Wednesday February 9, 1910

Went to Leaders Class & practiced marching & dancing.  Met Bess from home. 


W. Colder 
R.11

I like this guy. In 4 days he's been to 2 classes and played (albeit it not very well) in one basketball game...

Tuesday February 8th, 1910

To Gym & Aluminum  team beat us (Monarch) 22 to 8 & Smith Bros beat Franklin.


W. Cold
R. 11

In case you're wondering, he plays basketball. I did not figure that out for a few more entries so I thought I'd tell you.  I don't know much about basketball, however, a score of 8 did not scream basketball to me.

This is going to be way more fun than I thought!

After I wrote the above entry I decided to do a little research on Monarch, Franklin and Smith Bros in Syracuse NY.   Monarch and Smith Bros (the pre-cursor to Smith-Corona) were both typewriter factories. Franklin produced the Franklin Automobile. Monarch had its factory in Franklin Square.I even found one article that referred to it as the 1910 Monarch Typewriter Factory! SCORE!

Apparently F worked in The Monarch Typewriter Factory.

Yes, this is possibly the neatest thing I've ever found online. (I know, my true inner geek is really showing tonight isn't it?)

When I first read the diary I read a few pages each evening  laying in bed before turning off the light.  Reading with the internet at my fingertips is proving to be a far more interesting prospect!

In A One Horse Open Sleigh

Today Deanna and I took our girls  to the Granger Homestead for a ride in a one horse open sleigh!!!

I went alone last year as my daughter was sick so this year I wanted to share the experience.  Deanna's daughter Liv is as much of a Laura Ingalls fan as I am so I was thrilled they could make it. She even reminded us that today was Laura's 143rd Birthday! What a perfect way to celebrate it!

We stayed inside this beautiful (heated)  building and enjoyed complimentary hot cocoa/tea  and cookies while we waited for our ride. The girls also got a "sleigh" bell.

The rides were 10 minutes long and we went around the homestead and through the woods. It was 20 degrees out today and there was no wind. We had lap blankets and a lot of layers on and it was still  quite cold. Our driver told us that we were in actual antique sleighs, not reproductions, which tickled me to no end... She told us the history of jingle bells on the horses but our particular horse did not have bells as it was her first day on the job!

It was a wonderful ride.

We had to drive about 40 min to get there so we packed lunches for the car. The cost of the ride for me was $5 and it was $3 for my daughter. For $8 we had a pretty awesome afternoon doing something you don't get to do every day!

I'm really thankful that there are people in the world who make things like this accessible to the general public. At $8 per ride, no one is getting rich doing this for 2 hours. In addition, the woman who manned the tickets inside told me that the horse owners had probably started at 8am this morning brushing the horses and getting them ready and transporting them to the museum for the 1pm rides. Our driver told us her fingers were numb and at that point she had only been driving for about 45 minutes. (The rides are from 1-3 on Sunday afternoons). And yet they do all of this because they love it and so my girl and I get a little slice of the past. Amazing! Inspiring!

Tonight we read the Laura Ingalls First Little House Books, Dance At Grandpa's because they ride there in a one horse open sleigh!  It was neat to be able to read the book and think about what it felt like today.

Monday February 7, 1910

Went to Autonomy class at gym. Dave, Ray, Art & I played pool. Met Bess from home. 


W. Cold
R. 10

Sunday February 6, 1910

Today begins the diary of F.E. Filsinger, from 100 years ago.

Just a little background. F is 25 years old and lives at 504 Stinard Ave in Syracuse NY. He works in a factory and has a wife named Bess. That's all I'm telling for now. On to our first entry. Don't worry, they get better and day by day you can piece his life together.

Up home to dinner. Pearse Smich from the factory was up to dinner. 


W. Cold
R. 11

His penmanship is pretty and small. This is written in a small leather bound pocket diary and there are 3 days per page which tells you how much room he has to write.

Hmmm.......

Sometimes when I look at this blog I try and come up with things to write about based on what generates the most comments.

A lot of times, I find however, that what I'm really passionate about rarely generates as many comments as the things I throw out on a whim.

Case in point.... A scant 2 people have commented on the fact that I am in possession of a 100 year old diary, came into possession of it in an unusual way, and now want to share it with you all.....Seriously, have you met me. (well some of you have).. This is big stuff....   However, there are 15 comments in the post where I basically berate the scrambled egg recipes of everyone I know. You all loved the fact that I want a leopard print Snuggie (8 comments) but did not care that I made my own cherry liqueur or that I have baked bread over an open hearth (0 comments, both) .... I see a disconnect between us....(or perhaps it's between me and the rest of the world.) I don't even want to think about what this means about all of you.....

There is no accounting for taste I suppose. Yours or mine....

We all did come to some common ground in my Surveyor's House post but that was because some nice people from the SD tourism bureau happened upon it.

Facebook commentors you are exempt from this tirade* commentary as you all comment on everything. (Thank you Toni Lynn, Stella, Diana & Krista!) although I do like it when you visit me over here... And Michael, you could get a sign on and start posting comments rather than just randomly emailing me your thoughts.... (Ha-worked you in again!) Remember though, I approve all comments before they are published.

There I am again

In case you want to witness more of my pioneer prowess, I direct you to this link, which is on the Genesee Country Village & Museum website under classes you can take.

This picture is next to the cheese making class, although I am making, what else.....BUTTER. (Shhhhh.... Don't tell anyone.)

Yes, even as a pioneer I am all about butter.....

I'm straining the whey/buttemilk from the butter before I wash it with that butter paddle. After I was done, I fed the buttermilk to hogs that came charging at me when they realized I  had food for them. (Don't worry there was a fence between us, but it was a little surprising nonetheless.)

My husband looked way better than I dressed as a pioneer.  Therefore it is surprising to keep finding myself like this.

Apparently there are no classes for squirrel skinning, oxen driving, fence building, mattress stuffing or dancing with pretty young girls at the barn dance while your wife is in the final stages of consumption.