Two Noras: January 7, 1919 and January 7, 2025

Nora Bauer: Tuesday, January 7, 1919

Warm again today. Was real windy though and quite a snow storm this noon for about an hour. Mrs. Spitz called up this afternoon but I was busy and did not get to talk to her. Bertha & Loretta were over tonight and I worked on Anna's sweater. Had a letter from Will. 

Nora Spitznogle: Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Back to work today. The roads aren't great, I got in at 6:30 AM to make sure Second Helpings had weathered the storm. I chipped away at ice by the doors. We hosted the Indianapolis chapter of the American Culinary Federation this evening.  

I'm guessing that Grandma Nora was at work at Barnes Construction since she couldn't get to the phone. Mrs. Spitz was Paul's mother, Elizabeth (Bessie) Kramer Spitznogle. 

I love the thought of the cousins crocheting together. 

I assume Will is her brother William who was also in the service. 

I had a long day - left for work at 6:00 AM and got home at 9:00 PM, but it was all good stuff. My arms are a little sore from all of the shoveling at work and my house - it's good for me! 

Two Noras: January 6, 1919 and January 6, 2025

Nora Bauer: Monday, January 6, 1919

Warmer today and snowed quite a little this morning. Polly died this afternoon about 4:30 and it sure made me feel bad when I heard it. She was sick about a week. Started with the Flu and went into pneumonia. Ex President Roosevelt died the morning about 4:15. 

Nora Spitznogle: Monday, January 6, 2025

Today is the one year anniversary of Mom's death. Aaron and I left at 6:30 AM to drive downtown to Second Helpings to deliver meals. It was actually fun and I was happy that Aaron drove the work van. I napped when we got home. It snowed 10 inches in the last 24 hours. 

What a heavy day for Grandma Nora. I'm sure that she saw parallels between Polly and herself. They were both the same age, Catholic, and had soldier sweeties. 

Here is Polly's death notice. And how sad that her husband was in France at the time. I think there is a Minneman connection with the Spitznogle family. I couldn't find it after a quick search. 

The President Roosevelt that Nora mentioned was Theodore, our 26th president. Women weren't allowed to vote until 1920...I wonder if she even followed politics. Although I'm sure she was following the war closely. 

Last year Indianapolis only registered just a little over 13 inches of snow. Today's snow total is nine inches. Aaron and I left my house (about 6 miles from Second Helpings) at 6:00 AM. The drive was slow and the windows kept icing over, but we got there just fine. Many of the partner agencies that receive meals from us were closed, but two crews of us delivered meals to 12 residential and emergency shelter partners. It was a little scary plowing through the streets but fun too. And people were happy to see us! 

Since we were out and about we drive around the neighborhood. We were excited to see that KFC was open. We ordered a bucket of chicken with mashed potatoes and ate sitting on Aarons sofa. 

I headed home (next door) after lunch and took a long nap. I spent over an hour shoveling my walk and the neighbor's and part of my driveway. 

It was a lovely day of feeling like I accomplished something. 

Two Noras: January 5, 1919 and January 5, 2025

Nora Bauer: Sunday, January 5, 1919

Was to 7:30 & 10 oclock Mass and Vespers. Heard today that Polly Minneman was very sick with pneumonia and not expected to live. Went to Paramount this afternoon and to Uncle Frank's tonight. 

Nora Spitznogle: Sunday, January 5, 2025

I went to 10:30 Mass then Aaron and I went to breakfast. I puttered around this afternoon while the snow started falling. J.R. reached out and I met the gang in Broad Ripple. 

I thought that Polly's name seemed familiar. When I was flipping through her journals last week I found a wedding announcement that she had cut out and pasted in her 1917 journal. Polyanthus Beebe married Leroy Minneman on November 3, 1917. 

When I saw it I wondered if Nora was sad that she wasn't marrying her soldier - Paul who was also in the Army. And Paul and Leroy were cousins (I think). 

I had a surprisingly fun day. Mass was lovely - I was a Eucharistic Minister. Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. 

Aaron and I went to a neighborhood diner for breakfast - I feel like we've been ships passing in the night lately and it is nice to take time to catch up. 

