19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Thursday, July 2, 1914: Ruth and I trotted up to town this evening. Didn’t want to go very bad, but Sis insisted.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Hey Grandma —
Did you have fun? What did you and your sister Ruth do?
(I apologize if “Hey” is just too informal a salutation to use with my grandmother, but I think of you as the teen who wrote this diary—and somehow hey seemed just right in conjunction with my questions.)
A Hundred Years Ago 
I like the “Hey, Grandma”. I certainly think of your Grandmother as the teenager she was when she wrote this diary. (I just wish she’d given us a bit more information…..!)
I’m glad that it works for you. I also wish that she would have included more information in her diary entries. 🙂
I like the “sis insisted.” I have a “sis” who could be pretty persuasive, too, so I understand!
🙂
Hey I think the ‘Hey’ would please Grandma very much. I too think of her as a teen in her diary.
Grandma’s not very chatty with details, I figure she was tired from all the work she’s been doing. She probably wanted to rest, but being a good sis, she went along for her sister. I hope the girls had a good time.
The scenario you describe makes sense to me. Sometimes when I do some activity that I didn’t really feel like doing, I have a good time once I get there. Hopefully it was the same for her.
I think hey works with a teenager and with grandma – I bet Helena would agree!
Diana xo
I’m glad that it works for you.
If only we knew what they did in town. Grandma seems to be verbose when it comes to tales of work but not so when it comes to tales of socializing.
That’s an interesting observation. Somehow she seemed more comfortable writing about her work, than about her social activities or feelings.
I just love the way you interact with your grandmother of 100 years ago!
I glad that it works for you. Somehow, I feel like the teen-aged version of my grandmother is a friend after writing about her daily for 3 1/2 year.s. 🙂
When I said Hey to my grandma, she would say “Hay! Straw’s cheaper and grass is free.” Of course, that’s when she was not a teenager! 🙂
I love it! I’m going to have to try to remember that phrase–some of my family members would enjoy it.
I wonder what Helena meant by “trotted up to town.” Did they jog? Or flat out run? Or take a leisurely stroll. I have not heard that word in association with human gaits…. only horses.
I have vague memories of hearing people use that phrase when I was a child. I think it means walked briskly.
My grandma used to use that expression. I think it’s a casual way of speaking.
I agree–It does sound like an informal way of talking.
Love the word ‘trotted’!
It a very descriptive verb when used in this context.