“Lest We Forget” Thursday, February 27, 1913
Weather a little warmer sun out all day
Steve and I lay in cat till 10 oc. I went up town and got a haircut. came back for dinner. got fooled they run out of water and we had to go up town for dinner. When we came back Steve and I made blue prints till 2:30
came back to car and had a sleep
Yes, old diaries can be boring sometimes, but I’m still impressed that my grandfather rarely missed a day. He always starts with the weather (yawn). And he rarely mentions opinions or, God forbid, feelings! But after reading several entries, I feel much closer to him that before. I can read between the lines and can see how his life was shaped and therefore how my father was raised. And as you mentioned on my blog, good handwriting is a bonus! I’ll continue to enjoy reading your posts.
In every genealogy class that I teach, I tell people to check for family histories is their own homes, their grandmother’s attic, those boxes that have been in the garage or the cellar for “years”! Then I show them my grandfather’s diary. It’s pretty small as it had to fit in his shirt or coat pocket. Everyone mostly ooh’s and aah’s because of its age and relative good condition. Then I tell them that reading it is “excruciatingly BORING!!” That always gets a chuckle. I also noticed that weather was a major issue for your grandfather as it was for mine.
And one more comment: It seems your grandfather was a “basket-ball” fan… The single word “basketball” hadn’t yet moved into the American lexicon… But the interesting fact is that we live about 5 miles from the Basketball Hall of Fame! Basketball…or Basket-Ball …was invented here in Springfield, Mass. Just an interesting coincidence!