This is my 8th 5-year diary. I started keeping one in January, 1945. Got to bed at 3 AM. A nice party here to see the New Year in. We went to church, communion, Joe Clure and Claire Ponzi there for first. No Sunday School. Called June in PM.

Nice sunny day. Took down Christmas decorations. Watched parades on TV. Washed clothes.

Defrosted freezer. Merrill and Roy Petrie and I took down church decorations. We went to Mills for freezer paper.

Vern’s Beef. Vern and Dan got here about 9:30. Left at 3. Took about 3 hours to cut and wrap beef. Real nice. Mary helped. Got tax notice, $450.20 up $10.48.

UMW at Leah’s. 14 out. Merrill and I went, Week of Prayer and Self Denial program. Wrote Ken’s, Jim’s and Gehm’s. Sent Readers Digest contest. Lynn cut up our beef. Mary helped. Had freezer full. IOOF Hall at Sackets burned. Is near Jim’s.

Ken’s 58th birthday. 4-H here. Made fruit pizza. George Graham’s had chimney fire. We went to Philadelphia for groceries and to bank. Shower for Cathy Murphy but I didn’t go to it.

Jim’s beef. Jim’s got here about 11. Left about 4. I kept the kids here. Merrill helped cut up meat. Claire Ponzi called. They have changed their telephone number. Mrs. Cameron called in evening.

Windy, rainy. We went to Sunday School and church. Carol Ponzi rode to Sunday School with us for first. Also Noreen. Sky Weaver brought his Treasurers books to me in evening. Wrote Uncle Berl.

A wild day. Flooding, windy and snow. Lots of accidents. I washed clothes. Marilyn Compeau in hospital for tests.

Cold and windy. Zero in morning. Terrible stormy all over. Not bad here. Most schools closed. Merrill run cleaner. I washed colored clothes.

Warmer. Still stormy south of city and Lowville way. Kids there couldn’t get home from school. I went to Marilyn’s for B-12 shot. Roads very icy.

Wrote Don’s. Warmer and sunny. We went to Antwerp for Boots dog license. Got groceries at Philadelphia. Stopped at Lynn and Mary’s to pay for butchering, Vern’s paid his, $40 a beef. Lynn paid us $60 for pasture.

Friday the 13th. Hubert Humphrey died of cancer. Appointment with Lawyer Giles at Evans Mills. Drove over to Rose Petrie’s after wards. She has nice home. Wrote Vern’s. Sent card to Ruth Schell.

Gladys Lamon’s 68th birthday. Terrible storm all over. Lots of roads blocked. Merrill and I played canasta. Mrs. Cameron called in evening about not having Sunday School and church tomorrow.

No one shoveled out from storm. No Sunday School or church. Sun out bright about all day. Merrill plowed our driveways and helped at Hall’s. Took him till 1 PM. Vi called to say Ross Melrose is in hospital from fall down stairs at Legion supper.

Sun out. We went to Adams and Lorraine. Couldn’t get car fixed at Goslin’s until Friday. Went up to Don’s. Talked with Beulah and Marg. Stopped at Patty’s. Got cheese for them.

Washed clothes. Not a bad day but stormy in late evening. Got letter from Uncle Berl yesterday. California is getting lots of rain.

Beulah Congdon’s 66th birthday. Stormy. Schools closed. Merrill plowed our driveway and Halls in PM. We went over to Halls in evening and played canasta. They want us to go to Florida with them. Wrote Bowman’s.

Nice day. We cleaned church with cleaner. Shoveled walks to church. Amos Murphy died running snow blower just before we got up there. Got groceries. Got letter from Vern. Washed my hair.

We took car to Goslin’s. Had control put on fan and vent lever fixed. Cost $23. I spent day with Beulah. We had lunch there. Got home at 2 PM. Just starting to storm. Terrible all over.

Washed clothes. Made chili. Merrill worked about all day plowing here and at Halls. Tractor quit in evening. Jeff towed it home for Merrill. Merrill has cold.

Took church books to Virginia N, except Claude’s. We went to Sunday School and church, 65 out. Jim, Pat, and kids here in PM and for supper. Snowing lightly all day. Jim has tooth and face ache. Carol Ponzi rode to Sunday School and church with us.

Bad fire at Theresa early this morning, 2 AM. Three people burned to death. Mr. and Mrs. Angie LaDazer and baby 9 months. 12 people homeless. Greens and Davis families. Talked with Aunt Maude, Mary and Leah. PNG at Leah’s. Administrative Board meeting. 9 out. We went.

Merrill went to LaFargeville for hose for tractor. He couldn’t get tractor going. Lynn was here. Nice day. Washed clothes.

Cleaned stove pipes. Sent Real Estate tax, $450.20. Raining in PM and evening. Merrill shoveled snow off milk house roof. Lots of barns caving in from snow and ice. Washed clothes.

Bradley Payne’s 7th birthday. Got letter from Lorraine Brancatella. Pastor Parish meeting canceled because of storm. We went to LaFargeville for tractor parts. We went for groceries. Store full of people. Storm hit at noon time. Terrible all over. Marilyn Payne went to hospital.

