 |
| Grandma "camping" in 1959. |
In 1997, she turned 82 while living alone in a mobile home park in Santa
Cruz, Calif., but I wouldn't describe her as lonely. She was an
extremely independent and persnickety woman whom I never knew to live
with another person or even a pet. (I wrote more about her life in an
earlier post.)
Close
to her home was the famous surfing spot called Pleasure Point, and she
loved walking on the cliffs above the ocean and watching the surfers. When she died at 97
in 2013, I took her ashes to those waves with a friend of hers and we
each dropped some at the sand. A moment after I dropped mine, a surfer
emerged from the water where I stood.
That was cool.
 |
| Pleasure Point, 1997. Photo taken by my grandmother. |
In October of 1997, she had just turned 82 and was watching plenty of movies, baseball and football, and even embarking on home improvement projects.
Wednesday, Oct. 1, 1997
To Longs, BP machine out. Gave homeless $2.
Ate at McDonald's.
Deposited $81.89 in Justine’s account.
To office for rent receipt. “Dottie” there, spoke about Las Vegas.
Ate, slept 2 hours.
Cleaned patio and swept.
TV: X-Files, Voyager. Taped “The Lullaby of Broadway.”
Thursday, Oct. 2, 1997
Up 7:30. Tea, cereal.
Changed sheets.
To Kmart, got pansies, BP check.
Home, planted pansies.
Did washing, skirts (2), pants, sox.
To show, “In & Out.” Good.
Checked if coupon accepted to Full Monty, yes.
Watched Mystery, John Thaw. Not great. He smokes.
Did Patrick Stewart announce marriage?
Friday, Oct. 3, 1997
Awakened by loud talk next door!
To Longs, BP, TV Guide.
Cut back Jasmine.
Read papers, made tuna salad.
Ran “Di, the People’s Princess.”
TV: X-Files, Star Trek TNG.
Saturday, Oct. 4, 1997
Up 8:30. Tea, cereal.
Worked on cuttings, watered lawns, flowers.
To library, read Time mag re Diana. Took pix of 4 pages.
Long lines at cinema, decided not to go.
To Trader Joe’s. home.
Taped “Vertigo,” watched “I confess,” ran end of Laura.
Sunday, Oct. 5, 1997
Tea, cereal, toast.
Worked on cuttings, packed for pick-up tomorrow.
To show, “The Edge.” Good.
To library, Barrons, Sports Illustrated, checked out Time with Diana.
To Kmart, BP, got turkey sandwich.
TV: Football, Siskel & Ebert.
Taped “Laura” again, cut off last words before.
Slept, but not good. Cold coming on?
Monday, Oct. 6, 1997
No washing.
To Longs, Albertsons, bank.
WINDY!
Shoulder hurts. Cold?
Wrote Mina. To post office. mailed pix of Time mag. $.78
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 1997
Tea, cereal, worked on extending prices of stock.
TV: CNN, taped Shirley MacLaine movie, “What a Way to go.”
Dressed, got paper, walked on cliff. Windy, warm.
To Burger King, got fish sandwich.
Home, news.
Tried bed. Read, crossword, couldn’t sleep til 12:30.
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 1997
To Longs, BP machine out again!
Cold! Weather man said 20 degrees from last week.
Vacuumed vents for heater.
Hurt side, twisted while vacuuming. Home all rest of day.
Read papers.
TV: News, some Geraldo, ran “Laura.” (Second tape.)
Thursday, Oct. 9, 1997
Awake 7:15. Debated whether to wash or not.
Mailed letter to BNY and New Energies.
To Laundromat, 9:10 to 10:15.
To Drug Emporium after Burger King: Got cards, soup, cookies.
To Kmart, ate.
TV: X-Files, Mystery.
Friday, Oct. 10, 1997
Tea, cereal.
Called Passport, what a hassle! Filled in renewal.
To Bay Photo. Clerk going to Japan in summer to teach English.
To post office, mailed passport.
Home, ironed.
TV: Equalizer, Quincy, re-read Diana info.
Bed, but read papers, washed dishes.
Saturday, Oct. 11, 1997
Up 8:30. Some chores.
Breakfast Kmart.
Oiled tables, got legs out of shed.
To OSH, got clamps for shed.
Home for new movie by Gene Rodenberry, but baseball game!
Mail: Card from Mimi and Justine, she not coming.
Ran tape, “The Lady Vanishes.”
Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997
Tea, cereal.
Walked cliff. Chilly.
To Kmart, veal dinner.
Football: 49ers vs. Rams, 30-10.
Called Mina. She called back, was at pharmacist.
Watered lawn.
Monday, Oct. 13, 1997
No sleep until 3.
Bank closed.
To library, looked for county municipal codes. Four huge books!
To show, “Soul Food.” Left 3/4 way through, then went to see end of “The Edge.”
Hot here. 72 degrees at 10.
Sports: Orioles won, Redskins beat Cowboys.
TV: Bio of Vincent Price, three marriages. Died at 82 years, 1993.
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 1997
Slept til 9. Still groggy.
