I have gone down a rabbit hole this week, admittedly. Upon mention of the death of “Uncle Clarence Jewett,” I had no immediate idea who that was, but the Jewett name stuck with me for some reason, and then I remembered why. In a previous article shared some time ago, there was a Jones’ family reunion and “Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Jewett” were in attendance, being Mabel Mae Jones Mallet Jewett, our great-aunt and sister to our grandfather, Lewis Jones. Clarence was her second husband, and I didn’t realize it immediately, but his sister, Rachel, was married to Mabel’s brother & our great-uncle Daniel B Jones.
In any event, on Ancestry, I found that Mabel has living grandchildren, and one of them posted a photo of her and Clarence, which I’m sharing here. I had never seen a photo of Mabel before, and she reminds me so much of Lewis Jones and even Grandma Rose, I daresay. I had reached out to Mabel’s grandson about the photo, but he hasn’t replied yet. I invited him to read Grandma’s journals as she wrote so nicely of Clarence this week.
Also, these are the last weeks that Grandma Rose wrote in both journals, as you’ll see towards the 20th.
NOTE: As always, I left her spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as much as possible.
_____ WEEK 7 _____
February 12, 1978 – Uncle Clarence Jewett died. Heart attack. [notation scribbled at top]
Got up 9:30. No cat this A.M. Dressed and while Len made bed, after breakfast, I got everything out and we cleaned the furnace filter and filled cans with water for moisture. After lunch Len made icing and I baked a double batch of apple sauce squares. He did up all the dishes, and I took a nap for about two hours. Swept the sewing room of hair where Lisa had cut my hair yesterday.
Put money in Kims birthday card and letter. Finished a letter to Olive and Ruth Ann.
Low 17° Hi 30°
17° 11:05 P.M.
[Continued in to new journal] Got up at 10:00. Didn’t do very much of anything except usual eating periods, bed making. Loafed around mostly. Nap in the afternoon; for lack of anything else better to do.
February 13, 1978 – Wrote Olive. Got up 8:30 (no cat) Had breakfast; Dressed and mailed the letters to Kim and Olive. One to Ashville Bank (Savings Account Card) Len made bed while I put some handwash to soak. Some of the things that I can’t wash before, during or after anything else. Had two spinners full. Went to garage to take out a bucket of glass jars; On to get the mail – then to greenhouse to get a potato sack, to fix some more bags to put birdseed balls in to tie on the trees for the birds. (Mix bird seed with bacon drippings – Refrigerate until solid and put in bags with holes.) Wind blows away the seeds. The drippings hold the seeds together, and the birds like the bacon flavor. Also put cut plastic jug with seed in it on the spice bush for them. We both love to watch them eat and fuss with one another.
Worked on a sweater while I watched my “soaps.” Kept on mending my old things. They feel better.
[Continued in to new journal] David called this evening about 8:40 to let us know Amy Lyn was alright after her operation this morning. She said Hi to us on the phone. Operated on her ears and removed adenoids. Len was so relieved.
Winds N.E. 12 MPH
27° at 11:20
Lo 11° Hi 26°
32° 36° 1977
February 14, 1978 – Got up 8:45 Still no cat. Perked myself some good Folgers coffee. Len still likes his instant Sanka. Couldn’t get any Sanka at Big Bear so got me some Perk to save on his Sanka.
Read meter (15° at 10:00 AM) Took bucket of jars to garage. Froze couple boxes of apple sauce squares. Fixed another bags of seed for the birds and hung apple peelings on the spice bush. Sparrows crawled cleared in the plastic jug to eat the seeds I put there yesterday.
Swept a 3 ft square in the garden and spread potato peelings, lettuce leaves, and shelled corn for the birds, rabbits, or whatever came to eat. Felt good getting out in the snow and walk around.
[Continued in to new journal] Only one thing that has me thoughtful. The trailer seems to be settling toward the west. Pulled away from the west greenhouse wall. I imagine the 2×6 onto the trailer has moved away some – not much but some. Sure hope our winds aren’t too severe for the rest of the winter. I’d sure hate to think of any of the 2×6’s falling. I can see by the North side of the greenhouse, that the trailer has eased away a little bit – shows up more at the south end of the trailer.
Watched “soaps” then ironed from 3 to 4:45. First I’ve ironed in a month. Conserving on electric.
11° at 11:15 P.M.
Winds N at 5 MPH
Lo 11° Hi 22°
February 15, 1978 – Uncle Clarence’s funeral today [scribbled at top]
Got up 8:30 Still no cat – If he knew what all I had cooked up for him he’d come running. 4° at 7:00 AM this morning. Told Len we’d flip a coin – heads we did the laundry – tails we’d clean book shelves. He said washing was most important – we flipped the coin anyway. heads came up – HA!
Shoveled out the path to mail box and mailed electric card. Had to chop up two bricks off the walk by the little garage door so I could get the door open wide enough to get a clothes basket thru. Been squeezing myself in sideways and it was wrecking my back. Len and I did a load of personal wash and two loads of towels – also a few things by hand that fades.
