We got our first snow overnight. It is just a coating. Aside from Elwyn-inspired weather-related news, two other thing to report: First, Uncle Buddy's beloved hound Sally died yesterday. I have many thoughts and emotions swirling around on that subject that I will not share. Second, today would have been Donna's 62nd birthday. I rarely share this sort of information on Facebook and never will about Donna because I don't want a bunch of people clicking crying or caring likies or making comments of the "she's always with you" or "hugs" variety. I don't care much for that kind of thing even regarding someone whose loss has left me heartbroken forever such as my father. I certainly don't want to read it about Donna. I cannot, or perhaps will not, share any sort of truth about her with Facebook friends from high school who recall her as a 15-year-old kid with rosy cheeks. It would just make me seem mean-spirited and I don't need the drama.

14 weeks.😢

April 13 would have been my father's 95th birthday. When things were "normal" (whatever that means), we'd have had a gathering to celebrate another milestone year. Instead, my mother was in the hospital from heart issues (she had a stent put in on Thursday). 

My father was a demonstrative person. Today I was remembering that for the past couple years, he would take my hand and put it to his cheek and then kiss it whenever I arrived or left. He did that to anyone who would permit it. It's a very dear memory.

The weather has remained cold and today feels especially "Marchy." That's what Elwyn would write in his diary about days like today. Such a wonderful image, I don't think I need to explain.

I have started to read the second book in Moody's Life After Life trilogy. I think I may have read it before. I am fairly sure I have never read the third book in the trilogy, which I will read next. 

The semester will soon be over and this semester it's my graduate class that is trying my patience. They are all adept at google and searching so I can't share more, but it is very irritating and stressful.

4.5 weeks ago I drastically changed my diet. No sugar (I am an addict), no simple carbs (not too bad except for sweets), and somewhat unintentionally, I cut down on dairy, but didn't eliminate it. I've been 98% compliant, even yesterday on Easter. It wasn't making a difference in how I felt until recently, and I think I do feel somewhat better. I didn't do it for this reason, but I have lost about 10 pounds.

On March 1 -- I meant to post that it was the 18th anniversary of this blog. I didn't, which is no surprise, given my infrequent posting in the past few years. The Village election was postponed (at this point, no new date set), which was also no surprise, because we are in the middle of a pandemic. It's excruciating - both the postponement (two opponents and my need to get going!) and the pandemic, which has changed everything. I'm OK, but this is a surreal time to say the least. I have wanted to journal, wondered what Elwyn wrote in 1918 (diary is not extant, or at least was not available for transcription). But, for whatever reason, I didn't write here or privately, then a few days ago, I joined this Cornell effort.

Here is my first post: At first my job felt like I was drinking from a fire hose, there were so many needs. Now it has settled into a boring routine, although about 1/4 of my students are struggling for one reason or another. I worry about my very elderly parents, I worry about my siblings and myself, since we are all (young-ish) seniors. I mourn having to skip all our loud, large family gathering, I don't like not being able to adopt a new cat after Teddy died (by now in normal times I think I would have). I can't stand the blame game, the finger pointing, all the political divisiveness. I notice many young (20s, 30s, 40s) people in the daily count of people who have tested positive. Are they essential workers I wonder, or selfish jers who are not staying home and social distancing? I am happy it has been cold, since I suspect warm temperatures would encourage people to go out & about rather than to social distance & stay home. Plus, I've discovered masks are pretty hot! I'm glad no one is flying and there is less driving, our environment needs the break. It alarms me on Facebook to see people discussing the rescheduling of travel plans -- really? Not only am I afraid to restart - to go out in public, I am too vulnerable - but hello! All this wasteful business and vacation flying helped to spread the virus (and BTW as I already mentioned, it damages the environment).I hope the pandemic changes us - makes us utilize technology instead of planes, causes us to work from home (The Greening of America was 40 years ago!!), be more flexible, more appreciative, less materialistic.

 

Inspired to make this by the Facebook group 518rainbowhunt

L-R: Martin Eckert, Marty Giuliano, Elwyn Davis

 

The Diary of Elwyn Davis is finished! (*Pretty much.) I just ordered 1974-1975, the last volume. This is the cover, from an April 28, 1960 Onteora Record story, "Census Taker On the Job!"

Some more ephemera, from the 1990s. Had many good times here, when Main Street was admittedly blighted, but nothing like 2015.

