There wasn’t a ton of things to add a picture about this week so I’m adding this photo of Grandma Rose’s mom, Mary Elizabeth Eccard Jones, here THIS week because as we head into next week, it really is all about her. Mary Elizabeth’s birthday is August 12, 1878, and then, she died on August 9, 1959. I had wondered if Grandma Rose went and visited her grave but I didn’t see any mention of it in 1977 or 1978. So I thought if you’re free this coming week, maybe you, dear reader, could venture to Forest Cemetery in Circleville and visit Mary Elizabeth for her birthday.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
_____ WEEK 31 _____
July 29, 1978 – Got up 8:00 After breakfast Len went to work on shed door – Got paint all scraped off ready to paint. I trimmed front mock orange, cotton easter by garage – also one of the olive trees and the big mock orange by corner of garage before lunch.
After lunch, Len read out boards from S.E. corner of garage – I cleaned the trailer end to end. Screens sprayed all furniture with Lysol to freshen up the room. Scrubbed porch and changed rug.
Started to rain this eve. Pretty hard, but didn’t have to turn off the T.V.
July 30, 1978 – Rained all night. Got up 9:30 Tired in the arms this morning from using the loppers yesterday. After breakfast, dressed and fed cats while Len made the bed – 10:30 Ethel called and said they’d be down about 1:00. Hadn’t been here since they took Len to the eye doctor in June.
I cleaned mirrors in the bathroom – (didn’t get them cleaned yesterday)
Ef and Ralph got here little after 1:00 – It wasn’t raining so Ef and I took tour around the yard while Len and Ralph talked – Also showed Ef the new cupboards and trellis. For first time in ages, they stayed for supper. Really enjoyed having them, tho they went home right after supper. It was getting foggy.
Made Len some chocolate tapioca today, first in a long time.
Low 65° High 74°
70° 11:10
Storming & raining
(Note at top: “Winthrop College S. Carolina”)
July 31, 1978 – Got up after 9:00 again today. Stormed most of the night – Thunder rolled all the way around the work it seemed, then started all over again. Rained very hard at times. The easy rain of Sat evening settled the ground; when the hard rains came it didn’t all run.
After breakfast dressed, fed cats, and filled all containers I could find with good clear rain water caught in the big oval bath tub. 2-5 gallon buckets. 6 gal garbage can – gal jug and two sprinkling cans plus 1 water bucket.
Before lunch, painted garage cupboards painted one coat.
Low 65° High 78°
70° 11:15
August 1, 1978 – Again got up at 9:30. Sure been tired past few days. Arm and shoulder arch from the painting. After breakfast, Len finished trimming second olive tree, and loaded the wagon with limbs – emptied a couple wagon loads in the half moon. Hard on his legs coming back up the incline –
I did line of hard wash, then after my “soaps” and lunch, he loaded wagon and cart and hauled branches to half moon. Pulled weeds and grass from septic mum bed.
After supper Len mowed yard while I picked the beans and pulled grass from potato patch. Washed beans twice – then T.V. to relax.
Low 59° High 78°
70° 11:15
(Note at top: “Changed cloth on Kraut and washed plates.”)
August 2, 1978 – Len set the alarm so we’d be sure to get up earlier to can beans. After breakfast, Len and I started on the beans. First 5 pts done by 12:30. After lunch, canned 5 more pints – watched half an hour of my “soaps” from kitchen, while keeping an eye on the pressure. Then watched the last hour in my chair and really relaxed while Len greased the mower.
Washed up and went over to see if Evelyn would take me to Tarlton to the grocery. Said she’d be over after they had supper. She has company, so know she was busy. She didn’t come.
Static in the air tonight – going to rain. Getting cooler. Turned off the fan.
Low 64° High 88°
77° 11:15
August 3, 1978 – Rained hard toward morning. Straight down – Got up at 8:00. Mailed letter to Olive and Ruth. After breakfast fed cats and opened up garage and green house. Tried to get in touch with the Hanes to see if they could take me to the grocery – Couldn’t get them so changed clothes and went out to paint cupboard second coat. Got two brushfuls on when Johnny Isles came over and said his mother would take me to the grocery. Changed clothes again and took off.
Come back – got lunch – put away groceries. Watched “soaps” then painted from 3:30 to 5:00. Cleaned brushes.
Pulled some weeds from behind garage. Went over to Iles today and took pictures of Franks 42 or 43 year old cactus – It had 5 blooms, all at one time. One bloom fell off – only 4 left when I took picture. Evelyn gave me a start of it.
Low 71° Hi 82°
74° 11:15
1955 100°
August 4, 1978 – Got up 9:00 with another dumb headache. After breakfast thought I’d try to work it off – Set out half dozen fox glove plants and put peat moss around them – Pulled some weeds and hoed some plants. Dug four hills of potatoes and pulled some grass. Burned three big bags of trash.
Len mowed the field and trimmed around sign, pear trees, and maple tree. Dug up one bunch of daffodils from around big maple. Four more bunches to dig yet.
Watched my “soaps while Len finished sanding Ethels box and putting lid back on.
Still have my headache, took another 2 pills. Feel icky and my eyes hurt. Managed to get supper – Got into my P.J.s early and laid on the couch while Len watched the news.
Low 58° High 79°
66° 11:15
