Two Noras: January 5, 1915 and January 5, 2023

Nora Bauer: Tuesday, January 5, 1915

Is much warmer out today and thawed a great deal. Did some more crocheting tonight. It is now past ten and just going to bed. 

Nora Spitznogle: Thursday, January 5, 2023

Another workday, another day of meetings. I came straight home to attack the closet project. Lots of sorting, recycling, and feelings - so many newspaper clippings!

I wonder what Grandma Nora's typical bedtime was? She didn't seem to be the night owl that I am. 

I got a lot done this evening. I took one of the bookcases out of the closet and tucked my desk into that space, to make room for the round bookcase. 

It feels like a have another room in the house now. 

I'm glad that tomorrow is recycling pickup. I filled the bin this evening with papers and magazines. I'd kept an issue of everything that I've ever written and after years of being a columnist for the no longer in print, Broad Ripple Gazette, there is a lot of paper in this house. 

This photo bubbled to the surface this evening. I have no idea what was happening in our back yard. It's fun to see the pine tree that now towers over the house and the original green color of the house. My sister Beth and I are looking groovy. 

 

This was another fun find - science fair winners in 1974 - I would have been 13. I'm on the left, I don't remember that fab outfit - so cute! Kassie is standing next to me (back row). 

Two Noras: January 4, 1915 and January 4, 2023

Nora Bauer: Monday, January 4, 1915

Leo went away today at 1:15. Worked on my lace tonight. Herman went skating. 

Nora Spitznogle: Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Worked at Second Helpings today, organizing and decluttering at home this evening. 

Leo would be Nora's 20-year-old cousin, Uncle John Bauer's oldest child. 
Leo's middle name was Vincent - I wonder if that's where Dad's middle name came from? 

undated photograph of Leo

I'm not sure where Leo was headed to, but he married Helen Frueh in Minnesota on St. Valentine's Day 1917 and their oldest child, Marie was born there. By 1919 they were living in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and lived there for the rest of their lives. 

Leo and Helen's wedding, they are joined by Helen's brother and sister) 

Leo (1893-1982) and Helen (1987-1992) had seven children: 

Marie 1917-2016

Lorena (twin) 1919-2004

Loretta (twin) 1919-1943

Albert 1921-1922

Hilda 1923-2010

Delores 1927-1928

Leonard 1929-2021

With the exception of Albert, who died at 11 months old, Delores, who died at 23 months old (on Christmas Eve) and Loretta, who was hit by a car when she was 24, there was great longevity in that family! I'm so sad that I didn't get to meet any of them. 

                     Leo Bauer home 1930ish 

Leo Bauer farmhouse 1923 - I wonder if those are kiddos on the porch? 

Leo Bauer farm 1955ish

Leo, Paul, and Loretta harvesting hay 1935

Leo and Helen 50th Anniversary, 1967

Leo and Helen 60th Anniversary, 1977

I'm grateful to whatever relative of Leo (and mine too, I guess) that shared all of these great photographs on the Ancestry.com site. 

Mom gave me a round bookcase that I'm trying to make space in my small house for. I only have two small closets in my house. The dining room closet is a makeshift office, there are two bookshelves in there filled with scrapbooks, papers, office supplies, and my printer. 

I started the daunting task of organizing and letting things go. Going through Dad's things and helping Mom, I am realizing that no one know what most of the things I've saved are about or even care. I find it emotionally draining also - lots of wondering if I should have done things differently....

I did find this delightful photograph from December 2003 taken at a Gremelspacher (maternal side of the family) holiday party. My niece Molly is on my lap, Kate and Bailey are on my right and Olivia on my left. 

Two Noras: January 3, 1915 and January 3, 2023

Nora Bauer: Sunday, January 3, 1915

Went to 9 o'clock Mass and got dinner. We all went down to Uncle John's tonight. We played six handed euchre. 

Nora Spitznogle, Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Worked today - plenty of meetings. I got my hair cut this evening. Liz and Sarah and I went to dinner after. 

When Grandma Nora says "got dinner" I wonder if she is eating out or picking something up and taking it home?

Uncle John is her papa's younger brother. It sounds like a fun family evening! I always joke that I learned how to count by playing Euchre at the knees of my Spitznogle cousins. Six-handed Euchre would be fun to learn. 

The long weekend is over and my workday was full of meetings. I got my hair cut after work. Sarah has become a friend and our mutual friend, Liz, and I coordinate appointments so the three of us can got to dinner after. The weather is unseasonably warm, so we walked to a Mexican restaurant down the street. 

It's always great to laugh with friends! 

Two Noras: January 2, 1915 and January 2, 2023

Nora Bauer: Wednesday, January 2, 1915

Am starting some new lace. Gertrude and Anna went up town tonight.

Nora Spitznogle: Saturday, January 2, 2023

Went to watch the Purdue football bowl game with my friend Ann. 

It sounds like Grandma Nora hunkered down with her fancy work this evening. Her sisters, Gertrude and Anna went uptown - I wonder if they did any shopping? 

Since New Year's Day was on Sunday, the federal holiday is today. And all of my jobs were closed, woo hoo! 