^I do have some future tasks planned, but the big lift is over

I am finally getting over my two colds in a row (!) [what a way to spend winter break] and so with a box of tissues nearby, I've made progress on winter session, next semester, advisement, and even the village comprehensive plan.

It is cold -- zero etc.

Bob turned a milestone age (55) on January 5 & we celebrated Elwyn style -- Ommegang & Oneonta (stolled Main Street & felt sad once again over Bresee's, stopped at campus and the Autumn Cafe, went to Brooks) on Friday, Yono on Monday. So not a month. but a long weekend.

I felt pretty bad about the French cartoonists being murdered by terrorists. I don't mean "as usual" over these type of sick events. In this case I have always loved drawing satire cartoons, and for a brief period (until a more mature sensibility set in at about age 16) I flirted with the idea of being a cartoonist "when I grew up." I know satire, whether as an illustration or in writing, often pushes people's buttons, and they may react with hostility. But to think they'd machine gun down a whole office. The world can be a scary place, but that's all the more reason to be vigilant about free speech.

I planned to write a post about journaling in public for the past 12 years. I thought I'd review my "most popular posts of all time" and craft something. But nothing jumped out at me, except "I wonder why these are the most popular?" So I didn't come up with anything.

After "baking in the sun" (or freezing in the snow), my comments about the Gully Brook Press experiment are that my participation and engagement in the online world has shifted. At first I read a lot of other personal blogs. I was never much of a commenter, and the 6-10 daily reads shifted over the years, from blogger-recommends in the early days to national A-listers in the middle years, and then to locally well known a few years ago. At present I read the personal blogs of others only occasionally.

I have spent very little time promoting Gully Brook Press over the years. I have not been interested in generating hits or links or fostering a commenter community. I have continued to write here, for myself and the others who visit, sometimes less, sometimes more, and I have never announced I was taking a hiatus, or taken one quietly. I have not changed the name, or very often, the look of the blog (and I have used blogger for all 12 years). The website design has changed three times, due to being forced to use different hosts (AOL to verizon to google).

Since 2009, when I started using facebook (I joined it a few years before, but didn't start using it until my 30-year high school reunion), I've spent more time in the social network, than at Gully Brook Press (both the blog and the website). I don't use facebook to promote GBP, but keep them separate.

It has served the purpose I intended in March 2002, which was to give me a place to post published works, and to write a journal. I wasn't sure whether I would abandon the journal quickly or eventually, as I have with every other journaling tool since I was big enough to pick up a pen. Well, I guess after 12 years you might say this has been the most successful of all those endeavors. It doesn't, and can never match Elwyn's diary in consistency, but it has been a rewarding effort for more than a decade. Bravo Gully Brook Press.

Here is my sister's latest post, about what has also been consuming me: kindles and Elwyn's diary.

Advance cooking is all done, getting ready to head to S'ville. I was thinking as I cooked about the number of January birthdays there are among folks I know. My maternal grandfather's was January 2. He'd be 1139 if he was living! (He died in 1971 at age 97.) There's Bob's on January 5 (53 this year, now can that be possible...?).

I am the youngest of my siblings, and the youngest cousin on my mother's side, and the second youngest cousin on my father's; my mother's family is small (not including my brothers, sister and me, just three first cousins), but my father's is huge (without us, 19 first cousins). January 9 my youngest cousin on my father's side turned 50! That seems even harder to believe than Bob's age. January 10 was the birthday of one of my maternal first cousins., and then there is Ma's birthday tomorrow.

This isn't even including all the facebook notifications for people's birthdays I wouldn't remember otherwise (LOL seems appropriate here).

 One of those January birthdays

 Martin Eckert (Grandpa).
The back of this photo says "Uncle Mart natural as life. February 22, 1965 at my birthday 75th anniversary party old cuzzin Elwyn Squire Davis"

Another old Catskills resort consumed by flames. Also, a guy was arrested for arson in the Tamarack Lodge blaze from last week.

What a hazardous spring, fire-wise, this had been. So dry! It rained for a very short time yesterday, and today it is near 90 degrees. I hear the fire siren going off a lot. In Castleton, we are under a boil water advisory due to a water main break.

And -- here's an interesting Titanic story from the Freeman that includes interviews with people I know. (Didn't know they had a relative who was a survivor, though.)

