September 1919

Monday 1st   It was fine in the morning with the exception of one heavy shower, the afternoon was fine, but in the evening it rained heavily.  Willie was taking out his charcoal, I was down on the flat both morning & afternoon cutting up puriri branches and supplejacks.

Tuesday 2nd   It was a showery day.  In the morning I was chopping wood for the kitchen fire, and in the afternoon I was sewing up bags of charcoal, Willie was sieving it and bagging it.  Joe Torkington called in the pm he had been taking an incubator to Horace, Horace spent the evening here.

Wednesday 3rd   It was fine in the morning, but there was a heavy shower in the afternoon.  Horace borrowed the horse to go to Mr Hills clearance sale at Pakiri.  I walked over to the Claim in the morning, met Jim going to Mr Hills sale.  I found Jane at Mrs Holders so we both had lunch there & then I started to walk to Williams’ , Miss Roke driving back to Matakana in a cart gave me a lift to Williams’ gate, I found them just finishing lunch, a Mr Delatour one of the brothers who have bought Williams place was there.  Mr W.  gave me a lot of flower plants, I met Mrs Dale there, returned to Janes place and staid the night.

Thursday 4th   It was a very fine day.  I left Jim’s place to return home at 9 am and arrived home about 11 am.  The roads were very heavy and I had to sit down and rest several times,  after I got home I had to lie down and rest until lunch.  In the afternoon I planted all the things that Mrs Williams gave me, afterwards I went over to the hill and chopped some wood for my fire and then went down to the flat, Willie was just sacking his last bag of charcoal.  It turned out 81 bags.

Friday 5th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the flat and sewed up the remainder of the bags of charcoal and Willie hauled them on a sleigh to the county road near Koreroa bridge.
After lunch I went down to the p o to send the premium of insurance on the Church to the Diocesan Office.  When I came back I earthed up three rows of Potatoes in the new garden .  In the evening all of us went down to the Hall to a welcome home to the returned soldiers given by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

Saturday 6th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the beach and carried 3 bags of sand over to the wharf for Willie to cart home.  In the pm I pricked out 3 Antirrhinum plants,  15 Phlox & some Pansies,  also sowed some Phlox seed in a shallow box.

Sunday 7th   There were several showers during the day.  Wind SE. Willie & Grace drove over to Ti Point with the new horse & brought Raymond home.  I attended Mr Macdonalds service in the afternoon.  There was a fair congregation considering the weather.
Collection 12/3.

Monday 8th   It was a fine day.  I was helping to plant the main crop of Potatoes (Northern Star) in the new garden.  I went down to the steamer in the afternoon  and got the mail.
Horace came in the afternoon & we played 500.

Tuesday 9th   It was a fine day.  Wind easterly.  Willie sent his charcoal away by the “Kawau“, the remainder of the day he was planting Potatoes.
A Mr Bailey organising Secretary of the Farmers Union called in the afternoon .  Willie joined.
I planted a row of Stratagem Peas

Wednesday 10th   It was a wet day.  Wind strong E.  No work outside.  Steamer did not come.  Willie went down to the butchers.

Thursday 11th   It was fine first thing this morning, ‘tho dull,  the wind has calmed down.  The “Kawau” came in the morning, Willie took his box of Eggs down to the wharf & got the mail.  I was tidying up in the garden, sowed seeds of Garden Drumhead Cabbage in a box where I had Cauliflower.  I also sowed seeds of Manchester Defiance Cabbage in the tub where I have Onions growing.
It came on a steady rain again at 12.30 pm, and rained all afternoon & evening, I employed myself with planing up garden labels in the store.  Mr H. G. Moore of Warkworth organiser for the prohibition party called in the afternoon and stayed for tea, afterwards I went down to the Hall for a meeting, but only two others turned up so we all went.  Mr xxxx went home with Miss Matheson.  Horace came in the evening and staid all night.

Friday 12th   It was a showery day.  I employed myself in planing garden labels, & I put new labels to all my Roses.  In the late afternoon I went down to the village to get the steamer mail and also the overland mail.  Ian Matheson came by the steamer, he is our last boy home from the war.

Saturday 13th   It was a very fine day.  The wind has changed to the SW  and the ground is drying up.  Willie took the cart down to the wharf & hauled up a Sk each of Maize & Wheat, while down at the wharf he caught a lot of sprats.  I got firewood & cleaned out my row.
in the evening there was the first meeting of the Cemetery Trustees, Mr J. C. Wyatt was appointed Chairman and Mr D. W. Knaggs Secretary & Treasurer.
Miss Campell & Jessie Wyatt came to spend the evening.

