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| Grandma in Paris in 1995. |
Welcome to the days of my grandmother, who wrote down each morning when she woke up, recorded everything she ate, noted any phone calls or mail she received, and reviewed any movie she went to see before settling down with the television and a crossword puzzle in bed.
The entries below are from April of 2000, when she was 84 and living alone in a trailer park. But don’t feel sorry for her, because she was the most fiercely independent person I have ever known, living in one of the most beautiful places I have ever known: Santa Cruz, California.
Another reason not to feel sorry for my grandmother is that she was in Paris that month — yes, still traveling overseas by herself well into her 80s! Paris was a city she loved so much she tried to go back every year, and this trip she got to save lots of money by staying in a friend's apartment. As a very frugal woman, this made my grandmother very happy.
On another trip she invited me along, when she was 80 and I was 25, and you can read both of our journal entries during that trip here.
See some of her journals and learn more about her long and full life in this video:
Saturday, April 1, 2000
Call Y.
Bed 8, awake 3. Wrote letter to Andra, tried crossword. No luck.
Got Phillipe's fone #.
Called Phillipe, fone out.
Also foned Y, meet at 15:00. Late. Talked 3 hours.
To “Chinatown.” Walked hours. No ring.
Finally home at 9! Very tired.
Slept 11-2-3-7!
Sunday, April 2, 2000
Awoke tired. Ate bread, tea, orange, banana.
Read some, dressed, balanced money.
Changed purse. Out 11.
Visited Val de Grâce.
Took 27 to opera, took 7 back to Place d’Itale. Ate McDonald’s.
To Chinese market. Got 3 boxes of tea.
Home. Cold, windy.
Fixed zucchini and chicken.
Read, some TV: Iris Murdoch, The Unicorn. Jag, w/German captain.
To sleep at 10. woke at 1. Lights out.
Monday, April 3, 2000
Slept til 8:20! Used the Irish Meal. Orange. Tea.
Washed top, found heater in bedroom. Was off! No wonder cold. Turned on OK.
Today tried two stockings for warmth.
To post office, then Bon Marche. Got oatmeal.
Back to apt, told about lights off. Loaned me tea ball.
Read Unicorn 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.! Slept til 8.
Tuesday, April 4, 2000
Mardi. Check store near Mouefftard for ring! No rings w/o stones.
Got paper, Bic, lunch, 2 rings up Mouefftard.
Stopped in church but close to 12, had to leave.
Out 10:30 to 1 p.m.
Ate lunch, read 1 chapeter.
Wrapped package, wrote postcard to Justine, letter to McCoys.
To post office, 79FF. Postcard to Justine had pix of Mouffetard Street.
Finished The Unicorn. Very good.
Bed 8, too warm. No sleep. 2 crosswords.
Wednesday, April 5, 2000
Mercredi. Cloudy. Cold with some showers.
Got paper. To Vietnamese market, 2 packages tea. 38FF. $2.90 a piece.
Bought tea holder, shape of spoon.
Got food at Marks & Spencer.
Got 21 Bus, ate sandwich on bus. Good.
To Quick for fruit and tea.
Home 2:30.
Shower/hair. Paper, no TV. Crossword.
Slept 8 - 2 a.m. Awake 4, wrote letter to Mina.
Thursday, April 6, 2000
Jeudi. Up 6. Ate almond cake, tea. Then cereal, milk. 1/2 banana with vitamins.
Cloudy, cold. Ready at 10:30.
Got paper. Money, changed $100, 673FF.
Ate sandwich and chips from “Home.”
Bought 2 Iris Murdoch books.
To show, “Sweet & Lowdown.”
Groceries: Fish, water and cookies.
Fixed dinner myself, balanced accounts.
Back hurts. Think gas, maybe.
Read paper. Called Mimi. Slept 9.
Friday, April 7, 2000
Vendredi. Awake 5, 6 ate breakfast.
Cleaned some, washed sox. Part of nightgown. Put milk in glass bottle.
Dressed. Called Yvonne, meet 1 p.m.
Walked to BHV, ate lunch. Salad, raspberries.
Got 47 bus, but lost again. Arrived 1:30.
Got more tea, cookies.
Hot, sunny late.
To sleep 9:30. Awake 11-1-3-7.
Saturday, April 8, 2000
Cinderella Ballet, opera. 50F Be there 2 p.m.
Up 7. Bread moldy. Destroyed some.
Weigh 65 kg. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs. 143!
Weigh 65 kg. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs. 143!
Ate McDonald’s. Walked in Luxemborg.
Took 84 to Concorde. Large Ferris Wheel.
93 back to Carrousel de Louvre. Extraordinary mineral exhibit. Got sandwich.
To matinee, Cinderella. Two Americans there, live in Shasta. Left after second act.
To groceries, apartment. Balanced accounts.
Not hungry. Ate sandwich, apple.
Read “3rd Man.”
Sunday, April 9, 2000
Dimanche. Up 8 a.m. Finished “3rd Man.”
Rather cloudy. Ready by 11.
Bus to Censier-Daubenton. Got ticket, 82FF.
