May 11, 2016 – More One Room School House Stories

I will get to the one room school house in a minute. What a day! I was working my butt off trying to finish reviewing these eight grants for the Feds when I got an email – due date has been extended… deep breath of relief. So that give me more time to read the book I am working on etc.

Then I got another email that I have been accepted to review another group of grants starting this friday until the end of the month. Oh well so much for the break. Will have to go home so I can print things out so I can read them and especially the instructions since this grant is new to me.

And then the good news that my sweetie has been asked to introduce the student speaker at graduation. What a lovely honor. I am so pleased for him. He will get to meet the Governor of the state next door and have a meal with all the various honorees and speakers. Very nice honor for him. He deserves it since he is really a nice guy.

Memory Turns the Dial by Madeline O’Connor –

Dear Grand Aunt Madeline was my grandfathers sister and grew up out here at Long Point. She never married and became quite the writer and correspondent with people she met along the way. Thanks to her we have so many pieces of family history. All you younger folks probably don’t see the value in that now but some day you will.

This little piece is called “Changes in 50 Years”

Such memories caused one to realize the change in 50 years and one wonders if the next 50 will equal the past and if our present remedies, which we consider so wonderful, will be considered as ridiculous as the “fetty bags” of those long ago days.

If any child got sick or hurt, the teacher sent the pupil over to my Mother. During many wintry and blizzardy storms, Mother would make up beds on the second floor for five to nine children, who would not be able to get home through the drifts (no snow plows in those days).

In early summer, when our four beds of Peonies were in bloom, each child would be given one large bloom to take home, as few flowers were grown in their yards.

The school yard had many rocks; some large, some small, some rough and some very smooth–thus it was an ideal yard for playing hide and seek, while the low slanting roof made an ideal place for the ball game of “ante over.”
Other games were “London Bridge is Falling Down”, Blind Man’s Bluff etc. How dull the present day pupils would find them compared to the “sport” games of today. Also we had a bear cave for gymnastics. Behind the school yard across a flat strip of ground, there was quite a hill edged by a thick piece of wooded land and years before, bears had a comfortable home on the hillside.

Such fun they must have had playing in the woods. My mom always told us about the bear cave and took me once to show it to me. I plan to clear out that part of the yard this summer to make it more accessible for play. Right now it is filled with old garbage from the former renters. That is another story..
More tomorrow.

December 18, 2015 – 8 days until Christmas

 

Today was a fun day.  Finished Christmas cards and some cleaning but then we went for a Santa job at a day care center. It was grand fun.  We were there for two hours and Santa was a hit as usual.  Denis is a great Santa, he does not force kids to get near to him if they don’t want to. He will tell the mom or dad to pick up the little one and will ask them if they want to stand next to him to their picture can be taken.  For sure it almost always ends with the kids being okay.

One little one was screaming and there was no way he was going to get within 20 feet of Santa.  His screaming was ear piercing.  He was one of the only ones who did not get a visit with Santa.  But otherwise it was a great outing and then we met Bill and Rose for a wonderful fun dinner at Otis and Oliver’s.  I got my fill of ribs and saratoga chips.  They are so good there.

I have been trying to think about what I did yesterday – I think I ran errands, Post Office, Price Chopper and home. I was really tired so took a nap and then got Santa ready to go out visiting families in homes with his friend Jim.  They had a great time.  I saw a couple of the pictures tonight of happy kids and smiling parents.  Love that they like having him come. I went to the social justice ministry meeting at church and enjoyed it very much.  Great group of people. We talked about the solarization project, sponsoring a refugee family, and plans for a presentation on human trafficking.  So we will have a busy winter which is a good thing for me as I need things to keep me out of the house and busy.

I am sorry to say that Charles Diary for 1904 is scant again.. Dear, dear Madeline just put in what she wanted to.  So let’s see what she left for us to read.

