Welcome
to my anti-anxiety medication: my grandmother’s journals. Because
reading all the details of her days, the minutiae of what she ate and
what she watched on TV, is to me both fascinating and soothing, the
perfect antidote to stress, worry and frustration — which we all seem to
have far too much of these days!
That was cool Since she took no big trips in October '99, it was a slow month of watching football, staying on top of her correspondence, even with friends in Paris, and making sure she checked her email messages at the library regularly!
In October of 1999, she was an 84-year-old woman living alone in a trailer
park, but don't feel sorry for her because she wasn’t sad, and neither was her home — she was the
most fiercely independent person I have ever known, living in one of
the coolest places on Earth, Santa Cruz, Calif.
And nearly every day she walked the cliffs along the ocean at Pleasure Point, loving to watch the surfers who loved the waves at that special spot.
And
man, that life of walking near the ocean, going to the donut shop for
some coffee and a treat before heading to the movies sounds just about
perfect right about now.
(I wrote more about her life in this post)
Friday, Oct. 1, 1999
Up 8:30. Breakfast, shower, hair.
To Supercuts, $10 + $2 tip.
To Ocean Street for coffee/donut.
To library, got 2 books: Yoga for Women, Fitness After 50 Guide. Had to pay fine of $4 for videos.
Home 2 p.m. Wanted to see show, "The Dinner Game," but gone now.
TV: Usual fare.
Bed, problem with sleep.
Read mail, AT&T to buy MediaOne. Spent time reading prospectus. Saturday, Oct. 2, 1999
Up 9:30. Usual breakfast.
Wrote Myra and Mina. To post office, bought stamps.
To library, checked email. Carla sent inquiry. For now, no.
To Carole's to see art show. Talked til 5:30. Few visitors. She had paying people in a.m.
Home, ate, CNN.
Watched "12 Monkeys" with Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt.
Tried to sleep, no. 1 a.m., tennis.
Slept 2 to 8:30.
Packed vitamins. Bought Lotto.
Sunday, Oct. 3, 1999
Usual breakfast, read papers.
To Trader Joe's, groceries. Walked on Portola.
Football: 49ers vs. Tennessee. Jeff Garcia QB for Young, who said "Jeff played clean game." 49ers 24-22.
TV: Ebert, 60 Mins.
Tennis: Serena won over Venus.
Bed. X-Files, news.
Monday, Oct. 4, 1999
Up 6:30. Usual breakfast.
Some chores. Cleaned basin, garbage day!
To Drug Emporium, got water and pads.
To post office, mailed package to Mina: Elizabeth (video).
Got gas at Kmart, plus purse and applesauce.
To library, returned book. Took two books home.
Home 1:30 p.m.
TV: Murder, Lehrer, news, Due South. Some football, Law & Order rerun.
Readied for bed, read The Hitchcock - Last Days. Slept good.
Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1999
Awake 6:30, up 7:15. No milk, ate bread and tea.
To laundromat, Kmart for breakfast.
To Nob Hill for groceries.
Home, tired. Eyes hurt. Bright sun.
TV: News, Murder (new for me), some Lehrer.
Walked at 4 p.m. Had words with man who let his dog run in floral park.
To library, returned Hitchcock. Email from Carla, Justine.
TV: Due South, Law & Order, baseball.
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 1999
Up 8:15. Slept heavy.
Chores, etc. Checked Ralph's, no soy milk.
To Longs, got paper and crackers.
To McDonald's for coffee.
To library, email from Carla, replied. Sent message to Justine.
Wrote to Mina.
Ate KFC, home 5:30.
TV: Due South, etc. Bed early.
Thursday, Oct. 7, 1999
Up 8. Mixed-up days. Wrote Mina today.
To library, email 12:30 to 1:30.
Then to Aptos for show, "Double Jeopardy." KFC after.
Home, hot day. Walked in a.m. Slept.
Finished Buchan's book, as much as I could. Very wordy, prejudiced. Greenmantle and Sir Steadfast [Justine here: It's actually Mr. Standfast!]
No baseball today. Watched Biography, Peter O'Toole. Had two daughters, 1 boy.