Sunday 14th   It was a very fine day.  Wind SW.  I conducted service in the Church in the afternoon.  There were 24 present. Collection 7/3.

Monday 15th   It was a very fine day.  Wind SW, but in the pm changed to N.  Willie continued planting Potatoes.  I sowed a 2nd row of Stratagem Peas next to the first row , also resowed the row of Sweet Peas and sowed Sweet Peas in a flower pot & also a kerosene tin, dug round and manured the young cabbages.

Tuesday 16th   It thundered & rained heavily last night, but there were no showers of any account  until the evening.  After breakfast went down for the mail, received my watch back from Kohn watchmaker.  I was helping Willie finish planting Potatoes.  Horace came in the evening and staid the night.

Wednesday 17th   It rained last night, but it was fairly fine today. Willie took Bell down to the Blacksmith to get shod.  I started to dig in the new garden to plant some beans.  I went down for the mail in the afternoon, the steamer was two hours late in starting so I had a long wait.

Thursday 18th   It was very windy but fine.  After breakfast I went down to the beach and carried three bags of sand over to the wharf and when Willie took his Eggs down he carted them up.  Horace came up with Willie very bad with cold, he had some dinner here and then went home.  Norman Matheson loaded his scow with Charlie Gravatts firewood that is on the approach to the wharf.
I planted 2 rows of Dun Beans in the new garden.  Willie & Grace went to some magic lantern entertainment in the hall in the evening.

Friday 19th   It was a fine day.  Wind blowing not quite so hard.  I sieved the sand I got yesterday and then I went to Horaces place to see how he was, he was a little better, but still bad with a cold, his father is with him now and was working on the ground.  Willie was working in the garden .  In the pm I cut pea sticks & weeded the tree onions.
Harold Torkington was here for tea. There was a welcome home for Ian Matheson & Frank Waylen [Sic:  Whalen] in the evening.  Willie & I went and enjoyed ourselves.

Saturday 20th   It was a very fine day, calm and sunshiney.  Willie went fishing off the wharf and brought home a lot of sprats.  I dug out a lot of beetroot that were going to seed, and dug up the ground between the cabbages.  Went down to Jim Gozars in the afternoon and got some Cauliflower plants  (11) which I planted in the evening.

Sunday 21st   It was a fine day.  My cold & cough were very bad & I did not go to Mr Goald’s service in the morning, it is the first time I have missed .  Flo & Dorothy were here for dinner & Mr Hedges Senr was here for tea.

Monday 22nd   It was a fine day.  I got up the first in the morning, but after breakfast I felt so bad so I went to bed again as I thought it was the best place for me.

Tuesday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Maggie Wyatt came in the morning to see my garden, Grace showed her round.  She came and sat in my room and chatted.  She stayed for dinner.  Horace came to see me in the evening and tried to cheer me up.

Wednesday 24th   Willie was ploughing in the orchard.  My cough still very bad.  I staid in bed all day.  Willie carted 2 boxes of Eggs to the wharf  and carted up a sk  Bran.

Thursday 25th   Still in bed, cough not much better.  Willie was ploughing in the orchard .  There was a patriotic meeting in the evening.  Willie went.

Friday 26th   It was rather windy.  I got up in the afternoon, but was feeling very weak.  Horace called in the afternoon bringing the mail that came by the steamer.

Saturday 27th   I got up early in the morning for the first time since my illness.  I feel the cold very much and was not able to do anything out of doors.  May Dunning called in the pm.

Sunday 28th   It was a beautiful day.  Alma Torkington who is home for her Michealmas holidays came in the morning, our people were going to spend the day at Horaces, so Alma went with them, so I was left alone all day.  Alma staid here the night.

Monday 29th   A showery day.  Alma went home in the morning.  Willie & Grace employed themselves in making things for the bazaar.

Tuesday 30th   It was a fine day, but rather windy.  Willie was making draught boards in the store for the bazaar.  I tried to do some work the upper side of the house but it was too windy for me.  I cut 2 fine hearts of Manchester Defiance Cabbage.  These were sown in rows with Garden Swede on the 15th Feby  and they were transplanted to their present position on the 2nd June.