19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, August 16, 1914: We did our packing this afternoon. We are going to make two traveling bags do us. Had quite a time a frisking around. Ruth got company later on. We intend going to Church this evening. Must go and eat my supper, so good-bye old Diary until I return from my trip, for I am not going to take you with me.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Grandma—
Have an awesome time in Niagara Falls! It should be an amazing trip. Were your bags made by Likly?
Helena is not taking the diary to record this exciting trip!
She apparently was worried that she’d lose or damage it.
Not taking the diary? I hope she writes a lot about it when she returns.
stay tuned. . . 🙂
Cute how Grandma says goodbye to her diary!
It is almost like she considered it to be an old friend.
Exciting! I hope she’ll have a lot to tell us when she returns!
Wait and see. . . 🙂
The advert is interesting – a little surprising to see such a smartly dressed woman perched so casually on a windowsill!
Advertising can provide clues about how people lived (or at least how they aspired to live).
It sounds like a lot of fun!
I agree!
How did they manage to take along all those hats?
It must have been a nuisance to take hats on trips–though women sure seemed to think they were a necessary part of outfits back then.
They used to sell separately (really beautiful) or provide (beautiful) round boxes for transporting hats. With handles, of course.
Not taking her diary?!
😦
Oh my! I can hardly wait for her to get back to her diary. What fun!
I agree! I’m amazed that her parents let them go.
Me too! Can’t wait!
It was an exciting trip!
I still remember the small gasp of amazement when my son saw Niagra Falls for the first time!
And, I can remember my gasp of amazement when I saw Niagara Falls for the first time. It is just such an incredible sight–somehow photos had not prepared me for the actual experience of seeing the falls.
I can feel her excitement. And I love the luggage ad Sheryl.
It is a fun ad. 🙂