In tiny notebooks, my grandmother wrote each day when she woke, where she ate breakfast, any movie she went to see, any mail and calls she received, then what she read and watched on TV before bed.
In 1998 she was 82 and living alone in a mobile home park in Santa Cruz, Calif., but I wouldn't describe her as lonely. She was an extremely independent, frugal and persnickety woman whom I never knew to live with another person or even a pet after she raised my mother as a single mother in Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s. (I wrote more about her life in this post.)
She lived close to the famous surfing spot Pleasure Point, and nearly every day she walked to those cliffs to watch the ocean and anyone surfing it. When she died at 97 in 2013, I took her ashes to those waves with one of her friends, and we each dropped some ashes at the sand. A moment after I dropped mine, a surfer emerged from the water where I stood.
That was cool.
In July of 1998, my grandmother was watching lots of tennis and golf while preparing for her next big trip: Taking me to New York in October for my first visit there.
Wednesday, July 1, 1998
Up 7:30. Usual.
Tennis: Williams lost. Slipped, had bad calls. Very mad.
To library, 1 hour. Parking meter broken.
Home, working on ironing shirts, pants for summer wear.
Ate dinner, news.
Mina called, got mints. Talked of tennis, opossums, NY.
Put summer clothes in closet. Too many clothes.
Watered lawn. Myra brought some strawberries.
Thursday, July 2, 1998
Treasure Island, police trying to capture man wanted for murder in Texas.
Walked on cliff. Foggy.
Drug Emporium for BP, then coffee/donut.
Home, tennis. Wrote Prudy.
Mailed Sunset magazine + letter to Prudy.
Mail: Letter from Carla.
Friday, July 3, 1998
Up 7:10. Usual.
Washed white slacks.To Drug Emporium for paper.
Home all afternoon, tennis.
TV: News, Frasier, “Best Seller.” Brian Dennehy. Tense, much killing.
Saturday, July 4, 1998
Up 6 a.m. for women’s tennis. Couldn’t watch!
To Drug Emporium, got paper, candy, trail mix.
Waked on cliff.
Took clothes to Salvation Army.
To show, “Out of Sight.” Enjoyed, some laughs.
TV: Live at Lincoln Center, Shirley Horn, blues singer. She was high?
News: Shooting at Alameda?
Sunday, July 5, 1998
Awake 7:30. Tennis.
To town, coffee at Peet’s.
Library, Crown Books.
Home 4 p.m., Burger King.
TV: “Midsomer Murders.”
Tired but couldn’t sleep. Up for Melatonin.
Monday, July 6, 1998
Up 8:30. Usual.
Wrote Justine.
To post office.
Letter from Claudine, Paris.
Bought Justine’s ticket. [She took me to New York that October.]
Tuesday, July 7, 1998
Called Mina. Talked long, tennis.
Bank, got stock certificate.
Longs, Xerox out. BP.
Drug Emporium, BP 137. Longs 118?
To Kinko’s, pix of phonebook, Fodor’s NY. Sent map to Justine.
Home, ESPN, soccer. Brazil won on penalty kicks.
BP at Live Oak, another number, two different. Bought raffle tickets.
TV: Part of “E” Janis Joplin.
Wednesday, July 8, 1998
Awake 6:30. Shower, hair.
Dentist 10 a.m. Just cleaning and exam, $89.
Kmart 11:30, hot turkey sand.
Home, soccer.
Picked up prize at Live Oak! Red, white and blue afghan.
TV: Part of Diagnosis Murder. 10 news, also 11 news.
Bed, slept good with new afghan, not too heavy. But right leg not good in a.m.
Thursday, July 9, 1998
Awake 7. Usual breakfast. Walked on cliff.
To Kmart, BP, paper. Bought Dinty Moore dinners.
Home: Got stuff out of shed for thrift store. 2 hours.
Mail: Check from U.S. West.
To bank, put check in.
Got Lotto ticket.