I lounged around my house this morning, then I donned by vintage Purdue football sweater and headed over to the Mitchell's house to watch the game with Ann and Jerry and his parents. 

Purdue played LSU in the Citrus Bowl....and lost 63 to 7. At one point I was cheering for a great play that an LSU player made. 

Even though the bowl game was a bust, the company was great. Ann and I exchanged Christmas gifts - she's fun to buy for and she's a great gift giver. We ate and laughed and I finally relaxed for the first time in months. 

Two Noras: January 1, 1915 and January 1, 2023

 Nora Bauer: Friday, January 1, 1915

Went to 6:00 Mass this morning and worked until noon. Paul and I went to the CBL of I dance this afternoon and was over for supper. We played 600 after supper. 

Nora Spitznogle: Sunday, January 1, 2023

Left Red Key Tavern around 1:30 AM and drove to Mom's to take Ann and Tim to airport then back to switch cars. Slept for four hours. Went to Winterlights this evening. 

Grandma Nora was a devoted member of Saint Joseph's Catholic Church in Logansport, Indiana. She started the year on the right foot by attending Mass. Nora's grandfather made the bricks used to build the church. The three Catholic parishes in Logansport combined to form All Saints Catholic Church which meets in the former Saint Joseph's church. Click here to read more about that.   

Nora and Paul started the year off on a fun foot also. The Catholic Benevolent League of Indiana dance sounds like an elegant affair. I wonder what Nora wore to the dance? 

I also wonder who was at Nora's family's home for supper? Would her papa's bar be open on New Year's Day? 

I took my youngest sister Ann and her darling husband, Tim to the airport bright and early this morning for their flight back to Phoenix. Their visit was fraught with mishaps. Ann tripped over a poinsettia display at the grocery store before they even made it to Mom's from the airport.  Ann broke her elbow and got a big goose egg and cut on her forehead we got to spend overnight in the hospital. It was fun to have them around for Christmas, but their flight home was cancelled several times and they finally left six days later than planned. 

It worked out perfectly for me to pick them up after my Red Key shift and fetch them from Mom's. They had her vehicle packed and ready to go - all I had to do was deliver them! I got back to Mom's in time grab her just-delivered newspaper and have a nice chat. 

I slept for a bit before I went to 10:30 Mass and then visited my fiend Don in the hospital. I puttered around and made a pot of turkey chili and froze portions for upcoming work lunches. 

The last several years I've visited the spectator light show at our museum at least twice a season - once with friends and once by myself. My ticket this evening included a chance to visit the second floor of the Lilly mansion and a glass of bubbly. It was a great way to ring in the new year!

Reset to 1915

I'm finding it too confusing to skip ahead with Grandma Nora's story. And since I have her consecutive journals at my fingertips, it's silly not to transcribe them in order. 

So....I'm starting over and will backtrack to 1915. 

If you happened to be one of the handful of people who read the 1919/2023 posts, sorry...

Another year has passed....a quick fly through 2022

 I cannot believe that a full year has gone by! 

Not much has changed in my life - I have the same jobs and am hanging out with the same people. 

The year started out a little scary - Aaron's insulin was not at my house - and he wound up in the hospital overnight. I've learned what blood test numbers are acceptable and to not listen to anyone who tries to convince you that they are fine....

His Aunt Nancy Jane died in June and we went to Glassglow for the funeral. I am so happy that we visited her on New Year's Eve. 

I was thrilled to write a few pieces for Indianapolis Monthly this year. It's exciting to see my writing in a glossy magazine. 

Cruisers! 

I took a cruise with some of my 1961 Weight Watchers friends - we meet on the WW site and are all born in the same year - in April. It was great to be on the water, breathing ocean air, and laughing with friends. 

With Janet at the Red Key Tavern

My godmother, Janet, came to Indianapolis in May, on her sabbatical from her Maryknoll duties in Tanzania. We had fun exploring downtown and walking around the house she lived in as a teenager and introducing her to the Red Key. 

I visited Aaron in Austin in May and had a delightful time soaking in the sunshine, walking, and visiting friends and Cousin Sheila. 

I got COVID-19 in July - I thought I was going to dodge it forever. Luckily it was a mild case, although not having the sense of taste or smell made it difficult for State Fair baking. 

I got to ride in the parade! 

That's one ugly lamp - and will be hard to top. 

I entered a photo of Grandma Nora with Paul and their children. 

I attended all 21 days of the Indiana State Fair and once again brought home the blue ribbon for having the Ugliest Lamp in the State. 

One of of my godchildren, Mallory, got married in October. I enjoyed hosting a shower for her in my backyard in September. 

My siblings and Mom at Cousin Bailey's wedding, with a cameo by my always fun cousin, Franz. 

I attended an obnoxious amount of concerts and have the tee-shirts to prove it. I was lucky enough to attend three weddings and celebrate holidays with family and friends. 

Mom was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in November and had a hysterectomy shortly after. She's doing well and it's been great to spend more time with her. 

I ended 2022 the same way I ended 2021 - at the Red Key Tavern, only this time I was the waitress. 

I missed reading Grandma Nora's journals each day, so I'm going to skip ahead to 1918, the year before Nora and Paul married. 

See you soon!