Elin Gregory

Another bit of my, as yet, untitled YA western written all in diary entries. Since the next ones were a bit short I’ve posted two days worth.

Monday Jan 4th 1869

Pa says I have to do my chores first and then I can write my diary. He doesn’t understand that the thoughts in my head need to come out when I think them. I won’t remember what I wanted to say by the time it’s the evening, and then I have to sit with everyone else and Pa wants to know what I’ve written. But I’ve got private things to say here, things I might not want to share.
It’s still very cold at night and last night there was rain.

Tuesday Jan 5th

I’ve been coughing again so Pa said I could stay home and I asked Ma to teach me to cook. Jacob and Isaac said it was girls work but Ma shouted at them and said that she hasn’t got a girl and Pa said that when we go on the round up having someone along who can cook something that won’t kill us would be mighty handy. That is assuming I can learn.
Ma has a book she got from her Ma with recipes. She said I should write down the things I make in my journal so I can find them again. So today I made buttermilk biscuits. They were horrible and we fed them to the hens. When the hens wouldn’t eat them we fed them to the hogs.