Uncle Norman Born!

On Sunday, February 7, 1915 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Sunshine. Shaved. Went up home. Loam and Lena were at home. Ate supper at Mrs. Raines'. Mary feeling badly called her mother, Mrs. Muire and Dr. Huff.

On Monday February 8, 1915 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Cold and Pretty. Mary sick. Stayed at home. Phoned Mr. Schick. Dr. Huff called and examined Mary at 8:00 p.m. Mrs. Raines stayed all night. Mr. Schick left.

On Tuesday, February 9, 1915 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Pretty weather. Returned to work. Mrs. Magann and Doug called by phone. Mrs. Muire came in a.m. Mary sick at 4:00 p.m. Baby born at 7:30 p.m. Called Mrs. Long. Shaved.

On Wednesday, February 10, 1915 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Cold and Clear.Arose at 6:00 a.m. Made fires and went to store. Went to work. Mrs. Raines and Harry came up to see the baby. Wrote up estimates and Force Acct. Bills of J.J. Boxley and Co. on Jacobs Fork and Cucumber Branches.

On Thursday, February 11, 1915 Bonnie Elmore wrote:  Sunshine but chilly. Met Howard on street. Steffey was in the office. Saw and talked to Uncle Bill Jennings. Went up home and ate supper. Indexed mail. Came home on car. Loam and Lena were down.

On Friday, February 12, 1915 Bonnie Elmore wrote:  Cold-Clear. Mr. Raitt and Mr. Schick came in. Mrs. Poff came over to see the baby. Mrs. Muire went out for awhile. Harry and his mother came up. Shaved. Fred. E. Foster died.

On Saturday, February 13, 1915 Bonnie Elmore wrote:  Beautiful Warm Day. Feeling badly. Brought some candy home for Mary. Bought breast pump. Talked to Mrs. Magann on way to work this morning. Baby 4 days old today. Went up town and Met Howard. Mr. and Mrs. Raines came up.

Sorry it has been awhile since a post.  I had a busy week and then I was worn out yesterday.  The Big event is that Bonnie and Mary's first born child, Norman was born February 9.  Bonnie wrote about it in his usually understated sort of way.  One thing to note is that Bonnie does start to take more of the form that we are used to in his diary entries on February 10 when he tells about the time he arose and making fires.  I have to get to work this morning, so maybe I will write more about these posts later!

Dr. Burks, Where Are You?

On Wednesday, December 21, 1927 Bonnie Elmore wrote:  Warmer-Fair. Arose at 6:00. Made a fire. Dumped ashes. The girls got breakfast. Loam came down at 12:50. Mrs. Drewry went to Catawba. I got alcohol. Cashed check for $5.00. Exchanged bedroom slippers. Went to A.C. Hopwood's office at 5:25 and signed resolution on sale of lot (church). Got home 6:00. The children got supper.

On Thursday, December 22, 1927 Bonnie Elmore wrote:  Cold-Sunny. Arose at 6:20. Made a fire. Dumped ashes. Set the table. The children prepared our breakfast. I returned 2 books to the Library at noon. Loam came down. Left at 5:45. Mailed cards. Mary and the baby are doing well. Dr. Burks has not come back to see Mary yet. To bed at 12:00.

 On Friday, December 23, 1927 Bonnie Elmore wrote:  Sunny-Chilly. Arose at 6:30. Made a fire. Dumped ashes. Left home at 7:55. Mary and the baby are doing well. Dr. Burks has not come back yet. The boys and girls at the office are interested in the baby. The children went to Christmas entertainment at church, 7:30 p.m. We got to bed at 12:00.