Had a great weekend in Samsonville, celebrated my father's birthday (with manicotti and biscotti). It turned out to be an "Elwyn-style" birthday for him -- three days of celebrations. I didn't check email once!

Added: Now I remember why I don't do the taxes early. Every year it makes me feel like turning into an anti-government nutjob (from just a plain nutjob).

From Elwyn's 1941 Diary:

December 7. Clear, cold, biting northerly winds.    At dawn Japan without warning suddenly attacked with air & naval force Pearl Harbor Hawaii, & Phillipines.  Japan has attacked without provocation and declared war on the United States.  Tonight our country is at war. -Already hundreds of our soldiers have been killed.

LATER - over 2700 U S sailors & over 200 soldiers - Battleship Arizona sunk, also Utah & several other ships.

December 8. United States declared war on Japan.  President Franklin D Roosevelt signed the document at 4.10pm -  The President addressed Congress at 12.30pm  Senate voted unanimously and the House 188-1 for War. Miss Janette Rankin  of Montana cast lone dissenting vote. 

December 9. New York City had 2 air riad alarms pm. - Heard President Roosevelt’s radio message to Nation at 10pm.  Japan has dealt a serious blow in the far

east.

December 11. Italy and Nazi Germany declared war on the United States. Congress and House of Representatives retaliated unanimously and President Franklin D Roosevelt signed the Declaration

December 15. Secy of War Frank Knox reported today to Nation 2700 officers & men were killed by bombs in last Sunday’s Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

I decided to check Elwyn's diary to see what the weather was like in other years. I checked 19 years from 1917 to 1975. The two most common types of weather were "generally bright and sunny. Clear still frosty evng. Typical colorful tingy autumn weather" (1959) or "a rough day, strong south westerly winds, mostly cloudy, rain squally evng" (1934).

It was not uncommon to have the first killing frost, the first flurries, or the first snowfall on the mountains. "Rained hard during night & rained this forenoon. Snow squalls on mountains. Tops of mountains white – colder" (1920). Occasionally it was really warm. In 1946, it was "brisk southerly winds. Partly cloudy Starlight evng. Real summery weather - Katydids chirping." In 1938, it was "continued warm shirt sleeve weather. New York City temperature 10 above normal." In 1936, that week was record-breaking cold: it was "coldest Oct 27 New York City ever recorded."

Sometimes something else jumps out, nothing to do with weather. It seemed to be a day he often went to the movies. On October 29, 1951, he "saw a most interesting patriotic film in color and musical feature Wait Till The Clouds Roll By." In 1947, he "went to Phoenicia evng - Interesting picture program feature film Treasure Island in cinecolor." And on October 29, 1940, "the nations first peace time national draft lottery opened at noon in Washington. First number drawn was 158, 2nd 192, 3rd 8239, 4th 6620."

Quite a storm! Will have to check Elwyn's diary for this date to see if he recorded anything remotely like this. (I know the television weather speaks of records, but it is really something to read someone's words from the time.) The maple trees in the yard have barely turned color yet. They are always the last to drop leaves. The branches are snow-covered and looking very droopy at the moment. Hang in there, my friends!

I have some other things besides Elwyn's diary to post here, pictures I got for my birthday. Just haven't had the time for scanning, but I will. Eventually. I've been very on task, worked on my research all day. That was what I had on the To Do list for the weekend. I figured we might lose power, so I didn't want to procrastinate until tomorrow. I hope any outage we do have doesn't go into the week - I am hoping to get the midterms graded. But, if it does, not a biggie (except for students, who are eagerly waiting). I'm almost caught up so I am not really in a panic. Also we have an adapter that plugs into the car as an energy source, so we will be able to charge cell phones and maybe even plug in the laptop and modem now and then. So I still might be able to get some work done regardless.

Bob has been cooking! Yay! Smells delicious.

Who would have thought we'd be shoveling again so soon? (I think he will be helping this year.)

Wow - it feels like snow!

Which reminds me, Elwyn wrote in his diary that the return to "real time" took place on September 30 in 1951. I looked it up and we are not falling behind until November 6! I remember not that long ago it was much earlier in the fall; you don't have to go back 60 years. I don't care if it is dark at 2 PM - I hate getting up in the dark. It feels like it is the middle of the night when the alarm goes off.

I thought the reason for this stupidity was so that kids don't have to wait for the school bus in the dark in the spring. That is what is always said when moving daylight savings time to earlier in the year is questioned. Hello! They are waiting for the school bus in the dark right now.

