Huh?

December 6, 1931 - I got dinner today while Mamma finished lining my coat.  Ray took me to Mayme's this afternoon.  We went over to Alice's a few minutes to see about my box she is making for me.  Tonite Mayme, Lloyd, Allan Bruse and I went to the show at Norfolk.  We saw Charles Rogers in "The Road to Reno".  I liked it pretty well.
December 7, 1931 - At school today we made numbers for our raffling.  We were going to raffle off a car blanket but at play practice tonite we decided to raffle off a live turkey.  "1030" "Red Hot Mamma" "It's going to be a turkey instead of a goose"!!
December 8, 1931 - I had to tell the kids today that we were going to raffle off a turkey instead of a car blanket.  I got a ride home from school with Bob Nurnberg.  I wrote to Wayne Williams asking him if he'd be the auctioneer at my box social.  We went to League tonite at Rev. Braun's home.  We had a good time.  They elected new officers for the coming year.

Any guesses for "1030" "Red Hot Mamma" "It's going to be a turkey instead of a goose"?  I suppose the turkey has to do with the raffle, but beyond that I'm stumped.

I checked, there is both an Alex and an Allan Bruse.  At first I thought maybe I misread or my fingers had a mind of their own while I was typing one of those, but nope.

And here is another example where Grandma changes in her diary how she addresses Grandma Anna -- sometimes it is Mother, others Momma, then Mamma.  I remember her always calling her Mom.  Interesting . . .

I never have heard of Lilyan Tashman, but in both the poster and some photographs I found, she was quite attractive.  Maybe she is new to me because she died at the young age of 37, a few years after this particular movie came out.

A different feller

December 3, 1931 - Evelyn came up to the schoolhouse today and played the piano for the kids so they could practice their Xmas songs.  The kids put up the stage and we made posters. We practiced this evening on our play.
December 4, 1931 - The posters were finished today.  I expected Ray to come after me early but he didn't.  Ray and Ola came after me.  I went to Hoskins and found Mayme.  She gave me some of her entertainment books.  She coaxed me to go to the club dance.  I changed my clothes up at Bernice May's.  Ray went home and came back.  I had every dance.  I went home with Alex Bruse.
December 5, 1931 - Mother started lining my coat today.  We looked at the proofs and decided upon the picture we were going to have finished.  We went to bed quite early.

Alex Bruse is a new one for me.  Perhaps some Winsiders know who he was.

Every dance!?  Very nice.  No wonder Grandma went to bed early the next night.

I am guessing Evelyn was a bit older than the girl in the photograph.

We'll get there eventually

November 30, 1931 - Mrs. Walker's mother and brother were hear (sic) this evening.  They picked out their pieces for their Sunday School Program.  Evelyn did some typing.  Mildred, Bud, Mr. Walker and I played Rook.  Myron went to Madison yesterday to go to school at Newman Grove with his cousin.
December 1, 1931 - I sent Dorothy and Hazel's playbooks home with their mothers today so they could start studying.  This evening we played some more Rook.
December 2, 1931 - We practiced the play tonite for the first time.  I think it is going to be real good.  It surely has some funny places in it.

I don't know that I have all that much to add to this, so I'll leave it be.

I did peek ahead (not every day, but hit-and-miss) and it appears that for the rest of 1931 and a good part of 1932, Grandma was going to dances with Uncle Ray.  She and Grandpa were not an 'item', I think, until sometime in 1933.  He does have a mention or two before then, however.  I just thought I would toss that out there in case anyone was beginning to get curious and/or impatient.  I know I am!

I have been collecting direct-line family wedding photos for Dane; he and Alison will be doing something with them for their wedding.  I was pleased that I had most of the photos he needed already scanned on my computer.  It won't take too much more to complete what we have available to him.  One photo I did not have, but knew I had seen, was Grandma Anna and William Andersen's wedding portrait.  Thankfully, Nancy had an original and had she not been able to lay hands on it, Mom had a version of it, too.  Good thing we are keepers of stuff.  After all that, I thought I would share it here.  I think it is a wonderful photograph.

Airplane?