Several interesting things today caught my attention.  Like, I wonder what kind of alcohol Bonnie got? The children are indeed having to work harder now that the baby has come.  I wonder if by Catawba, Bonnie was referring to the place or the mental hospital that is there. Something was obviously wrong with the slippers purchased the other day. Where in the world is Dr. Burks?  Did Bonnie think that other people were NOT going to be interested in the baby? People are always interested in a baby, especially at Christmas time.  Also, interesting that Bonnie called it Christmas entertainment at church.  I was reading earlier today about a debate between entertainment and worship at church and having Church services on Christmas Sunday or not.  Beth went to orthopedic doctor today and got a new hard cast.  Rachel is feeling some better after having passed out at home the other day.  Caleb is hanging in there after having broken his ankle and I found out the other day that I have a leaky heart valve and may have to have heart surgery in the next year or so. Man, I am ready for all of this to end.

Back to School

On Monday, January 3, 1927 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Cloudy-Mild. Arose at 6:00. Made fire. Dumped ashes. Fired furnace. Shaved. Left home 7:45. The children returned to school. I don't feel good. Worked hard today. Paid insurance at noon. Got home at 6:15 p.m. Read after supper. Mary played and we sang. Norman vomited in the night. So Bonnie got up early this morning in 1927 and it sounds like that was mostly to heat the house. Which is a little ironic, as I will be doing another TV spot tomorrow morning very early, 5 a.m. to be exact, to talk about safely heating your home. Our kids also returned to school today. I did find out from my mother that Bonnie and Mary had 3 children within 2 years between 1915 and 1917. So presently, in 1927, they have 3 children: Norman who is about 12, Annah Lee who is about 11 and Baby Jane who is about 10. Roger comes along later this year (1927) and then Jeanine some time after that. I have fond memories of listening to my grand-mother Annah Lee play the piano. In fact, sometimes when we would go over to her house, after supper, we also would gather around the piano while she played and we would sing. I guess I know now where that came from. The closest we get to that in 2011 is turning up some music on the computer or an ipod and then we all dance around and act silly. Still makes for some fond memories I hope. I do see one thing that hasn't changed: Norman still throws up 11 years later. If you have children then you know this kind of thing happens and probably not a coincidence that they went back to school today. We have chili in the crock pot tonight and Beth and Caleb are at a class for Caleb to increase his speed and agility before spring soccer season. The VT Hokies play football tonight in the Orange Bowl against Stanford. I will be watching on the TV and pulling for the Hokies to win, even though I think they will have an up hill battle.

Seining

On Thursday, August 17, 1916 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Arose at 8 a.m. Robert came to house at 8:30. I took a bath at Mrs. Raines and Mary rolled Norman to station with me. Ate dinner at the hotel in Buchanan. Left Buchanan at 6:30 p.m. and got to New Castle at 9 o'clock. Ate supper, smoked cigars, and spent the night at Aunt Mary Elmore's. Susie Scholtz on train with us. On Friday, August 18, 1916 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Very Warm. Arose at 7:00. Went down to Aunt Florence's with Chauncey. Met Patsy Craft's wife and Leslie. Talked to Max at store. Met Byrd Carper. Bob and I watched the boys play croquet. I took pictures at Bel Air. Met Bill Bedinger. Wrote cards home. Ate dinner and supper at Pearl Elmore's with Bob Kelly and Aunt Fannie Elmore. On Saturday, August 19, 1916 Bonnie Elmore wrote: Very Warm. Arose at 7 a.m. Shaved and went with Bob and Chauncey to Ed's house. Took pictures. Ed ate dinner with us. Very sleepy in afternoon. Bob left at 4 o'clock p.m. for Cincinnati. Wrote Mary a letter. After supper, "John D" and I went seining from 7 to 9:30. J.D. stayed at Aunt Mary's with me tonight. Mrs. Hampton and Annah went home. I really thought that I could not read Bonnie's handwriting again when he wrote that he and John D. went seining. I tried to make it all kinds of different things, because I didn't know what seining was. When spell-check didn't catch it, I figured out that it must indeed be a word and so I looked it up and found that seining is to fish with a net vertically in the water. The net has sinkers on the bottom and floaters on the top. After finding that out, it made sense that they went fishing. Bonnie is I suppose in New Castle, to visit family with all the Elmore last names we are reading about. I think it is neat that he went through Buchanan, as that is where I now pastor a church.