I’ve been channeling my inner “Grandma Rose” this past month and preparing for spring gardening by turning my sun room into a greenhouse/growing station. Jon had a brief Army mission down to Virginia this past fall, and he visited Mount Vernon’s estate, where he purchased me an acorn ornament made from a tree that was planted during George Washington’s time, and excitedly, some seeds – fish peppers and hollyhocks. The snapdragons I love and wanted were out of stock, sadly. So to see Grandma Rose talk about snapdragons this week gave me a grin! I wonder if she found them as romantic and old-fashioned as I do. I am also working on emptying soil from old pots outside and getting things ready to transplant but I’m a bit behind as we just had snow last week! SNOW!
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
_____ WEEK 13 _____
March 26, 1978 – Got up at 10:00 again – After breakfast – fried egg for cat along with meat and milk, made bed and swept kitchen and living room while Len dressed. Took a good bath – Cooked chicken for noodles.
Rosie called after lunch and said they’d be down – She brought roast beef, and potatoes to mash – I fried chicken, cooked noodles – green beans, and made salad. Rosie brought a chocolate cake – a big one in the shape of a cross with jelly beans on a nest of colored coconut – Bob came with her, Darryl and Robin. Sure was surprised to see him. Only the second time he’s been here to eat – Everyone ate a hearty meal.
Rosie brought Len a big Easter egg and me a beautiful rose begonia. Melatior Begonia Renaissance I never saw one like it, except in pictures.
March 27, 1978 – Got up 8:30 for a change. After breakfast fed cat and mailed card to Bill and got book of stamps from mail man.
Froze 13x9x2 pan of apple square cake – white Easter cake and part of Rosies chocolate cross cake. Also container of sliced beef that Rosie left here.
Made hash for supper out of part of the beef. After lunch lopped off some branches from breezeway evergreens. Watched “soaps” then went to green house to get soil for bigger pot for my Scottish Heather plant. Slept for half hour before supper.
37° 11:15
Low 34° High 39°
Winds 3 MPH West
(There is a note on the side of this page – “27th Mailed Bill birthday card. 28th Mailed B’Day card to Pearl Armstrong and Mary.)
March 28, 1978 – Got up 8:45. Mailed letters and birthday cards to Mary and Pearl after I dressed. Fed cat – After breakfast, washed out my bras and girdles, house coast, PJs, Lens PJs and my good slacks and blouse.
After lunch, watched my soaps, then hung washing in garage. Took a nap from 3:45 to 4:45 while Len worked on his crewel work.
Fed cat – got supper – after dishes, read the Herald then looked at one of my garden books and watched some T.V. Lens eye is looking better each day. Drops don’t burn so much now.
Low 36° High 61°
49° at 11:15
March 29, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Put on coffee water. Made bed. Fed cat. After breakfast, dressed and went to greenhouse to tear out some of the old dead flowers from pots.
Burned two bags of trash. Pruned grape vines, bath pear trees, cut out old rose bush up front and took leaves & debri from Rosies tulips in front flower bed.
Brought more rocks from back to put in walk going to greenhouse. Watched soaps – oiled bottom of Kims sewing machine.
Low 34° High 52°
59° 79° 1977
March 30, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Len had coffee water hot. After breakfast, got our clothes ready to go to Lens eye doctor. Ethel and Ralph came about 12:30. Had to wait quite a while at Dr. Office was full – first time since we’ve been going.
Went to Big Bear. Chicken on sale 49¢ lb. Didn’t forget Cat Chow this week.
Took Ethel out to see the green house when we came home. She was speechless at the mess of empty pots and dead flowers.
Before supper, I cut up the 4 chickens and separated them to freeze. Had an enjoyable evening watching The Waltons – last one of the season. Kim was down while we were gone – Sorry to miss her. Wrote her a letter.
Low 24° High 48°
March 31, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Got Kims letter in the mail – Fed cat. Doesn’t seem to like his cat chow like he used to. After breakfast, I put on my brace and dressed for some outdoor work. First froze the chicken and got potatoes from the freezer for supper.
Burned two big garbage bags of paper and trash that has been in the garage since Dec. Could hardly get thru garage. Cleaned up around burning barrel. Threw old cornstalks over teh bank. Donna was up for about 45 min. Brought me tomato seeds and oxalis bulbs. Raked rocks up to make front walk nicer. Brought in some cement slabs for walk by green house. But too tired to lay them in place.
Low 42° High 77°
65° at 11:20
April 1, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Mopped kitchen. Made me some good coffee – heated water for Lens instant. Took letters (Bills) to mail box) Winds almost blew me over.
Tried to take a nap after lunch, but the winds tore at the roof. Took the binoculars and walked out in the field to check the roof. Its still there. Gathered a few of Donnas rocks iris and brot in to show Len. Cleaned sewing room, swept bathroom and bed room.
Cooked pound of Northern beans. Got hungry, had some for supper. Baked the rest. Will freeze some for a future treat now and then. Took good hot bath.
Winds up to 38 mph all day. Took door glass out – (going to get colder tonight)
Low 60° High 76°
51° at 11:10 PM
North winds 10 MPH
(On the side of the page there is a note – “Thought: Worry is wasting todays time, to clutter up tomorrows opportunities with yesterdays troubles.”)