I worked in the basement for a bit and took a nap - it was a short night between working at the Red Key Tavern and Mass. 

J.R. (my brother) reached out to ask if I wanted to meet him after the Colts game. He was with John David (my nephew), Monica (second cousin), and a friend of John's. 

The snow was falling pretty hard, but it was fun to be in Broad Ripple Village. The area is typically full of people dining and enjoying themselves, but it was empty this evening. 

Our cousin Jimmy and his friend Claudia met up with us at the bar. We wound up visiting three different bars and the kids played pool at each of them. It was great to hang out with them and to get to know Claudia better - she's lovely! 

During all of the fun I was on the phone with my coworkers making plans because it was becoming clear that we needed to close Second Helpings tomorrow. We decided that a handful of us would go in to deliver meals to the shelters and residential partners. 

I'm also grateful for my new (March 2024) vehicle - it drives really well in the snow. 

Two Noras: January 4, 1919 and January 4, 2025

Nora Bauer: Saturday, January 4, 1919

2 [degrees] below again today but warmed up considerably. Worked tonight at the Drug Store until after 7 o'clock and then stopped in at church before going home. Went to bed early. Wore my new tam today. 

Nora Spitznogle: Saturday, January 4, 2025

I worked at both Marigold and the Red Key Tavern today. I braved the lines at the post office and grocery store also - everyone is shopping before the predicted snow storm. Still working on organizing the basement. 

I'm hoping that Grandma Nora gives a hint of what drug store she was working soon. It wasn't quite as cold today as it was in Logansport in 1919. And I have a nice warm car to transport myself to and fro. 

Speaking of jobs....my full time job is as the Chief Program Officer at Second Helpings - a nonprofit organization that collects surplus food from grocery stores, wholesalers, and events and turns it into thousands of meals each day that are distributed to other social service partners at no cost. We also have a free culinary job training programs for adults. I am so grateful to have a career like this. 

I also have two part-time jobs that I love. I have worked at an amazing clothing store, Marigold, for the last 35 years. The store is full of great clothes and community. I typically work there once or twice a month and it's always a delight. 

I've waitressed at the Red Key Tavern for the last 25 years or so. It's an iconic neighborhood spot just three blocks from my house and a fun job - the cash is nice too. 

Two Noras: January 3, 1919 and January 3, 2025

Nora Bauer: Friday, January 3, 1919

20 below zero this morning and not much warmer all day. Gertrude got lots of mail from France today but nothing for me yet. Bertha & Loretta were over tonight and everybody was crocheting. Gertrude finished my tam. 

Nora Spitznogle: Friday, January 3, 2025

I worked from home for a few hours this morning before my dentist appointment. It was a calm afternoon at work - I enjoyed the lack of meetings this week. I was a total this evening. Early to bed. 

Brrr! What a cold day in Logansport that was. If only we could see Grandma Nora in the tam! 

Bertha and Loretta Bauer are sisters and cousins of Nora and a few years younger. 

I wonder who Gertrude was getting mail from in France? Presumably it was from a soldier fighting in the Great War (now known as WWI). Nora's beau, Paul, was also overseas as a Army soldier - I'm still researching where he was - I'm sure she was sad to not receive any mail from him. 

My day was uneventful, even the dentist visit, thankfully. Last year I had three root canals and had a crown made - I paid off the last $1000 of all of that today. 

I was incredibly lazy this evening. I sorted through the last few days of mail and paid utility bills online and updated my new health insurance in all of the appropriate places - with my doctor's office, etc. 

Two Noras: January 2, 1919 and January 2, 2025

Nora Bauer: Thursday, January 2, 1919

12 [degrees] above zero this morning. Helped invoice again today at the Drug Store. Gertrude is knitting me a tam tonight and I am working on Anna's sweater. Was awful sleepy and went to bed early. 

Nora Spitznogle: Thursday, January 2, 2025

Cold day, stayed in the 30s. Worked at Second Helpings, was the closing manager. Aaron helped me put the outdoor Christmas decorations away. I made turkey chili and divvied it up and froze for future lunches. 

