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December 21 1983 - Wednesday - 8° at 6:45 - Clear - Moon is Northwest sky yellow in East - Sun 7:17-4:31 Re 1974, Hazel MacDonald's mother died in November at 100 years and 5 months. Decided to use only top of immitation Christmas tree put it on harvest table - decorated it and mirror - put rest of ornaments on big tree in Solar. Wes split wood. To Rosses for a cocktail at 5:30 - Neighbors there and met the Maggio's - the Dunn's. 1984 - Friday - 27° at 6:30 - Cloudy - Miserable looking day. Winter arrived just before noon - so did the snow - not too much - stopped at dark - temperature 32° all day but 34° at bedtime. An indoor day (lovely said Wes) Out only to feed birds and pick up mail. Wes making slit in beading of tender - the last part. I put lining on bird wall hanging - haven't finished hand work yet - also did mending. 1985 - Saturday - 20° at 6:30 - Mostly sunny day luckily, as so cold - high 27° - Solar reached 62° in the afternoon sun - Snow overnight - about 1 1/2 inches. Put decorations on tree. Cleaned (shoveled & broomed) front walk, deck, south terrace - solar roof. Filled birdfeeders. Fixed labels for file drawer. To Penitential Service and Mass at 5 pm. We ate too many Ginger Lace Cookies - Wes sick to stomach - resolved to use restraint in future Had transplanted Primulas from peat to larger plastic pots. 1986 - Sunday - 28° at 7 AM - Fair - Winter arrives at 2 pm. Fair day - cold but sunny. Leisurely breakfast. Sun 7:17-4:31 Wes wrote letters to Benline and Mantle - I made cookies and cooked a chicken. To Marcus - stopped in at Freeman's - admired changes made in kitchen & breezeway - thought grounds - plants, overgrown - much debris around - dredging pond. Finished decorating tree. To Keller's at 6 pm for cocktails & dinner - good party - home at 10:30. 1987 - Monday - 40° at 7 AM - Cloudy. Sun 7:16-4:31. Not a bad day, cleared mid morning. To Youngs for birdfood - Stop & Shop (crowded!) Bank - Cheese Shop to pick up box for Rosses - Pinchbeck for Poinsettia. To Rosses and Sattlers to leave Christmas Gifts. Took our walk - to Henley - 2 miles round trip - lunch - nap - I did the wash - ironed - sewed hem of Jaeger skirt - Wes put black plastic chain across upper gate - he had bought it at Hardware Store in AM. December 22 1983 - Thursday - 26° at 6 AM - Snowing. Sun 7:17-4:32. Winter solstice 5:30 AM - very cold and stormy in West - slowly rising temperature here - Snow turned to rain. We went to mass - only Rosses there besides us. Shoveled front walk and raked driveway - town sanded about 9:30 - I tried to get to Greenhouse but too difficult going. Didn't plow until late in afternoon. Shop work for Wes. I made Toll House cookies and bran muffins. Threw out some old recipes. Pushed snow from Solar roof as not enough rain to melt it. 1984 - Saturday - 34° at 7 AM. Slept late. Foggy - no more snow but sticking on ground. Became a beautiful day - nearly 50° - when fog burned off. I went to church to help arrange Poinsettia around the crib - then over to Stop & Shop - Brunetti - Cheese shop. Wes cleaned den - kitchen and shop Johnny. After lunch and nap outdoors to clean area along road by chip pile - looked neat when we finished. To 5 o'clock Mass for Penitential Service - we like 8 o'clock Mass in the morning much better. 1985 - Sunday - 16° at 7 AM. Clear - nice day - cold & sunny. Different morning - no Mass. Wes vacuumed shop - den and kitchen - washed lavatory - I washed kitchen floor - wrapped presents - Wes had shop time After lunch & nap - to Brookfield Fine Arts Theatre - saw "Out of Africa" - Meryl Streep & Robert Redford - beautiful photography of country and animals - wanted to shop for CD's but movie too long - Snow started at bedtime 1986 - Monday - 21° at 7 AM - Fair. Sun 7:17-4:32 Beautiful winter day. Wes bled the radiators. Did a wash - ironed. Returned wallpaper books to Colby's - bought sandwich at Brunetti's ($3.00 each for roast beef!) drove to Philipsburg Manor, N. Tarrytown to buy book on the Hudson River for Eileen's Christmas - home for nap. Out to fill bird feeders - put leaf chips on new bushes under bird feeders and on new and transplanted perennials along driveway. Early to bed. 1987 - Tuesday - 29° at 6:45 - Fair. Winter arrived 4:46 AM. Sun 7:16-4:31 Took the 9:23 train from Purdy's - express subway to 86th Street - walked to Met. Museum of Art - had lunch - saw Christmas tree - printings of Hudson River School: Lila Asheson Wallace Wing with 20th Century Paintings - back to Grand Central same route - bought Crossword book - ice cream cones - caught 2:48 train to Purdy's and home at 4:35 - good day - tired at night - soup and early to bed.