Descended Pont Marie, walked. Got lost again!
Walked back to Mineral Shop, said was Aventurine, Brazil: A translucent quartz.
To apt. Cold, miserable.
Monday, April 10, 2000
Lundi. Pack tonite. Up about 9.
Took bus to Le Gobelins, connection to 47 OK.
Stayed in, cold. Read, etc.
Packed, many letters.
3 fone calls in all.
Wrote to Andra.
Took Melatonin, slept 9-2.
Tuesday, April 11, 2000
Andra returns, back to hotel.
Ready by 11. Fone call for Andra from lawyer.
1st suitcase 10:00 - 10:25. Paid Phillippe.
Had creme coffee, ate bread, cheese at apt.
2 bags & carry-on.
Cold winds, pyramids. Walked, wrong place.
Bus 75 to Centre P, ate Melodine. Tried two places for Airborne, no.
Hotel 5 p.m. Cold!
Couldn't sleep, took 2 melatonins. Finally, 10-12-2-6-8
Wednesday, April 12, 2000
Andra leaves for Britain with students.
Breakfast 9, ready 10.
Metro, 52 bus. Back Metro.
Bon Marche! Ate lunch, veggies & macaroon creme!
To show, “Magnolia.” Tom Cruise, WM Macy, Juliane Moore.
Bought Pain Raisin. 5.7
To hotel, tired. Tea, chocolate.
Outside noisy, no sleep.
Took 2 melatonin, slept too deep. Scary.
Awake 3-7. Ate banana.
Thursday, April 13, 2000
Up 8, ready 9.
Andra called from London, to say liked Bijore. Questioned why Justine did not want it.
To Gare Austerlitz, 61 bus to Gambetta, 60 to Canal Ourcq, Le Gardien tres gentile.
Sy moved, dies 12/22, cremated. Philippe took ashes. Where she did not know.
Took 61 to Porte de Montmarte, 95 to Gare Lazare.
Got Django Reinhardt. Ate Quick.
To Muni, post office. Ate Chinese.
Home 8 p.m. Washed hair.
Friday, April 14, 2000
Up 7 a.m. Slept good with no melatonin. 10-3-7
Breakfast 9:45. 2 American women talked, but left coffee and bread.
Checked Aventurine necklace, 400FF
To Melodine, got chicken. Many teenagers there.
To St. G de Pres to see Signs of Sarte. To book store, but no purchase.
Hotel, re-packed. Ate cereal & cookies.
Slept fair. 10-12-3-5
Time to go, time adjusted!
Saturday, April 15, 2000
Awake 5, call at 6. Readied, etc.
Cab to opera. Cab had dog. Titu?
3 cabinets for women. Late leaving, French family 2 children.
In JFK, got ice cream. Sat with woman knitting & CD portable.
Bus to Millbrae, Caltrain late.
Called to Amtrak, bus waited. 6/7 people. Engineer with red lantern.
Taxi home.
Sunday, April 16, 2000
Slept OK. 2-4-6.
Foned Mina, she out to breakfast with Kathy. Tennis talk.
Breakfast oatmeal, peaches.
Tennis: Andrew Ilie, Australian. Tears his shirt. Monica Seles won 6/2, 6/3.
Called Mina, talked long: Cat, her health, trip.
Justine called, about 7. Talked too much again.
Bed 8 p.m. Slept good 12-2-4. Up, unpacked suitcase.
Monday, April 17, 2000
Up 4 a.m. Breakfast. Cold seems better.
9 a.m. Tea again w/toast.
Unpacked and put most away. Washed a few items.
To post office for mail. Car started OK, idle bad.
To Kmart, got TV Guide, food, sourdough crackers. BP down.
Ate again, 2 eggs.
Home, sorted mail. Balanced checkbook.
Mail: Got T-Bill payment.
Sun out, got warm.
TV: JAG, bed 8 p.m. Good sleep til 4 a.m.
Tuesday, April 18, 2000
Up 7. Breakfast. No milk yet.
Produce not open on Bay.
To Albertsons for food, Longs for Xerox.
To Radio Shack for CD player and holder. Got Notting Hill video.
Home, sunny. Sister Grace in carport.
Tired, twisted back picking up heavy box.
Rested, heat on back. Cold not better.
Some TV, papers. JAG (2)
Bed 9, slept OK.
Wednesday, April 19, 2000
Awake 4:45 Put heat on back again.
Breakfast with milk. CHarted stocks for April.
To stores: Longs, BP 134-80. Got envelopes, soup.
Coffee at McDonald’s. Pads at Drug Emporium.
Home 10:15. Some TV?
Papers, to bed at 5 p.m. Slept til 12-3-5.
Mail: Cards from Mina, Myra. Ran “Tea w/Mussolini” video.
Thursday, April 20, 2000
Breakfast oatmeal.
Ran Notting Hill again, but watched Jane Russell movie “His Kind of Woman” in between.
Hip hurts, right. Get more calcium? BioFlex directions say 6/day.
To post office, Nob Hill: Got pads, paper.
To library, looked up stocks.
