27
Evening Gatherings1900
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba
28
Once or twice a month, all of the neighbours gather to celebrate. Each family takes its turn to receive everyone. We sing, dance, and play cards. I especially like the evenings at my father's cousin's house because he has a piano. His wife plays so well.29
Evening Gatherings (next)1920
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba
30
During those evening gatherings, we also listen to music on the Gramophone. We play records. I especially like the Quebecois singer, the Bolduc. She's a good singer.31
The lace maker's frame1920
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba
32
I spent all evening watching my mother make lace...it's was very beautiful. She told me her mother was a lace weaver when she was very young in the city of Puy in France before immigrating to Canada. She worked very hard and very long hours bent over her weaving pillow. In those days, because there still wasn't any electricity, it was very hard on lace weavers' eyes and they would all end up having sight problems. My grandmother had to sell her lace to earn a bit of money because her family was poor.33
The butter churn1920
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba
34
I helped Mama make butter today. Three or four days before, she had skimmed the milk with a separator. She uses the cream to make butter and what is leftover, the whey, is kept and given to the calves. The cream is then churned in a butter churn like this one. As it is winter, we have to pour hot water in the churn because it has to be the same temperature as the cream. After about ten minutes of churning, the butter sets, and a liquid called buttermilk is taken out from the bottom of the churn. The butter is then rinsed with water and mixed. Then it is poured into a rectangular wooden mold to make 1 pound bricks of butter.35
The icebox1920
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba
36
Yesterday, I went with my father to get an ice block on the lake to put in the icebox. He used a special saw to form a cube and then, he used the tongs to carry it to the house. The icebox helps us keep food cold in the house.37
The sled1930
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba
38
As there are a lot of hills in the area, we have a lot of fun sliding on our sleds with our friends. We often meet on Saturdays to play in the snow.39
A visit to town1930
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba
40
Yesterday, my father brought me, once again, to town for some errands. We went to the post office, to the grocer's and to the barbershop. |
 |
 |
 |