December 30
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
December 30, 1997
Up at 11:00. Went outside. We ordered a pizza. Very boring day. Courtney left at 3:45. I did Jane Fonda ab-work. Showered. Mom came home. I worked on guitar. Ate. Zachie came and we went 2 Renée’s. Ended up spending night. We watched “Interview with the Vampire.” Good.
Mark S., age 36, North Carolina
December 30, 1989
Talk in bed with Sandra. Fed Rebecca and played with her. Read over wills with Sandra and made changes. Fed Rebecca. To Ridgewood shopping center with Sandra and Rebecca to return log holder for Mom and Dad => to North Hills Mall to return stuff and to alter my new pants. Lunch at Arthur’s; met Martie Dominic’s daughter, Jenny (she working at Arthur’s). Bought 2 new CDs (Stones, J.J. Cale). To Crabtree Valley with Sandra and Rebecca to exchange Sandra’s raincoat, Emily’s umbrella. Saw Gale Cook in Belk’s. To bus station in Raleigh to meet Mom; phone to Renita to check on which bus Mom on. *To Tarboro with Sandra and Rebecca and Mom; talked to Mom and Dad => *To Cindy and Sam Jenkins’s in Raleigh for surprise birthday party for Sam (31). Met Mark Finchum and girlfriend Betsy; Cindy’s ex-roomie, Candy, and her new hubby Bill, Nancy and Jeff and Trey; people from Lynn Haven, etc. Home ~11:30. Message on answering machine from Em. Made love listening to new J.J. Cale CD.
Anna L., age 76, Illinois
December 30, 1960
Helen leaving. A nice day we’re invited out for tonite hope it works out. It did. Saw our four kittens.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
December 30, 1938
I awoke about 10:00 and wrote and read and learned one of my readings. Read “Under Two Flags.” Very good. When Mother and Daddy called me (about 12:15) I got up. Was in “Under Two Flags” mood. I want to go to Africa and see the desert and ruins of forts. Must be interesting. I might add (as long as I’m writing about travel) that I want to go to England and France and see the cathedrals. Probably only a foolish dream but I’m going there some day if I want to bad enough and if it’s at all possible. Well, so much for travel. After breakfast and the dishes (during which Mrs. Martin came over to see Mother) Mother said I could go out and play awhile (the whole neighborhood was out). We were going to clean house but Mother said I wasn’t needed just then. Jim, George and Allan were out but Helen had gone in. I went up and got her. We rounded up the boys and played a few games of hide-and-seek, ’till Allan had to stop and George had to go in. We talked awhile and then, just as we were going in Jim’s house to play “Rook” I had to go. I dusted all the rooms, put the Christmas gifts in my room, cleaned out Dickie’s cage, practiced, cleaned up and read till Mother called me to rub her back. Then Daddy came. I read ’till about 6:15. Then supper and t.b.b. Mr. Johnstone had to ’phone just when we were in a hurry to get to the movies. Finally he hung up and we went down town to the Princess and saw newsreel, Popeye cartoon, Popular Science short and the main picture “Four Daughters.” The 4 daughter were Priscilla Lane (as Anne), Rosemary Lane (as Kay), Lola Lane (as Thea) and Gale Page (I think that was her name (as Emma). [In left margin: “These 1st 3 are really sisters.”] They all fall in love with the same man, Felix. I’m cutting out a write-up and am going to put it below. [Film review cut-out still included.] After movies we drove home, and, after mother practicing some pieces, we drove up to Mildred Lane’s (9:30) to a party she had asked the Mossop teachers to and had invited us. I, personally, would have rather gone to bed, but a date is a date. So. — About 6 Mossop teachers were there. Some played Anagrams and some played Chines Checkers. Our fam, Mildred Lane, Miss Davis and Mrs. Dissart played the latter. Very interesting. Miss Davis won. Then Daddy sang till about 11:30. Then we had refreshments. Very good. Left (everyone did) at exactly 12:00. Got home on Saturday! Straight to bed. Got there about 1:00. Awfully sleepy. Nice day. Warmer.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
December 30, 1887
I slept very late this morning, and did not have our breakfast until 7:30. I did considerable work about the woodshed this forenoon throwing the wood, which formed the walls inside and boarding the sides up with some lumber I had. Fred Neill came over this afternoon and we cut some trees and carved wood. A fine flying squirrel came out of one of the trees and stayed in view for some time. I have been having the toothache this evening. It has begun to snow again.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
December 30, 1862
Worked at Harrie’s glove. Finished one last night & began the other this morning. Nothing new going on. Willie is not at all well, worms I think. The negroes mostly gone to George’s breaking up Christmas frollic. Atheline & Fannie here, also Sam’s family. Willie has high fever tonight & is very scary in his sleep.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Samuel P., age 34, London
December 30, 1667
Up before day, and by coach to Westminster, and there first to Sir H. Cholmly, and there I did to my great content deliver him up his little several papers for sums of money paid him, and took his regular receipts upon his orders, wherein I am safe. Thence to White Hall, and there to visit Sir G. Carteret, and there was with him a great while, and my Lady and they seem in very good humour, but by and by Sir G. Carteret and I alone, and there we did talk of the ruinous condition we are in, the King being going to put out of the Council so many able men; such as my Lord Anglesey, Ashly, Hollis, Secretary Morrice (to bring in Mr. Trevor), and the Archbishop of Canterbury, and my Lord Bridgewater. He tells me that this is true, only the Duke of York do endeavour to hinder it, and the Duke of York himself did tell him so: that the King and the Duke of York do not in company disagree, but are friendly; but that there is a core in their hearts, he doubts, which is not to be easily removed; for these men do suffer only for their constancy to the Chancellor, or at least from the King’s ill-will against him: that they do now all they can to vilify the clergy, and do accuse Rochester [Dolben] … and so do raise scandals, all that is possible, against other of the Bishops. He do suggest that something is intended for the Duke of Monmouth, and it may be, against the Queene also: that we are in no manner sure against an invasion the next year: that the Duke of Buckingham do rule all now, and the Duke of York comes indeed to the Caball, but signifies little there. That this new faction do not endure, nor the King, Sir W. Coventry; but yet that he is so usefull that they cannot be without him; but that he is not now called to the Caball. That my Lord of Buckingham, Bristoll, and Arlington, do seem to agree in these things; but that they do not in their hearts trust one another, but do drive several ways, all of them. In short, he do bless himself that he is no more concerned in matters now; and the hopes he hath of being at liberty, when his accounts are over, to retire into the country. That he do give over the kingdom for wholly lost. So after some other little discourse, I away, meeting with Mr. Cooling. I with him by coach to the Wardrobe, where I never was since the fire in Hatton Garden, but did not ’light: and he tells me he fears that my Lord Sandwich will suffer much by Mr. Townsend’s being untrue to him, he being now unable to give the Commissioners of the Treasury an account of his money received by many thousands of pounds, which I am troubled for.
*(The Diary of Samuel Pepys M.A. F.R.S., edited by Henry B. Wheatley F.S.A., London, George Bell & Sons York St. Covent Garden, Cambridge Deighton Bell & Co., 1893.)