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1007259749
January 1953
Monday 19
Nice warm day. Tried to ring Pixie but no answer. Judah Waten telephoned. Mrs A in for one of her long calls. Mss not finished yet. So little strength & so many chores. Pinned bags on the figs, gathered the last of the plums but 2 or 3. Sprayed the lemon tree for white wax but fear it is dying. Went to butcher. Took Mrs A figs, plums & lemons. A Flea gave me a bad night. Hardly any sleep.
1007259750
January 1953
Tuesday 20
Lovely warm day with a zephyr. Got away late; Mrs A & children came & then Pixie a long telephone call and Mrs Bennetts in with prunes as return for my gifts. Took B. Davis nice box of figs packed in leaves & had a talk. Thence to leave D. & F’s letters with Dr F & lend him R. Rashleigh. Then to W. Australian to look up about the unspeakable Alexander. Thence to Newsreel & home by 4.30. Lena telephoned about receiving her desk & Grandma’s framed photo. Saw a Fairy penguin on Pitt St with a man. It must have been astray. It infatuated me.
1007259751
January 1953
Wednesday 21
Beastly cold day. Had to fix the bags on figs. Then Judy came to see me, so I took her to the butcher's with me. And eventually got to my writing. Judah Waten asked to come at 2.30, but the brute arrived at 1.30 & stayed till nearly 5. So the day went. Telephone chat with Pixie. Listened to Bishop Burgmann and others from New Canberra Radio in evening. Had something to eat at 9.30 & to bed.
1007259752
January 1953
Thursday 22
Cold day collapsing into drizzle then into rain spoiling the figs as usual. Amy rang up wanting to go to Penrith. Lucky I couldn't go. Started to type Pixie's story - did 20 pp. Got a letter from Hollywood about ̲S̲w̲a̲g̲g̲e̲r̲.̲
1007259753
January 1953
Friday 23
This day 11 years ago Norman was still alive - his last night in this life. Glen rang up for a long talk. I took Judith & Susan with me to the butcher & gave them ice creams. Figs ripening keep me busy bagging them from birds. Took a nice lot to Mrs B. Also to Mrs Coates. Mrs Morgan called in evening also Ben Haneman in passing. Went to Carlton to Bank & Dodds & the nasty man in P.O. who was rude & vulgar as well as ignorant & in the wrong. Had no more than 3 hours of sleep - a flea tormented me.