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.
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:
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."
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."
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."
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.
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