All posts tagged Aunt Fanny Robinson

Oct 15 Sunday 8.30 p.m [1944]
# ASTHMA FOR MOST OF WEEK
# HUGE COOKING APPLE CROP
# RENE’S TOM PREACHING AT CHAPEL
# BUSY IN GARDEN AGAIN

Another Sunday, I must try to write up my diary oftener. I have been glancing thro’ old ones to-day and they are very interesting to me. It has been a lovely autumn day fine and cold but not so windy as of late. I felt as if I ought to have gone for a walk but do not feel very great yet after asthma most of the week and diarrhoea on Thursday. Yesterday Jean and I picked several stones of Bramleys, a clothes basket, the big brown basket and the small bath full, and the jam-pan full of fallen ones. They are good apples and there must be still as many more left on the tree. If fine Rene and I will pick them tomorrow.

Have written to Ron, Emmie and Aunt Fanny. Have not had a reply from Sybil yet. Hope all is well. Jean bought herself a pair of new blue suede shoes yesterday at Cooper’s 23/6 quite nice, the first she ever bought with own money.

Eva came down Wed afternoon for tea and paid for rabbit 5/0. She is looking better. Jean took three lovely white gladiolas to Churchyard also asters. Then she went to Chapel and to S.S. [Sunday School] after dinner. G.ma gave her 2/0. Tom and Rene walked down this morning. He is preaching to-night. Ron’s allowance for me 7/0 per week came thro’ this week, £4.4 back money in draft. So that is settled for the time anyway. It is for rent etc. Made a T. Bear and stuffed it with flocks. Looks very nice but is not so light as kapok. Perhaps more substantial for older child. Jean called at Mrs. B[rown]’s for piece of green velveteen. Hope it will make dog. It is lovely. Am to return Eardley’s chair when I like after Monday, they have lent it. I asked her if I could send it home.

Lawn growing well, think it will cover alright. Heaps of work wants doing in garden but Rene finished digging potatoes on Thurs. Must pick up the rest of seed and ……. [? thrash?] tomorrow if dry and get garden ready for blk.currants and rasps. Shall have a lot of chrys[anthemums] if pest and wind does not spoil them. Must do away with a lot after flowering, far too many. My anemones are beginning to peep thro’ I am relieved to find. Some of my seedling polyanthus are in bloom also wannias, wallflowers Mary gave me are growing well and all three roses are alive. I ought to move two of them as they seem to catch all the cutting winds at the corner of the house. Don’t suppose it would hurt to move them about Dec. or Jan. What a lot there is to do in a garden. When I am not well it all seems to get on top of me. I have never really got master of it yet. News time and Jean is tired so think we will have supp. and go to bed early. I can read in bed if not sleepy. Can hear a plane.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

Oct 15 Friday 10. 45. P.M. [1943]
# DIARY RESUMED AFTER THREE WEEKS
# GRANDMA’S TROUBLE-FREE VISIT
# CANTAKEROUS AUNT JET A CHALLENGE
# CHEERFUL LETTERS FROM RON

“We don’t miss anything in the world as much as we miss our burdens” from Palludia by Anna Robeson Burr.

We seem to have been very busy since I last wrote in my diary. G.ma came on 27th (Mon) in the afternoon. Rene and I had washed in the morning. She stayed until Friday aft. She is very quiet and eats so very little. I was pretty well while she was here but in bed until tea-time on the Sunday. Oct 4.

Went to Trusthorpe on Thur. (Jean and I) and Aunt J[et] came back with us vowing she was so ill-treated she would never return. Aunt Fanny Robinson was there but even that did not keep her at home. Aunt F is nearly 80 and getting frail but not blind like Aunt J. She has a nature too, very much different. I can see now that mother was much more like her in many ways, tho’ she was always thought to be most like Aunt J in looks. Aunt J is very trying, and after a week of her we took her back to Amy yesterday, indeed she refused to stay any longer tho’ I would have kept her over the week-end if she would have stayed. I could not cope with her long tho’. Poor Amy, no wonder she seems apathetic at times.

Aunt Jet with late husband Tom

Aunt Jet with late husband Tom

Aunt J is cantankerous and cross-opple-ed and even worse, but I think her mind is warped or gradually weakening. She eats far too much, Jean and I reckoned up one day and she had 9 meals and snacks in the 12 hours 8 a.m to 8.p.m. Still we got along as well or better than I expected, as I am a bit irritable and crotchety myself at times. We had a “fratch” or two when I got my foot in it, and when I did I put in a few words for her to think over at leisure, hoping they might react to Amy’s benefit. One tea-time, after getting it ready an hour before time, I had to re-sugar and re-milk her tea, still it wasn’t right, it needed more sugar (she had a whole lb in her tea and malted food in the week) more hot water and more milk still. Says me, “Your cup is full now” but it was “too hot to drink” so much exasperated I said, “Blow on it then, or wait until it cools”. She shut up, got her tea quite amiably and finally remarked to Rene, “what a good cup it was”, almost upsetting Rene’s equilibrium. Still, it was queer how I missed her last night and to-day, which is probably why the quotation at the beginning of to-day’s entry struck me when reading tonight.

Father is on watch, Jean and I are in bed, Jean has been to L.G.B. [Girls’ Life Brigade G.L.B.] and I am very tired. We are relieved to have had 7 letters from Ron this week, latest dated 21 Sep. Very cheerful too.

Anna Robeson Brown Burr was an American novelist/ essayist. ‘Palludia’ was published by Duffield & Company, New York, 1928.

Aunt Fanny, née Thorpe, Robinson, the widow of George Albert Robinson, was the eldest sister of May’s mother and Aunt Jet.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?