A Dull & Hopeless Summer: A Soprano’s Aria: Chapter 11

Wed Jun 3. Thu June 4 Busy days. Cooking and planning variety in ???

Friday June 5 Fish for dinner. Quite a fine change and no added expense. Jessie and Albert wrote me letters which I received later. Leo sent samples of his office blanks and also a Catholic standard which pleased my old lady very much.

Sat 6 Usual work. Week remained cold cloudy and disagreeable.

Sun June 7 Uncle came up. We took a walk in the park and heard the band play. Returned and got a good dinner which pleased them all. Very tired. Bed early.

Mon Wash day.

Tue Iron day.

Wed 10 More wash, a little sewing, and the usual cooking.

Thu June 11 Cold and cloudy. Milo came home. Mending for him all day. He fixed Mrs. Dolon’s electric light. Uncle came up in evening and will come back for a whole day tomorrow. Has quit his place in S. San Francisco. Got a big continued letter from Albert. Enjoyed the account of his travels very much.

Friday 12 Bad headache and Milo returned to Ross Valley.

Sat 13 Usual work. Took cold in head cleaning and resting in cold room. Weather cold and gloomy.

Sun 14 Walked out with Mrs. Dolon our lame boarder. Returned and got good dinner for bunch. Not well.

Mon 15 Uncle Wm Pettey got a job cooking at Rio Vista at $35 per. Quite elated. Mrs Dolons niece sends her a cooked squab. Pronounces it inferior to my tomato soup and mutton. Bad cold in head.

Tue 16 Cold some better. Will spend day writing, cooking, and getting well.

Wed 17, Thu 18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Spent very quietly with usual household duties. No letters to speak of excepting one from Mother and one from Milo. F.S. painted the dining room and kitchen floors Sat eve and fixed the gas grate on Sun. No guests. Didn’t go out at all. Crocheted nearly yard of heavy dutch lace for bed spread. Weather continues cool but sun came out. Hot on Sunday.

Mon June 22 Writing to Mother and Milo.

June 25 Milo returned from Ross Valley, had a good time

June 27 Frank’s Birthday. No demonstration. Dull cloudy days unmarked by incident or accident doing the daily round of household duties as cheerfully as may be.

July 4 Passed very quietly. F.S. and I remained at home working most of the day. No letters from children but one from Leo and another from Albert.

July 5 Quiet Sunday

“ 6 Ripped[?] up dress for Mrs. Doten. Helped Mable Isenbeck with Middies. Tue and Wed house work and service. Finished black dress for Mrs. Doten getting 2.50 for my work. Took long walk in evening out through Park with Frank.

Thu July 9 Washed clothes. Recd letter from Mother Paden.

July 10 Usual housework

“ 11 Sat cleaning. Usual conditions.

“ 12 Sun. Home most all day. Climbed Lone Mountain in eve and enjoyed the S.F. scenery.

July 13 Mon Mailed letters to Leo, Mother Paden, Emma Paden, Albert + Leo, Donald Shaw and Uncle. Washed clothes. Housework.

July 14 Climbed big hill at south end of Ashbury. Biggest I’ve been in S.F. Too dark to enjoy view.

15 Wed Stayed home all day puttering about house working.

16 Thu Cleaned front rooms. Recd letter from Goldie containing one from Lottie telling of illness.

July 17 Fri Received continued letter from Albert. Wrote card in ans. and mailed it to him. Also mailed big letter to Uncle. F.S. buzzing around fixing his bath. Must send Goldie letter.

July 18 Sat Cleaned house and cooked meals Crocheted some on edging in afternoon. Tempestuous scene with F.S.

Sun July 19 Pleasant day outside. Inside, turmoil and dissatisfaction. My back and head aches and I am lonely and dispirited. Sick and tired of everything and the future looks dull and hopeless.

Mon July 20 Housework of various kinds kept me busy. Weather all same [?] Winter.

Tue July 21 Busy as a bee. Very monotonous. Got letter from Mr. Hickey enclosing 5 on aunts board.

Wed July 22 Lined a jacket for Edith received $1.50

Thu July 23 Bought box peaches and spent day canning. Got letter from Eilene saying Dewey was sick in City Hospital in Minneapolis. Anxious and apprehensive time.

Fri July 24 Dewey’s 17^th Birthday. Got letter that he [Dewey] would be out of hospital next day, so thankful. Washed cloths nearly all day. Wrote to Jessie, Albert, Leo, Eilene, Dewey, Grandma Mosier and Goldie Mathews.

Sat 25 Wonder if Dewey started today. Ironed all day and cleaned house the rest of the time.

Sun 26. Baked lovely bread and cooked regular meals. feel very draggy in the limbs. Went to movies in the even’g, fair

Monday July 27. School began with Lolita and Milo in attendance, Wrote to Mrs Newman and children. Went Downtown to pay bills and bought blue chambray?

Tues July 28. Bought box tomatoes for 60¢ and made 17 qt. chili sause

Wed. Thu and Fri spent in busy round of household tasks, canned some fruit washed, ironed cleaned house and cooked 3 square meal a say

Sat worked hard as a slave all day long. Very tired at night.

Sun Aug 2. Mrs. Doton refused to pay more than $25.00 her mo for her board so I took her Aug at that price when she will find another place. Frank and I went to the beach and ate lunch at Sutros Grove sitting on the ground outside the fence. Fine place. Came home in eve and helped Lolita get Dinner

Mon Aug 3. Read war news in morning got breakfast and lunch. Went down town and paid several bills. Got letter from Dewey saying he would come soon. Good news. Milo got a letter from Uncle. I wrote to Leo and Dewey. Am feeling slightly unwell. Almost bed time.

Tues Aug 25 Leo’s Birthday. Wrote to him and Albert. Went down town and ordered a 2 spool sewing machine. Came home and cut a black Satten dress for Mrs Doten. During the past 3 weeks the daily events occurred in much the same uneventful manner. We spent several anxious days around the 11 looking for Dewey and then got word that he would not come until later. Wrote to Jessie and Eilene requesting more explicit letters.

Aug 26. Remodeled flower basket baked 8 loaves of bread and sewed on Mrs Dotons dress. Am nervous and agitated and not very well

Aug 27 Thursday. Worked all spare time on Mrs Dotons dress. Cleaned sewing machine. Daily grind. Wrote to Mother. Got a letter form Goldie. Alls well.

August 28 Wrote to Goldie Promising sample Civil Service questions. Sewed. Packed Mrs Dotens trunk

Aug 29 Sat. Severe headache. Finished Mrs Dotens blk. satten recd $2.75. Went down to Filmore and bought some stockings and meat. While I was away Eilenes letter and New Eldredge 2 spool sewing machine came. Went to bed supperless on ac. of headache.

Aug 30. Milo’s 15 birthday. Violent scene at breakfast. A family squabble. Mrs Doten failed to settle satisfactorily and F.S. held her electric heater. She left at noon. Shortly after Uncle came home sick with a chill. Put to bed with a dose of quinine. —-got up and enjoyed a dish of hot mush. Talking war with Frank. Must write to Eilene.

Aug 31. Wrote Eilene. Pottered about doing housework. Ripped Lolita’s silk dress. Uncle better. Went out with Lolita and got 50¢ mutton 2 loaves bread and 1 25¢ pineapple.

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