TV: “Fifth Element.” Maybe I saw it? [Yes, she did!]
Friday, July 10, 1998
Up 8, usual. To Longs, returned video.
To library from 10:30 to 12.
Home, called Justine two times.
To Live Oak after buying “White-out” at Palace.
Home, 5 p.m. news. O.J. appealing civil case.
Read papers, raked, watered.
Saturday, July 11, 1998
Awake 6. Packed vitamins.
First real sunny, then fog.
Mailed two books to Mina.
To Drug Emporium for BP.
To library, looked up Newton Hotel in NY.
Got gasoline.
Mail: Letter from Prudy, Visa bill, package from NYC.
Sunday, July 12, 1998
Up 7 a.m. Usual, left 8:45.
Stopped at Burger King in Union City. In Oakland about 11.
Two blocks to museum.
Justine arrived 1 p.m. Ate.
Missed Gold Rush, got two free passes.
Left 4:30,got train immediately.
Drove 115 miles, $2.65 fee on BART.
Home 6:30.
TV: Siskel & Ebert, CNN, France won soccer.
Monday, July 13, 1998
Awake 5:30. Forgot to set alarm.
Called Wolcatt hotel, two beds, no coffee.
Made reservation at Newton, six nights, gave Visa for confirmation.
To mall, coffee and 1/2 muffin.
To show, “Madeline.” Fair, good audience.
TV: Last show of Sybil, Maryann broke.
Tuesday, July 14, 1998
Up 8, usual. To Longs for paper, BP.
Got magazine, Martha Stewart Living, and mailed to Prudy.
To Logo’s, only took 1 book. Not Jane Austen’s letters, I’ll keep them for a while.
Tried to take antenna off, could not get screw out.
Wrote to Prudy and Justine.
TV: Inside Story: LA Coroner, Morse, Law & Order, Frasier.
Read papers, did crossword.
Wednesday, July 15, 1998
To post office, mailed letters.
Drug Emporium: BP, TV Guide.
To Orchard, got liquid wrench. Worked on antenna, not able to get one screw out.
To Live Oak, danced with Mickey from Florida.
Hot. Ran video.
Bed at 9. Slept good.
Thursday, July 16, 1998
Awake 6:30, watered lawn. First tea.
Shower/hair.
Returned video to library.
Drug Emporium for BP, to bank for balance.
To Kmart for breakfast and BP again. Got Dinty Moore.
Home, balanced books. Ate pasta from last night.
Not too hot here today.
Wrote Mina, talked to Ellie.
Larry tried to get antenna off, could not see screw.
Walked on cliff.
Friday, July 17, 1998
Awake 6, then 8:50! Foggy.
Crossword and paper, ready about 11
Longs, BP way up! 162.
To library. Moved car, to Catalyst.
Ate, listened to “Wally and his swing band.” Not great, he off-key.
Left at 5:15, to Kinkos, more pix of Fodor’s.
TV: News, all reruns.
Saturday, July 18, 1998
Awake 6. Usual.
Walked East Cliff. Two men said “hello” and one woman.
BP at Drug Emporium, high. Yesterday’s soup?
Longs, BP, also high. Xerox of Fodor’s, due at library Thursday. Foned and renewed it.
TV: Taped “My Fair Lady” while I watched “The Enforcer.” Eastwood.
Monday, July 20, 1998
Awake 6:30, up 7:15.
Watered, fertilized lawn.
Called hotel.
Longs, BP, food.
Walked on cliff.
Read papers, more Fodor’s.
Some TV, sewed garter belt!
Tuesday, July 21, 1998
Up 7:30. Usual.
Changed sheets.
Walked on cliff.
Drug Emporium for BP, TV Guide.
Coffee at McDonald’s.
Checked gas station, busy.
Phoned MTA, NYC. Typed up info.
Started letter to Justine.
To Live Oak. Forgot to sign up. Did for tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 22, 1998
Good sleep. Up 9:30.
