These entries are from 1999, when she was 83 and living in a mobile home park in Santa Cruz, Calif., near the popular surfing spot Pleasure Point, which she loved to walk to most days to watch the waves and surfers.
(More on my grandmother below.)
March of that year my grandmother was busy preparing her home for spring by washing pots and moving plants, and trying to learn how to use the Internet and email. According to her entries it was not going well, though I do remember her being able to email us for at least a little while. Also, she went to see "Shakespeare in Love" FIVE times that month!
Monday, March 1, 1999
Awake 7. Shower/hair.
Anna came by. Myra not moving.
To Aptos, got shoes. Rockport, 15% discount. $59.28 including tax.
To Fong office. Woman patient there said Fong drowned surfing.
To Kmart for lunch.
Stopped in at Dr. Blackwell’ office. They said he was fishing!
Home, Murder She Wrote, Jim Lehrer.
Bed, slept 1 hour.
TV: BBC News, “Tin Cup.”
No sleep til 2.
Tuesday, March 2, 1999
Check glasses at Drug Emporium, Sears?
Awake 7, heat til 7:30. Moved flowers around.
To Drug Emporium, BP OK.
To Gottschalks, bot black winter sweater, 2 hats, 2 pair pants, 1 white t-shirt.
Lost earring, purple glass.
Home, ate here. TV: MSW.
Pulled weeds for 1 hour. Elsie came out to talk. Husband to have operation soon.
Dinner here. TV: BBC News, some Geraldo, old Morse.
Some Gary Grant: Married 5 times.
No sleep til 2. Took melatonin.
Wednesday, March 3, 1999
Up 9, usual breakfast.
To Drug Emporium for TV Guide.
To Cypress for glasses, frames $118 (Medicare pays $63 plus lens) + 25 for UV.
Egret eating goldfish in pond at Cypress. Someone said the bird was an “Ebert.”
Lunch at KFC.
To show, “Message in a Bottle.”
Home, news. Lehrer.
Thursday, March 4, 1999
Wrote Sy and Stimson, took to post office.
To Kmart for gas and paper.
Go donut, finally found shop near Nob Hill.
Home 1 p.m., news. Read RLS.
TV: Geraldo, blonde on with big mouth.
Tired. Bed 9 p.m. but couldn’t sleep til 11:30.
Read, crossword.
Friday, March 5, 1999
To Longs for cholesterol check.
Library for Internet tutorial, woman on next stool helped me.
Called Justine, talked from 6 to 6:45. She plans to move 4/1 to Benicia. 2 bedrooms!
Also got tickets to Rent at GG Theatre with friends.
She phoned back re Monica
Bed, read, crossword.
Saturday, March 6, 1999
Slept til 8:15. Felt good. Cold, though.
To Longs for cholesterol check. Good.
To Beverly’s Fabrics, got more artificial flowers.
Home, lunch, letter from Mina: Sightseeing book.
Some yard work, put plants in back. Will they take?
Some TV, bed early.
Sunday, March 7, 1999
Called Mina.
Up 9:45, usual breakfast.
Read RLS 10 to 12 p.m.
Cold, though sun out.
Pulled weeds 12 to 12:45. Elle said Anne wanted her place. Myra brought magazines.
TV: Some tennis; 6 p.m. Scarlett Pimpernel. Short, 1 hour. Made in Paris.
Monday, March 8, 1999
Call Dr. Blackwell, change apt.
Joe DiMaggio died, lung cancer.
Shower/hair after breakfast.
Donna fended off robbers.
Turned mattress!
Garbage late.
Sent Ellen Goodman to Justine.
Home most of day. Cold, rainy. Put pots out in rain, read paper, etc.
Bed, no sleep.
Tuesday, March 9, 1999
Awake 8:30. Breakfast, chores.
To post office, sent book to Mina.
To library. On Internet, complete bust.
Home 1:30, washed some pots.
TV: Murder She Wrote.
Later: Morse, Law & Order.
Bed, crossword. Took melatonin. Slept OK.
Wednesday, March 10, 1999
Up 6ish. No melatonin hangover. Slept enough to get out of system?
Laundromat by 7:30. Homeless man in toilet, static on TV. Repair man OK’d to turn off.
Dentist 1:15, have filling. Return 3/23.
Lunch Kmart, soup & cheese sandwich. $2.68. Got groceries also.