I want my hour back now!

On another subject, sort of related only because someone in government decreed it, the subject of the metric system came up recently when we were visiting a friend. We all remembered lengthy units every year in elementary school where we learned it. We were told that we were going to convert to it someday and that was why it was important. We were scolded that it was a better, more sensible system that the rest of the world used when we complained. The insinuation was that only provincial morons who were stuck in the past would resist.

Well, guess what? It was a failure and we never switched. All that instruction was a waste of time. What makes it worse is that we never learned anything about the supposedly inferior system we use every day - acres, miles, quarts and bushels were completely neglected. That information had to be taught to us by our parents. Today I know people who struggle with how many pints are in a quart.

Who couldn't have predicted that outcome? I feel it was culturally insensitive to teach us that crap and ignore the English system.

St. Augustine's, our little mission church, is sixty years old. I am working on a handout about the chapel's history that I am going to give out next time I am there (October 16). This is the text piece; there are a bunch of old photos related to old West Shokan, the reservoir and the church that will be on a separate page; I created it a while ago, and it is posted here.

A LITTLE PARISH HISTORY
by Monsignor Carey
March 16, 1968

Our acquaintance with St. John’s Parish, West Hurley, began shortly after our appointment as chaplain of the Benedictine Hospital in 1939. Father James Hearon, Pastor of St. John’s at that time, asked for our help in providing Mass at Samsonville on Sundays during the summer vacation period. This service had been carried on for some time by Father Michael Fitzgerald, our predecessor at the hospital, and we were happy to follow him in providing the residents and visitors in that area of the parish.

The Mass was offered in a one-room stone cottage on the property of the late Mrs. McCullough whose daughter, Mrs. Marguerite Singer, still maintains a home there. The seats were plain backless benches placed too closely for kneeling, except in the front row, and included some benches placed on the screened porch. The attendance averaged about seventy-five, but sometimes reached close to a hundred. The difficulties brought on by the war caused the discontinuance of the Samsonville station, but led a year or two later to the reestablishment of the West Shokan mission.

In the Spring of 1944, during the pastorate of Father Bernard Nangle, a group of residents of that area led by the late Mrs. Grace Doonan, petitioned for a Sunday Mass at West Shokan. A hall over the general store of William Colange was offered at no cost to the parish, and on the first Sunday of May, 1944 Mass was offered at West Shokan for the first time since the building of the Ashokan Reservoir had eliminated the Chapel of St. Augustine, along with the old village in which it stood. By the end of June that year it became apparent that the facilities were inadequate to accommodate the number of summer people in the area, and Father Philip Nolan, who had succeeded to the pastorate after the death of Father Nangle, put forth the idea of rebuilding St. Augustine’s.

Because the parish was not in a position to undertake a building program immediately, a period of fund raising was necessary, and in this we were greatly aided by Mr. Lawrence Kelder, who not only gave generously – and continues to do so, but also put on an individual fund raising campaign among his business and personal friends in many parts of the country which totaled several thousand dollars. In addition, he with his wife deeded to the parish the land on which the new St. Augustine’s stands. The building was erected and dedicated during the pastorate of the late Monsignor James L. Riordan, who had followed Father Nolan - now Monsignor Nolan, pastor of St. Malachy’s Church (the Actors’ Church) in New York.

The architect of the chapel was Mr. John J. O’Connor of Kingston, presently a member of Halverson Associates of Kingston, who not only contributed the plans and supervision of the construction, but with his wife donated the altar and its tester or canopy. While the chapel is essentially a very simple building of concrete block construction, it has elements that distinguish it and make evident its function. The airy interior and the sanctuary with its oak decorated scheme, its handsome carved wood statues and Stations of the Cross, and its oak and bronze candlesticks have a truly devotional effect and give a very fitting background to the sacred rites.

This little vignette of parish history will give you a picture of a small part of our parish’s history and of the sacrifices of the many who made progress possible.
                   

From the 1951 Diary of Elwyn Davis:

September 2  Sunday  54/7am    56/12pm
Rainy night & a breakfast time thunder shower & continued dismal rainy mussy all day & evng.  Miserable cold weekend holiday weather. The first Mass was said this morning at 9:30 - and attended by an estimated 200, at the nearly finished new St. Augustine’s Catholic chapel on the Watson Hollow Road.  Masses have previously been held for several years in Colanges hall over the store & P.O. The new church is a successor to the pre reservoir St. Augustine’s in old West Shokan from its dedication in 1893 till torn down in June 1913.

