1950 August

Mum's diary continues:

"August 1, 1950

6:45 - 5 oz

    10:00 - 4 + peas

        2:30 - 5 + cereal

5:30 - 4

9:00

John & I went to the show tonight & left Ma, Hannie & Norman minding Mary Ellen. The show was good - 'The Third Man' and 'Father was a Bachelor' but I missed my little babushka & couldn't forget about her. Also Bunny (Callahan) started moving some stuff in the mail truck. They're really going!"

"Aug 2

    3:45 - 5 oz

8:00 - 2 

  10:30 - 4 1/4

              2:30 - 4 + Pablum

          5:30 - 4 + Cereal

8:30 - 5 

10:00 - 3

We took Mary Ellen to church tonight - over to St. Luke's to the Novena. I guess the Blessed Mother was glad to see her as she was very good & wee stayed for the whole service. 

It sounds as though the Callahans are breaking down the house getting ready to move."

Aug 3

     " 6:30 - 5 oz

12:30 - 4 + Peas

12:00 - 1

                        2:30 - 2 1/2 + Pablum

                    5:30 - 4 3/4 + cereal

7:30 - 5

10:00 - 3

"Peggie & Chris were down today & Chris held Mary Ellen sitting on the sofa. He also also pulled the garbage container over to the bathinette & climbed up on it to feed her the bottle. Mary Ellen ate her peas today & liked them. She gets as much on her as in her. 

Callahans moved out some furniture tonight." 

"Aug 4

        4:45 - 4 oz

      9:00 - 5 

1:00 - 4 3/4 + Veg

       4:00 - 1

         5:30 - 4 + cereal

       7:30 - 5

        9:30 - 4 

Mary Ellen is 2 mos. old today. Mary Ellen is beginning to make noises now as tho she's trying to talk. Took her up to Waltham tonight & John had to mind her in the car while I went in to Grover Cronins. When we got home we discovered the Callahans had left for good. The place looks horrible compared to up here. John is all excited."

"Aug 5

      5:30 - 5 oz

     10:00 - 4 1/2

1:30 - 4 + Veg

                      4:30 - 4 1/2 + cereal

       7:30 - 2 1/2

10:00 -

Mary Ellen holds her hands now."

 "Aug 6 

    6:30 - 5 oz

    10:00 - 4 1/2

1:00 - 3 + Veg

  3:30 - 5 

  6:00 - 5 

  10:00 - 6"

"Aug 7

     7:30 - 5 1/2

    10:00 - 2 1/2

1:30 - 5 + Veg

 4:00 - 1

                  5:00 - 3 3/4 + Veg

   9:00 - 7

Chris was here - helped hold Mary Ellens bottle."

"Aug 8

3:45 -

8:00 - 3

10:00 - 1 3/4 + Veg 

12:30 - 5 + Soup

4:00 - 4 + Cereal

?

Mary Ellen was a bad girl tonight & wouldn't let me go downstairs to help Daddy scrape wall paper."

"Aug 9

        7:30 - 5 oz

10:00 - 5 + Veg

   2:00 - 4 + Soup

  5:00 4 1/4 + Cereal

  7:30 - 4

"We took Mary Ellen to the Novena tonight but she didn't behave as good as last week. I had to give her a bottle & after she finished it she burped & chirped & sneezed & when she started squirming I had to run out with her."

"Aug 10

             4:15 - 3 1/2

       8:30 - 4

             10:15 - 2 1/4

      1:30 - 4 + Veg

5:00 - 4 1/2 + Veg

         7:30 - 5 

I took Mary Ellen down the square today & left her in the carriage in Gorins while I went downstairs for a minute. When I came back, two men were bending over her & she was laughing like mad, pulling her dress up over her head & holding her two legs straight up in the air. They thought she was a little doll. Don't we all?"

"Aug 11

6:30 - 5 1/2 oz

10:30 - 4 1/2

12:00 4 + Veg

3:30 - 4 1/4 + Veg

6:00 - 3 1/22 + Cereal

8:30 - 6

It was too hot to take Mary Ellen out today but she behaved quite well kicking & gooing all day. She holds her hands now, also braces her heels against something & raises her stomach up in the air."