TV: Due South, Morse, L & O.
Thursday, March 11, 1999
Awake 6:45. Usual breakfast. Chores.
Pots washed, also two vases. Gave two, kept tall glass in case Justine wants it.
Walked on cliff.
To library, found my name OK on email.
To Wendy’s, crowded. Got frosty, then to “Shakespeare in Love.” (3rd) [Justine here: This was her third time seeing that movie in the theater!]
Home, papers, Geraldo, L&O rerun.
Friday, March 12, 1999
Awake 7, usual breakfast.
Tested Fantastic on plastic watering can.
To Longs, got another Stayfree. Use at night.
Got donut, coffee good.
Home 12:30 p.m.. Anna needs ride to doctor's.
Bed, no melatonin. Sleep good.
Saturday, March 13, 1999
Awake 6:30, cold. Usual breakfast.
To Longs, Apricots all gone! Got more soup, checked BP. Not good.
To Drug Emporium, got diuretics, cookies, TV Guide.
Home, worked on pots. Broke one, little man who hung on pot.
Tennis: Serena Williams def. Steffi Graff: 6/3, 3/6, 7/5.
More work on pots.
Bed 9, restless. Sleep finally 12:30.
Sunday, March 14, 1999
Awake 8:30. Cold! Planned to wash pots, too cold.
Some housekeeping, wrote Carla.
After lunch wrote Prudy. Finished 5:30.
Washed dishes. Raining, cold.
TV: News, Siskel & Ebert.
Shower/hair 7 to 8.
Monday, March 15, 1999
Anna to Dr. 3 p.m. She talks too much.
Awake 7:30, up 8. Out for waste can at 10.
Coffee at McDonald’s.
Checked tires, left rear low.
To Gottschalk’s checked vests. Laurent not on sale.
To bank for balance.
Myra called, took apartment in Santa Maria. $600, 1 bedroom.
TV: New program, John Larroquette. No good.
Tuesday, March 16, 1999
Awake 6:45, usual breakfast. Cold.
Too tired to go to San Francisco, worked on toenails.
Drug Emporium for TV Guide.
To library, on Internet 1 hour. No way to get messages. Everything but!
Home, worked on pots again. Moved ficus? to bigger pot.
Usual TV, old Morse.
Wednesday, March 17, 1999
Usual breakfast, chores.
To Longs to Xerox federal taxes.
To library, talked about Internet. Read about cataract surgery.
TO KFC, pot pie.
Home, MSW, Lehrer.
Ana visited, Myra sold home. Ad in paper, $49,500.
Worked in yard a bit.
TV: More Due South, Law/Order.
Bed early, tired.
Awake 11:30-2!-4.
Thursday, March 18, 1999
Awake 6:30, up 7. Cold, turned on heat.
Sorted medical, cost of cataract: $555 + 80 glasses.
To Gottschalk's, got 2 cheap rings.
Home. Gardener cut grass.
Talked to Myra, gave her magazines, jars.
To show, "Shakespeare in Love." (4th). Forgot hearing aid! See again?
Bed 9:30 p.m.
Friday, March 19, 1999
Cold a.m. Some chores.
To Drug Emporium, got Kleenex and Band-aids.
Got donut/coffee. Girl fun to talk with.
To library, got into email no problem. Message from Carla, sent her another message.
Talked to Justine, she visited Karen in Fullerton. They went to Van Gogh exhibit in L.A. Crowded! Of course, also to see band in Long Beach.
TV: Bio on Gwyenth Paltrow from Shakepeare. Good!
Saturday, March 20, 1999
Awake 6:30, usual breakfast.
Chores: Vacuumed, cleaned furnace filters.
To Drug Emporium for paper.
To Live Oak, "George" not there.
To library, got story on Fong drowning on Internet.
Talked to man who uses "hot" mail, has friend in Japan.
To show, "Affliction." Nick Nolte, good performance.
TV: News, "Unforgiven,"Clint Eastwood.
Sunday, March 21, 1999
Up 6:30. Typed some collected info on eye surgery.
Wrote Joan and Sally, took to post office. Got stamps.
To Kmart, gassed car.
TV: Siskel & Ebert, Oscars: Gwyenth Paltrow, Dench, Roberto Benigni, Best Actor & Best Foreign Film.
