Mother’s Day came and went for Grandma Rose and the family – it sounds like we had quite a feast at Aunt Rosie’s house courtesy of Kim cooking! Of course, Grandma Rose’s day was filled with flowers – how could it not be? Did you know that Mother’s Day is the third largest flower-giving holiday behind Valentine’s Day and Christmas? It was interesting to see her say she was starting a peony bush for Grandpa Archie, as I don’t recall them ever having one; I only really remember Grandma Clara Lou’s roses along the driveway.
I couldn’t find the photo of my dad’s truck that I wanted that she references, so I chose a generational photo instead. Grandma Rose has a whole new gaggle of great-grandkids she never had the chance to meet, but I think she would have been utterly thrilled at them all.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
_____ WEEK 20 _____
May 13, 1978 – Got up 9:00 Len had coffee made. After breakfast, fed cat and raked grass from front yard onto the flower beds. Easier to rake while it was wet for the wind was so strong about took you off your feet. Got Mothers Day card from Rosie. Len ran sweeper over the house – I emptied waste baskets, dusted, carried out the trash. Watered flowers in green house – (ones that needed it).
Rosie called – wanted us to come up for dinner tomorrow. Will pick us up about 1:00. We called Mom Hochmuth this evening – Len talked to her then he let me talk but she always hangs up when I hand the phone back to him. It rained very hard off and on all day – took a nap from 1:45 to 3:45 – Len didn’t wake me – miserable weather yet this evening.
50° 11:15
Low 56° High 65°
Winds SW 5 MPH
May 14, 1978 – Got up at 9:00 Got ready to go to Rosies for Mothers Day. Lisa and Robin came after us about 1:00 in Neales truck. Truck real nice. Kim got supper while Rosie, Lisa and I went to Groveport to garden center for flowers. Got some slug bait too. Got 1 box pacha-sandra, 2 boxes white and 2 of sweet alysseum, purple fusha [fushia], spirea and 1 peony for Arch, 1 box red salvia. Will start Archies peony bush for him.
Went to see Arch and Lou for half an hour after we ate supper. Arch had had another attack of kidney stones Sat and they had to take him to emergency at Berger Hosp. He looks bad. So pathetic. Wish I could have done something for him.
Kim getting to be a pretty good cook. Lisa, Neale, Jill – John Barr and Amy – Len and me – Darryl, Rosie, Robin, Kim and Dean there for supper. Rosie brought us home.
Low 47° High 49°
Winds SW 8 MPH
(Note on side of page: “Mothers Day Supper – Kim had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, Broccoli, cheese sauce, tossed salad, Hot Biscuits & Jelly, choc. cake, coffee cake, Jello salad with strawberries, coffee.”)
May 15, 1978 – New cat came – an angora dark gray and white. Got up 8:00 A.M. Couldn’t work outdoors, so after breakfast, started washing walls, got from the outside door to the cupboard. Len washed the wall plates for me and cleaned up the letter rack.
Rained this forenoon. After lunch and “soaps, went out and burned papers, emptied cart of leaves adn worked on South end of bank flower beds. Worked around iris and dug out a couple buckets of honeysuckles.
Low 44° High 57°
55° at 11:20
May 16, 1978 – Got up 8:45 A.M. Too wet to do anything outside yet – Raining again when we got up – after breakfast cleared off desk in kitchen – cleaned wall and all the recipe boxes. Len and I went to the garage to work out after half an hour, we can in – too chilly to stay out there.
After lunch and “soaps,” I took a nap from 3:15 to 4:15.
Put some snail and slug bait around the Hostas on breezeway beds and then one in front. Washed pots out of the big oval rub on the well pit. Put more in to soak off old soil.
NW at 3 MPH
Low 52° High 62°
56° at 11:15 P.M.
May 17, 1978 – Got up 8:25 Started on some hand washing before Len got up. After breakfast, sorted out sheets and put to soak in Axion. Len dressed and took over the wash. Got all done at 1:00. Made sandwiches. While Len emptied the rinse water, I hung out the sheets and some of the towels.
Watched “soaps” then hung out the rest of the wash. Len worked on the dead arborvitae sawing it down while I took wash off the line after 4:00. Set out eight lily starts in old rose bed; 4 alyssum plants among pansies in breezeway flower bed. Watered some of the petunias.
Brought all the things from outside lines to garage. Some of the towels slightly damp. Really pooped tonight.
Low 46° High 70°
58° 88° 1977
May 18, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Pretty morning. Cloudy mostly the forenoon. Len finished sawing down the evergreen by the porch. sure looks bare there now – I ironed for two hours in forenoon and Len worked on my mower blade.
Came in early and ate lunch at 12;15 – half way through, Ethel and Ralph drove in. Sure was surprised to see them. They got Lens appointment date mixed up. Came today instead of 25th. Len didn’t get his new lens, wouldn’t fit his glasses. Went to Big Bear after the Dr. Eff and I took a tour of the yard when we got home. Went to the bank before doctor. Glad I didn’t have to get Evelyn to take me.
Felt rugged all day today.
68° 11:15
Low 55° High 76°
64° 89°
May 19, 1978 – Got up at 7:30 – Put on coffee water. Opened up garage and green house. Beautiful day. After breakfast, brought in ironed clothes from the garage lines so Len could clean my mower and sharpen the blade.
Raked over front breezeway bed; set out money plant Ef brought and set out one inpatient. Fertilized wild ferns.
Dug up old mum bed by front of trailer and set out strawberry plants – cleaned up yellow fern and hosta by electric pole. Emptied old tree limbs Len cut down. Got spading fork and pad out for Len to spade on garden.
Made our first ice tea this P.M. Supposed to get up to 83° Sure is beautiful outside. Had to take off my flannel shirt and put on a thinner blouse. Len said was 84 in green house.
Len very sick this evening. Could not eat any supper.
Low 52° High 82°
71° 11:15
(Note at top: “Len had his sick spell again this evening. Heat got to him this early in the season.”)