Author: David Haldeman

Friday, May 2, 1947
[No entry]

Thursday, May 1, 1947
Washed & it about did me out. Clothes didn’t dry too well.

Jeffersonian bloomed today but I didn’t have ambition enought to get a picture.

Wednesday, April 30, 1947
Wally brought me coffee in bed but I got up soon after. Not quite as perky as I thought I’d be but did get out to walk around – Narcissus in full bloom – also forsythia. Red & blue violets just coming into bloom – grape hyacinth – first white trillium. Put out violets from Hocking Co. – blanda, sagittata. Also tiarella & bluets.

Mrs. Miller over again. Wrote letter to Judge magazine complimenting them on magazine with more jokes, verse, etc. but wished they’d had more ink – enough to wrtie my name at least.

Circus at Drake lot but with intermittent showers & me still weak we didn’t see much.

Ray up after work to bring me Nature Study book. Gave him copy of poems I wrote last night. Wally piled into bed from 3 to 6 – Hope he isn’t going to get sick.

Romines back up in evening. Then phone is out & we were to go there tomorrow night. Still haven’t decided about weekend. Wally helped with dishes after they left.

Tuesday, April 29, 1947 Nice day until about 3 – then cloudy & a little rain Temp 60
Spent not too bad night. Temp up & down all day. Aspirin seems to be my best help. Reuben Smith in for a minute in morning – told hm about Miss Wheatly wanting plants for McKinley. Mother over & cleaned house a little. Took kids home with her about 11:00. Had card from Ray about the talk.

Mr. & Mrs. Webb dropped in for a minute about 2. Set May 20 as tentative date to go to Oak Openings with them.

Hadn’t felt well enough all day to work on typing Circle program but got on it about 6:00 in bed. Not finished when Bernard Brooks came. Hope he can make something out of the mess. He brought my Herbarium paper 1,000 sheets $12.00 11×16 instead of 11 1/2 x 16 1/2. Should be enough for a lifetime.*

Ray came about 8:0-0. Wally went out there & then on to poker game. Ray & I exchanged correspondence – Weir at Bellevue has laita to trade! He seems to be able to make an evening pass very quickly. He left about 10 & Wally didn’t get home until 1:00. Won’t be able to go to sleep. Wrote 3 stanzas verse – “Passing Observation”

[*Indeed, it was – David Haldeman [son] found the stash of paper and uses it for printing music – ideal weight and “antique” look]

Monday, April 28, 1947
Got up with what I thought was merely a headache but soon found it must be flu. Got kids dressed & then went back to bed. Temp to 103 in evening. Took mother’s flu pills, but aspirin kept aches & fever down. Had Wlly call Ray at noon to see if he would make talk at Sarosis Club for me tonight. He said he would – much to my relief. Mother came over in afternoon & took kids home with her. David had his nap over there. A beautiful day but cool – warming up later. Wally heeled in the pansies. Did study violets a little in afternoon but felt too lousy to do much. Card from Clifty Inn saying we can’t get reservation for next Saturday.

Thought maybe Ray would call about his talk bu9t hadn’t when Wally went to bed at 10:30 – on davenport.

Sunday, April 27, 1947
Up at 6 – Left home at 7:15 & so were 15 minutes late at Romines & did I get a scorching from Ray. Took 2 cars – Ray, Mary & I in Ray’s & Wally, Flo, David & Sandra in ours. Kathy stayed with mother & went to Sunday School & church.

Arrived outside limits of park (Ash Cave & Cedar Falls) about 10:30 & decided to look over one of the hills. Sun bright & got quite warm. Ray got several blues, found reindeer moss & pipasarium [?] and then Mary spotted a white butterfly. Ray ran it down through brush we could hardly get through at moderate speed. But it was genutia – falcate orange tip male – that we had come for. Later got 3 more. I found 3 kinds of violets that were interesting – sagitaria for one. Ray also took several skippers. Then on to Cedar Falls to eat & it started clouding. But Wally’s gang drove to Old Man’s Cave & started back to Cedar Falls & we started from Cedar Falls. Hike interesting but not too fruitful for Ray – found several moths on tree trunks. I got about 7 violets all told. Rained on hike. Left Park about 3 – Sun in Columbus – left Mary at OSU. Stopped at little river near observatory for supper. I was dead by time we got to Romines. On home. Mother & Daddy & grandma Sheneman brought Kathy – Hot bath & to bed at 9:00.

Saturday, April 26, 1947
Wally & flo decide at last minute to go with us (Mary & Ray & I) to Galion. Picked up Hazel & out to Beck’s Wood 2 miles west. Lovely woods – spring cress, dentaria, dutchmen’s breeches, trout lily, spring beauty, bloodroot carpeting the floor. Ray had given me a net for it was here we were to find Virginiensis but I lost interest in it at the first warbler – Hazel identified it as a black-throated green – but its head was bright yellow to me. (Found out later Ray was quite disgusted with me – he had to take the net back to the car & he says never again do I get a net). But saw only one butterfly – mourning cloak. Mary helped me with some pictures. Then to place along river that has been despoiled. Just made one sick. Ask Hazel if she knew where skunk cabbage grew & she took us there – and sure enough – there was chrysosplenium – another county – Crawford – and it was a new plant to her. Mary home for supper with us. Staffords up. I pressed plants. Mrs. Miller over to see Wally about not moving garage. In bed about 11:00. Cleaned cupboards in bathroom.

Friday, April 25, 1947
Cleaned house. Raining so Wally met Mary – coluldn’t take our trip to Skunk Hollow as planned. She has her paper on “Poisonous Plants of Ohio” about finished & it is quite interesting. She stayedwith kids while Wally & I went uptown but he was in no mood to shop. So just got David some shoes – size 6 $1.98 & groceries $8 & on home.

Thursday, April 24, 1947
Woke with headache and was in bed most of time until 2. Lora Maxim called asking if I would speak on “Wild Flowers” at their Sorosis Club meeting next Monday – I was too done in to say anything but yes.

Ray & Florence up about 2 to get chrysanthemums etc from the lot across street. Mrs. Lee told daddy to get stuff off as she was building 5 houses there this spring! I went out in my robe – no make up – hair uncombed – looked like a withc.

Wally went to Baseball Club banquet at Harding Hotel. I cleaned kids up & took them wiht me to Bernard’s to take Burrough’s Club progam for printing. Jane – Carrol’s little girl there – she & David got quite chummy.

Home about 9.

Wally wrote for reservation at Clifty Falls State Park in Indiana for May 3.

Wednesday, April 23, 1947
Finally a pretty day. Washed & filled lines twice. Started in on house after dinner but the headache that I had been fighting all day got best of me & I lay downfor about 45 minutes before Cirelda, Emily Staats & Grace Sidenstricker came to make out program books for V. Christienson Circle. Struggled through afternoon.

Forsythia out fully – myrtle blooming – bloodroot & hepaticas haven’t really had a chance – no sun to bring them out fully.

To Romines. Ray had letter from Ed Thomas inviting him to go with him to Ft. Hill for Thecla laetias [sic?] on the first nice day. Rather indefinite but Ray assured him via card he was interested. Sugared for moths in front of house & got five.

Took 2 pictures of Ray in his study & then jammed camera somehow.

My 2 line verse “Love” is in April “Judge” but I didn’t get a by line – rather disappointing.