Monday, March 22, 1999
Awake early, usual brakfast.
Drug Emporium for BP, Kmart for lunch. Got groceries, t-shirt.
Home, some yard work.
TV: Murder She Says, Lehrer.
Read papers, mail.
Bill from Doctors on Duty, called them. Need to send copy of Medicare statement.
TV: Geraldo, Due South, Frasier.
Tuesday, March 23, 1999
Awakened 6:30 by loud noise.
Xerox machine at Longs out. Went to McWhorters.
To Kmart, returned t-shirt.
BP 110/73 ?? Tried Longs, 181?
To dentist 11 a.m. Filling, $27, plus 3 x-rays. Need to get #18 extracted.
TV: No "Due South," NBA Inside Story, Law & Order.
Wednesday, March 24, 1999
Up 2-5-8. Breakfast usual. Shower, hair.
Myra called last night. She leaves 3/30. She has bridge problems, too!
Ate KFC. Capitola Theatre closed for upgrade.
Wrote H + J, sent $250 to each.
TV: Part of new show, "It's Like, You Know." Clever, demeans LA.
Thursday, March 25, 1999
Feel better if no melatonin.
Awake 6:50. Heat. Usual breakfast.
Cleaned patio, in part.
To McDonald's, coffee.
To library, sent email to Carla.
Home, lunch.
To show, "Shakespeare in Love." [Fifth time!]
TV: News, Due South, L&O, checked Morse, old.
Decided against trip to SFO.
Friday, March 26, 1999
To Watsonville. Took x-ray to Dr T's.
Ate at McDonald's.
Home, foned back regarding allergies, filled out form for surgery.
To show, "True Crime." Clint Eastwood, face lined!! First shot at bar with 23-year-old!
To Lucky to get bread. All $2.
Mail: TCI, elder hostel.
TV: Cracker, Law & Order, Frasier, Koppel.
Called Myra. Busy with packing.
Saturday, March 27, 1999
Up 6:30. Usual breakfast.
Called Mina, talked 1 hour.
To Longs, Albertsons, Drug Emporium. Coffee at McDonald's.
TV: Golf, skating. Maria B. deserved to win. Kwan second.
Sunday, March 28, 1999
Swept patio, washed car.
Talked to Ellie re warmer, Larry, Myra.
TV: Tennis match, Williams sisters.
To show, "Forces of Nature." Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck. Stupid at times.
To Watsonville to c where bus center was. Near where Ford's used to be.
To Kmart for ice cream.
Home, five mins yard work.
TV: News, Emma.
Bed early. Read some of "Green Knight."
Monday, March 29, 1999
To Watsonville 9 a.m. for extraction.
Up 7, made tea, lunch. No breakfast.
Arrived 8:45 a.m., skipped eye drop! No question about not driving home.
Took half hour, cost $150. Dr is strong, needed to pull out 3 roots! Tooth broke, big cavities.
He dedicated to program to educate mothers not to let babies have bottle all night.
Myra called. Worn out!
Bed early, took pill. Slept 10:45 - 5 a.m.!
Tuesday, March 30, 1999
Up 7:30. Usual breakfast.
Called dentist for appt, 4/7 11 a.m.
To Drug Emporium for TV Guide and cards, BP.
To Longs, got two more apricot cans, BP.
Coffee at McDonald's.
To library, turned in book. No chance at Internet.
Home. Myra left about 11.
Wednesday, March 31, 1999
Up 6:30.
To dentist. Bruise on palate, girl said.
To Santa Cruz McDonald's.
To Live Oak library, Internet all taken.
To Branciforte library, open Internet, checked email. I'm not adept at times. May have sent message twice!
Home, lunch.
Mail: Mail from Prudy.
TV: Murder She Wrote, Jim Lehrer.
More on these entries: I found a bag full of small Mead notebooks after my grandmother died, only learning then that for decades my grandmother wrote down every day when she woke, what she ate, what movie she went to see, any mail and calls she received, then what she read and watched on TV before bed. I find the details of her days fascinating, fun and very soothing to read.
More on my grandmother: Though she never lived with another person or even a pet when I knew her, I also never knew her to be lonely. She was an extremely independent woman who did not marry my grandfather when she became pregnant in 1943, and instead raised my mother on her own in 1950s Los Angeles. (I wrote more about her life in this post)
