“Holiday today.” THURSDAY, May 24, 1945
20 Sun. Woke up at 11.30. What a sleep! Miss Farrell & I stayed in the car for Sunday School. Grand attendance at church! Went to Stutts for supper after. Had wiener & square bread. Swell. We got into an argument so went home & got my notebooks so that Doris & I could prove our point. Bed in good time.
21 Mon. Mom brought us into town. I started work in the Co-op. Joyce & Ivy are grand at helping me. I liked it O.K. Went to Aunt Mena’s & saw she & Mom at noon hour. I have from 12.45 until 2.00. Home at 6.30. Went to Mission Circle with Mrs. S. & Doris at the Smith Girls suite. Miss Templeton gave a talk on venereal diseases. Mrs. S. & we kids talked on the porch when we got home.
22 Tues. A beautiful day. Learned a little more about my job. Joyce left me alone quite awhile. Tonight we went to Mrs. Dalziels & addressed phamphlets (sic) for the C.C.F. Bed late.
23 Wed. Beautiful day. Met Doris in the hall when I was coming home & she was leaving at noon. I left work before six, took my lunch and had a new end permanent. Got out at 8. I came home & ate, then Doris & I went to the second show. “Marriage is a Private Affair.” Lana Turner.
24 Thurs. Holiday today. I walked to work with Doris at ten. Came home & ironed & pressed til noon. Had lunch, then went back with Doris & helped her get out some more forms. Came home & lay around. Mended & washed stockings, lay down awhile. Went to a C.C.F. meeting in the City Hall. After meeting Mom off the bus and going to Aunt Mena’s with her. Meeting was waste of time. They nominated me as one of the poll committee.
25 Fri. Mr. Stutt came in and got us tonight. Treated us to the chocolate sodas we won in our political bet last Sunday. Went to the dance at Riverview. Aunt Mena played. The place was packed. I just had a fair time. All the kids were there but that didn’t help much. Played for a couple of dances with Charlie. Home & in bed about 2.30.
26 Sat. Up about 7.30. Doris & I came back to town with Sterlings as Isabelle & Jean were taking the bus to Regina. Lived through the day. Mom & girls were up to the office this afternoon. I went out & had coffee. Had an hour from 6 to 7 for supper. Jack came with us. Went back & worked tonight, then couldn’t get balanced up until nearly 10.
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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.”
In 1945 the May Holiday had not yet been standardized to the “Monday Prior to May 25”.