WOW! This week has a visit from Len’s daughter, Susan, who brought her mother with her. SURPRISE! Well, I can’t imagine what a weird situation that must have been for Grandma Rose with Len’s daughter dragging Len’s ex-wife Lucy Frances Antkowiak from New York to Ohio – especially when Len was the one who filed for divorce from her on the grounds of extreme cruelty and neglect of duty. Ouch. Grandma clearly was much more graceful and accommodating than I would have been in that situation. Especially since Susan was 33 at this point, and not a child any longer who needed her mother to travel. Plus, Len and Lucy hadn’t been divorced for a super long time either… I’m sure there was some lingering hard feelings. There had to be. How awkward.
I’m still blown away by her daily routine of getting up early and cleaning/gardening like that every single day. She sure had moxie. I was telling my sister Jamie this past week something along that vein that we come from a line of women who really held it together in the worst circumstances – they were just different on a fundamental level. Coming out of the Depression, having husbands drop dead in fields and leaving you with children and no real means of supporting yourself… but they did it and survived. Or in Grandma’s case… surviving a bad marriage and an unpredictable, suicidal spouse. (You can read my earlier post about her first husband and their life here.) To me, she was made of that same “stuff” that made those women thrive when most would fall apart today in the same circumstances.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
May 14, 1977 – Susan and Lucy were here about 10:30 AM. Got up at 7:30 had coffee on porch with the cat, relaxing a few minutes before starting the day. Put home made noodles on to simmer slow. Cleaned the mirrors in the bathroom – hung out guest towels, wet mopped the kitchen and porch – last minute details.
Len & I glad to see Susan and Lucy. She seemed very nice. I liked her. Had a very pleasant afternoon. They thought the place very nice – liked the flowers as we took a walk. Susan and Lucy picked a handful of s. berrie [strawberries]. Gave Susan pint noodles, pt. spinach – jar of pickles and piece of Lens cake. She is on a diet, but Lucy sure enjoyed the home made noodles and chicken. Susan – hard boiled egg, spinach tomato, chicken & skim milk.
May 15, 1977 – Got up and did dishes from Sat – supper. Cleaned up green house. Worked in potato patch for half and hour digging big weeds. Fertilized the asparagus after gathering new shoots. Cleaned a few weeds from yellow barberry bush.
Took 1/2 hr nap this afternoon before getting supper. Did Lens foot 12:00 – Hole Dr. opened seems to be closing over some. “I very small some.”
May 16, 1977 – Really had a good day with Susan and Lucy. Got up 8:30 this morning. Set out two wax begonias (one white, one pink.) Had coffee on porch with cat. Opened up green house to fresh morning air. Brought out two geraniums to sun.
Thought for today: Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door. – Novelist Saul Bellow
May 17, 1977 – Got up 7:00 AM. Trimmed evergreens in front of garage, Rose bushes and worked in fox glove bed. Pulled grass around climbing rose and geranium grandiflorum. When Len got up we worked in potato patch a couple hours.
Took hour nap in afternoon. After supper put up summer door to replace winter one on side of trailer. Got wagonful of potted plants from the green house.
(Did Lens foot at 3:30)
May 18, 1977 – Got up at 7:30 dug more grass from plot for potatoes. About 10 we went out and Plen planted one row potatoes. Started on 2nd reow. got sick and had to quit.
In afternoon I set out one of the nicer geraniums in breezeway flower beds. Set out one coleus and tree of Gerties periwinkles and a wax begonia.
Thought: gardening is a contest to see which holds out longer – your enthusiasm or your back.
64° Low 89° High
May 19, 1977 – Got up 7:00 AM. Fertilized and finished Lens row of potatoes. I dug up more ground for another row.
Finished cultivating breezeway flower beds – ready to set out flowers.
Len planted row of potatoes after I dug in fertilizer. Got my big fan and put it in the the greenhouse so Len could be cooler. Removed flowers and cleaned off top of table in greenhouse. Carried more flowers inside.
Did Lens foot about 3:15.
88° today
May 20, 1977 – Got up 7:00 AM. Got ground ready for row of beans. Len planted 5th row of potatoes. Worked on wall of flower bed next to green house and reset some ground cover on edge. Put fresh soil in some hanging baskets – Carried out a few more flowers from green house.
Debbie took me to Jones hardware and grocery. Bought Len new cap and some screen for garage windows.
Frank sent over some privet hedge for me to try to start.