Lillian's Diaries Vol. II: Out late February 2011

Lillian's Diaries: Whispers of Galena's Past Vol.II will be out by the end of February 2011. This volume will cover the years 1920 through 1925. World War I is over and the boys are returning home as Galena mourns the young men who have given their lives for their country. Lillian is still living with her family on the farm on StageCoach Trail, but there are big changes coming for the family.

For the rest of this year I will be posting entries from 1919 to help set the tone for the new volume. Both volumes will be available to you on amazon.com and at Book World in Galena, IL. One or both of the volumes will be available on at an expanded list of distribution venders such as Barnes and Noble and maybe at your local library. I hope to hear your thoughts as you delve into Lillian's Diaries. Remember they are written almost as Lillian penned them in her diaries.

January 1919

Wed 1: Happy New Year. Well, we had a big dinner today; goose, dressing, gravy, asparagus, cabbage slaw, pickles, mashed potatoes, celery, apricots, squash pie, pie plant pie, bread, butter, cream, saffron buns, white date cake, fruit cake, as tidbits candy, oranges, bananas, cigars. Uncle Edd, Aunt Annie, John, Agnes, Milton, and Blanche were up here. Quite a little snow fell last night and this morning. But the sun shined part of the day. Tonight clear and cold.

Thu 2: Very cold today. Clear and bright. This afternoon Dad went over the Station. Sold the hogs for Monday at seventeen cents. Dad bought a little pig of Amos Ford for two dollars. Only little one he had.

Fri 3: Very cold again today. Ma washed out a few things. Too cold to wash much. About eight below this evening.

Sat 4: Another very cold day. Too cold to go to town.

Sun 5: It got almost too late to go to church this morning and some of us got colds. Home all day and had no company. No, not even tonight. Not quite so cold today.

Mon 6: Dad took four hogs over the Station today. They weighed just three hundred each at seventeen dollars a hundred making two hundred four dollars all together.

Tue 7: Well today Dad and I took a cutter ride to town. Quite cold today. But not as cold as it has been I guess. We bought two wristwatches today. Ruby’s and my Christmas presents. They are very plain. Gold filled bracelet and watch case warranted for ten years and works for fifteen. Have Swiss movement. Fifteen dollar watches two for twenty-eight. Got our auto license today no. 22887.

Wed 8: We washed today. Clear and cold.

Thu 9: Reading day. We ironed today. A very beautiful day and evening. Beautiful sleighing and lots of teams on the road. Dad helped saw wood for Fiedlers today.

Fri 10: A very beautiful day. Baked bread and coffee cake today. Didn’t do much else in particular.

Sat 11: A great many teams and sleighs going by today to town. A nice day. Aunt Annie told Ma tonight that Elmer came home this morning from Brooklyn. Uncle Edd and Aunt Annie were to town.

Sun 12: Quite warm today. The sleighing is getting poor. We all went up to Aunt Annie’s to supper. In the evening they had other company. They were here first although they didn’t say so.

Mon 13: Another warm day. Did some sewing today. Dad hauled some manure. Quite a celebration at Chicago today for the Black Hawks that have just returned from oversees.

Tue 14: Leroy Tresidders came down to John’s today. And Aunt Lizzie came down here with them. She said Charles had been in the hospital six weeks wounded. A nice day. Clifford Tresidder is home for good now. Came home Saturday eve.

Wed 15: Another lovly day. Dad helped saw wood down to Tresidder’s today. We baked bread, a cake and sewed a little.

Thu 16: Ma and Ruby went to Galena in the buggy this afternoon. Sleighing is done for. They got home at seven thirty. Dad hauled manure. Well in today’s paper it says that thirty-four states have ratified the National Prohibition Amendment. And thirty-six to ratify will make the U.S. bone dry. More states are voting on it.

Fri 17: Well thirty-eight states have ratified. Hurrah, a dry nation. A year from yesterday January 16, 1920. Sooner I guess as of next July 1 all the saloons were to be close anyway until the army was completely demobilized. We washed today. Very warm. We used the wash machine out in the kitchen.

Sat 18: Very warm today. Busy with Saturday work.

Sun 19: Dad, Ma, and Ruby went to church this forenoon. Uncle Edd and Aunt Annie came down to dinner. Tresidders came up this afternoon. We had company this evening. Ruby or both of us are asked to go to Galena to a chicken pie supper in the Methodist Church Thursday evening. Suppose we’ll go but don’t want to.

Mon 20: Foggy today. Very warm. Ironed a little.

Tue 21: Finished ironing today. Also did some sewing. Foggy and warm. Aunt Annie got a letter from Aunt Tillie. She is sick now. Has the flu. Aunt Maggie is sick yet.

Wed 22: Another warm foggy day. Aunt Annie came down today. The roads are getting very muddy. Think the roads will be bad for tomorrow night. Also will be awful dark if it is like tonight.

Thu 23: A little cloudy today. Well we went tonight started here about half past five. By the time we got to town all the chicken pie was gone (we didn’t mind that) and everything else I guess. So we had supper at a restaurant. Then we went to Dreamland. After that came home. Had a box of candy to eat. The roads are very muddy. About eleven when we got home. Quite a time.

Fri 24: Clear and warm. A spring day. Didn’t get much done today.

Sat 25: Just a lovly day. It would be lovly automobiling today if it wasn’t muddy. Baking today. Dad splitting wood.

Sun 26: Another lovly day. Had company this afternoon, Bernetta and Thelma, quite a surprise. They walked down. Had a nice visit. They had supper with us. Then walked home. Dad and I was about ready to go to church when they came. Dad went to church. We didn’t have any company tonight. Hardly knew weather to expect it or not.

Mon 27: Warm again today. Ma cut out a dress for herself.

Tue 28: Cooler today. We all went up to Uncle Edd’s tonight. We washed today.

Wed 29: We ironed today. Another lovly day. Today Ruby & I got an invitation over to Mrs. Win Tippet’s for Friday afternoon to a sewing club for girls. Were to take our sewing.

Thu 30: Ruby & I drove to Scales Mound today. We called at Aunt Lizzie’s. The Red Cross met there this afternoon to work.

Fri 31: My but I’ve got the toothache in front tooth. Had it about all last night and all day. I couldn’t go over to the doings. Disappointed. Ruby got a ride home with Davises. Poor old Della lay down today and couldn’t get up again. Poor thing has to stay out all night.