December 1924

Monday 1st   And all this week I was clearing the ground next the strawberries and commenced to dig it, but the ground was very hard and I was not able to do much in a day.  We had a few slight showers, but not enough to do much good.

Friday 5th   It was a fine day.  Jesse Wyatt came over from Leigh in the mail cart, she had dinner here and then went along to the store. Had a letter in the evening from Mr Birss saying that he and the boys were coming down to camp at Ti Point at the end of this month.

Saturday 6th   There was a slight shower in the morning, but it turned out a very fine day.  The Bowling Green lately put down in the Domain was opened in the afternoon, the ladies took baskets and pm tea was dispensed to the visitors in the hall.  Jim & Pat drove to Matakana to play Cricket, sides were picked, Pat & Willie made over 40 runs each and a representative team was picked to defend the Shield  which Rodney now holds.

Sunday 7th   Fine day.  No service.  I spent a very quiet day,  Minnie, Alma & Teddy came in the afternoon, they staid for tea.

Monday 8th   It was a fine day.  I finished digging the piece of ground next to the strawberries.

Wednesday 10th   It rained all day.  It will do a lot of good, as rain was very much wanted, it will soften the ground I have dug so I will be able to break it down .  Wrote a letter to my brother Henry who lives at Sydenham near London, also sent him a weekly news.  Received a letter from Laura (Henry’s wife) saying that my brother was very ill and had been confined to his bed for 6 months.

Thursday 11th   It was a fine day, the rain has done a lot of good in softening the ground.  I planted 2 rows of Shallots next the peas.

Friday 12th   It was a fine day.  I planted a double row of Homestead Beans.

Saturday 13th   It was a fine day.  I sowed a row of Sutton’s Peerless Peas.  There was a Tennis match at Leigh between the local club and Warkworth.  Jim & Jane drove over to it in the afternoon.

Sunday 14th   It was a fine day, but windy.  Revd Addenbrooke held service in the hall at 10.45.  Jim, Jane & Jean went, only 10 attended. The Parson came here for dinner.  We had Peas for dinner that Jim planted while I was away.

Monday 15th   A very hot day.  I sowed the following seeds in boxes. Enfield Market Cabbage , Leek &  few seeds of Red Beet.
In the afternoon Jane & Mildred went with Dolly round to the store. I was clearing ground of docks & Canadian Thistles.

Tuesday 16th   A very hot day.  They were decorating the hall for the school concert tomorrow night.  I sowed a long row of Red Beet.
May Dunning came in the evening to stay.

Wednesday 17th   It was fine during the day.  I was clearing the ground of weeds where Jim was digging.  Commenced to weed the flower garden.  May went to see Mrs Addison, but returned here in the afternoon.  Mrs John Greenwood who is staying at Dollys, came to see me in the pm.  It came on to rain in the evening.  There was a concert in this hall in the evening got up by Mr Redwood , it was a school concert, but the takings were to be given to the Church of England, every one from here excepting myself went.

Thursday 18th   It was a fine day.  I sowed 2 rows of Canadian Wonder Beans.

Friday 19th   It was a fine day.  I formed a path leading to the water tub, dug round the Tomatoes.

Saturday 20th   It was a fine day.  There was a Cricket match at Warkworth between the local club & Matakana, Matakana won.
Willie Dunning took Jim in his car to witness it.  I cleaned out the water hole.  Picked a lot of peas in the evening.

Sunday 21st   It was a fine day.  Revd Rouprecht held service in the hall in the morning.  Jim Gozar was driving to Lew Meiklejohns, so he brought Willie, Grace & Ray to our gate, Grace & Ray went with our people to the service,  Willie staid at home with me.
After dinner all of them went to see the new upper wharf.

Monday 22nd   Several showers during the day, heavier in the evening.  I emptied the barrel of water, and cleared the mud out of it, and Hector partly filled it with fresh water out of the pool.
I weeded in the flower garden.

Tuesday 23rd   It rained heavily last night, but it was fine today.  In the afternoon I went in the sulky round to the shop to buy some Xmas cards.

Wednesday 24th   Xmas Eve.   It was a fine day.  I was weeding and loosening round the Daffodils.  There was a Christmas tree at Leigh in the evening.  Jim, Jane & the children went.  I staid at home.

Thursday 25th   Xmas Day.  The weather was threatening, but only a few slight showers fell.  Willie & Raymond came to spend the day.  Grace did not come as she was not very well.  Jean went to the P.O and got the mail,  I received a nice letter from Charlina, and Xmas cards from Jim W. , Elsie & Ken Wallace.
Grace feeling better walked over in the evening.

Friday 26th   It rained heavily last night and also all this morning. It cleared up a bit in the afternoon .  Jim, Willie & Hector went fishing in the afternoon to the channel as it is low water, they brought home 3 fish they had caught.  Mr Kirk rode over from Leigh in the afternoon to call,  Jane made afternoon tea.

Saturday 27th   It was a fine day.  The rain has freshened up everything.  Willie & Grace went over to Ti Point in the morning to stay with Harold & Flo, Jim drove them as far as the Ti Point school and then he went to Leigh to witness the Tennis Tournament.  Before Willie left this morning he cleared a lot of weeds and put them on a heap.

Sunday 28th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Milligan held service in this hall in the morning.  All from this house except me attended ,  Mr Milligan went to Pat’s for dinner.  I called at Pats in the evening, it was the first time I had walked outside the gate since I returned from Auckland.

Monday 29th   It rained last night and there were some heavy showers in the morning.  Jim, Jane & Mildred started in the rain to go over to Leigh to witness the finish of the Tennis Tournament.  Fortunately it cleared up and turned out a beautiful afternoon.  Hector, Jean & I staid at home.  I put sticks to the seed onions, commenced to dig the lower side of the path.

Tuesday 30th   It was a fine day with the exception of a heavy shower in the pm.  Willie came in the morning to cut my toe nails, he staid for dinner.  I continued digging.

Wednesday 31st   It was a very fine day.  I continued digging, burned the heaps of rubbish on the ground.  Jim was working at the Hall for Jack Walden, preparing for the sports tomorrow.  Alma Wallace & Laurence Whitaker came in the afternoon.  Alma came by train yesterday & Jack W. brought her in his car from Warkworth to Whitakers where she is staying.