all day long but certainly reading emails from stores trying to sell me something while I'm puttering around my kitchen ranks low on how I want to use my breaths on this earth. And even the emails I did want/need were not so urgent that I would need to get them at my parents house, in the store or in the car.

So tomorrow I'm going to go to the Verizion store and demand  request a new phone. Clearly the one they gave me is a piece of crap. And it's going to be a normal phone. That I can hear well on. And speak into. And I'm not texting and I'm not looking at the internet and I don't want an alarm to sound every time Talbots wants to sell me something with Free shipping. And I want that expensive data package taken off. I just want to be able to be reached if say, my house is on fire or my daughter is sick or I need to speak with Jeannine on my way home from work.Technology is great when you need it/use it, but when you don't it's just extra clutter and as much trouble as plastic toys from china when you have more than you need.

November 18-20, 1910

November 18, 1910


Over home to supper & Bess up home & B & K went to YWCA and I down to amusement & YMCA & Bill duxxxxxxx & I went out & over to the Hippodrome. Kathy home with Bess, 


W. Fine
R. 11

And what is a Hippodrome?

I'm glad you asked. 

A hippodrome is a large enclosed facility designed for equestrian events, although hippodromes have also been used historically to host other types of athletic events. Numerous examples of ancient hippodromes can be found scattered around the Mediterranean, reflecting the Greek and Roman enthusiasm for equestrian sport, and a number of modern facilities are also known as hippodromes.

Nov 19, 1910


Went downtown to amusement parlor & gym & played BB.  Bess up home and I met her at 10:45


W. Fine
R. 12


Nov 20, 1910\


Arose at 9:30. Bess not feeling good. & we stayed home all day. Julius Mott & his wife came over home & they all came over to Dev & my house. 


W. Fine, Bright, a lot colder. 
R. 9
B & I looked over her kindergarten books. 

November 9-17, 1910

Nov 9, 1910


Lynn C Smith buried at Oakmont at 2:30. Left 15 million. Gertie and Mr. Prosser up to the house at night. 


Nov 10, 1910

Started to build a coal bin. B & I met Kathy on the 8:30 car. 


W. warm by windy
R. 11





Nov 11, 1910


After supper B & I looked over the negatives & I worked on the coal bin. 


W. Colder, Windy
R. 10:30 


November 12, 1910


After supper I started to the gym and played BB. Colgate beat Syr 11 to 5. Bess stayed home alone. 


W. Sloppy & Snow
R. 11


November 13, 1910


I went to church with Bess & Kathy & we three came up to SS. It snowed & it was very wet. We three over home to dinner & Mrs & Mrs W came up & Miss Wallace & Ma & the rest over to our house to supper. 


W. snowy
R. 11


November 14, 1910


After supper I cleaned the cellar. 


W. Snow
R. 11:15


November 15, 1910


Factory league opened. Smith Bros beat Monarch out in a tie game. 5 to 3. I got the three points. Monarch team......


W. snow
R. 12:30 


November 16, 1910


Bess had a bad cold and I printed pictures. Mrs            called up Bess & wanted her to teach at her school. 

Well this is interesting... 



November 17, 1910


Carrol Sanger & Gerry Drew up to supper. 


Fine moon light night. 


Then he writes something I can completely not read. I my apologies for the lack of research/commentary. Like Bess, I have a head cold and a headache and I'm off to bed! Adam must be as tired as I am this week, he's dropped the weather off of a lot of his entries.