_____ WEEK 14 _____
April 2, 1978 – Got up 8:45 Put on water for coffee. Mixed marinate and fixed beef cubes for stew for supper. Carried cans to garage. Swept kitchen, moved furniture and swept living room. Dusted after breakfast.
Felt awfully tired after lunch, so layed down and tried to sleep. Finally! Slept from 1:50 until almost four. Couldn’t seem to wake up.
Got up, put meat on in the pressure cooker. Emptied garbage on compost pile and took walk around yard to wake me up. Found my first crocus – Brought it in to Len.
After supper got typewriter from closet to write to Lisa – Ribbon dried out some – Didn’t look so hot so I finished by hand. Len worked on T.W. (typewriter). Will try it out again tomorrow. Sat on porch for first time after supper.
39° at 11:15 P.M.
April 3, 1978 – Was awake at 7:00 am – but slept again til 10:00 Len was already up and had his first cup of coffee. Dressed and mailed electric bill and Lisa’s letter. Just had toast for breakfast and made bed and went out to cut down the dead arbo. Cut all the orquideas and piled them up. Will have to saw off stumps later.
Put drops in Lens eye. Watched “soaps.” Washed out 4 feed sacks of Rosies so I can make more dish towels and hung them out doors. Beautiful day! Emptried more flower pots of old soil – Len came out to green house. Only time he has been out since last fall except to go to Dr. and the hospital. We sat on the porch after supper for half and hour.
Low 38° High 73°
60° at 11:15 P.M.
(Note on the side for the 3rd – Got the arborvitae cut down just in time this forenoon before the rains started.)
April 4, 1978 – Got up 8:10 It was so warm in the trailer. Yesterday, decided I’d get up and get at the windows today. Took out the storm windows from 2 windows in kitchen and one in the living room – washed outside windows before Len got up at 10:00. After breakfast – washed screens and we put them in. Washed 2 extra small screens for sewing room and hallways. Have 3 more smaller ones to wash and the three big ones for living room. Washed windows I took out and we put them back in the head board. Didn’t bother to put on my brace this morning and my back and neck ached. Laid and resting from 3:45 to 4:45. Quite raining about five o’clock.
Low 54° High 70°
Todays rain .21″
50° at 11:15
(Note on the side for the 4th – “Rained off and on all day. Two thunder storms; had to turn off pump. Poured real hard between 3:00 and 4:00. Made trips to garage, mail box and to get the paper between showers.”)
April 5, 1978 – Got up at 9:00 Put water on for coffee. After breakfast, went outside to work. Cleaned up twigs and limbs from under pear trees and apple tree – also by garage under olive trees; branches I cut last fall from them and the cottoneasters. Carried most of the arborvitae that I cut yesterday back to the half moon. Laid cement slab in walkway at corner of green house by back arborvitae.
A couple hours are all I can take outside. Have to take it easy for the first two or three weeks, until I get broke in to working outside again. Shoulders ache –
Watched “soaps” after lunch, then took nap from 3:10 to 4:30. Len never calls me as I tell him to – Lets me sleep until I feel like waking up. Some day he won’t get any supper.
Low 42° High 60°
52° at 11:15 PM
April 6, 1978 – (Note at top – “Uncle Walter Eccard died. Moms last brother age 83 yrs”) Got up 9:00 Len up first. had coffee ready. Got dressed to go to Doctor. Took walk around yard while waiting on Ralph & Ethel. 12:00 Ethel Ralph came. After doctor, went to Big Bear – also Revcos.
Didn’t do much after we got home. Kinda tired, so put away groceries and things in freezer in garage. Had a bad wind storm for about half an hour – trailer shook and leaves swirled against the windows.
Called Ethel and told her about Uncle Walter Eccard. Thunder storm watch was cancelled at 8:00 PM but wind still very strong at 9:30.
10-20-30 gusts
Low 44° High 66°
April 7, 1978 – Got up 8:10 Ethel called around 8:30 Said they would pick me up little after 1:00 to take me down to Maders to see Uncle Walter Eccard. Good to see some of his family again. Ruth and a daughter, Brubbie his son and wife from Conn., Emmitt Eccard and his wife, Mason Klingensmith, Harold & Nellie Bumgardner – Raul Eitel and his wife, Pete Eitels wife. Bus Eccard – Some of our relatives I didn’t even know.
Stopped at Rhodes Market on way home and got 5 boxes of giant pansies (Gave Ethel one). Also got a doz dwarf snapdragons.
Winds 3 MPH
57° 11:15
Low 41° High 72°
April 8, 1978 – Got up 8:10 Put on coffee water – took my first cup and went to the green house – emptied more flower pots. Carried most of the soil from pots to the half barrel. Put pots in old oval tub by well pit to wash later. Burned 4 or 5 bags of trash. came in for breakfast.
Went out again and gathered up limbs from East side of garage and hauled to half moon (4 or 5 loads). Raked along back fence from half moon to shed. Empty bucket of sticky potatoes and dead flowers from greenhouse. Came in for lunch 12:30.
Laid down 2:15. Couldn’t sleep but rested until 3:30. Went out against 4:00 – cleaned old straw from tulip bed up front.
Fixed ironing board cover (in garage). Emptied more pots in greenhouse and locked up. Really put in a good day. Hope I can get out of bed in the morning. Took good bath after supper to ease aching bones.
Low 42° High 59°
44° at 11:15 PM