The following article was found in the diary:
    9/6/51   The first Mass in the new Chapel of St. Augustine here, was held Sunday, Sept. 2nd at 9:30a.m. An estimated 200 attended the services in spite of the heavy rain prevailing.  The fine new edifice is a needed replacement to the pre-reservoir St. Augustine Church which served the locality from 1893 to 1913. The interior of the church was greatly admired by the congregation.  Rev. Father Carey extended thanks to all who had in any way made the church possible.  Plans for the dedication services will be announced later.

September 30  Sunday  32/7am    Back to Standard Time
A general first & killing frost this morning. Arrived clear but soon became overcast and it was a very cold chilling day - Has the feel & look of snow. The new St.Augustines Catholic Chapel was formally dedicated today with a crowded attendance.

St. Augustine's, our little mission church, is sixty years old. I am working on a handout about the chapel's history that I am going to give out next time I am there (October 16). This is the text piece; there are a bunch of old photos related to old West Shokan, the reservoir and the church that will be on a separate page; I created it a while ago, and it is posted here.

A LITTLE PARISH HISTORY
by Monsignor Carey
March 16, 1968

Our acquaintance with St. John’s Parish, West Hurley, began shortly after our appointment as chaplain of the Benedictine Hospital in 1939. Father James Hearon, Pastor of St. John’s at that time, asked for our help in providing Mass at Samsonville on Sundays during the summer vacation period. This service had been carried on for some time by Father Michael Fitzgerald, our predecessor at the hospital, and we were happy to follow him in providing the residents and visitors in that area of the parish.

The Mass was offered in a one-room stone cottage on the property of the late Mrs. McCullough whose daughter, Mrs. Marguerite Singer, still maintains a home there. The seats were plain backless benches placed too closely for kneeling, except in the front row, and included some benches placed on the screened porch. The attendance averaged about seventy-five, but sometimes reached close to a hundred. The difficulties brought on by the war caused the discontinuance of the Samsonville station, but led a year or two later to the reestablishment of the West Shokan mission.

In the Spring of 1944, during the pastorate of Father Bernard Nangle, a group of residents of that area led by the late Mrs. Grace Doonan, petitioned for a Sunday Mass at West Shokan. A hall over the general store of William Colange was offered at no cost to the parish, and on the first Sunday of May, 1944 Mass was offered at West Shokan for the first time since the building of the Ashokan Reservoir had eliminated the Chapel of St. Augustine, along with the old village in which it stood. By the end of June that year it became apparent that the facilities were inadequate to accommodate the number of summer people in the area, and Father Philip Nolan, who had succeeded to the pastorate after the death of Father Nangle, put forth the idea of rebuilding St. Augustine’s.

Because the parish was not in a position to undertake a building program immediately, a period of fund raising was necessary, and in this we were greatly aided by Mr. Lawrence Kelder, who not only gave generously – and continues to do so, but also put on an individual fund raising campaign among his business and personal friends in many parts of the country which totaled several thousand dollars. In addition, he with his wife deeded to the parish the land on which the new St. Augustine’s stands. The building was erected and dedicated during the pastorate of the late Monsignor James L. Riordan, who had followed Father Nolan - now Monsignor Nolan, pastor of St. Malachy’s Church (the Actors’ Church) in New York.

The architect of the chapel was Mr. John J. O’Connor of Kingston, presently a member of Halverson Associates of Kingston, who not only contributed the plans and supervision of the construction, but with his wife donated the altar and its tester or canopy. While the chapel is essentially a very simple building of concrete block construction, it has elements that distinguish it and make evident its function. The airy interior and the sanctuary with its oak decorated scheme, its handsome carved wood statues and Stations of the Cross, and its oak and bronze candlesticks have a truly devotional effect and give a very fitting background to the sacred rites.

This little vignette of parish history will give you a picture of a small part of our parish’s history and of the sacrifices of the many who made progress possible.
                   

