It being the first of a new month, I thought I’d again share diary pages composed by ancestors through the years, starting with me.

Happy September, friends!

Let’s start with 9/1/21 from my 5-year Diary:

“Grey day…sick chicken that D and K had to put down. R and L picked up Freya today! She looks like a love!! Rainy PM — Canterbury Community Farmer’s Market and B-day songs for JBD there!”

Great Aunt Emma Murphy, September 1, 1945

“Very tired and languid all day. Hot. Clean, etc. a little. Supper to Kitchen Spigot. Very cool and breezy there. Evening putty front door and listen to surrender signing, the official one on board the SS Missouri. Truman makes short, fine speech afterward.”

Interesting that this entry was penned on 9/1/45. Everything I’ve read says that the war ended on 9/2/45. Aunt Emma wrote nothing about that on 9/2/45. I wonder if the time difference played into it all somehow…

Looked it up and, indeed: “News of the formal surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945, reached the U.S. East Coast on the evening of September 1, 1945, due to the time difference with Tokyo Bay. President Harry S. Truman announced the signing of the surrender documents in a radio address that night, declaring the next day, September 2, the official “V-J Day” for the U.S.”

Ann Murphy Cornog Diary, September 1, 1943

I went to work this morn. Ruth and I ate a big lunch at Kingleds. The work was pretty heavy today. We sent out statements. I only stayed till 5:30. I ate a late supper and then we took a walk. We stopped up at Mochel’s. It was a beautiful day.

Great Grandmother Emma Murphy’s Diary, September 1, 1908

“Busy day as usual. P.M. Purves and I go to the library and I do some errands. Get a book on electricity out of library for P and I see I shall be kept busy reading it to him. Call on Mrs. Swain but she is in bed with Tonsilitis. Great excitement because of purchase of new cow for $25 — a food cow but ——“

Here’s how Chat GPT transcribed the above:

“Busy day as usual. In P.M. Purves & I go to the library & do some errands. Put a book on electricity out of library for P. I see I shall be kept busy reading it to him. Call on Mrs. Swain, but she was into [Vanities?]. Great excitement because of purchase of new car for $25 – a good second hand sedan.”

Great Aunt Helen’s diary, September 1, 1954

“Beautiful day beginning. Boy who drves our car to —- does not like our trail. Prefers one from Ravine House. After 12:00 meet party coming down. (—) Rain begins. Man advises ‘Parapet Trail’ — less exposed to NW wind. Rain begins to worsen with a high wind. Can barely see from cairn to cairn. Get soaked. Nearly exhausted. Make hut at 5. Emma gets tea. I rub down, change into dry clothes and teeth chatter almost an hour after making shelter. E still trembling at supper has to drink soup from bowl. Dry clothes at stove.“

Interesting to note Emma’s ‘trembling.’ She developed Parkinson’s disease later in life, and I wonder if this was a foreshadowing. Growing up, I remember her ‘trembling’ quite vividly and her increasing difficulty with eating.

Here’s how Chat GPT transcribed the above entry:

“Wed 1954 – Beautiful day beginning. Dog wagon drives our car to Blue House, dols mit line on trails, presters thru Ravine House. After 12:00 am at [???] (Parapet Trail, less exposed). Rain begins 1:30 pm, passed to N.W. wind. Rain begins to worsen, wind high + wind. Can barely see for cairn to cairn. Get soaked, nearly exhausted. Mushy.

“Hot at 5. E gets tea, I rub dry, change into dry undies + shirt. Tie damp (managed to get 30a head). Teeth chatter almost out of hand after making shelter. E still trembles. Jig pot soup—has to drink soup. Find our dry clothes at stove.”