On This Day – November 8, 2023

Wednesday – Getting colder

It was a chilly 30 degrees today which was a bit of a change from the glorious weather we had the day before. It made me “want to call back summertime and have her stay for another month or so“, just as Joni Mitchell sang in her song.

Choring Around

I’ve been publishing diary entries written in 1912 by James Roger for the New Ipswich Historical Society. James uses the phrase “Choring Around” to describe his daily routine taking care of poultry, sweeping out the vestry, working in the garden. I’m going to adopt that phrase for some of my daily tasks. Today I paid my property tax, repotted some of the houseplants and made a batch of soup. I’m not sure if doing the online games counts as a chore but todays WORDLE game broke my spirit. I was so discouraged I actually wrote the word LOSER for the sixth try, effectively committing game suicide. I realized if I continued staring at the unfinished game any longer I’d be there for the entire day. Meanwhile James was probably working in the incubator field or sweeping the hall for the Finn Dance.

November 2, 1912 Saturday
James Roger diary entry

Fair and cold wind northwest. David seeded down the piece in incubator field and choring around Spofford’s running of water etc. I fixed hall for Finn dance tonight and played golf with Mr. Hale in afternoon. Lost one ball. Got letter from Alice. Hamish goes to East Jaffrey at 7pm to speak at political rally and got home at 11 30 pm.

James writes and receives a lot of correspondence especially from “Hamish” who we speculate might be a nephew. I lament how little writing we do in our present time. I used to write my older cousin when she was in college and always enjoyed receiving letters in return. Letters were a lifeline during my years in the Navy. It was the only means of communication available. I wonder if that is still the case? I have been asking people if they keep journals or diaries and so far no one has answered in the affirmative. I guess Facebook and email count for something but thumbs-up and emoticons are no substitute for a well crafted paragraph.

Senior Fellowship

This has been a week for socialization. Yesterday it was the Farouters and today the Seniors in the church basement. Tomorrow the High School students are preparing a breakfast for the Veterans. I’m not sure if all of this counts as “Choring Around”.

On This Day – Five Years Ago

Five years ago I was in Boston attending a slide show by White House photographer Peter Sousa, I took the opportunity to take a few photos of my own.

That’s all for now