Sorry for the missed week there; we had to replace a power supply on my PC and it took some time to arrive so this is two weeks of Grandma Rose’s journal to catch-up with her.
Grandma Rose introduced a new bush to me this week again – a mock orange bush and I’m absolutely thrilled. I live in Orange County, New York and as part of my work at the cemetery here, I take care of the graves of the Civil War soldiers from the 124th NY Volunteers known as the “Orange Blossoms.” Growing an orange tree here is near impossible due to the winter weather but I was thrilled to learn that a mock orange bush will thrive here in Zone 6. So I am now in search of a decent seller of the bush! They mimic the real deal but in miniature form. I’m just delighted. I’m related distantly through my father to several of the soldiers’ graves I tend to so this would be a nice tribute to them in my garden.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
_____ WEEK 22 _____
May 27, 1978 – Got up 8:30 Boy, was I bushed. Len too. He got up at 9:00. After breakfast – went out to start mower; had trouble, so had to wait ’til Len came out about 10:00. Opened up green house and fed cats. Len started mower for me. I trimmed all flower beds and along back bank; behind garage, etc. Len finished back yard and most of field – Ken finished field.
After lunch, Len worked in garage, and I ran sweeper over house – I worked half and hour on potato plot, and cut grass from around pear trees and front maple. Hauled wagon load of pots, etc. from garage to green house.
Ken got us gas and worked on Lens mower. Set out 5 or 6 Joseph coat plants, reset 6 hens & chicks. Put in another big screen in east living room window. Pooped tonight.
Low 59° High 8°7
74° 11:15
May 28, 1978 – Got up 8:30 After breakfast Len and I planted two rows of potatoes. Got real hot about noon. Got enough ground ready for the third row.
While Len worked in the garage, I set out some more purple sweet alyssum and petunias. Potted more purple & green wandering Jew in hanging basket. Came in at 4:00 and cooked chicken for supper. Made noodles.
Sorted through some more things in the garage. Put good gift boxes away and thru away some old magazines.
May 29, 1978 – (Note at top: “Begin using 15¢ postage.”) Got up 7:35 After breakfast, Len and I planted third row of potatoes. I raked up all old straw and shortest of corn stalk and leaves to put over the planted potatoes. Chopped up enough ground around the volunteer potatoes to plant a few more. Planted seeds of morning glory by fuel tank. Sowed seeds of summer savory by green house steps. Hope they come up.
Worked in garage with Len. Cut up some old dresses and kept the good lace and edging. Fixed cover to keep ironing board clean; weeded and fertilized, hoed asparagus bed – chopped up front trailer bed. Set out few mums from up front.
Low 65° High 85°
71° 11:15
(Note on the side: “Doesn’t look like Ed, Ralph, Grace and Jimmy will get down on their usual tour of the Hill this year. Iris, sweet rockets, columbine are prettier this year than they have been for three years. Lemon lilies beginning to bloom. The creeping charlies out the banks are like a yellow carpet.”)
May 30, 1978 – Got up 7:35 Took a long look out all the windows at the flowers in the misty morning. The dangling bells of the columbines, towering above the tallest of the pale blue iris and blue sweet rockets, lemon lilies, beginning to open, peek through all the others, yellow and bright. The sweet scented heliotrope, white against the huge mound of red peonies.
After breakfast, Len and I worked enough ground for 2 short rows of potatoes. While Len did potatoes, I finished Evelyns 3 pc suit. Stormed after lunch. No “soaps.” Took Evelyns suit over to her. Stopped and chatted with Al and Naomi for a few minutes. Set out few petunias in bank flower bed before supper.
May 31, 1978 – Got up 7:00 Went back to bed ’til 8:00 Put on water for coffee – Dressed, fed cats and went to work in the green house; cleared off the peg board of junk and hung up leaf rakes; hose sprayers, etc.
9:30 to 11:00 defrosted refrigerator – then spent over an hour washing flower pots. Len cleaned around rose bush up front, and around Gerties mock orange bush in east side yard before lunch. I washed more flower pots and carried some to green house while waiting for time for soaps. Watered them then took bath so be clean and rested so Evelyn could take me to Jones in evening. Sewed on cobbler apron for 45 mins or so.
Low 62° High 83°
June 1, 1978 – Got up 7:30 Coffee water on, dressed, cleaned weeds from around bush back of garage. After breakfast, went up to front yard flower bed and cleaned out moss, thistles and weeds from creep phlox bed; made and fertilized bed for salvia and petunias. Cleaned out most of bergamot after lunch. Cleaned 4 or 5 bunches iris on bank and hauled in debri from lens cleaning up yesterday. Len worked in A.M. on plot for beans.
After supper, I emptied wagon, put away tools. Sat on swing bench under back maple for half an hour with Len. Gathered asparagus and then set out 6 salvia. Took a few pictures of bank – cut some limbs from locust tree. Len worked in garage for few hours this P.M. Washed and dried few blouses & 5 pr shorts for Len.
Low 58° High 88°
58° 11:15
(Note on side: “Very humid today – too hot for Len but I worked outside most of the day and evening. Len half sick. Didn’t eat much for lunch or supper. I want to keep working, tho back tired.”)
June 2, 1978 – Got up 7:20 Heated water for coffee while I dressed. Took my coffee and made a B-line for green house to get the long handled digger. Worked in Lens bean plot for almost an hour. Got enough ground ready for two rows beans; enough dug up for two more. Had breakfast 9:00.
Len planted two rows beans while I hauled in dry grass from field mowing and put on potato patch. Set out rest of sweet alyssum before lunch. Len stayed in garage and we had lunch there. 1:30 I started to watch “soaps.” had to shut off T.V. 2:15 – Started to storm. Last until 3:00. Just sprinkled but windy.