"Aug 12

               7:00 - 5 oz

             10:00 - 5 + Peaches

  2:00 - 4 1/2 + Veg

     5:00 - 4 1/2 + Cereal

        8:00 - 3

       9:30 - 

Mary Ellen is really trying to talk now & makes all kinds of noises. I took her out walking today & altho it was quite cool she kicked off both shoes & stockings & kicked the blanket & spread into a ball. All the other babies we meet always have nice neat carriages but Mary Ellen always kicks hers into a mess." 

"Aug 13

7:30 - 6 oz

  10:00 - 4 & Peaches

       12:30 - 3 & Veg

3:30 - 4 

      6:00 - 4 & Peaches

 8:30 - 2

Mary Ellen was talking like mad all day & making all kinds of faces to go with it. Hannie will be surprised to see her accomplishments after being away a week in Falmouth. I took her up to Harriett's today & all the Radys were charmed with her altho she didn't behave very well. 

John is busy doing ceilings with a few errors to discourage him. We brought Cynthia down to stay over night."

"Aug 16

Took Mary Ellen to the Novena & she behaved quite well. Except for a few noises at the beginning she slept all thru it. 

Dickie was here for supper, is leaving tomorrow for the army."

"Aug 17

Gin came down tonight with her 20 pound baby. He made Mary Ellen look like a shrimp. She tossed Mary Ellen around like she does her own kids but she was a little too rough for our little babushka. She screamed like mad & threw up all over me. 

Norman helped John scrub floors tonight."

"Aug 18

         7:30 - 5 3/4

10:00 - 3

 1:00 - 5 + Veg

  5:00 - 5 + Fruit

 8:00 - 4"

"Aug 19

  7:15 - 5 3/4

10:00 - 2 3/4

?

Mary Ellen looks at her hands now & sometimes holds them (mostly by mistake)

"Aug 20

7:45 - 6 oz

10:00 - 5 + cereal

1:30 - 3 1/4 + Veg + Pears

5:30 - 3 1/2 + Applesauce

8:00 - 5

Norman tool pictures of Mary Ellen today. We all knocked ourselves out trying to make her smile while he was taking the pictures & she wouldn't, but as soon as the picture was taken she'd smile like mad. She also went to sleep in the middle of it." ( I wonder if these were the Polaroid pictures?) 

"Aug 21

      8:00 - 5 1/4

10:00 - 4 

                1:30 - 5 + Veg & Cereal 

5:00 - 4 1/2 + Fruit

  10:00 - 4

Took Mary Ellen down the street today. When I came out of the store she had kicked off the blanket & had one shoe in her hand & the hem of her dress in the other & was kicking & waving like mad. I almost died. She was awful good today. In fact every day lately.

She holds her hands now. Also when I was feeding her she sneezed with her mouth full of peas. What a shower over everything."

 

"Aug 22

         5:00 - 5 oz

     10:00 - 5 + cereal

1:30 - 5 1/2 + Fruit

      8:00 - 4

       9:30 - 2

Peggie & Chris were down - took some pictures of Chris & Mary Ellen.            Bedroom furniture came today."

"Aug 23

     7:15 - 6 oz

 9:30 - 3

11:30 - 5

2:00 - 5 + Fruit

5:00 - 5 + Veg 

8:00 - 5

Went to church - Mary Ellen behaved very well until half way thru Benediction - then she started wigging around & I dashed out with her. 

Bought a kitchen set today."

"Aug 28

Peggie had a baby boy today. Chris is here & thinks Mummy is going to bring home a baby sister. He calls Mary Ellen his baby sister & he really loves her. Everything he says is 'My Mary Ellen.'

Aug 30

Took Mary Ellen, Ma & Chris to church. I had to run out with Mary Ellen when Benediction started as she stuck out her lower lip & was getting ready to cry. She's a little noisier in church now that she's bigger. She blows bubbles & sighs, etc. "

"Aug 31

Mary Ellen scared me out of my wits today. I was holding her in my lap in the front room & Chris was sitting beside me. I was trying to keep them both quiet. Chris started laughing & the next thing I knew Mary Ellen got a big fit of laughing. She was laughing so hard & so loud Rita could hear her in the bathroom & Ma came running in from the kitchen. She kept it up & I never heard such hearty laughs. I ran & put her in the bassinette & She quieted down but she was all tired out. 

She's behaving very well these days getting ...

better every day. She talks a lot & for the last week has been holding her hands. She also looks at her hands until she's cross-eyed. She's awful good."

