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February 21
I AM NOT WRITING IN my journal as often as I did the first years here on the homestead. Then I needed a way to release my loneliness and fears. Now I seem to get the urge to write when there is an event in the family or a bit of important news. My life has changed dramatically over the past five years, and I can see that when I read through my old journals.
March 24
Carl’s sixteen-year-old brother Johan was confirmed today by Dr. Olsson at Bethany Church. We went along for the confirmation service. It was so nice to visit with several neighbors that we don’t see very often since we don’t go to this church. Dr. Olsson has organized a youth choir that sang a beautiful anthem today. He has a knack for organizing the young people in his congregation.
April 15
Carl stopped at Måns Peterson’s on the way home from Salina today. Bothilda had a baby boy on April 3rd. They named him Carl August.
We also heard that an iron bridge is going to be built over the river to the south of us near the grist mill. The Lamer brothers have pushed this project and have taken up subscriptions from the people in the area. We use the ford across the river straight west of us when the river is low. It will be nice to have a bridge when the water is too high to cross.
May 6
Sara has married Claus Sjogren. They will be farming over by Salemsborg Church so we won’t see them as often as before they were married. We can visit after church service on Sundays. I like Claus. He always has a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips.
July 25
Summer has disappeared into the busy season. When I am hoeing in the garden, Christina helps by pulling weeds or keeping track of Willie, although that is still Spot’s job. When I need a rest, we work on Christina’s lettering. She draws the alphabet in the soil with a weed stem. She gets so far, then Spot and Willie charge through, their feet erasing her efforts. I am expecting another child in the winter. My energy level has been low, but I have to get my work done anyway.
October 30
Today we made our years’ supply of soap. I had been saving the fire ashes for the lye, and lard from my cooking all year. I hate this job and hate to have the children in the area when we make soap. Lye burns the skin, and the throat if it is inhaled. After the mixture boiled to the right consistency, we poured it into pans to cool and harden. Tomorrow I will cut the soap into squares and wrap the squares in straw to store them in the cellar.
November 20
We are used to seeing our Indian neighbors fairly often. After all, they have lived along the river for generations. I know that a tribe camped down by the river in earlier times because we have found arrowheads in the field after the spring rains.
It was dusk last night when two husky young Indians knocked on our door. They were wrapped in their buffalo robes. We had several inches of snow on the ground, and it was going to be a very cold night. Luckily, Carl was in the house, so I didn’t have to try to understand their talk and motions. They wanted a place to spend the night. Carl said that they would be welcome if they gave him their guns for the night. Carl fed and tied the horses in our barn, and the Indians made their beds on the kitchen floor by the stove.
Although we didn’t sleep well, I believe the two young men did. I made extra breakfast to include them in our meal. They ate in silence, devouring a big plate of eggs, ham, and bread. The children stared wide-eyed at our guests during the whole meal. The Indians rose from the table as soon as they were done eating, even though the rest of us were not finished. Carl led them out to the barn for their horses and guns. I gave them a parcel of flour, meat and raw potatoes so they could prepare a meal later in the day. Silently the Indians mounted their horses and rode to the west.
When Carl was down by the creek, he found the potatoes I had given the Indians. Apparently, potatoes aren’t their favorite food.
The buffalo, the Indians’ main food supply, have almost been wiped out of this area. I know the Indians are having a hard time feeding and clothing their own families without the herds.
We need to be friendly to these people. They lived on this land first. Still, settlers along the Kentucky Creek have been killed during Indian raids, so we should never turn our backs to them.
December 12
The snow has quit and has formed a crust so it won’t be blowing into drifts. It is unusual to see snow so level here. The prairie winds seem to blow summer and winter. Icicles are forming on the west side of the house from the sun melting the snow on the roof. When I went to the outhouse this afternoon, the icicles sparkled so brightly it made me squint. I broke off a couple for the children to suck on as a treat.
Adelaide and Laura visited today and brought us some apples as an early Christmas present. Benjamin had bought several bushels this fall in Salina. She made the apples into apple butter, or dried rings, but had kept the best for eating this winter.