It sounds like Grandma Nora was moonlighting at a drug store along with her bookkeeping job at Barns Construction.  

A tam is a beret-like hat, with a band around the bottom to hold it closer to your head - I can picture it, but I didn't know that it had a name. 

Anna is Grandma Nora's next oldest sister. 

Her siblings and ages in 1919:

William Francis Bauer, 30
Mamie E. Bauer, 28
Anna M. Bauer, 27
Nora, 24
Gertrude, 20 (twin)
Herman, 20 (twin) 

I worked at Second Helpings, where I am the Chief Program Officer. It was a light staff today - a lot of my co-workers took last week and this week off. I've certainly enjoyed the lack of meetings and I'm getting caught up on paperwork and emails. 

I'm *that* neighbor - the one with all of the yard decorations. I love these vintage blow molds - I had 18 of them on display this year. The wind knocked most of them over last night and the manger came apart also...as sure sign that it was time to put them away. 

In this case "away" is the crawl space in my unfinished basement. A third of the basement has a waist-level block wall that is filled with dirt. My blow mold collection (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, Independence Day, etc) is stored there. You can't can't stand up straight in there and I'm constantly bonking my head and come out with a backache. I was grateful to Aaron for walking the figures down the basement stairs - I don't know how I used to do it by myself. 

I made a pot of turkey chili to divy up for work lunches. I took advantage of the cold porch to cool the chili down enough to pop it in the freezer. 

Nora's cash account entry for this day shows: 

1-2    
                                                     Shoe Strings            .10   
                                                     Repair Shoes           .45 

Two Noras: January 1, 1919 and January 1, 2025

Nora Bauer: Wednesday, January 1, 1919

Raining this morning but turned in to snow and very cold by evening. Went to 9 oclock Mass and worked the rest of the day. Aunt Minnie was over for dinner. Went to the Colonial tonight and saw Mary Pickford in "Johanna Enlists" It was fine. 

Nora Spitznogle: Wednesday, January 1, 2025

It snowed a touch last night and cold today. I was EME at 10:00 Mass at Saint Joan of Arc. Schaun and Chris helped me move a new-to-me washer and dryer to the basement. Aaron and I went to dinner at Pawn Shop Pub. 

I enjoy the challenge of recounting my day in the same number of words as Grandma Nora described her day, but it makes for some awkward sentences. 

Today is holy day in the Roman Catholic Church, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. 

Grandma Nora would have attended Saint Joseph's Church in Logansport, Indiana and the Mass would have been said in Latin. The Bauer's had a long history with the parish and Nora's dad, Felix B. Bauer was part of the team that produced the bricks used to build the church. More on all of that later...

I lit the three candles on the right in honor of my two grandmothers and my mama. 

Unfathomable to Grandma Nora would have been the thought that her granddaughter would not only be attending Mass said in English, but would be serving as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist - helping to distribute communion.   

Aunt Minnie was one of Nora's papa's younger sisters. 

Here's a little bit about the film that Nora went to see. 

In 1919 the film would have been silent. You can watch it by clicking here if you like. 

My day was exciting in a different way. I got a new-to-me washer and dryer from my friend Kassie. 

Only I wasn't too excited about giving up my 29 year old washer even though my clothes often came out of the wash cycle with rust stains from the crumbling drum. The washer was a from a set that my parents gifted me when I moved in the house - here is a recounting of that day. https://nora-leona.blogspot.com/2016/11/dont-look-gift-horse-in-mouth.html 

Saying goodbye to the old washer - it was picked up from the curb by a metal scrapper in no time. 

My friend Schaun (his truck), Chris (my Red Key co-worker and Schuan's nephew) took care of the whole thing, with a little help from Aaron (my beau and player in the story of my old washer getting hooked up) and me. 

Aaron and I went to dinner at the Pawn Shop Pub and ran into some of my Red Key co-workers. It was a nice start to 2025.

Grandma Nora's cash account entry for this day shows: 

1-1    Cash on Hand        3.52
         Cash in Bank   1365.97
                                                     Show                       .25   
                                                     Car Fare                  .30