“found that I got my forty. I’m sure glad“ Friday, February 3, 1945
28 Sun. Got up late. Did my homework. Lay down, but Alex and Jenny came soon after, so got up again. Talked for awhile. Had dinner before six. Mom & Dad went to Stutts. Miss Farrell & I were in bed by 8.15. I didn’t get to sleep until after 10.30.
29 Mon. Mom went to Regina on the bus. So we left home at 7.30. Took mom to the Depot then Dad brought Doris & I up here, and had to take Isabelle out after that. I had my eyes tested after school. Right one had to be changed a little. I am getting rimless ones at last. Terribly cold & windy day. Vicky & Louise had a fight. Eriel was here. Bed after eleven.
30 Tues. 22 below this morn. I got my rimless glasses on the way back at noon. Mom was to come in on the bus. We went down, & met Isabelle, & all waited, but after an hour, we found it wouldn’t be in until real late. Mom got a ride from McTaggart with Jennings. We came home.
31 Wed. We saw Eveline after four. Cold day. Doris went to the hospital with Mrs. Lutz tonight, to see Ronnie. He isn’t very good. I wrote a letter to Myrna. We went to bed fairly early, but talked quite awhile.
Feb 1 Thurs. Cold & snowing. We almost froze all morn. Absolutely couldn’t type, & the classroom was cold too. Went back at 1.30. Stayed after school. I did some Bookkeeping & typing. Think I got my 30. Doris went to the hospital then the 2 of them came back here. Isabelle was up for awhile. We had lunch. Did hair. Bed 11.45.
Note from Chris: I really don’t have any memories of Mom expressing disappointment in anything that I did, or didn’t do. However, eight fruitless years of piano lessons may hold a clue. “Hey Mom, I never mastered the Piano keyboard, but I did match you on the Typewriter keyboard!“
2 Fri. I had my work checked & found that I got my forty. I’m sure glad. Felt terrible in school this morn. Thought I’d have to come home. Better after dinner. Lay down awhile after school. Riverview dance in the I.O.O.F. tonight. They sold lunch in the basement. It was nice. The place was packed. They cleared over $55. I didn’t have as good a time as I had at the last one.
3 Sat. Up after ten. I did my washing, and that’s about all. Dad, Mom, Wilma & I went to McGugans to get Shirley. We had lunch up there. Home about six. Isabelle came out with Stutts to stay for good. ♫We had some music.♫
Click Here to view a scan of the handwritten original
These are the diaries of a seventeen-year-old teenager from a farm near Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Her name is Lorraine. She eventually was a church organist in Colgate. In 1944 she was the piano player for a dance band in Weyburn. In these days before school busses she, and her sisters, each had to move from the farm into town to attend school for Grades 11 & 12. This is the darkest time in World War II. Weyburn hosted an airbase for BCATP (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan). In other words, the town is filled with eligible young airmen from all over the world …
For more information on BCATP see a blog site dedicated to “Paying homage to those who stayed behind to train those who fought overseas.”
I get the impression that Aunt Lorraine had trouble with typing and bookkeeping for that matter. Or at least they were not her favourite things to do. 40 wpm is a good achievement finally, though for both of you. (I disliked typing more than I can explain and begged to be allowed to drop out. Mom and Dad insisted I finish one semester of Grade 10 typing. I was so happy to quit. Of course, with everything computer these days, I appreciate having been cajoled into taking at least one semester. My best wpm? 8).
Previous post: Cheryl D Banks