From the 1951 Diary of Elwyn Davis:

September 2  Sunday  54/7am    56/12pm
Rainy night & a breakfast time thunder shower & continued dismal rainy mussy all day & evng.  Miserable cold weekend holiday weather. The first Mass was said this morning at 9:30 - and attended by an estimated 200, at the nearly finished new St. Augustine’s Catholic chapel on the Watson Hollow Road.  Masses have previously been held for several years in Colanges hall over the store & P.O. The new church is a successor to the pre reservoir St. Augustine’s in old West Shokan from its dedication in 1893 till torn down in June 1913.

The following article was found in the diary:
    9/6/51   The first Mass in the new Chapel of St. Augustine here, was held Sunday, Sept. 2nd at 9:30a.m. An estimated 200 attended the services in spite of the heavy rain prevailing.  The fine new edifice is a needed replacement to the pre-reservoir St. Augustine Church which served the locality from 1893 to 1913. The interior of the church was greatly admired by the congregation.  Rev. Father Carey extended thanks to all who had in any way made the church possible.  Plans for the dedication services will be announced later.

September 30  Sunday  32/7am    Back to Standard Time
A general first & killing frost this morning. Arrived clear but soon became overcast and it was a very cold chilling day - Has the feel & look of snow. The new St.Augustines Catholic Chapel was formally dedicated today with a crowded attendance.

St. Augustine's, our little mission church, is sixty years old. I am working on a handout about the chapel's history that I am going to give out next time I am there (October 16). This is the text piece; there are a bunch of old photos related to old West Shokan, the reservoir and the church that will be on a separate page; I created it a while ago, and it is posted here.

A LITTLE PARISH HISTORY
by Monsignor Carey
March 16, 1968

Our acquaintance with St. John’s Parish, West Hurley, began shortly after our appointment as chaplain of the Benedictine Hospital in 1939. Father James Hearon, Pastor of St. John’s at that time, asked for our help in providing Mass at Samsonville on Sundays during the summer vacation period. This service had been carried on for some time by Father Michael Fitzgerald, our predecessor at the hospital, and we were happy to follow him in providing the residents and visitors in that area of the parish.

The Mass was offered in a one-room stone cottage on the property of the late Mrs. McCullough whose daughter, Mrs. Marguerite Singer, still maintains a home there. The seats were plain backless benches placed too closely for kneeling, except in the front row, and included some benches placed on the screened porch. The attendance averaged about seventy-five, but sometimes reached close to a hundred. The difficulties brought on by the war caused the discontinuance of the Samsonville station, but led a year or two later to the reestablishment of the West Shokan mission.

In the Spring of 1944, during the pastorate of Father Bernard Nangle, a group of residents of that area led by the late Mrs. Grace Doonan, petitioned for a Sunday Mass at West Shokan. A hall over the general store of William Colange was offered at no cost to the parish, and on the first Sunday of May, 1944 Mass was offered at West Shokan for the first time since the building of the Ashokan Reservoir had eliminated the Chapel of St. Augustine, along with the old village in which it stood. By the end of June that year it became apparent that the facilities were inadequate to accommodate the number of summer people in the area, and Father Philip Nolan, who had succeeded to the pastorate after the death of Father Nangle, put forth the idea of rebuilding St. Augustine’s.

Because the parish was not in a position to undertake a building program immediately, a period of fund raising was necessary, and in this we were greatly aided by Mr. Lawrence Kelder, who not only gave generously – and continues to do so, but also put on an individual fund raising campaign among his business and personal friends in many parts of the country which totaled several thousand dollars. In addition, he with his wife deeded to the parish the land on which the new St. Augustine’s stands. The building was erected and dedicated during the pastorate of the late Monsignor James L. Riordan, who had followed Father Nolan - now Monsignor Nolan, pastor of St. Malachy’s Church (the Actors’ Church) in New York.

The architect of the chapel was Mr. John J. O’Connor of Kingston, presently a member of Halverson Associates of Kingston, who not only contributed the plans and supervision of the construction, but with his wife donated the altar and its tester or canopy. While the chapel is essentially a very simple building of concrete block construction, it has elements that distinguish it and make evident its function. The airy interior and the sanctuary with its oak decorated scheme, its handsome carved wood statues and Stations of the Cross, and its oak and bronze candlesticks have a truly devotional effect and give a very fitting background to the sacred rites.

This little vignette of parish history will give you a picture of a small part of our parish’s history and of the sacrifices of the many who made progress possible.
                   

