I apologize for the delay in posting Grandma’s journal entries, but if you follow me on Facebook, you might have seen that I was in the hospital for nearly a week with “lady issues” that are still not resolved, and I have to have a follow-up surgery in the immediate future to fix it. Today was a bunch of phone calls with surgeons and insurance. So fun! But now I can catch everyone up with Grandma Rose and escape to 1978 for a bit to forget about this past week’s tribulations!
Anywhoooos, there is much excitement this week in 1978 with Lori Stewart and Robert Dick’s wedding! Grandma does a LOT of canning this week thanks to Rosie giving her heaps of veggies, and I realize (again) how much family has influenced my diet – we, too, are having tuna salad this week due to warm temperatures. I had to laugh at her saving “odds and ends” of cabbage for soup later because I also save my veggie scraps for making stock.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
_____ WEEK 28 _____
July 8, 1978 – Got up 8:00 Couldn’t sleep any longer. Arm sore. Got out and raked up most of grass from field and brought in the piles I raked up yesterday evening and put around beans and tomatoes. Got in at 10:00 – Len was up and we ate a late breakfast – washed out shirts for Len, bra, panties and my pillow case. Also dish clothes. Got them dry. Spent a few minutes in garage with Len, then came in and ran sweeper over house before supper. Len spent a few hours on the fence again today.
We both took a good bath but I was too tired to worry about washing my hair. Missed part of Lawrence Welk.
July 9, 1978 – Got up 10:00 Couldn’t believe it was so late. Dressed and we ate breakfast then while Len made bed and dressed, I watered hanging baskets and pinched off old pansies, violas, and petunias. Did some picking up of papers. Len clipped some by trailer so I pulled some moss and worked by well pit for an hour. After lunch Len went to garage to work more on fence. I cooked chicken and picked it off the bones for supper. (chicken with rice and buttered carrots)
Went to garage at 3:00 and sorted out material from boxes, until 5:00. Getting things into 1 big box instead of so many small ones. Back aching like fury this afternoon. Trailer very hot today and I seem to notice the heat today for some reason.
Low 60° High 86°
81° 11:15
(Note at top: “Elwood went to hospital Drs. North for cancer tests.”)
July 10, 1978 – Got up 9:00 Been tired past few days. Len beat me getting up today. I’ve been sleeping better, toward morning.
Len went to work in garage but decided to clip grass; rain drove him in at 11:00 – so worked on fence again. I worked on cleaning sewing room closets and box of material to take some of it to boxes in garage.
Watched “soaps” then went to garage to work on my sorting of boxes until 5:00. After supper Len clipped more grass – I cleaned Rose bed, hoed cannas, spider lilies, burning bush, and fox gloves.
Low 74° High 80°
67° 11:15 P.M.
Hottest on this date 103° 1881
July 11, 1978 – Got up 8:55 Len already up, had his coffee and I heard him washing the dishes we were both too tired to do last night. After breakfast we went out and mixed chlordane to spray olive trees, roses, evergreens, dogwoods, etc. While he sprayed, I worked gathering up moss, weeds, and grass from yesterday. Cut more limbs from the locust trees – something eating at them too.
After lunch and “soaps”, we took compost fence to back. Len scraped on shed door again and trimmed plum-peach bush while I worked in the sewing room cleaning drawers, etc. Hauled plum limbs to back half moon before supper. Had to take a good hot bath to perk up. Feel “buggy” after all the Japanese beetles.
Low 53° High 76°
64° 11:15
July 12, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Chilly this morning. Must have got to the 51. Furnace came on. After breakfast, I dressed and emptied cart of rubbish while Len dressed and made bed. He went outside to work on plum bush again. Frank came over to use the big saw.
I did over a line of hand wash and hung it outside in spite of the Japanese beetles getting on everything.
After lunch, Len went to the garage while I watched my soaps. Did some sewing while I listened. Cleaned old toaster to store in garage and did up the dishes from breakfast and lunch. Started supper while Len scraped on shed door for a while. Went to the store with Evelyn.
After supper, watered flowers and hanging baskets. Put food in the big freezer and locked up.
Low 54° High 78°
70° 11:15 PM
103° 1936 Highest this date
July 13, 1978 – Got up 8:50. Sore and stiff – arm still sore down to the bone marrow it seems. Ate breakfast – Fed cats. Burned 6 bags of trash. Filled duster with Levin and dusted grape vines – Couple dozen beetles on vines today. Emptied Len’s cart of plum limbs and cut down old Rose of Sharon trees back in far corner of field. Len swept up garage with Electrolux and cleaned off window – Made new screen for south garage window.
I watched soaps after lunch while I put supports in girdle – at 3:00 I made meatloaf, cooked macaroni, ground beef and tomato sauce for Johnny Marzetti for supper.
Set out some Dragons blood sedum in breezeway bed and I sowed some onion seeds by potato patch. Peeled most of papers from front of trailer bed. Sowed some Sweet Wm seed.
Arch will pick me up ‘tween 2:30 and 3:00 Sat. for the wedding.
Low 62° High 82°
76° 11:15
July 14, 1978 – Got up 9:00 Made bed – Lend was putting away the supper dishes. Len dressed and headed for the garage – He took time to trim the back of my hair. I took bath and washed my hair. Cleaned bathroom – ran sweeper in bedroom, cleaned sewing room, living room and kitchen. Dusted top of book shelves and washed big mirror above.
After lunch, Len went to the garage again to make a couple drawers – I watched “soaps” while straightened hem in my new dress. Then ironed shirt and shorts and three dresses. Len fixed me an extension cord for my iron.
I watered all the hanging baskets and breezeway flower beds before supper. Checked grape vines for beetles. Only a few on vines today.