1950 July

 

I was the 4th grandchild on my mother's side - my uncle Jim Keohane had Cynthia and Kathleen, and my aunt Peggy Navin had Chris. But I was the one living upstairs on Green Street with Ma, Hannie, Rita and probably Mae, Eileen, and maybe Josie at various times. Norman was going out with Hannie. So I had plenty of attention. What a charmed life!

MEM in bassinet

I think it was Norman who had the Polaroid camera - here are several - some fading - Polaroid photographs. 

This was upstairs on Green Street on Ma's couch. Notice the cloth diapers. 

The above picture shows the tab at the end of the picture where you would pull it out of the camera

My mother with a bottle in her hand. I printed out the picture in black and white to see if it showed more detail - not really.

This is Norman Huliston who was going out with Hannie. She told me sometime that she married Norman because he was crazy about kids - she thought that would make him a good husband. 

My father and mother upstairs on Green Street. 

 

The back of the above photo says "Mary Rady, Mary Ellen, Green St, now Rattigans."

The 1950 US Census Lists Mary Rady at 20 Green Street - she is 42 years old - single - does clerical work for a Life Insurance Company. She lives with her 67 year old widowed mother, Agnes Rady  - and Mary's sister, 29 year old Harriet, who did clerical work for a children's toy manufacturer.

I know that my father belonged to the Ancient Order of Hibernians although I don't know when he joined. I found a letter addressed to Walter O'Leary who was the Treasurer of the Hibernians - it was from Father Leahy who was a parish priest at St. Pat's. I don't know why my father had this letter but I'm including it. 

"Mr Walter J O'Leary

Treasurer Div 14

Ancient Order of Hibernians 

111 Watertown St.

Watertown 72

Mass 

USA"

"Rome, Italy                      

July 14, 1950.                  

Mr Walter J O'Leary

Treasurer, Div 14,

Ancient Order of Hibernians

Watertown, Mass

Here in the eternal city after a seven day sojourn in 'Eire.'

It is difficult for me to compare the faith of those in dear Eire and those here in Rome.

However, I still cling to favoring those of my ancestry for it seems to be a deeper and more solid kind. 

Many thanks for your kindness to me. Give my regards to each one of Div 14, And rest assured of my prayers at the holy shrine.  

Father Leahy"             

My mother kept another diary, but after 70 years, some pages are missing. This is the notebook she used.

The beginning pages are missing - the first page has no date:

"Sat    4:00 AM  -  5 oz

9:00    4 oz    bm

1:15    5 oz    bm

3:30    5 oz    bm

 5:30     4          bm" 

July 19

Mary Ellen slept almost all day - just woke up for feedings. She was so good & slept so much I was getting worried. It was such a change from her behavior up to now.

We took her down to Lovers' Lane after supper & saw some intrigue. Two cars pulled up in front of us & a man got out of one, locked it up & got into the other (a beautiful brick red convertible) & drove off with a bleached blonde. ----- Strange things you see!

  

I don't seem too happy! Apparently I had colic and didn't sleep at night - my father and mother used to take me out for drives to get me to sleep.

"July 20

5:30 - 5 oz.

10:00 - 3 1/2

12:30 - 4 1/2     BM

2:30 - 1 1/2    BM

3:20 - 4 1/2

6:15 - 1 1/2

7:45 - 3 1/2

10:10 - 4 1/4

I spoke too soon. Mary Ellen is up to her old tricks & was fussy again tonight. Maybe cause it's cold & we couldn't go out riding. Lots of trouble getting the diapers dry today." 

No clothes dryers in those days. There were about 5 or 6 clothes lines outside the back door and inside my mother used the tops of the large radiators to dry or warm clothes. I remember seeing our shirts warming up on the radiators - they would feel so good when I would put one on. 

"July 21

4 AM - 4 oz

  8:15 - 5 oz

  10:15 - 1 1/2

12:30 - 5

     2:00 - 3 1/2

   5:00 - 5 oz

7:30 - 3 1/2 - pablum

   9:00 - 1 1/4

10:30 - 3

Took Mary Ellen walking this afternoon - she really behaved quite well except that I had to practically run home with her when she started fusing. Mrs Callahan told me they were leaving the first of Aug. Hooray!"