Marilyn and Bob Payne have baby boy born at 7 AM, 10 lb. 3 oz. Brandon. snowing and blowing. Merrill walked down to Ponzi’s to clean their barn. Joe is sick in bed with flu. Roger H plowed out our driveway. No mail.

A beautiful day but a few snow flurries. Merrill went to LaFargeville for distributor for tractor. Got used one, $9. Got tractor going. Jeff helped put it together. Merrill helped clean snow at church.

Cold but nice. We went to church and Sunday School, 83 there. Merrill went up at 7:30 to get furnace going. Church cold. Carol rode to Sunday School. Jim, Pat and kids here for supper. Kenny, Brenda, Kim and Jeff here in evening. Good to see them.

Merrill worked at income tax. Pat and Angie Brancatella here in PM. Came back and spent night here. Talked with Evelyn. They are going to Florida February 12. Returning February 24th or 26th. Merrill run cleaner.

Pat and Angie left at 10:30 AM. Merrill got hair cut, $2.25 at Theresa. A nice day but cold in morning. Called Mary. Marilyn and Brandon got home from hospital yesterday.

Clinic. I went. All ok. I got my hair cut at Donna’s. We shopped at city. We went to Oswego to spend night. Vern has a snow blower.

UMW covered dish. Men invited about 25-30 there. Tom Dennison spoke on Community Health Center. We left Vern’s at 8:30. When they left for school. Went to Don’s. Stopped at Marg and Roy’s. Stopped at K-Mart. Called Patty. Got letter from Angie.

4-H. Business meeting. Norma here also. We went to Philadelphia for groceries. 4-H girls judged cattle and horse contests. Wrote Beulah Hall.

-18° this morning. Cold all day. Glen and June Risdale and girls, Laura and Susan here to look at farm. Made cookies in evening. Got letter from Olive Bowman.

We went to church, 64, and Sunday School. Patty called to say Jolie was sick so we went down there for dinner. Fish Derby weekend at Sackets. Very cold.

Put color rinse on my hair. Snowing. Windy. Lots of snow in NY City. Merrill helped Howard repair manure spreader. Mrs. Cameron here to have me measure slacks to hem.

Terrible storm snow from Washington, DC to Boston. No school. Mail went. Merrill plowed out driveway. He helped Howard fix spreader. Merrill has another cold. I washed clothes. Jim had accident. He went to Albany.

Brian Payne’s 9th birthday. Beautiful day. Merrill sick with flu. Jeff used our tractor to plow out at their place. Evelyn sent over Coricidin D and milk. June Risdale here.

Merrill and Boots in bed all day. Patty called to say Jim had accident Tuesday morning in storm. He wasn’t hurt. They have all been sick with flu. Jim got home from Albany last night. He went on Tuesday. Wrote Don’s. Called Jim’s in evening.

I went to Dr. Sommers. Had teeth checked and tooth put in denture, $19. Merrill better today. Up and around. Boots and I went to Philadelphia. Got groceries. Got traveler’s checks.

Left for Florida from city at 10 AM. Jim and Jolie met us at Ramada Inn and took Boots to Don’s. Drove 499 miles. Spent night in Fairquier’s Motel, Virginia, $22. Got double room and extra bed. Marilyn and kids followed us. They spent night in camper at motel.

Got on road about 10 AM after good nights rest. Spent night at Ramada Inn. Beautiful room, for $17. Bob and Marilyn camped in parking lot. Finally ran out of snow half way across North Carolina.

Got to Florida about noon. Had supper with Pearl Helbert. Temperature 75°. Just beautiful. Motel $22, Silver Springs Florida. Called Patty in evening.

Orlando Florida. Howard Johnson’s. Sent birthday card to Mother Tryon, Card to Vern’s. Spent the day at Silver Springs. Bob, Marilyn and boys spent day with us. Colder day. We spent night at Howard Johnson’s in Orlando, $33. Went to Orange City to find Beulah was in hospital. Stopped at Helen Lockson. [?]

Sent cards to Jill for birthday and others. Spent day at Sea World. Called Gehm’s. Couldn’t find a motel anywhere so spent night in car at St. Petersburg.

Mother T’s 89th birthday. Raining. Howard got car fixed, universal joint. Cost $33. Went to Jean Hanretty’s [?] twice. Howard’s sister Edna Fullington down here also. Ate at Ponderosa. Spent evening at Jean’s playing Idiot rummy. Washed clothes at Laundromat. Spent night at Clearwater, $22. Raining.

Got to Gehm’s at 12:45. They were waiting at the gate. Spent the night there. Grand time. They called Vern’s. Raining hard all day. Gehm’s have nice home. Spent night with them. Venice Florida.

Left Gehm’s at 11 AM. Raining. Spent night at Quality Inn outskirts of Tampa, $36. Went to Wards Plaza in PM. Ate at Morrison’s Cafeteria. Had mum plant sent to Gehm’s.

Jill’s 3rd birthday. We spent the day at Disney World. Bob, Marilyn and kids also. Cold and raining toward evening. Nice enjoyable day. Kept our motel for second night at Tampa, $36. Saw Dorland’s there.