We’ve caught up with grandma’s 1978 journal, so now we’re on single weeks, FINALLY! This week really gave me a peek at her humor, talking about her “fanny” – oh, how I giggled at that! She is something else.
She didn’t leave me a bunch to do for photos this week. I tried to find an ad for Murphy’s Mart to correlate, or a photo of it but there was nothing relevant. However, if you’re interested in Circleville’s early history, you can find lots of postcards of Murphy’s when it was G.H. Murphy’s 5 & 10 store in the 20s & 30s.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
_____ WEEK 19 _____
May 7, 1978 – Got up 9:00. Took bath after breakfast – While Len bathed, I ran sweeper in kitchen – Ethel called about 11:00 or 11:30. Wanted to know if we would like to go to Big Bear and Murphys. Of course we would. Len didnt know if he would go or not, but he got dressed. Ethel brought me three containers of strawberry plants.
Got groceries then went to Murphys. Got 4 geraniums 84¢ each. 4 towels and 4 wash clothes that Len likes and 3 dish clothes and 1 garden digger. Mothers Day card for Pearl.
Set out some of the strawberry plants in iron kettle.
Thought for today: “No man ever did a designed injury to another without doing a greater injury to himself.” – Henry Home, Scottish jurist, 1696-1782
Low 41° High 56°
56° 11:05
E -2 to 3 MPH
May 8, 1978 – Got up 8:45 Finished letter and mailed to Olive and Ruth. Mailed Mothers Day card to Mom H.
Fed Cat – After breakfast, Len made bed – I got in clothes from line in garage. Went to green house and watered petunias. Carried the 4 geraniums to green house that I bought yesterday. Rained almost all day and I couldn’t set out anymore of the strawberries. Put on my red boots and took a tour of the yard after I got the paper.
Stormed up enough – I watched my “soaps” today. Len did all the dish washing today and made the meat loaf. I made chicken vegetable soup for supper.
64° 11:15 P.M.
Low 54° High 64°
May 9, 1978 – Got up about 9:00 Mailed cards (Rosie, Pearl, Lou). After breakfast, got some clothes from garage for Len to fold. Left him to make the bed while I set out a pan of strawberries – Raked old wet leaves from under plum bush and hauled to compost pile – Brought back bucket of compost – cleaned up old grass Len dug from around red bud tree.
Worked for an hour on the back, weeding the Iris, ajuga and lambs ear. Len had a fit – winds 24 to 39 M.P.H. but I didn’t notice. Bank broke the winds. Rained me in at 12:30. Donna stopped to talk for a few minutes. Watched soaps after Len fixed sandwiches. Sewed on one of cobbler aprons during commercials. After soaps, took oxalis bulbs to green house and transplanted to hanging pots.
Thought for today: “Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.” – John Ruskin, English writer and art critic, 1819-1900
54 at 11:15
Low 55 High 69
West Wind at 5
(Note on the side: “Man! The winds are terrific today. 24 to 39 MPH Poor tulips are all but lying on the ground. Blue bells are dancing.”)
May 10, 1978 – Mothers Day card from Susan. Another stray cat came. Got up 8:00 Fed cat and watered flowers in the green house. After breakfast set out another pan of strawberries. Raked up leaves from around back steps – Removed old boards and flower pots, and spaded up the flower bed around the arborvitae.
Took up 2 plastic tile and laid black plastic in path for another wagon load of stone Len brought in. Set out a few more berries on bank flower bed. Got card full of leaves to empty later. Watered some of the petunias in G.H. Washed out the five new towels I got at Murphys Sunday.
56° at 11:15 P.M.
Low 49° High 63°
May 11, 1978 – Mothers Day card from Lou and Arch. Woke up 7:00. Put on water for coffee – Back to bed ’til 8:00 – After breakfast left Len to make bed again and I cleaned under carriage of push mower & oiled shaft, wheels, and filled her up. Swept most of garage while waiting for grass to dry off. Len mowed yard and half of the field.
I trimmed all around flower beds and down bank and along fence to grape vines, around back of garage – worked around back maple tree – pulling tall grass and leveling the ground. Dug some on flower bed by Moms rose bush.
We’re both pooped out tonight – soaked my fanny in good hot bath after supper.
Donna brought me two starts of flowers today. One a piggy back. The other a vine of some sort. Fixed a work shirt for Len this evening.
62° 11:15
Low 45° High 77°
From SE 5 to 10
May 12, 1978 – Got up at 9:00 Len already having his first cup of coffee. Raining so can’t do anything outside today. Man my hips so sore today from pushing the mower yesterday. Len still tired too from all his shaking on the mower yesterday. Don’t care whether I do anything today or not.
The yard looks so nice today, except where I tossed the fertilizer. Two different colors. Gathered in a nice bouquet of lilacs today. Cut a little more asparagus. hung out the basket of verbena today and cut off all the faded blooms.
Took a little walk this eve after the rain stopped. Pulled a little grass from false dragon head when I went out to get the paper. Temptation to work in the wet – Piddled around with my “Garden Talk” book.
Cut and washed my hair this eve. Worked on the cobbler apron this evening. All done but putting on the pocket.
Low 60° High 66°
34° 90° (1941)
SW 10-15 MPH