The Callahans were the family who rented the first floor apartment on Green Street - they had 2 children. I think there were always hard feelings after my mother or father told them that they had to move so we could move downstairs. I thought that they moved into the Rattigan's duplex on Green Street, but when I looked up the 1952 Residents List at the Watertown Public Library, they were listed at 41 Church Hill Street. They must have moved back to Green Street later because Margaret Ann Callahan used to babysit for us and lived in the Rattigan's duplex.  

"July 22

6:30 - 4 1/2 oz

   10:30 - 4 1/4    BM

     2:15 - 4 + Pablum

       5:00 - 3 

   7:00 - 5 + Pablum

     10:30 - 2

Took Mary Ellen walking today - everyone thinks she is a little doll. She smiled like mad for a couple of girls in Gorins & they were entranced. Met Mrs McNamara - she gave me all kinds of advice. 

All night we tried to make Mary Ellen go to sleep - she wouldn't. At her last bottle we couldn't keep her awake. What to do!"

Gorins was a department store in Watertown Square - there were Gorins and Grants across from Watertown Savings Bank - was Butler's Drug store in that block? Years later Susan Cook and I would stop in the drug store after school for a coke and a Peggy Lawton brownie - most of the time I had no money and Susan paid. 

Further down that side of the street was the 5&10 - there was a soda fountain in there - some times I would met Ma when I was walking home to Marshall Street from St Pat's - she was working with Aunt Nellie at Mr Russell's - she would come out to Watertown on her afternoon off. She would take me to the 5&10 for a vanilla ice cream soda. Years later I would go in there with my cousin Joanie for a Vanilla Coke - I think it was Ronnie Nelson who was the soda jerk that she liked. 

"July 23

      6:20 - 5 oz

10:30 - 5

  1:15 - 3

   4:00 - 3

    6:00 - 3

    8:30 - 4

Mary Ellen pulled my hair today.

John, Mary Ellen & I went over to Aunt Hannah's today. She was overjoyed to see us - thought Mary Ellen looked like me when I was a baby. Mary Ellen didn't like it over there & cried and did foofoo & had to have a bottle."

"July 24

5:30 - 5 oz

10:30 - 5 oz

11:30 - 5 oz

2:30 - 4 oz

6:00 - 4 oz & Pablum

9:00 - 4 1/2 (threw up)

We took pictures of Mary Ellen today & couldn't get her to smile. Went up to Waltham & then up to Peggie's. We were going out for a ride tonight but Mary Ellen fooled us. She did to foofoos in clean diapers & then went to sleep/ What can you do!"

"July 25

     7:30 - 5 oz

1030 - 3

                 1:00 - 5 + Pablum

      3:30 - 1 1/2

  6:30 - 5 

9:30 - 4

Mary Ellen was a good girl today. We took her out riding tonight - down to Lovers' Lane & all over Waltham, Newton, & Auburndale. She slept all the time we were out but as usually started crying when we got near home. Hannie knew when we got home. She could hear us coming."

"July 26 

          6:00 - 4 1/2 oz

1030 - 4 

                1:30 - 4 + Pablum

4:30 - 4

7:00 - 5

10:00 - 5

10:00 - 3

Today while I was holding Mary Ellen over my shoulder to burp her, she spit up, then sneezed & bumped her face into it. When I looked at her, she had spit up all over her face, even her eyes & eyebrows were covered with it. She looked so funny.

Went down to Lovers Lane - the first night Mary Ellen came home sleeping."

"July 27

     5:45 - 4 oz

10:00 - 5 

12:30 - 4

   5:00 - 5 

   7:00 - 5 

11:30 - 2

Took Mary Ellen to the doctor tonight - he thought she looked very good, also that she had a temper. Went down to Lovers Lane afterwards. Mary Ellen was sleeping when we got home - slept till 11:30. Good girl."

"July 28

  6:00 - 5 oz

10:00 - 5 0z

                    1:30 - 3 1/2 + Pablum

4:45 - 5

7:00 - 5

?

Went visiting Mrs Pappas today."

July 29

                6:46 - 6 1/2 oz

10:00 - 3 1/2 + Cereal

         12:00 - 2 1/4

                         2:30 - 4 1/4 + cereal

      5:00 - 5 

          8:00 - 3 1/4

10:30"

I guess I'll move on to August next.