Low 73° High 86°
75° 11:15
This date 1936 106°
_____ WEEK 29 _____
July 15, 1978 – Got up 8:30 After breakfast, dusted grapes and wax beans. Laid out clothes to take to wear for Loris wedding. Boy, it’s hot today. More I move around, the more I sweat.
Len went to garage to work on drawers for under the can cupboard to keep canning lids.
Took bath about 1:00 – after we had lunch. Arch will pick me up between 2:30 and 3:00 and he is usually on time. Sit around so I’d keep cooler???
Rosie gave me heads of cabbage, bushel of beets, broccoli, and cauliflower.
(Note at top: “Lori and Robert Dick’s wedding 7:30 PM.”)
July 16, 1978 – Got up 9:30 Got to bed about 1:00, I guess. Was all wound up, attending wedding and all, didn’t think I’d sleep but no problem – Dead tired. Spent a little time at Lisa’s. She cut my hair. Monica, the girl from Porta Rico? who stayed with Lou and Arch as an exchange student ’73 was at Lisa’s with her husband and 2 mo. old baby. Was sure nice to see her again.
The wedding was beautiful – Lori was so lovely in her gown and veil – we couldn’t hear them make their vows very plain, although we could hear the minister very clearly. It was so warm. Lori had to keep adding powder in order to get into her gown. She was crying when she came down the aisle on Archies’ arm. She didn’t know why any number of people were crying after it was all over and we were outside the church and going through the receiving line. Arch, the best man, and ushers, all the men were dressed in green tuxs – Mint green, I guess, you’d call it – Brides Maids and flower girl (Jill) in green flowered gowns, maid of honor (pink). Lou wore a green flowing gown with necklace with a tiny diamond.
Bride and groom cut the cake and drank their toast then we all had to go back to the church to take pictures – (Bridal party, etc) while other people enjoyed cake & punch. Had party at Archs after. Simple drinks, Coke, 7 Up. Potato salad, ham salad, cake, nuts. Kids opened some more gifts.
68° 81°
July 17, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Made coffee and put away supper dishes. After breakfast, I made beds then got things ready to make kraut – Len mowed yard and part of the field while I cut the first 10 lb of cabbage. After lunch, I watched my “soaps” while I ripped hem from a dress. Len cut another 10 lb of cabbage. After soaps, I helped him cut the other 5 lbs. Saved some for suppers, and some to fry for myself. Had ham, potatoes, and cabbage for supper. Odds and ends I left for soup.
Watered all hanging baskets and patio flowers this evening. Shoulder tired from cutting cabbage today.
Low 53° High 82°
73° 11:15
(Note at top: “Made 25 lbs of kraut today.”)
July 18, 1978 – Got up 8:00 Put on water for coffee and went back to bed for another hour. Couldn’t seem to “come to.” Tired. After breakfast, raked up grass from field and hauled to bean patch. Len finished mowing the field while I washed up pans and baskets from the cabbage. Took cabbage leaves to compost pile. Brushed, sprayed, and put away good black winter coat and jumper. Brot in jars for beets to can. Len and I took jars of kraut to green house.
Watched “soaps” after lunch. Len didn’t feel too well this afternoon, so he laid down a while. I took nap from 3:30 to 4:20. After supper, I defrosted the reefer, then took bath and went to Evelyns to ask her to take me to Post Office and Tarlton to grocery. Len made divider for my lid drawer in kitchen.
Low 56° High 87°
77° 11:15
July 19, 1978 – Got up 7:35 Put on coffee water. Went back to bed for another half hour. Got up 8:30, made bed and dressed while Len made our coffee – After breakfast, fed cats and opened garage and green house – checked grape vines, beans and potatoes. Dug one hill potatoes, and picked couple of handful of beans for supper.
Washed out two shirts for Len, 6 pair panties and 1 shirt for myself. Len worked around oil tank, hauled another load of rocks from shed and worked on good coffee pot.
After “soaps” I froze 4 bags of cabbage for soups and watered most of patio flowers & hanging baskets. Had supper in garage. Suckered and tied up tomatoes. Watered new settings of pinks on bank bed and front of the trailer. Evelyn took me to post office and Jones. Mailed my insurance policy.
Low 61° High 90°
80° 11:15
(Note at top: “Mailed my insurance policy.”)
July 20, 1978 – Got up 7:30. Put on coffee water – Got 2 pans beets and put to soak from reefer. Transplanted 5 stocks plants to big dish pan. Cooked beets after breakfast and took them to the garage for Len to peel. Pressured 18 pints. Watched “soaps” while cooker cooled down. Washed up all pans in here and ones from garage.
Had cheeseburgers and iced coffee for supper. Took bath and washed my hair after supper and used bath water to water the patio flowers and burning bush. Also carnation pinks. Ungodly hot today – 87° in living room. Got half sick middle of filling jars but tried to keep my mind off the heat.
Low 73° High 92°
84° 11:15 P.M.
(Note at top: “Canned 18 pt beets”)
July 21, 1978 – Got up after 8:00. Meant to get up early but was too tired after doing the 18 pts of beets. Never would have made it if Len hadn’t peeled and sliced them for me. The kitchen was a bake oven – Cooked and canned 5 pt more this morning after breakfast – Didn’t feel too well today. Heat seemed to bother me more today. Watched “soaps.” after lunch. Cooked macroni, boiled eggs, and made a cold tuna salad for supper. Too hot to cook very much.
Watered some flowers after supper. Rained little bit about 4:30. Thundered in the distance between 6 and 7 but no rain. 96° on the porch this afternoon.
Got letter from Ethel today. She says Elwoods’ cancer has spread from the bone marrow to the bones now. Remission is over. Still in the hospital –
Cleaned out trunk in garage and sorted odds & ends of materials.
Low 72° High 94°
80° 11:15
106° 1954