To Kmart, gasoline $1.80 a gallon. Ate lunch, chicken fried steak!! BP: 131/75
Mail: Letter from McCoys.
Ran Notting Hill again, to see scenes cut: Spike, pizza.
Warm, uncomfortable. Bed 8.
Friday, April 21, 2000
Sleep bad. Started on 6 BioFlex yesterday, hip better today.
Up 7, breakfast, chores. CNN at 9. Out 10:30
Home, some TV. Lunch 2 p.m.
Washed cashmere sweater, papers.
Wrote Justine letter. Why do I bother? [Justine here: Yikes! I guess I didn't send her letters. But I did call often and send her lots of emails!]
Bed 8 p.m. Read some. Warm day.
Saturday, April 22, 2000
Foggy, drizzle.
6 a.m. news: Elian Gonzalez taken from Miami to AFB in Maryland.
Got package ready to mail. To post office, McDonald’s for coffee.
Took Xerox of Louis 17, 2 copies, then to fruit stand.
Home 11. Wrote letter to Mina.
Lunch: Quiche, zucchini, pear, tea.
Rested, read papers.
Tennis: Seles defeated by Mary Pierce. Did crossword.
Warm after cold morning. Bed 7:30 p.m.
Took melatonin, first in long time.
Sunday, April 23, 2000
Fair sleep. Sunny. Breakfast same.
Charted stocks. $118 loss plus fees.
Swept carpets, some ceilings.
Another person stayed with Larry overnight. Maria back, Larry with stocking cap.
Walked on cliff. Windy, sunny.
To Burger King, got lunch to go.
Home. TV: Tennis, “Morning After.” Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges.
Worked on recap, but used wrong average!
Bed 9 p.m. Slept OK, no melatonin.
Monday, April 24, 2000
Up 6:30. Breakfast oatmeal, etc.
Laundromat 8-9, then Burger King 9-9:30.
Home, redid trip report.
CNN noted 9 days ago the permit to keep Elian was rescinded.
To mailbox with letter to Mina, walked 3 to 15 minutes.
TV: Law & Order, news. Peter Jennings covered Elian. Why all dressed at 5:15 a.m.?
Watched JAG, Morse, did toe nails.
Bad reception. 11:35 p.m. Nightline. Nada.
Tuesday, April 25, 2000
Ted Koppel's mother had Parkinson's. Interview was a bust.
Up 6:30, heat til 7. Breakfast, vitamins - 13.
To Drug Emporium, BP 136/71.
McDonald's, coffee and 1/2 miffun.
To library, computer free. No E-mails, space bar not working!
To KFC, got Zinger.
Home, war, sunny. (Washed car in a.m., left early so Sister Grace could park here).
TV: 2 JAGs, 7&8, then bed. Slept fair.
Wednesday, April 26, 2000
Dr. Blackwell 1:30, eyes.
Up 6:30. Breakfast, shower/hair.
To Rite Aid, got kitchen sponge.
To Kmart, got breakfast again, loofah buff.
Home 11:45, lunch.
Eye check, R-20, L-19. Told B about no sleep for 30 hours.
Home, some chores, read papers.
TV: JAG 7-8, West Wing 9-10.
Slept OK.
Thursday, April 27, 2000
Up 6:30, breakfast oatmeal.
To bank, produce stand, Nob Hill, home.
Rent bill in box.
News shows Miami family back in their home, court action against them.
To Scotts Valley, to show, "High Fidelity." John Cusack, 3 stars.
Home, sandwich from KFC.
Mail: Letter from Mina, BA bank statement.
Slept OK.
Friday, April 28, 2000
Up 7 a.m. Breakfast oatmeal.
Voted both Bell & AT&T. Sold NCE. Called Merc News.
To Longs, Xerox of NCE. To post office, mailed certified letter. $1.40
To donut shop, $1.50
Another basket of strawberries, $1.29
Walked on cliff. Large lot getting dirt, etc. Some "developer" home.
Ate lunch here, strawberries.
Write Yvonne, Mimi. Some TV.: JAG, bio of Nelson Rockefeller.
Bed 9, slept good. 9:30-11:30-3-7:30
Saturday, April 29, 2000
Up 8, breakfast oatmeal. Crossword.
Ready by 10:30.
To post office, mailed letters to Mimi & Yvonne, put rent check in office.
To beauty salon near Safeway.
Got comb & coin purse at 99-cent store, and paper.
To show, "Frequency." Works in two times, 1969 & 1999.
Walked on cliff, beautiful day. BBQ at O'Neil's?
Home. Paper, some TV, bed.
"Warm." Good sleep from 1:30 to 7:30.
Sunday, April 30, 2000
Up 7:30. Same breakfast. Ready 10:30.
To Ocean Street I.D. Got tea ball & feather duster.
Basement Discount: Got burgundy sweater & black, long skirt. $36
To show, "Titus Andronicus." Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange. Excellent. Production half modern, 1/2 ancient.
To KFC, home 5 p.m.
TV: CNN, some 60 Minutes.
Bed, slept til 2. Had soup.
Talked to Mina, not received Notting Hill. $1 gold in it.
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