Charles O’Connor Diary 1904

Jan 4 – Miss Maude Webster come to teach and board here. Fine girl. Before her Miss Vertrie?? who boarded at Townsends.
Jan 9 – Saturday. JBW Turner took Fergus to Lansdowne on way back to Queens. Dr. Gardiner comes every day. The thought of cost scares me.
Jan 19 – Tuesday – 41 below zero.
Jan 21 – Renewed subscription to Montreal Star.
Jan 22 – So cold. Dr. Gardiner could not come. Emily or Madeline have to put my arms on table or I could not feed myself. Elbows ok but muscles shrinking.
Note (During all this year many, many visitors, friends, relatives etc. Seldom alone but makes work for Emily , Annie, Margaret and Bridget in turn. Joanna too, come and stay week at time.)
Jan 24 – Dr. Gardiner brings a young Dr. McKinly to see if he has any new ideas to help me.

Feb 1 – Cold and roads bad. No mail. Miss getting Fergus’ letter.
Feb 13 – Emily pays Fergus Insurance and we lend Sykes $10. Hire Chris and Bevins to do fishery work. I am afraid I am finished and will be a cripple rest of life.
Feb 25 – Much better and go for a cutter ride to Lyndhurst with Madeline. She is so proud to drive me there.
Feb 28 – Very bad again. At night Emily has to get up and help me when I have to turn over.

March 2 – Letters from Bastedo saying Fishery Dept extending my territory to Marble Rock. Hope I can do the work later.
March 29 – Let Chris work bush. Got wood cut by machine.

April 1 Fergus birthday. Sent him $5.00.
April 3 – Sunday – Able to go to Ellen’s for tea.
April 4 – Fergus home and are we thankful but he returns to Kingston for exams 14th. I go to Gan to meet him.
April 20 – Very heavy snow storm. I am getting around better now. Pay Chris $50.00 for his help re nets etc.
April 26 – Fraleck back for few days. Good company and plays cards well.

May 5 – Was able, Thank God, to do some work today. Vandusen still works when feels like it. Alfred Gadbury back to plant on shares.
May 24 – All of us go to Jones Falls for picnic. Jim Judd invited us to come there and go on his boat to Falls. He has a guest Mrs. Bridgewood. We have fine time.

June 1 – Fraleck back to see mine.
June 4 – Bernard O’Connor comes home with me from Gan. He is in bad health and Emily feels sorry for him and starts feeding him well. He is a fine chap. Madeline likes him very much and they become real chums. He sings well and she plays for him. She has started lessons from Adder White.
June 22 – Emily and I went to Athens to wedding of Leonora Stevens and Jim Walker.
June 27 – Henry, Lottie and Leo arrive. Fergus takes Madeline to Delta to write Entrance. She stays at Bridgets. Is very nervous about it.

September 3, 2015. tomorrow’s big day

Yes, there are some big days in ones life,   I believe that turning 70 is one of them.  for many people it is the beginning of the end and yet for others it is just a continuation of the “Big Adventure”.  I think that the latter would describe Denis turning 70.

At forty instead of having a mid life crisis he returned to college at night and over the years received a bachelors degree as well as a masters in American History.  after taking some time off to figure out what he was going to do next a stroke of luck happened…. SUNY Albany decided to offer a PhD in .american History again..  So he applied to the program as a part time student and after some discussion the department decided to accept him as a part time student.  and when his job went away to Philadelphia we figured out he could do school  full time so off he went to college full time.

in 2002, I think, he finished his PhD.  That was some wonderful occasion   I wish my mom had still been around with her faculties in tack since I know how thrilled she would have been for him.    the kids came and watched him defend his dissertation which was an experience.  and then the graduation.

Since shortly after he graduated he has been teaching at Union College, not just as something to do, but with a passion for learning and teaching.  he has been able to take a trip to Fnland to present at a conference, take 24 students fr a mini term in South Africa in Dec 2010 and then last fall we both went with 19 students to the Universiy at Galway for a semester.  all of this keeps him so passionate and excited about this new career.  he has developed courses that were never offered before, a History of Union College, Women in Sports, A Novel View of American History and others.  It is all keeping him young and involved and excited about life.

so on Sept 4 when he turns 70 I think he will celebrate by looking forward with excitement and not with and regrets.  he has four fabulous grown up children, two beautiful grandchildren and a wife who loves and admires him and supports his efforts.   so hopefully on November 2 this year Imwill be writing about his success in running the New York City Marathon which has been his goal for this seventieth birthday.

Happy Birthday Denis and may there be many more for you.  lovingly, the Thorn