Friday, Oct. 8, 1999
Longs (Nob Hill), long lines 3-4 p.m.
Awake 7:30. Chores, etc.
Wrote Stinson. 11 - 1:30.
TV: Murder, (new for me). Angela her "cousin."
To Longs for flu shot, Medicare pays.
To Post office, mailed letter to Stinson, card to Linda Drake.
Mail: Bill from Penney, Fone bill.
Home 4:30. Hot outside. Quest-U.S. West merger vote.
Baseball: Mets/Arizona game. Mets won 9-2.
TV: Bio of Montgomery Clift. Died hear at 45. Low thyroid.
Bed 11. Good sleep.
Saturday, Oct. 9, 1999
Up 6, usual breakfast.
Watered lawns, Ellie out. Talked to her re roofers tomorrow, small windmill.
To mall, got bra.
To McDonald's for coffee.
To Drug Emporium for BP, no TV Guides!!
Walked, too warm.
Home. Mets/Arizona, 4-3. Fired H.R., to do Pratt.
Folded 3 cartons, put in shed. Took numerous cardboard boxes to Greybears.
To Kmart for ice cream, TV Guide.
Home 6 p.m., crossword, etc.
TV: "Executive Decision," movie. 8-11 p.m.
Bed.
Sunday, Oct. 10, 1999
Not good sleep. Pills?
2 a.m. Ate late.
Awake 8 a.m. Breakfast, called Mina. No answer. She rang back.
Football 10 a.m., 49ers vs. Rams, 42-20.
Shower/hair.
To show, "Random Hearts." Excellent. Good portrayal of characters in that situation.
Home 4:30. Ate, news, Ebert.
Changed cover on outside shelf, swept patio. Still hot!
TV: Aristocrats til 10:30. Slept OK.
Monday, Oct. 11, 1999
Up 7, rested til 8.
Usual breakfast. Chores, washed underwear.
Found 25 cents under bed, put in ashtray!
Roofers on Ellie's mobile home all day.
To Ross, got new wallet, Xmas cards.
Home, lunch. Read papers, changed wallet, rearranged cards.
No mail: Holiday, Columbus Day.
TV: Lehrer, Due South, second part of Second Sight.
Bed 9:30, chilly. Heat.
Where are clippers? Found.
Slept after 10 p.m. news. Awake 1:30, read 1 hour.
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 1999
Up 8:30. Warm day. Some chores.
Took books to Logo's, four.
To Ocean Street for donut/coffee.
To show, "American Beauty." !! Good. Talked to two women.
To Ross, got sunglasses and dress for Andra. "Deep Blue," 3/4
Home, Mets vs. Braves. 4-2.
Bed 9:30, but papers, crossword, etc. Not good sleep.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 1999
Up 8:30. Cold. Usual breakfast.
Chores: cleaned one drawer and cupboards, washed a few items.
Home all day.
Freda's family came. Apparently she gone!
Wrote Sy, looked over dress for Andra. Could find no problem.
To post office. Maile card to Andra, 55 cents, letter to Sy. Got paper.
TV: Yankees over Red Sox 4-3, 10th inning; some Due South & Law & order. Tired.
Bed 9:15 to 10:45, awake. Wrote 2 checks: Dr. Blackwell and Penney's.
Read paper, crossword. Slept 1 a.m. til 8:30.
Called Myra two times.
Thursday, Oct. 14, 1999
Up 8:30, usual breakfast. Warm.
To Nob Hill and fruit stand in Capitola.
Kmart for lunch, BP.
Home, Ellie in garden. "Rita" who waters plants died Monday.
Called Myra to tell her. Feeling weak from diarrhea. (Myra, not me).
Wrapped dress for Andra, wrote Mimi. Too late to mail.
TV: Part of game, news, Due South, back to game; Law & Order, PBS, Mystery: "Unsuitable Job for a Woman."
Bed 10:30. Slept deep til 7.
Friday, Oct. 15, 1999
Up 7, usual breakfast. Tired, though.
To post office, mailed letter and package. $7.80 Air mail [She stapled this receipt to the journal page.]
To Penney's, paid account.
To McDonald's for coffee.
To library, closed Friday til 12.
