Welcome to the daily life of my grandmother, a very persnickety and frugal woman.
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.
February of that year was full of frustrations: Incorrect listings in the TV Guide, wrong movie times in the newspaper, and the continuing impeachment proceedings for President Clinton, which she found stressful.
(More on my grandmother below.)
Monday, Feb. 1, 1999
Cold again. Ready — shower, hair, dressed — by 11.
To KFC for pot pie. Kmart for gasoline.
To doctor’s. Early, read. Pressure almost normal, upper limit.
Kmart, got blue flats, fabrics.
Home 2:15.
Starr in news again. He can file against a sitting president. Much protest.
TV: News, Poirot (old.)
Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1999
Cold again. Ready by 10, after chores.
To Drug Emporium, got TV Guide.
To bank for balance, McDonald’s for coffee.
To Longs, pix for Mina. Rented “Rush Hour” video.
TV: News, Geraldo.
Ran video,watched part of Law & Order.
Wednesday, Feb. 3, 1999
Cold. Usual breakfast. Chores.
To Longs, returned video. Got paper.
To bank, closed maximizer. Took $ to credit union.
Trader Joe’s, then home.
Wrote letter to Mina re eyes and R. L. Stevenson.
Lunch: Myra brought me meatball soup.
TV: Murder She Wrote, Jim Lehrer, Law & Order.
Thursday, Feb. 4, 1999
Up 8ish. Got package ready to mail.
Foned Trader Joe’s and Bay Credit Union re: overcharge.
To Ocean for donut/coffee.
To Library, no museum for RLS at Monterey.
To show, “A Simple Plan.” Scary. Bill Paxton, Bob Thorton. 5 murders.
Home, taped Lehrer. TV Guide had “Frost” on A&E, was Holmes. Watched PBS Mystery.
Friday, Feb. 5, 1999
Up 8ish. Usual breakfast. Left 10:30.
To Sears, looked for pants. Also Mervyn’s. No luck.
To Kmart for lunch and looked for pants.
To Trader Joe’s, got carrots & cash back for overcharge.
Mail: Check for $8.07 from Medicare?
TV: Again TV Guide wrong. Law & Order, bed early.
Saturday, Feb. 6, 1999
Awake 6. Cold. heat til 7. May rain.
To Albertsons: fish, milk, bananas, cream
Home: Senate, Some “Six Degrees of Separation.”
Called Justine.
TV: X-Files, skating in Japan; great ice dancing.
Sunday, Feb. 7, 1999
Up 8ish. Watched CNN at 10, some political show.
Wrote letter to Mina.
20 senators on TV shows, man in gallery yelled “Great God almighty, take that vote.” He was arrested but paper noted he may be acquitted because too many people in D.C. feel same way.
TV: X-Files, news.
Rain in night.
Monday, Feb. 8, 1999
Up 6 heat til 7.
Breakfast, chores. Garbage pickup 8:30.
Deposited $8.07 check.
Mailed letter to Mina, mailed face gel to Justine.
To Kmart, got applesauce, muffins.
To doctor’s, he had emergency.
Checked for blue purse, pants at Penney's, Gottschalks. None.
TV: Geraldo, part of Ally McBeal.
Tuesday, Feb. 9, 1999
Awake 6, heat til 7. Finished crossword.
Raining. Electricity out in mountains, mudslides.
To Drug Emporium, TV Guide. Finally changed price to 1.49.
Checked Mervyn’s, then Ross. Got two bags, blue & black.
TV: Morse, L/O.
Wednesday, Feb. 10, 1999
Usual breakfast.
Worked on Velcro to fix strap on blue purse.
Few chores, paper at Kmart.
Got purple flowers at Beverly’s Fabrics, put on Margie’s grave.
To Wendy's, chicken sandwich.
To Toyota, horn fixed. horn under warranty? $25 labor.
Home, ants have invaded!
TV: Geraldo, Lehrer. Forgot Morse.
Thursday, Feb. 11, 1999
Awake 2-4-6-8. Cold, heat. Read.
Chores, new battery in hearing aid.
Wind blew chips out in carport again.
Walked on cliff, then to KFC. Got pot pie & coconut pie. $5.13.
Home, some vacuum. Ants in bathroom.
Usual TV, read paper.
Friday, Feb. 12, 1999
Up 8, breakfast. Vacuumed early.
Vote at 9.50-50 Obstruction of Justice.
To show, “Little Voice.” Talked to man. Jane Horrocks, great voice.
Justine called. Rented Ab Fab.
Saturday, Feb. 13, 1999
Up 9, usual breakfast. Cleaned car mats, did not clean up.
To Kragen, got clear plastic mats.
To Ocean for coffee/donut.
To show, “Central Station.” Poor, illiterate people. Well-done, though.
Rain started.
Mail: Four letters, statement from Treasury.
TV: Bravo, Anne of 1,000 days
Monday, Feb. 15, 1999
Holiday. Up 8, usual. Shower/hair
To Greybears, woman looking for magazine.
To McDonald's for lunch.
To show, “Blast from the Past.”
Home, Myra left message. She to move to Nipomo. Will be 90, tired of helping Larry.