Went outside to work even tho’ it was thundering in the distance. Set out rest of petunias and fixed up flower bed up front. Dusted with Sevin. Marked narcissius so I can take up some for Arch this fall. Tried out new sharpened sickle along back fence. from shed to half moon.
_____ WEEK 23 _____
June 3, 1978 – Got up 7:30 Coffee and headed outside. Got in 9:45 for breakfast. Put meat loaf in to bake at 10 and went back out again. Hoed new hedges and cleaned a few iris on the bank behind the hedges. Hoed around Hawthorne, burning bush, transplanted artemesia and lambs ear. Took up starts of creeping charlie from bank for Ef, and some creeping phlox.
Set out last 6 salvia by garage. Trimmed around front evergreen and double mock orange and front flower bed. Len did forsythia. Potted wandering Jew for Naomi – Finished washing up flower pots and took to green house. Burned two big bags of trash. Len hurt arm trying to start mower, so he ended up cutting grass from around logs, cleaned house and changed bed about 4:30. We were both in need of a good bath tonight.
Low 61° High 73°
June 4, 1978 – Got up 8:00 – Gathered flowers in to take to cemetery – potted up pansy to put on Moms grave – creeping phlox and Josephs coat for Glenns grave. Went to Laurelville to eat lunch then on to the Forrest and Harrison cemeteries. Found pot of wilted flowers on Moms and Pops graves, so we tore them apart and set most of them out in the ground. The rest we put on grandma and grandpa Eccards graves.
Stopped at Murphys and got film – Stopped and got an ice cream cone at Joes old place. Tasted good after running around.
Ken mowed the yard this evening – Started with the field – did it with his mower, then did yard with our mower. He brought Linda over to see the flowers, and she I have her a nice bouquet of iris and poppies.
Low 49° High 76°
June 5, 1978 – Got up 8:50 – Hated to get up. Still tired. Put on coffee and finished letter to send with Mom Hs Birthday card.
Len worked on grass around logs while I gathered up old grass and side from my work in the yard Saturday. Re-potted Rosies poinsettia.
Sewed last on my cobbler apron, cut off overalls and hemmed them. During commercials, put Lens PJs to soak – after soaks, washed them, 9 bras and 5 pairs socks. Got them dry –
After supper, Len worked on grass around back maple. I worked on bank flower bed, mulched asparagus. Watered breezeway flowers.
Low 59° High 77°
June 6, 1978 – Got up 8:00 As usual put on coffee, went to open up GH and garage. Picked off the old pansies. Filled a few jugs with water before breakfast –
Took a few pictures while Len dressed for outdoor work. We dug up enough space for a few tomatoes. I dug more grass from around back maple while Len finished cutting grass from the logs. Then sowed a few flower seeds on bank; pink dianthus in breezeway flower bed. Did some more hand washing while Len worked more on the tomato plot.
Arch and Lou came this eve. Was sure surprised. They brought meat, cheese, and potato chips. Ate supper here. Then we took a tour of the yard. Walked down the road and looked at all the bank then came back to the yard – Arch fell in love with the hardy geranium and I gave him a start of it. Start of Bettys ground cover, one of Carols yellow flowers and 1 pot of verbenas. Arch wants some vines from the bank for his bank behind the house.
June 7, 1978 – Got up 8:30 After breakfast and usual work done, Len fixed wires for my hanging basket. Trimmed the blooming almond bush, in spite of the wet weather. Rained most of the morning.
Had lunch early and worked in sewing room. Took down some dry clothes from lines in garage, and put bed blankets in plastic bag. Still raining.
Could only watch T.V. from 1:30 to 2:15 because of lighting interference. Washed up about 3:00 and went to see if Evelyn could go to Tarlton. Maybe tomorrow.
Had supper early and while Len did dishes, I cut old dead branches from back arborvitae – it’s getting in bad shape.
Evelyn came and we went to Tarlton.
June 8, 1978 – Len got up first this morning, just couldn’t seem to be able to get up. Rained in the night and early morning. After breakfast while Len dressed, I mailed letter to Rosie, picked a few strawberries, and set out a tomato plant I found in the asparagus bed. Don’t know what kind it is.
Len rolled nuts and made icing while I stirred up a double batch of apple sauce squares – after lunch he did all the dishes.
Took tiny nap for an hour or so – very stormy. Took turn around the yard after the last storm.
After supper, dishes done, I baked a Dream cake (chocolate). After cake – I baked two meat loaves to freeze.
Only got to watch one show on T.V. (The Waltons) so read the papers. They’re putting underground telephone cables in today between showers.
Didn’t say up for news and weather.
(Note at top: “Beans coming up.”)
June 9, 1978 – Got up 7:55 While I waited for Len to get up, I loaded big wagon with dead limbs from the back arborvitae I cut off Wed. After breakfast, cut off limbs of Red Osier to give the pine air and cut off lilac shafts; suckers from maple tree – then on to bank and dug and pulled out a big garbage bag full of honey suckles from along the roadside lilies (3.5 hrs).
After lunch, Len went out to work on “cess pool mums” and I emptied big wagon and cut down blackberry vines from back fence between shed and half moon.
Watched “soaps.” Emptied old dry vines from garage – put pulled vines in cart to dry. Picked up all my tree limbs and Lens grass from mum bed. Dusted potatoes, beans, roses and gaillardias. Pulled grass from yellow barberry bushes while Len did the dishes. Supper. Beans coming up.
Low 58° High 73°
66° 11:15
(Note at top: “Men put phone line through yard today. Cut Lens hair this afternoon.”)