Home 11:45. Market! Big Slide.
Called U.S. West. Did not receive voting.
Watched Murder She Wrote, read paper.
Cut holly bush back, cleaned some in yard.
"Wake" at Freda's. 7 to 8 cars parked in road.
Baseball, Atlanta at Mets, 1-0.
Retired at 9:30, read a bit.
Awake 1, TV til 2:30. Comics and Home Improvement.
Saturday, Oct. 16, 1999
Up 8 a.m. Rested 3o mins. Used heat lamp.
To Longs for groceries: soup & cookies.
To McDonald's for coffee.
To library, message from Justine. Going to Phoenix and Disneyland.
Baseball: Red Sox 13, NY 1. Pedro Martinez.
4:55 p.m., Myra called. Anna called her, doctor showed her x-ray of Freda's lungs with tumor. Nothing about hemorrhoids.
*Worked in yard a.m.: Cut Rabbit's Ears and some of herbs. More needed.*
Freda's family, 4:45 truck left, back 7 p.m.
Baseball: Mets 3, Atlanta 2.
Bed 12.
Sunday, Oct. 17, 1999
Awake 9:30. Usual breakfast, packed vitamins.
Bill from Mastercard, paid.
Watered strip and changed vacuum bag. Found a penny!
Larry building a junkyard.
Changed bed sheets and turned mattress.
Felt good., nine hours sleep!
Much to watch: 49ers vs. Panthers, Mets vs. Atlanta, Hingis vs. V. Williams,
Ironed skirt and top.
Baseball long, 15 innings, 5 hours+
TV: Ebert, 60 minutes.
Monday, Oct. 18, 1999
Up 8:30, usual breakfast. Shower/hair.
Fertilized plants.
To Longs for groceries, Ocean Street for donut/coffee. Different girl. Higher [?]
Home 1:45. Lunch, end of "Murder," Due South, Lehrer.
Some work.
TV: Part of football, baseball, Outer Limits, new Law & Order.
Bed 10:30.
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 1999
Took melatonin. Slept OK.
Up 6:30 - 7. Heat needed. Usual breakfast.
Wrote letter to Myra, Out 10:30, mailed letter.
Checked Lucky for bananas: $1.49!
To Kmart got Dinty Moore (2), crackers (2).
To KFC for sandwich and potato salad. Good!
To Capitola fruit and veg stand.
Home 12:30. Read, watched MSW, typed letter to Carla.
To Longs, Xerox of Mojave Phone Booth.
Mail: Two letters from Mimi, ad.
Vacuumed "dining area," put typewriter on TV tray. Weak?
Baseball: Atlanta 10, Mets 9. 11 innings, great game.
Wednesday, Oct. 20, 1999
Up 7:30, usual breakfast.
Washed some, vacuumed area, put in order. Searching for blue memo book.
Lunch here. News, more sorting, Murder She Wrote.
To Longs for Xerox.
To Drug Emporium, got journal, memo book, TV Guide.
To Kmart, BP, cake & ice cream.
To show, "My Life So Far." Colin Firth. Good, funny ending.
Home, dinner.
TV: Law & Order, West Wing, some news.
Hot.
Thursday, Oct. 21, 1999
Up 7, breakfast. Cold.
Found blue memo book. In "To Do."
Finished crossword. Washed red top, blue pants.
To bank.
To Kmart, got blueberry muffins, peanut butter, ate lunch.
To library, downloaded CQ10 info. Two emails from Justine & H.
To Palace for file boxes.
Home: Murder She Wrote, Lehrer, read papers.
TV: Discovery, Birds, L & O, Mystery.
Bed, crossword, paper.
Friday, Oct. 22, 1999
Up 7:30, breakfast here.
To laundromat, medium busy.
Home 10 a.m. after Xeorx at McWhorter's, CoQ10 for Mimi.
Tea, fruit & toast.
Light bulb, cleaned typewriter keys.
Called Ramirez office re ingredients in Efferdent.
Wrote letter to Mina, took more time than I wanted.
Lunch here with news, Murder She Wrote.
To post office, mailed tea to Bishop Ranch, Constant Comment. Also letter to Mina.