TV: News, King & I. Rex Harrison.
Bed. Tired, but not deep sleep!
Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1999
Awake 6-8-9:15. Breakfast usual, chores.
Couldn't get hearing aid working right.
Raining.
To doctor’s, left eye almost ready. Medicare will pay.
To Kmart, got food. Bank.
Rain scattered.
Mail: Letter from Prudy. Electric storm. Tornado “watch.” Slept in clothes.
TV: Bio of Tony Randall, NYPD.
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1999
Up 6, breakfast 9. Ready by 11. 2 hrs!
Kmart for gasoline after walk on cliff.
Got pair of sox and lunch at Kmart. Too much.
To show, “Life is Beautiful.” Not playing at 1:30. Paper misprint.
TV: Tara Lipinsky special, part of Law & Order.
Bed. Watched another Law & Order.
Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999
Up 7. To laundromat. Washed cold, both dark and light.
Home. Wrote John Mark with newspaper clips of Mavericks competition.
Post Office, mailed letter to John and letter to Mina.
TV: Murder She Wrote, Lehrer, L&O, Mystery.
Friday, Feb. 19, 1999
Awake 8, usual breakfast.
To Drug Emporium for TV Guide, Ocean Street for donut/coffee.
To library, took pix for Mina: herbs, medicines.
Lunch Erik's. Got Elastic.
To show, “Shakespeare in Love.” [Justine here: For the second time!]
Home, message on phone: "Pick up book at library, Reflexology."
Mail: Letter from Carla.
TV: MSW, Law & Order, 2nd part.
Not good sleep. Think took too many gingko.
Finally sleep at 2.
Saturday, Feb. 20, 1999
Up 9. Usual. Chores, out 10 a.m.
Longs, got battery for watch, some groceries, Xerox.
To Albertsons, food.
To library for book on Reflexology.
Gene Siskel died. Was ill a few months ago. When returned, seemed to have a stammer. Had brain tumor operation, but did not discuss it.
Not much on TV, read.
Slept good 11:30-2-5-9.
Cold.
Sunday, Feb. 21, 1999
Gave up on “Elizabeth,” up too late.
To town, library. Talked to woman about crochet hat. She taking guitar, weaving lessons at Cabrillo.
To Logo's, no herb book. Checked at Santa Cruz Book Shop.
Home 3:30. Ate, TV.
Nature, “Extraordinary Cats,” and Doris Duke.
Monday, Feb. 22, 1999
Awake 7, usual breakfast.
Shower/hair. Some chores.
Wrote Mina, sent more RLS pix. Mailed letter.
To Kmart, got food. Lunched.
Home. Murder She Wrote, papers.
Talked to Myra about 4:30. She used reflexology in the past.
TV: A&E bio on Doris Duke.
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999
Up 8. Usual. Chores.
Gave Sister Grace two purses, pair of blue slacks.
To Elizabeth 11:15, showing cancelled.
Called Elder Hostel. All lottery now. Form to be mailed.
Got Masonic home newsletter.
Worked on taxes. Got discount on capital gains.
Usual TV: MSW, Lehrer, Geraldo, some Doris Duke.
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 1999
Up 9. Walked on cliff. Very low tide.
To Aptos, KFC for lunch.
Bought stamps, home.
Mail: New Visa card, bank statement.
Fed tax finished. Also state.
Some TV.
Thursday, Feb. 25, 1999
Up 8. Breakfast, chores. To post office 10:15.
To Beverly's for flowers, quite a few.
Lunch at Wendy's. Got taco salad. Huge! Took some home.
Got cap pattern for crochet. Also yarn.
Mail: Letter from Mina, Medicare info.
Golf: Tiger going to next round.
TV: Geraldo, Law & Order, Monk. Taped Robert Altman recreation of Kansas City.
Not good sleep.
Friday, Feb. 26, 1999
Had doctor's appt 11:20 Changed to 3:45, went back to bed.
Usual breakfast here. Fixed flowers.
To Anne's, gave her literature on hearing aid.
To Kmart, got artificial flowers. Had ice cream.
To doctor's early, read book. He said getting glasses OK, eye stable. Use artificial tears.
Tired.
TV: Lehrer, Art in West. Law & Order old.
Saturday, Feb. 27, 1999
Up 7 a.m. Tea, fruit.
To Kmart, got three baskets of artificial flowers. Ate breakfast there.
Looked at pants, got purse yesterday. White knit.
Home, worked on cleaning flowers.
Mail: Letter from Sy. Moved!!
Talked to Myra 3:45 to 4.
TV: Not much of interest.
Sunday. Feb. 28, 1999
Up 7:30. Usual breakfast.
Chores, planted aloe in back. Worked some on flowers.
To Longs, took pix of a few pages for Mina. Wrote short letter, sent cap pattern.
Read "Amateur Emigrant." Found Silverado Squatters anti-climatic. To library, returned it.
Paid rent, got candy.
Ate lunch, watched tennis.
Anna visited, asked me to help unpack dishes. Yes, I will.
Dinner: Zucchini, fish.
TV: Siskel & Ebert, tribute to Siskel. Loved the Bulls basketball team. Some 60 Minutes, X-Files.
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)
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