Author: David Haldeman

Saturday, February 1, 1947
Trip to Columbus
Consecrated the morning to being ready to go to Columbus at 2:00. Took kids to mother’s and got them settled & were at Romine’s at 2:05 at Flo wasn’t ready. Started snowing as we started out and kept it up intermittently all the time we were gone.

Mary had gone to Aunt May’s so we called and told her we would pick her up at 7:30. Went to Long’s Bookstore and were enchanted with the quantity of books but as they weren’t priced we hesitated in taking them down. Ray & I each bought one. Then up to the North High Bookstore & I got “Gray’s Manual of Botany” & 4 other books. In looking for Livingstone’s Seed Store – which moved 4 yrs ago! I found another book store and record shop. Bought 7 records and good ones.

Down to Neil House Tavern for dinner but Romines were uncomfortable and thoroughly disapproved of my choice of an eating place – But I still like it. Then out for Mary but she had cramps in her toes so we didn’t go skating but arched at Olentangy Rec. Center. Took Mary to dorm about 10:30 – Stopped at Romine’s for a little Table Tennis & sandwiches. Mother & Daddy were sitting up cause David was in their bed!

Friday, January 31, 1947
Kathy listened to the Babbo Commercial closely – How it saves time – cuts grease – etc. & then asked “Mommy, if it’s so good why don’t we use it?” – I assured her we did.

Wally called Flo before he went bowling & then told her to call Ray to phone – but since he had made no effort of his own to talk to me I wouldn’t go to the phone – and so spent a miserable evening over my own stubborness.

Made pumpkin pies.

Thursday, January 30, 1947
Morning mail contained 4 of my verses with “dejection” slips from Judge & letter from Betty Dunn about a Wildflower phone salon.

Rearranged the living room as I cleaned. Somehow this always makes it seem cleaner. Brought forsythia branches in to force. Our tempo today was 50 but we were in a pocket – sleet & snow all around us. Rained considerably though – pool in back yard.

David vomited just before supper – Bernard Brooks brought some printed stuff for the bank & Wally asked him to stay for supper – Bless the pressure cooker! As David seemed better we went over home* & played ping pong – I’m trying now to get something on the ball while it’s in play. HOme about 8 & I worked on the photo album – completed it through ’44. Mr. Carhart called to ask me to speak at the May meeting of Sun & Shade Garden Club on wildflowers.

[*home = Mother & Daddy’s place at 229 E. Fairground St.]

Wednesday, January 29, 1947
Daddy over this afternoon & we sent for peat – I also ordered 100 cacti from Hummels.

After everybody’s baths Walt & kids stopped at his mother’s while I shopped at Albers. Soap & toilet tissue is back on the shelves & I got the first lima beans I’ve seen for two years – 45 cents for 2 lbs! Soap chips are 33 cents a box – canned milk is down to 2 for 25 cents & butter was 66 cents – down from a hight of 96 cents. Things are definitely more plentiful than even 2 mo. ago but Crisco is scarce – syrup – jello – sugar is the only thing still rationed.

Then out to Romine’s. Seldom we take the kids – Kathy would be OK but David is not content with any one thing. Ray was in a very uncompromising mood & made me feel very unwelcome. Wally got part of the explanation from Florence – and quite uncomplimentary to me. Tied up with the conversation Ray & I had Sunday but I can’t figure out this reaction. My first impulse was to throw them over once & for all but of course I reconsider – and I’m beginning to see what Ray means when he says he’s hard to live with.

Tuesday, January 28, 1947
Class Meeting*
Did the ironing!! Even with telephone interruptions about program for class meeting. But it took the whole day.

Small but jovial group at class meeting. Seiters, Wingetts, Martins, Cotrills, Dorothy Gilmore Walters & myself. I had taken chocolate cup cakes. Some of Va S’s marzetti left over & she gave it to me to bring home.

Delores was with kids while Wally played poker. She was finishing dishes as I came in at 10 – and the sink was in process of stopping up again. She was telling me of the new dish washer & clothes washing machines they are getting.

Read story of Jack London in Reader’s Digest. Even he had rejection slips to the point of discouragement so I rallied & wrote an ode to my stopped up sink “Triumph of Evil”.

To bed about 2 – Wally not home yet.

[*Harding High School Class of 1933 it is assumed]

Monday, January 27, 1947
Put off washing until afternoon & surprizingly enough it all went on the lines! Think I’ll even attempt to iron it myself.