To library, sent email to Justine & H.
Talked to Lorene, makes cinder blocks.
TV: New, L&O, Due South.
Saturday, Oct. 23, 1999
Up 7. Cold. Breakfast 8 a.m.
Wrote letter to Mimi re typewriter correction tape, who destroyed McDonald's in Millau, enclosed column re fat in Paris, CoQ10 Xerox from Internet, two pages from Puritan's Pride vitamins.
To town. Coffee and show, "The Limey," Terrence Stamp.
To KFC, got pot pie. To Way of Like, got soy milk.
Mail: Another letter from Mimi.
Read papers, watched baseball.
Sleep 8:30 to 11.
Couldn't sleep til 3 a.m., not good.
Sunday, Oct. 24, 1999
Up 8:30. Cold. Breakfast, fiber & fruit.
Read Robert Louis Stevenson, stock chart.
Football: 49ers vs Vikings, 40-16.
Called Prudy. Livelier and better attitude.
TV: Ebert and part 60 Minutes, medical fraud.
Bed, some RLS. Slept good til 6:30 a.m.
Monday, Oct. 25, 1999
Up 7, usual breakfast.
Vacuumed front room, cleaned gold rug with Woolite rug cleaner.
Got gas at Kmart and sandwich at KFC.
Home. Payne Stewart killed in Lear jet crash, five on board. May have been overcome by lack of oxygen.
TV: Murder She Wrote, read paper.
Windy. Washed car.
Some football, Law & Order SVU, Dateline NBC.
Helicopter crashes in San Jose.
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999
Awake 6:44. Cold, put on heat.
Usual breakfast 8:15. Some washing.
To Drug Emporium, BP and TV Guide.
Got coffee and muffin.
Appt with Dr. B. Eyes tested, no change in glasses!
Home 3:15, about 3:30 Myra called. At Ginette's. Will decide about drive home.
Mail: Ads, etc.
TV: Third game, NY vs. Atlanta. Bio of Angie Dickinson.
Not good sleep. Til 3 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999
Awake 6, then 8.
"Pipe bomb" at Millbrae, Cal Train stopped 9 a.m. Bomb was detonated.
Wrote note to Prudy. To post office, mailed Master bill also.
To Veg stand, walked on cliff.
Home 11:25. News, lunch, rested 1/2 hour.
Worked on hose, got it thru under trailer! Told Larry (window).
Shower/hair.
TV: Due South
Bed early, slept good.
Thursday, Oct. 28, 1999
Awake 7, usual breakfast. Some washing.
To Kmart. Some food, biscuits. Valance (Martha Stewart).
Home. News, ironed.
To Ginette's 1 p.m. Lovely cabinets. Husband was cabinet maker. Cup of tea. Left 3 p.m.
Myra will return with me Monday or Tuesday.
To library, messages from Carla, Justine, three from Treasury Direct.
Home 5 p.m., message from Myra. Called back, eating dinner.
Ate corn, watched Due South.
Bed 8:30.
Friday, Oct. 29, 1999
Awake 12:30, read paper 1/2 hour. Slept til 6:30.
Called Mina 7:30 a.m. Called State highway, AAA. No "restriction?"
To Drug Emporium for BP, bot some candy.
To Way of Life, flax seed in Bulk. Do not cook! Grind up, put on salads, cereal.
Ate at KFC. Home 12:30.
Saturday, Oct. 30, 1999
Up 6:30. Cold, ran heat.
Usual breakfast. Packed vitamins, vacuumed bedroom
To McDonald's for coffee.
To show, "Guinevere." Good. Nudes, masturbation.
To Thrift Shop, looked for file. None.
To library, got ads for KFC, also change in Dow Jones.
Home, ate tamale.
Called Justine. Tired.
Bed, crossword.
Sunday, Oct. 31, 1999
Pack, change clocks.
Called Mina, talked long. Has appt with doctor for blood test. I gave her Myra's number.
Egypt Air Flight 990, 767 Boeing in ocean, 217 dead. Nantucket, island off Martha's Vineyard.
Paid rent.
Football: Colts over Dallas, Tennessee over Rams.
TV: Ebert, some 60 Minutes.
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