From the 1951 Diary of Elwyn Davis:

September 2  Sunday  54/7am    56/12pm
Rainy night & a breakfast time thunder shower & continued dismal rainy mussy all day & evng.  Miserable cold weekend holiday weather. The first Mass was said this morning at 9:30 - and attended by an estimated 200, at the nearly finished new St. Augustine’s Catholic chapel on the Watson Hollow Road.  Masses have previously been held for several years in Colanges hall over the store & P.O. The new church is a successor to the pre reservoir St. Augustine’s in old West Shokan from its dedication in 1893 till torn down in June 1913.

The following article was found in the diary:
    9/6/51   The first Mass in the new Chapel of St. Augustine here, was held Sunday, Sept. 2nd at 9:30a.m. An estimated 200 attended the services in spite of the heavy rain prevailing.  The fine new edifice is a needed replacement to the pre-reservoir St. Augustine Church which served the locality from 1893 to 1913. The interior of the church was greatly admired by the congregation.  Rev. Father Carey extended thanks to all who had in any way made the church possible.  Plans for the dedication services will be announced later.

September 30  Sunday  32/7am    Back to Standard Time
A general first & killing frost this morning. Arrived clear but soon became overcast and it was a very cold chilling day - Has the feel & look of snow. The new St.Augustines Catholic Chapel was formally dedicated today with a crowded attendance.

Today would have been Rudy's 16th birthday. I didn't expect him to live to be 16, of course, although I have had one dog, Penny, who did. I still miss him and think of him often. I love all my dogs (and cats, and other pets) but Rudy was extra special, handsome on the inside and out. I was so proud that he was my dog. Happy Birthday my angel Mr. Wuj.

Today is also the 29th anniversary of Don's death. He was a close friend from college who commited suicide the day before my 21st birthday. Have I said recently that I don't like September?

Switching gears, we're off to Samsonville. Closing the pool - a task that marks the end of summer. My garden is still producing, but the plants are starting to wind down. After the past couple of two dog nights I've nervously checked in the morning to see if there had been a killing frost, and was happily surprised to see my friends all standing. I risked it, didn't want to harvest the basil, eggplant, green tomatoes and still-growing cucumbers yet. Also I still get to enjoy the more delicate flowers. So far, so good. If they make it to tomorrow it looks like they're safe for several days. Fingers crossed!

My cold is somewhat better again and I cooked until late last night. I'd recruited Bob to help earlier in the week and he came through on his promise. So we have big pans of parmesan all ready to serve on pool closing day...which coincidentally is my birthday and will usher in fifty. I think everyone is confounded that this is how I am celebrating! It isn't that I mind aging. Like Elwyn, I don't have a birthday - or week - I have a birth month! Maybe September '11 won't be so bad.

From Elwyn's diary, dated April 18, 1963:

O for the Good Old School Days of the 70's in Olive

In view of the current interest in school costs a comparison between the present and the school costs in Olive Township in 1879 (sic) may make you hold your hat.

Through the kindness of "Squire" Elwyn Davis of West Shokan we have an annual report submitted to the then Commissioner Horace W. Montross by the lone trustee of the West Shokan school of that time, Martin S. Crispell. Incidentally, Mr. Crispell was Elwyn's maternal grandfather. His address was Shokan postoffice.

For the school term ending Sept. 30, 1871, according to the report, the costs of the school, which had 90 pupils, was $365.33 with $2.30 left on hand. Receipts were $365.33 and payments balanced out for the same amount. In fact, it looks as if in those days they trimmed school costs to the amount of money available.

It may surprise many readers (as it did us) to learn that in those days the cost of the school depended largely on funds received from the state. In this case it was $109.98 from the state while the amount raised in local taxes was only $95.35. The balance for the costs of the school was raised in ways that we do not understand from the report.

Teacher salaries for the year were $335.33. They boarded around for the 40 weeks the school was in session. Their wages (they did not call them salaries in those days) ranged around $8.50 per week including "the expense of board." Apparently they didn't always get paid on time, either. The two teachers employed in this particular year (1870-71) were William A. Reading for 18 weeks and Mary C. Hill for 22 weeks.

Location of the school was not of the best. The site was one end of Main St. in old West Shokan, all of which is now, of course, under the reservoir. It was affectionately called "Swamp Academy" because of the swampy nature of the site. Value of the building and land was $450.00.

We hear a lot of talk nowadays about double sessions but the West Shokan school of those days was open nearly all year, with a winter term and a summer term. The winter term began Nov. 7 and continued until March 10 of the next year. The summer term commenced on April 3 and ended Sept. 28.