To Girl Scout Council meeting at 7:45 – Mostly committee reports. Since is was out before 9 I went out to Romine’s for about 1/2 hr. & practised serving [ping pong]. Home & popped corn for Wally. Finished “The Great Smokies & the Blue Ridge”.

Wally has been reading the fairy tale book I brought from the library for Kathy & she absorbs the ogres – giants without batting an eye & then listened to “The Hermit” stories on the radio – Very gruesome but she merely screws up her face & says “isn’t it scary?” – It evidently doesn’t bother her in any way for they are never mentioned later. The other day she said “Three things I want to do when I get big – go away to school like Auntie – go bowling like daddy – work in the bank – and be a flower and bird woman like mommy.”*

[*Kathy did these things later – Miami Universiy in 1959, worked in a flower shop in Henderson, NV and was always videotaping birds and flowers in her career as an Air Force wife. Bowling and working in a bank we’re not sure of!]

Sunday, January 26, 1947
David 2 years old
Temp about 48
A thoroughly soul-satisfying day!
Up at 8:45 and took Kathy to Sunday School and she stayed through for Jr. Church all by herself. I dashed home to get dinner ready for Fanny & Floy Baker & Mother & daddy. They came just at 12 as Wally came back with Kathy. Brought David a cute little push toy. He thoroughly enjoyed his cake & I lit the candles three times for him & blow.

Company left at 2:30 to got to Columbus for Norma Jean who had bug spending the week and with Mary – Kathy went with them. Romines came at 3. Stopped at the place east of 23 about 7 miles out & tramped all over it. Like it even better than from the hill – as far as I ever got before. Even Ray liked it. Then down to see if skunk cabbage was up – and sure enough found several clumps with spathe fully colored & expanded & the club like flower head nestled inside – but most of them were merely poking at the muck tentatively. Found some wile dirs & liverworts. Took them back to “Bramble Knob*” along with [illegible] “buttons” & planted them. Romines here for supper & then we went to folks & played ping pong.
Back here for some vacation planning. Sky Line won’t make cabin reservations until April 1.

[*Bramble Knob – the small hill (probably a glacial kame) still exists along US 23 bypass north of Bethlehem Rd. Trella and Ray considered purchasing it to build a house (on a hill, but not near a river!]

Friday, January 24, 1947
Let Piatt’s little black kitten in this afternoon & found it later among the plants – It had discovered the most gorgeously perfect male tiger swallow tail which had emerged sometime between morning while I watered the plants & 3:30 PM. So all cats were hurriedly banished & with Kathy inexpertly holding the light I took some pictures of it.

Since Ray had found the cocoon in Vernon Heights last fall & given it to me it had been resposing on the A. Springeri in the sunroom. But even that was evidently too warm for it.

Wally was home from bowling & we had finished popcorn when Ray & Flo came – and I did hate to see that beautiful creature go into the cyanide jar but I guess that’s better than starving to death – And this Wally he’ll gain immortality either in Ray’s collection or in my walls.

Saturday, January 25, 1947
Worked! Washing windows – cleaning sunroom – woodwork – cleaning silver. Lots of things that don’t show big but give one the feeling of pride in housekeeping – a feeling I don’t have too often. Wally cooperated by accepting 2 slim meals gracefully. He shopped in PM & got 2 pr p j’s for David & a little car – candy for all of us.

Was completely pooed out when it was time to go to Romines but made it. And who should pop in later but Mary J – Had tried here & a movie. Was a little standoffish at first but broke down to Ray & I just before she left – about her mother – getting Mary Alice a job at Shovel – etc.

We left shortly after she did. Home about 12:20. Delores had stayed with kids.

Had decided difficulty in getting to sleep.

Thursday, January 23, 1947
Warming up somewhat. Kids out to play at noon. Put some more cuttings in prop. box – think I’ll title my Garden Club talk “Propagation Unlimited!”

Got interested in “Great Smokies & The Blue Ridge” & found it hard to put down.

Got a bright idea fora blouse & had it nearly done when Wally caome home & wanted to go to Mother’s to play ping pong. So we all did & I beat him pretty consistently at first & then he started winning 19-21-.

Daddy brought home a box of blocsk & the kids sure went to town on them, We stayed for supper while Wally got ready to go to Men’s Banquet at church.

Home – refused Rosina’s invitation to go hear Rise Stevens – I’ve been away nearly every evening for a week – read to kids & washed & curled Kathy’s hair – then I caught up on the Sunday papers – Wally home about 10:45. Had gone down to help Bernard Brooks on a bank printing job after dinner. So to bed about 1:30 .