Interim

(Lyndon 19)
You can see there was no good stabilizing influence in his life.  I think he worked different places, like factories, for a short spell.

A matter of fact

(Dogs 17)
[Editor's Note.  Polly's account of the finding of Vica is pure fantasy.  When Skip got out of the hospital in Milwaukee, he stayed for a week with his grandfather Alfred and combed the want ads himself.  He telephoned around and found Vica.  Alfred drove him out to meet her.  The asking price was $125, and Skip was hoping that Alfred would pay for her as a gift.  Instead, Alfred loaned him the money, which he paid back $10 a month from his allowance.  When it was time for Skip to go back home, Polly and Lorin went to the kennel for the first time, and Skip took possession of his new dog.]

The search

(Dogs 15)
Grimly we bought a "Milaukee Journal" and found the ads.  About four places had German Shepherds.  We set out in our car.  What else?  --  I said, "Lorin, why are we doing this?"  Lorin said, "God knows."  One place we found sold out.  One had only a male left.  One place we never did find.  but at last we had one prospect to report, a female "with papers," parents winners in dog shows, priced right if taken soon.

Jennie

(Dogs 4)
At this time a friend of mine [Ruth Pilger] in Milwaukee had married a man from Kansas [Doyle], and his bitch, a Scottish Terrier, had just had a pretty nice litter of pups.  So we bought one of those and decided that when he send for Midge, one of her pups should make the train journey with her in her box.

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.

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.

Always good

(1980 memoirs)
The fraternity brother explained:  "Kay?  Say, he may not go himself, but he sure knows how to get it ready.  He hires the hall, the band, arranges for the eats.  And everything is always good!"

Business

(1980 memoirs)
I was the only one [of the MICE] who went off to college.  All the other girls took a business course and were excellent typists.  El used to tell how she knew her boss didn't like it when she corrected his (dictated) errors, but he never said anyting to her!

Five years too long

(1980 Memoirs )
Imagine if you can the tears and parting, the letters back and forth, the presents, the few visits, the planning, the heart breaking misunderstandings --  five years is too long.  But you see, at that time [late 1920s] a man didn't marry unless he could support his wife and maintain a home and provide for his children.  And it takes a long spell for a lawyer to go thru school and be good enough to hang out his shingle.

College girl

(1980 memoirs)
I will say this about her [Lucretia Clapp], she knew how to solve her problems - some of them anyway.  She lived in a great big white house with greenhouse nearby and the gardens and orchards behind.  [By 2010 these had become the grounds of the Ripon High School.]  By keeping on a college girl to work for her room and board, she managed to get her work done without paying for it.

Business woman

(1980 memoirs)
Henry's sister Frances and family didn't care for Lucretia because she was so bold and inquisitive about business matters which were better left to the men.  Frankie told me about it when I lived with her and went to Ripon College.  "When Father and my Brother Henry were talking about business, she went right behind Father's Chair and leaned over to read his papers!" she said, still with awe at the enormity of it.

Truck gardener's wife

(1980 memoirs)
I don't know much about those early days.  I was born in 1904 in Fond du Lac -- but some aunt told me about how hard my mother used to work bunching up radishes and onions and other produce in season for my father to take out and sell to his customers.  And the poor girl had a hard time getting him up early, getting breakfast into him, and getting him on his way.

Bicycle

(1990s memoirs)
I was sitting around in the lobby [at the Schmidt Home] watching the clock go around when suddenly a man approached me to ask whether I was not the mother of Skip Kay, who bought a bicycle from him while he was at the time [1942] working at the Coast to Coast. I said I probably was and he said, "I knew it, I knew it!"  ...  He was Ed Hanson by name.  Of course I didn't recall any such thing.  ...  I remember Daddy asking you if you were sure, and you said yes, that was the only one for you.  And you said it was, that you had gone over it.

Martha's children

(1990s memoirs)
[What Martha's children did:]  Frank took up gardening for wealthy families; Lois made wigs, did tailoring and housekeeping; Mary worked in a shoe factory and did dressmaking; and Bill, the baby of the family, went off to work for the railroad, taking his lunch.

Preoccupied

(1990s memoirs)
One day Lorin got on a sreet car [in Milwaukee] with someone on the seat near the window; he was obliged to ride [a short distance] from office to court house.  Then looked up and saw he had been sitting all along with his Auntie Mabel.

Gall bladder

(1966 July 28)
[LL must have a gall bladder procedure.]  When I tell you he will hate every second, every minute of having people poke him and wash him and hurt him, and yet cheers us up about his going, not a word of complaint or self pity, only hard work to the end to straighten out his affairs, which are more complex than you ever dreamed of, you can understand perhaps why I think he is the bravest and most courageous person I ever knew.

Jury trial

(1966 Spring)
Monday was drawing the jury and preliminaries.  Never quit court house till 5:30.  Tuesday the same - a a school bus of all involved, judge, jury, attorneys etc. visited scene of crime.  Witnesses on stand.  Mr. Broce [the plaintiff, LL's client] testified to several documents - identified them - then came one and he said he didn't know - forgot his glasses.  !  Daddy covered for him.  An attorney has to be ready for every crisis that may come.  By Wednesday night the other side decided to settle and were we glad.

Xmas tree farm

(1966 Spring)
Starting last week, he [LL] worked like mad every day preparing for jury case this week.  He was for Broce who operates a Xmas Tree farm at Lone Rock vs. Electric Co. who by negligence burned down some acres of trees by dropping hot wires, as far as I can make out.  By the time LL has been with it all day, he wants a change of subject when he gets home.

Mantel clock

(1969 February 9)
Thought to replace our mantel clock [inherited from Alfred Kay, which sounds Westminister chimes - at all the wrong times].  If so, $450.  Few chimes made today!  May try again to get this one repaired.  [Still goes out of sync in 2012.]

Apology

(1968 January, first Tuesday)
Some traitor may have gone behind my back, whispering to you about my being lacking in business acumen.  To illustrate his theme, he may point out that had I been so minded and alert, I should have given you this mail [when you were here for Christmas] so you might have cashed your check.  On my part, let me point out that:  (1) My mind is on more important things, such as feeding the starving.  Ask any man whose faintness is due to lack of nourishment which he would rather do, sit down to dinner or cash a two-bit check, and you will see my meaning.  (2) Not having x-ray eyes, how did I know it was a check anyway?  (3) I wasn't to blame anyway.  Why wasn't I asked if any mail had come?  At any rate, here's your old mail, and really, I am sorry.