To laundromat, Kmart for breakfast.
Checked air in tires at Shell. Front low.
Back to Kmart for gas.
Home, wrote letter to Mina.
Called TCI, no free August. Very mad.
To Live Oak, sat with married couple talking computers. Talked about Gigi. Also man who was dancer, 85 now. Goes to Catalyst on Fridays.
Thursday, July 23, 1998
Walked on cliff.
Drug Emporium. BP, trail mix.
To Sears. Paid bill, got two packages typewriter ribbons.
Longs. Got tissues, Men in Black video.
To 41st for donut/coffee. Talked to man from Goodwill.
Home. Ate coleslaw, washed beige sweater.
Ran MIB, took it back to Longs.
Ate, read papers, fell asleep. No breeze.
TV: Morse, POV: The Vanishing Line.
Friday, July 24, 1998
Up at 9. Usual.
Worked on photos from Larry [her brother] until noon.
To Drug Emporium for BP.
To town, donut/coffee.
To show, “Henry Fool.” Good, but not sure of ending. 2 hrs, 7 mins.
Fog until noon, sun after.
Mail: Letters from Mina, Prudy, B/A insurance.
Saturday, July 25, 1998
Awake 7:30. Usual. Cut grass around stones.
Shower, washed hair. Cut back and sides.
Ready about 12:30.
To San Carlos, 2nd St. Market. Tea now $2.99, was $1.25. Some with 20 packets $2.19.
To Nordstrom for new card, then ate at BK.
TV: Bravo, Jigsaw Man.
Sunday, July 26, 1998
Awake 7:30. Usual, new tea.
Packaged 16 vitamins.
Finished crossword.
To 41st donut/coffee. Her sister was in Japan.
Home, tennis. Called Mina, long talk.
To Kmart, got Dinty Moore.
TV: “Silent Witness,” then “The Politician’s Wife.”
Forgot to put trash out til 2:30 a.m. Larry forgot completely.
Monday, July 27, 1998
Awake 7, rested til 8.
Drug Emporium, BP, paper.
Library, read House & Garden, also Newsweek re Rudolph.
Mail: Bill, card from Prudy, card from Mina.
Dinner at Live Oak, talked to Vivian. Her youngest, 31, bought a BMW for $24,000. Works for Cisco in San Jose.
TV: Geraldo, Napoleon bio.
Worked on tea purchases til 9 p.m.
Bed, crossword, news.
Tuesday, July 28, 1998
Awake 7:15, up 8. Usual breakfast.
Watered lawn, fertilized plants, washed car mats.
Worked 9:30 to 11.
11:30 news re Lewinsky deal for immunity.
To show, “Mask of Zorro.” 2 hrs. Good sword play, stunts, special effects.
To KFC for sandwich.
Mail: Ads.
TV: Geraldo, Morse and Diagnosis Murder, everything repeats.
Wednesday, July 29, 1998
Slept 4-8. Usual breakfast.
To Albertsons for bananas.
Drug Emporium for BP and TV Guide.
Coffee at 41st.
Home at 11, worked all time on Larry’s pictures. Got a lot done. Now to write index.
4 p.m. news and read paper.
TV: Some X-Files, part of Robin and Seven Hoods.
Thursday, July 30, 1998
Usual breakfast. Worked in yard 11-12.
Cut “rabbit ears” and holly bush.
Dressed, to Rite-Aid. Got “nighttime” pads, trail mix, teeth cleaner.
To library, got video, "Eat Smart."
Checked Crown Books, filed for Chapter 11.
Home, ate here.
Friday, July 31, 1998
Pay rent.
Up 8:30. Breakfast, yard work.
To Longs, got cereal.
Kmart, gas, sandwich.
Home 12:45 p.m. Made two NYC calls.
Watched “Eat Smart.”
To Albertsons for milk.
TV: “To Die For.” Gross.
Bed, then awake 2:30 for milk, toast.
