We continue the Diary of Sarah. Sarah and her husband live in Ohio. They have a busy life, Sarah a housewife, involved with her church and activities and she is also and local news contributor for their community. Her husband she calls Father, is a farmer. They have five grown children, two sons and three daughters. A total of 14 grandchildren at the time of this diary.
Their son Joseph, his wife and children live in another house on the same land as Sarah and her husband and Joseph farms with his father. The other four children live on their own farms.
Last week we left off with a very busy Sarah, her last entry of last week, Saturday, February 6. A fine bright after-noon followed a medium bright forenoon. Usual morning tasks, Baked pies, bread & kuche. Made a bunch of pickled eggs. Stopped to eat dinner. Edison Taylor called this P.M. made tapioca, gave the stairway, living - room and kitchen a special clean up for Sunday. Ernest, Vera and Jimmie here for supper, Vera helped me get all my cans opened up for tomorrow and everything washed up. I cleaned windows for a time. Shall take a bath and retire. Dressed up a couple of big hens this P.M. and boiled them.
Now to continue this weeks readings.
Sunday, February 7, 1932. Some clouds and some sunshine - altogether a very good day. Had the usual early morning tasks to see to and then got busy about the noon-day meal. Father helped me stretch the table before he left for Sunday services. Augustine arrived about 10 o'clock and Harry's rounded in about 11 taking me by surprise. We had 20 guests in all seemed to enjoy the time greatly. Ernest Vera and Jimmie here this evening for a while. Sleepy & tired.
Monday, February 8. A fine bright day but quite cold - about as good winter as ever have had. Saw to the usual morning tasks. Made preparation and did the weeks washing for both families. As Joseph was not here to take their clothes home, I hung our line full and dried the rest on the clothes rack to-night. This P.M. I collected the news items and got a few of them copied. Saw to the usual evening tasks and supper. Copied news items until late , got all but a couple of pages.
Tuesday, February 9. Another clear, cold, crisp day. Some warmer this evening. Hurried through the breakfast and finished up my news all ready for the mail box. After breakfast work. Then went with the rest of the folks up to Dan Eingers where we were in the butchering business all day. Home again about 5 o'clock. Saw to the evening tasks, then prepared supper. After supper work. cleaned up the casing which Joseph brought me from Countryman's yesterday. After 10.
Wednesday, February 10. Rainy and cloudy a good part of this A.M. but finally cleared about 10 o'clock and we had a fine bright and very warm afternoon I thought it to warm to butcher but the men went right on. Usual morning tasks. dampened down the clothes and ironed for a while. Dinner. This P.M. Pauletta & Harry arrived about 10 this A.M. finished the ironing & baked four pies. Prepared some pickles for tomorrow. Evening tasks, supper, very warm.
Thursday, February 11. Quite warm and rainy and threatening for a time this A.M. then, bright and clear and sunny. Arose soon after - 5, and was in the kitchen earlier than usual. Prepared breakfast and put on the sweet potatoes and beans for dinner. Set sponge for bread before breakfast. Busy in the kitchen all this A.M. as I had no help except Pauletta who arrived in good time. Shirley got down soon after 10 Joseph's help but could do but little. Baked 64 buns for dinner, besides the bread. Dish washing & Butchering business all thru the afternoon and evening. Tired out.
Friday, February 12. A fine, bright, beautiful day and somewhat colder. Usual tasks. Busy with the meat all day. Father & I stuffed & hung the sausages. I finished up the liver pudding and we stuffed that. Dinner. This P.M. we made preparations for canning meat. Stopped to make the pickled pork and put the bacon down into brine. Then, went down to the strip room, where father, Joseph and I wrapped and sacked the hams & shoulders. I hunted the eggs & finally got started at canning. Sealed up four quarts of 2 spare rib & 7 quarts of tenderloin. Prepared for bed after cleaning and up in the kitchen. Very tired.
Saturday, February 13. A fine, bright day but still cold. Had the usual morning tasks and made preparations for the town trip. Baked a few pies, stored the canned meat. Set sponge for bread. Served dinner. Boiled a kettle of pigs feet and made two milk crocks of pigs - foot souse. Gave the living room, bed-room and kitchen an especial clean - up for Sunday. Ernest, Vera and Jimmie here for supper and the evening. Did a little reading since supper & must take a bath. 10:00.
End of this weeks diary reading.
We should be getting a better understanding of why Sarah is so busy. Sarah and her husband are busy farming, there are chores inside and outside for Sarah. We know that when Dan was sick and they had to hurry up the milking, on January 14 because they had gotten word that he might have appendicitis. We see now that probably part of the morning tasks is helping with milking and possibly gathering eggs in the morning and the evening. On January the 22 Sarah was working on new nests for the chickens
We know with all of the butchering that is going on that they are raising their on meat animals and they have to feed and tend to them. Nothing waits when living on a farm.
We consider this time they are living in the year 1932 that the type of cook stove and heating stoves most likely cause soot which would require more cleaning. They live in a farming community and check on one another.
Being that they are on a farm, the muddy dirty feet would require a constant cleaning of the porches which were an important part of the home. One of her porches is where she rolls her washer to. These old washers had to be drained manually and there was no spin dry on them. She most likely had a top rolling squeezy wringer. Also the washer had to be filled to wash and filled to rinse or she used extra tubs for rinsing.
As we move through this diary we will get more acquainted with the reasons things are done like they are.
Diaries and record books were very common during the 1800s and early 1900s and it depended on the type of diary one had to how much they could write in the diary. Sarah's diary is a full page one year diary and that has the most room to write which make wonderful diaries. A five year diary has less room to write. They had very nice diaries during these times.
Rural farming life today is not as difficult as it was during 1932 but it still requires a lot of work. It is only the appliances and machinery that has changed but animals still have to be fed and cows milked and there is much to do.
Do any of you live on a farm or have ever lived on a farm?
Do you have a urban garden or a backyard garden?
I have lived on a small farm with farm animals but today we live in the city and housework and our garden keeps me plenty busy.
Grandma Donna
