Depression years

(1934)
Because of staying home so much and having so little company, I became very nervous and went to a specialist.  ***  [Polly's memoirs, written in 1980, stop here (in mid-page) .  For some years thereafter she was badly depressed.  She stopped writing in her 5-year diary on September 14, 1934, about a year after Caroline came.  In 1980 she wrote another set of memoirs, "My Pets," which will follow on this blog.  A bit later, she wrote a memoir about her brother Lyndon, which will also be posted eventually.  For the next few months, this blog will be posted only on alternate days, when Skip can get to his desk.]

Caroline

(1933)
I was not feeling well, was nervous, and we got a maid, Caroline Fandrick.  Jobs were so hard to get she had to put up sharing Skip's room.  There was no other place for her.

Bump in the night

(1931?)
The bedroom windows, like the others [in the Beaumont Avenue house], were casements that opened out.  One night a thump on my bed woke me and, startled, I called Lorin softly.  He found a shoe in the dark, ready to defend himself, before turning on his bedside light.  The monster proved to be a large grey and white house cat who came in from the cold.  I believe we had this cat for some time before taking it to the zoo, where we put it in with many other unwanted cats.

Beaumont Avenue

(1931)
We moved from our flat to a little house on Beaumont Avenue in Whitefish Bay [suburb north of Milwaukee].  ...  That little house was like one in a fairy-tale illustration, with a tower holding the stairs, and the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen.  French farm house style.  It was a sweet little house, but too small, we soon found.

Aftermath

(1930)
[The robber] took money LL left for groceries, about $7, and much worse our fraternity, sorority pins.  I was too dazed to call out at once as he hurried down and away.  Several times the police asked me to come to the police station to see arrested young men parade by on a stage with a strong light, but I never identified him.  ...  Bob Kay was persuaded to stay with [baby] Skip while I answered the police call.

Robbery

(1930)
Lorin always left a few dollars for grocery shopping, and one afternoon I went out to a grocery store in the block to shop.  When I came up the stairs, I noticed our door slightly open.  It flashed thru my mind, this must be the janitor showing the apartment, as I had heard similar tales.  Carrying the tall bag of groceries, I stood in the doorway, expectantly looking at a young man in a soft gray suit.  "Get in here!" he said.  "Get in here!"  I was dumbfounded and did walk in.  As he walked out, I saw the top dresser drawer open and realized finally he was a thief and I had been robbed.

Sick abed

(1930)
I became sick and weak in my pregnancy and for a week or two was flat on my back in bed with a trained nurse and specialist.  When the nurse left, one of the Pedrick twins [also a nurse, from Ripon] came in.  I was sorry for Lorin because of the expenses and worry; however, I got stronger and was able to keep my own house with a Polish woman once a week.

City Club

(1930)
Lorin started work at his father's law office the next day.  He usually ate with his father at noon at the City Club, where Alfred said even though expensive they met people who might be in need of their law services.  Perhaps.

Launch

(1930 June)
We continued north [on our honeymoon] the next day until Lorin said, "Let's see what this is like" and turned into the driveway of a summer resort.  The woman in charge showed us two cottages, one was the usual little cheaply built house, while the other was a large launch, evidently no longer fit for the lake, now made into a cottage.  We were amused and delighted and signed for it at once.  I believe in an old photo album there is a picture of me sitting on the entrance steps.  I think Lorin was wearing plus fours.  We swam, went boating and I believe my son was conceived there.

Allowance

(1930)
[Alfred Kay's] children had an allowance out of which they were expected to buy their clothes and amusements, except occasional large items like overcoats, tailormade suits etc.  I know meat balls were frequently served and Grandma Kay did a good deal of patching both of household items and family clothing.

Pork chop

(1930)
Although Alfred, my father-in-law, had settled his family in one of the finest neighborhoods in Milwaukee, Richland Court in Shorewood, yet he was close about many other things.  One night while I was there, Bobby, Lorin's younger brother, let us know he would not be home for supper.  "Oh, good," Lorin said, "I can have his pork chop!"  "I get some of it," Dede, his sister, said.  It was bewildering.  We always had meat left over at our house, but then we had no maid to serve it nor a beautiful house that was displayed in an architect's magazine to serve it in.

Thrift

(1930 June)
We hung up our fine wedding clothes and prepared for bed.  "For Heaven's sake!" I said, "why in the world do you have winter flannel pajamas on in June?" I asked thoughtlessly.  "Because," Lorin said, a bit edgy, "I was saving up for this trip."  I said no more, for I was beginning to understand the Kay family more as time went on.

Airless in Antigo

(1930 June)
So now as we turned back from our walk [in Antigo], I thought of my new home [on Oakland Avenue], wondered what it would be like living there, and half wishing I was finding out.  We had left this pretty part of our walk and were crossing the main street to our hotel, walking up the stairs to our room we remarked how airless it was.

Grandma Kay

(1930s)
This story cannot be told without saying how much Grandma Kay (Rosie Miller) helped us in every way.  All these years I have used her scissors which she lent and refused to take back.