November 27, 1931 - School didn't go so bad considering that yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. The League had a committee meeting here this evening.  After the meeting Willard and Fritz Maas, Harry H., Arnold and Lydia Wittler, the Walker kids and I played Rook until 12 o'clock.  And oh! what fun we had.
November 28, 1931 - Ray and Mother came here about 9 o'clock.  We went to Norfolk.  Ray got a new overcoat, a Xmas present from Mother and me.  We had a family picture taken today.  Tonite we went to the church to hear the Midland Messiah Choir.  Annie and Ola were at our place for supper and went with us.  After the singing was over Ray and I went to Hoskins to the dance.  There weren't many there but we had a good time.
November 29, 1931 - We went to church this morning.  After dinner all of us went up to Uncle Hans'.  Aunt Lena surely doesn't look very good.  Ray broke a spring on his car, so Uncle Hans took the folks home.  Ray and I stayed up there until about 9:30 playing "Airplane."

I did some searching to find out what "Airplane" may have been, but my quick search turned up only computer games, which I am quite certain is not the case her for Grandma and Uncle Ray.

The photo is of the three and Grandma looks fairly young, so I will go out on a limb and guess that this is the photo session of which she referred.  I like Grandma Anna's sly smile here; it shows mainly in her eyes in my opinion.

Bases covered

November 24, 1931 - It seemed cold to me today and I guess it was cold.  The kids brought their sleds to school and went sleigh-riding at noon and recesses.  I washed my hair tonite after supper, manicured my finger-nails and wrote letters to Mrs. Smith and Walter Nelson.

November 25, 1931 - Ray came after me this evening about five o'clock.  I wanted to go to Alice's to get a finger-wave, but his lights burnt out and we didn't get to go.  I went to Jonson's and had Mr. Jonson sign my order for me.  Went down to Anna Boyd's tonite and got a finger-wave.

November 26, 1931 - Today is Thanksgiving Day.  And it's snowing.  We had a duck that Uncle Hans' sent in and also a rooster.  Ray took me back to Walker's about four o'clock this afternoon.  This evening we walked over to Nurnberg's.  We had a good time going, coming home and while there.

Going, coming home and while there . . . quite the successful jaunt.

Of course, I have no real idea of what daily life was like in 1931, but the mentions of not being able to go here or there because of the car are somewhat frequent in Grandma's diaries.  Too much rain, burnt out lights, tire issues, etc. all had an effect.  Nowadays, and especially near the "big city", we can go to a 24-hour store for light bulbs, tire repair can be fairly easy (and free if you have tires under warranty), and rain has to be awfully bad to deter people.  The car is just one facet of the differences Grandma lets us peek in on; I've never churned butter, for instance.  Not that I wouldn't mind giving it a try.  Just once would probably cure my enthusiasm, however.  But then, that photo makes it look pretty tempting . . .

Again?

November 21, 1931 - I ironed my dresses and Mother fixed some of my winter dresses.  We went over to Miller's about 6 o'clock.  We stayed up until 10:30 listening to the radio and reading.
November, 22, 1931 - Ground is white this morning.  Mother and I went to church this morning.  This afternoon in the sleet we walked out to Annie and Ola's.  That baby is surely getting big.  Ray took me back to Walker's this evening.  He stayed awhile and we played "Rook" and "Michigan Run" with the Walker kids.
November 23, 1931 - My first day to walk to school in the snow.  It could have been worse.  This evening the kids and I played Rook.  We had a good time.

There they go, walking in the sleet to see a baby they saw not too long ago.  He must have really been a cutie.

Late??

November 18, 1931 - We got up later than usual this morning and it was after eight before I got to school.  I played ball this noon and during second recess.  Mr. Walker's mother was here and stayed all night.  I worked late correcting papers this evening.
November 19, 1931 - I played ball with the kids this morning.  It started raining about noon.  I corrected papers and made out report cards this evening.
November 20, 1931 - It's rained practically all day today.  Ray came after me about 5:30.  We went over to Miller's this evening.  Mrs. Schmoll died Wednesday and is being buried in Iowa.  Mrs. Miller didn't want the house to be empty at nights while they were gone, so Mother is staying there.

Late getting to school due to oversleeping.  I would have teased Grandma had a known about this.  Geesh, barely into her first teaching job and she's sleeping in.  Wow!

Can you believe it?  Of all the photos I have scanned and ready to go, there is not one of someone sleeping?  Well, other than a teeny baby and that isn't what I was after.  I know this family has taken photos of adults laying around sleeping, but not one is scanned and ready to go.  So, instead, here's another of Grandma and Uncle Ray being cute little kids.