A Trip Home

Often stories take hold because of a setting, a special setting. Seems easy to write about place, if you can picture it. What better way to picture a place, than to visit it, again.

Sometimes a trip down memory lane is good for the mind and soul. We got to see old friends, and as my dad used to put it, I got “back to the old stomping grounds”.

This is the road, not a drive - very little use

Actually not only my, old stomping grounds, but my dad’s, and his family. Although I did spend the first few years of my life in this house, now abandoned for more than half a century.

 

I have lived much of my adult life in Wyoming and find it a beautiful and fascinating state.   My trip down memory lane was in northeast Nebraska where I was born and later taught for more than a decade. Most people wouldn’t recognize this ruggedly beautiful area as Nebraska. Unspoiled by resorts, getaways or people, what a great place.

 

A trip back home - old friends, old places, memories for a lifetime.

 

Crafting a Story From 75 Year Old Diaries

The following represents a week in the life of a farm wife, 1938, taken from my grandmothers diaries. I added only a little to clarify, where needed.

 

Day 1 - High of 18 washed clothes, they all dried. One of her sons stop

 

Day 2 –Cold all day strong NW wind went, cleaned hen house started to crochet baby booties for new grand son

Went to card party won high prize

 

Day 3 – Fourteen below zero froze in the house, what snow there is in piles, clear and windy.  Daughter-in-law over while her husband took sheep to sale

Lux Radio Theater, “Green Light”, grandma sick

 

Day 4 – Blizzard in morning, kept daughter home from school, did mending and crocheting, finished baby booties

 

Day 5 - Mended socks all pm, a son visited but was heading to town to a BB game, 8 below clear and cold sewed and ironed in morning, varnished table and chairs

 

 

Day 6 - Cleaned upstairs and downstairs baked bread, snowed heavy with west wind. Six above, cleaned upstairs bathroom and basement. Noted a granddaughter turns 2 today.   Her husband took three hogs to sell in town. Club in the afternoon, a son and daughter in law visited in eve.

 

 

 

Day 7 - Warmer with light rain went to card party.

Nice day should have washed but needed to go to town to get my new teeth, they have been out for 6 weeks but will wait some more, not ready yet.

Visited daughter, her daughter was ill. Turned cold, turned to ice.

 

 

Next time - a discussion of what could be learned from a week of very short diary entries, there is some pretty good stuff here.