Cost of fuel and preparing for use (wood) was $23, and maintenance for the year was $3.20. The cost of repairing and insuring the schoolhouse for the year was $1.50. Transportation? Cost was zero. You walked, or sometimes got a lift on a wagon -- or in winter you might get aboard a bob-sled drawn by a team of horses.

A budget of $365.33 for 90 students is $4.06 per pupil. Admittedly, many things in school finance have changed since 1870-71 and 1962-63, so much so that it's hard to make an exact comparison. But I won't let that stop me! A reasonable estimate is that $4.06 in 1870-71 would have been about $28.50 in 1963 dollars or $71 today.

According to NYSED, the district of which Swamp Academy would now be a member had enrollment of 2,065, general education per student expenditures of $13,869 and per pupil special education costs of $36,699 in the most recent year of data, 2008-09. (For similar schools, costs were $9,645 and $25,558 per student, respectively; for all schools in NYS, expenditures were $10,874 and $26,551 per pupil in 2008-09.)

I wonder why the writer was surprised by the state contribution in 1870-71? It was only 30 percent. In 1962-63, according to Analysis of  School Finances in New York State School Districts 2006-07 (NYSED, 2009, January) the state contributed about 44 percent of school expenditures state-wise. Was the surprise that the state contributed at all? Or that local taxes did not make up a larger portion of the funding? The local share in 1870-71 was 26 percent.

Changing focus...Added to today's to-do list: Something that I forgot I have to do when I ticked off the items on the agenda before the three-day weekend and then semester beginning is one more round of negotiation with a company (and likely will need to devolve into borderline nutjob to get results). Stay tuned.

Last night we watched a movie that didn't impress me at all: Limitless. The premise sounded good and it was interesting at first, there was some suspense throughout - but I started to get skeptical after about 15 minutes, really lost interest after 30 minutes, tried to give it a chance but struggled to keep watching for an hour, then tuned it out. There were some elements that really irritated me, or required too much suspension of belief. It was too amoral for my liking, and too derivative. I didn't leave the room, I just played with my smart phone and laptop and stopped paying close attention. Bob thought it was fairly enjoyable. Not for going to the theatre, but as a rental. So it gets a paw two-thirds down, and a paw two-thirds up.

Speaking of limitless: I am childfree, but all three of my siblings have children ~ they are grown, the youngest is 21 and a senior in college. (And all three of my siblings have one or more grandchildren too.) They are all stunning, a bouquet of bright lights,  a next -- and next -- generation to be proud of. In the latest achievement, my oldest nephew reached the top of Kilimanjaro yesterday! Way to go Dean!

The trumpet vines are even more amazing and the pool is finally blue! I swam both days of the weekend. Despite the difficulties of getting it clear this summer, I've been swimming more than usual. It's such a hot one!

My brother celebrated his birthday on Saturday. Since Elwyn owned the house, while we were having cake, my mother talked about the diaries and mentioned this announcement she noticed that he had clipped and inserted in the 1961 diary: 

WEST SHOKAN
 By Jean Henderson
    Mr and Mrs Joe Massimo, now living in Boston, became parents of a baby boy Sept. 15, this is their first child.
     Florence Giuliano surprised all by having her baby weeks ahead of time. She was born Sept. 18, 5a.m. weighing 6lbs. 7 oz. And named Dina. Florence and Dino now have two boys and two girls.
    Seven year old Janette Giuliano stated emphatically that if they couldn’t have a girl then she would rather have a raccoon. Thank heaven for small favors! The raccoon notion came because she has seen so many of them at the home of her grandparents, Mr & Mrs Mart Eckert.

Aunt Jean wrote a column for the local newspaper (as Elwyn did before her). I was going to save that birth announcement for the actual day of my 50th, but it couldn't keep.

This issue is creating quite a stir. My father said yesterday, "We haven't had a town controversy in a while. It's good to have them every so often."

Finally: we watched Another Year, a wonderful British movie, Mike Leigh's latest. Really reminded me of...someone in my own life. Enough said.

 

I was looking for these jpegs to post for July 4 - couldn't find them, gave up. I found them today! It's OK, like Elwyn's birthday month we can have an Independence month. Someday I will restore the collecting virtual museum, but until then, here are the flag / statue / patriotic ones. (I may have others now, I made these scans a few years ago.)