Poor Grandma Rose! The week started so nicely for her with a burst of pretty sunshine, Olive’s birthday, and a somewhat poetic reflection on tall, swaying grass before taking an unexpected, if not chilly, turn of events at the end of the week!
I also wanted to share the real estate notice I found for when they bought the land at 26168 Armstrong Road in 1970.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
January 22, 1977 – Olives Birthday
20° above this day, with some beautiful sunshine.
Was glad Ethel talked me into leaving my pampas grass stand for the winter. I usually cut it down – but seeing it waving in the wind with the sun shining on it, makes a beautiful sigh, and see which way the wind is blowing, and when weighted down with ice and snow, it’s beautiful.
January 23, 1977 – Rosie and Darryl braved the snowy hills this afternoon – Sure was a big surprise. Daryl had a ball in the deep snow.
Gave Rosie half a dozen of the coat hangers that I’ve been crocheting on for the past month. Also gave her Jill’s blouse and pants to take to Lisa. (she scratched this out)
Darryl and Rosie said they weren’t hungry but they had chicken and noodles with us.
January 24, 1977 – Snowed all day today, but not so cold.
This is what you can call being really snow bound. The U.S. Army snow plow came through and cleared Armstrong Rd. Never saw them out here before.
Neighbor kids have been digging out igloos on bank across the road. Been at it for four or five days now. Having a lot of fun. If my back permitted I’d love to be out there with them.
16″ oil in tank.
January 25, 1977 – (There is a notation at the top under the printed notice that Robert Burns was born on this day in 1759 where grandma had wrote ‘from 197’ that I don’t know what it references.)
Finally quit snowing as of 11:45 AM. temp 28° Winds up to 22 m.p.h. But we’re supposed to get more snow, with freezing rain.
Brought in my amaryllis – wasn’t doing any good in the green house – too cold so hope it’s okay in here. First leaf is about 16″ tall, second one coming thru.
(Checked Freezer)
5 loaves white bread
1 loaf whole wheat
6 lb. oleo
5 pacs cooking bagls (the spelling is off here and not sure what she’s going for)
1 turkey
3 whole chickens
2 pk. cut up ”
3 – 2 lb. banquet din.
2 pcs. beef roast
3 containers soup
plenty corn
frozen potatoes
1 lb. bacon
various packages spinach, onions, orange juice – rye flour, cake flour, box wheat bread mix, noodles, steak patties (1 pk).
January 26, 1977 – 22°/ 1″ more snow during the night. still snowing at 10:oo AM this morning. Made another path to the greenhouse.
Have to oil the furnace today – sure has been working overtime.
11:30 P.M. Power off again. had to dig out the lamps and candles. Watched the snow scraper come down Armstrong Rd then came back Ten minutes later the electric truck came thru. Terrific winds, Sheets of snow swirling before the head lights. The trailer groaned end to end – and the pictures slithered around on the walls. I took the Japanese statue down and snuggled her among the couch. She was the only one that look relaxed. While the electricians work, the plow works on more snow piles, fence high west of the trailer.
January 27, 1977 – 12:35 AM 11° above
Another day – Power came on – Now we can go to bed and get some sleep. Electric truck came back but the scraper worked a little more on the road. Winds still terrific.
Got up at 9:30 – 8° above. This afternoon I carried in 6 or 7 more cans of wax beans – 8 cans of pickles & four or five cans of mixed vegetables from the green house in case electric stayed off too long.
Luck will just have to be with the flowers.
January 28, 1977 – Blizzard (this is circled at the top)
9:30 A.M. Got up this morning to a raging blizzard. Winds up to 50 M.P.H. Couldn’t even see the trees in front of the trailer. Roads are impassable – Didn’t even get to the garage today; let alone the green house.
During the short lulls, we saw three cars all day long. Stayed on the porch while the cat ate and couldn’t see anything for the snow whipping my face. Cold stung like fire.