To Thrifty, no plug. To OSH, yes, got it.
To Longs, BP and cans of food, TV Guide.
To KFC, chicken salad, $2.80.
Home. Very hot.
Got wrong-sized plug.
Wrote Justine.
Walked around park. Mary’s home dark?
Wednesday, Oct, 15, 1997
Tea, cereal.
Watered back lawns, washed car, raked leaves.
To OSH, exchanged plug.
To Longs, BP.
Hot!
Ran “Laura” tape to record “Spellbound.”
Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997
Tea, cereal.
Walked cliff, no wind. Hot.
BP at Drug Emporium.
Home, priced stocks, figured costs.
To Albertsons, got veggies for salad.
TV: Frasier, X-Files, Mystery, some news.
Tired, up 1-3-5-7
Friday, Oct. 17, 1997
BP at Longs.
Scotts Valley, breakfast at Chubby’s.
To doctor, got flu shot.
Walked, worked on tax of stocks. Can’t take a loss, only a small capital gain.
TV: News, Frasier, X-Files, some NYPD Blue. Taped “Passion Fish.”
Saturday, Oct. 18, 1997
Tea, cereal. Watered lawns.
Ellie told me Mary died, also Clara.
Worked on clamps in shed, put 3 up.
Walked.
To show, “Playing God.”
Got pads.
Ran “Passion Fish,” taped “Maltese Falcon.”
Sunday, Oct. 19, 1997
No sleep til 3, up 9.
Tea, cereal, football.
Walked, to 41st donut. Talk of motel, and low income on 38th.
Called Prudy at 2:30, talked 3/4 hour. One eye fine, other got infected.
Called Justine at 4:30, decided next week.
Taped Making of English Patient, Art of Russian Skating.
Monday, Oct. 20, 1997
Awake 7:15. Tea, then to Burger King.
Drug Emporium, got vitamins on sale.
To library, returned magazine.
Took pix of Newsweek re: Diana’s accident.
To carpet place, didn’t see anything.
TV: Football, TNG.
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 1997
Up 9:15. Longs, BP, got mandarin oranges.
To Gottschalk’s, all sales gone!
To carpet place on Soquel, forgot map.
Kmart for lunch.
Home, talked to Lois & Oscar.
TV: News, baseball. Taped bio of Rita Hayworth.
Shower/hair.
No sleep til 2. Awake 7:15, refreshed!
Wednesday, Oct. 22, 1997
To laundromat, washed pants, three pair; red sweatshirt, blue work outfit, denim jacket (Liz).
I was only client 8:20 to 9:20.
Home, wrote part of letter to Mina.
Longs, BP and writing pad.
To carpet place, ordered. Salesman to be here Friday.
Ate soup, pie.
Thursday, Oct. 23, 1997
Walked cliff. Saw O’Neill. Grizzled, eye patch.
What are men doing at base of house? Portable toilet at top?
To Wherehouse, returned video.
To show, “Devil's Advocate.” Morality play, absorbing, Al Pacino great.
Baseball: Marlins won
Friday, Oct. 24, 1997
Up 8:30, tea.
BP at Longs, someone left picture in Xerox.
Drug Emporium, got toilet paper, 12 for $1.99
Home, vacuumed bathroom, vent in kitchen, oiled furnace.
Bathroom needs floor repaired, called TLC.
Sunday, Oct. 26, 1997
Justine here.
Listed stocks. Surprised, total stocks up $1,000.
Walked cliff. Private contractors, building seawall below small house. Also sifted for seashells, fossils.
To OSH, priced rods. To Kmart, rods about $16.
Ate Marie Callendar’s, $15.00
To show, “Full Monty.” Hard to understand.
Monday, Oct. 27, 1997
Awake 4 a.m.! Justine up 7:30.
Ate at Lyon's. To cliff, hard hats.
To Trader Joe’s, Justine left 10:30.
Home, rested a bit. Hot. Sent videos to Mina.
To Burger King, chicken sandwich.
To OSH, no salesman.
TV: Green Bay over New England, Bears over Miami. Bed after X-Files.
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 1997
Up 6:45. Sleep not on track yet after time change.
Watered lawns, hosed car.
Longs, BP. McDonald’s, got coffee. Bank, got money.
Home, called Mercury News regarding skating.
Cleaned windows in bedroom, 10 to 2.
Burger King, got chicken sandwich.
Drug Emporium, candy.
Home, news. Called Mina 5:15 to 5:45.
TV: Fraiser, X-Files (new to me).
Thursday, Oct. 30, 1997
Up 7:30. Tea, etc.
Shower/hair. Walked.
Man asked me to zip him, suit caught.
Longs, got tuna, chicken, mandarin oranges, TV Guide.
Young man wanted food, gave soup, milk.
TV: Fraiser, X-Files, Mystery.
Friday, Oct. 31, 1997
Awake 7:30, up 8:30.
Breakfast Burger King.
Tennis, Paris Open.
Rested a bit, walked on cliff.
Ran “Napoleon.”
TV: "The Mummy," Frasier, X-Files.
Larry outside at night, “looking at stars.”
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