Miles Franklin pocket diary, 1952

January 1952

Saturday 19

Nice warm day again. Waked at 5. Started work on house cleaning early also tidied the front garden & washed the verandah & path. Went to Butcher. Marie McNiven brought her son Glen to take photos of my room. The sunflowers, double large & small in the tall & small shell were lovely. It was a great ordeal made me all nerves. Got out the Alice Cooper atrocity & looked at it at last: it made me want to die. My face is so terribly spoiled, not alone by age but by the facial op. No more painters! Really I shd. not need to suffer so. I gave them cool drink & biscuits & figs. May called up for ¾ hr. & oh, I am so weary! In afternoon called on Mrs Fogden to ask how she was.

Morning Body temp: 87.6° evening 89.6 °

January 1952

Sunday 20

Coolish day only 72° at 2 p.m. Did a bit on essay. So exhausted that I did not get up till 10. The chore now is to put bags on the figs - the birds very daring & greedy. Took some to Mrs Bennetts. Watered garden. Did some laundry. Vance on air reviewed "Say No to Death" - does not think so highly of it as of Spinner. The third novel will be the test.

January 1952

Monday 21

Fine warm day. Marie McN & Mary Gilmore telephoned & then I got away to town to Newsreel thence to P. House to lunch with good old Dan Clyne who got me a P.O. Box & gave me the keys as he did before & said as long as he is alive he wd. help me. I then called on Colin R. [Roderick?] who lent me Myself When Young & Nettie P's [Nettie Palmer] H.H.R. [Henry Handel Richardson] how dull.

January 1952

Tuesday 22

Very warm day - or so it seemed but on 82° - humidity made it seem more. Worked on essay without interruption, but not v. bright, as did not get to sleep till 3 a.m and waked early. Did a tiny bit in garden. Alan Dalziel rang up in evening, coming to lunch on Thursday.

January 1952

Wednesday 23

Warm day. Did a bit on essay & in garden, went to butcher, but had no strength. Too little sleep the boo-hooing doves wake me at 5 & I don't get to sleep ever till after 12 & more often 2 a.m.

Ten yrs. ago Norman was still alive.

a.m. 6.00 97.4 Body temp at 6.30 p.m. - 100°