[Continued in to new journal] Kim’s B’Day We watched “The Mountain Man” with Denver Pyle. About Yosemite Valley and how it became a public preserved forest of Redwoods – largest of all trees and the oldest.
If someone were to offer me a thousand or even $10,000 to erase the memory of the falls, mountains and the trees that I saw on my trip to California, I wouldn’t accept it. It was Abraham Lincoln who signed the papers that saved the giant Redwoods and the valley with its wildlife.
Uncle Clarence Jewett funeral today. Be buried tomorrow. Delayed on account of snow removal at cemetery.
Winds 6 MPH
Lo 4° Hi 23°
12° at 11:20
February 16, 1978 – Got up 8:00 and put on water for coffee and checked the faucet to see if it was frozen. It had quit trickling some time in the night. Went back to bed until almost nine. Didn’t seem to want to get up. Had a slight headache – First one in a long time. Had a cup of coffee, then mailed Lens administration letter to the hospital. After breakfast I dressed and put away P.Js – towels, panties, bras, and general tidying up.
On the way to get the mail, I put another sack of feed out for the birds – They surely have been busy on the spice bush and the seed balls. Was going on over to see Naomi for a few minutes, but Al said she was lying down, though it was only 11:00 AM
[Continued in to new journal] She must not be feeling well at all. She sleeps more than anyone should. She says she isn’t interested in reading. I offered her some Better Homes & Gardens. I guess it’s just the old winter depression. I get them, too. Goodness knows I have plenty of cleaning and sewing I could keep busy 8 hrs out of the day, but I can’t get up the ambition – If I couldn’t get out and feed the birds and the rabbits, I’d be really stir crazy. My mind says work, but the body says “Goof off.” When spring comes, I’ll wish I had done a lot of things.
Watches “soaps” this afternoon. Feel asleep three different times. Awful headache right eye and right side of face this evening.
Low 20° High 29°
4° 19° 1977
February 17, 1978 – Whats going on. Len got up before I did. Went I went to bed last night I had such a head-eye ache, I didn’t think I’d go to sleep but the two pills I took must have done the trick. Pusskit came home to eat this morning. First he’s been here since Saturday. On the way from mailbox, I was whacking snowy ice from the side of the path and he got in the way of my sick and I bopped him on the head, and he really flew over the snow to get away from me. Guess he thinks I have it in for him.
Got a letter from Ethel today telling me Uncle Clarence Jewett had died. had a heart attack Fri – Died Sun (12th) He had an attack while at the grocery (Fri) store, then was able to drive home – Emergency took him to the hospital during the weekend where he died. I can remember
[Continued in to new journal] so many things about him. He used to go to the woods with us kids and help us pick blackberries for mom to bake pies – Never dreamed then he’d ever be our uncle by marriage. He was one wonderful person.
Cleaned and mopped kitchen this morning – while Len dressed and made bed – Cleaned and mopped sewing room and bathroom before lunch. Watched “soaps” then took nap from 3 until 4:15. Head ache had come back but not too bad. Just felt awfully tired.
Len peeled potatoes and started getting things ready for supper. Len and I moved furniture yesterday and cleaned the living room. All except the mirror bookshelves. Too tired to do anymore.
Low 19° High 26°
Lo 0° Hi 24° 1977
February 18, 1978 – 9:30 A.M 12° More snow in the night. Fed cat – Cleaned coffee pot with steel wool – wasn’t heating too well; too much lime on heating element. After breakfast while Len made the bed and dressed, I made a cherry pie and a small cake (box) that flopped. Guess I had it in the freezer too long. Len made icing and I iced the cake anyway. Looks like a big 9″ flapjack. I didn’t suppose Rosie would come anyway this evening. She didn’t call and I didn’t call her the middle of the week.
On the way to get the mail today, I hacked away more of the ice and snow pile at the end of the driveway. Maybe by the end of the week, I’ll have an open space wide enough for a car to get in the driveway.
[Continued in to new journal] It has been closed completely for over a month. Looking out across the yard at all the snow, its hard to believe the grass was ever green, or the flowers were ever in bloom. Saw a rabbit out back last night at dusk; looking for something to eat. I’ll just have to get some more corn under the evergreens tomorrow for them and refill the bird bags on the spice bush, again. They do really eat.
Cooked chuck today; think I’ll make some beef noodles for supper tomorrow night. Don’t know why I get so darn tired. Took a nap from 1:30 to after 3:00 this afternoon.
Low 11° High 23°
17° 33 1977°
_____ WEEK 8 _____
February 19, 1978 – Len got up first this morning about 9:15 – I went back to sleep and woke to the aroma of perking coffee. Reminded me of about four years ago when he used to get up at six and fix his lunch and eat his breakfast, then call me about 8:00 – just before he went to work. I made the bed when I got up – Breakfast over, and after I dressed, didn’t feel right without doing something, so I made a couple more dish towels for Rosie.
After a lunch of sausage cake sandwiches and fruit and coffee, I took a nap from 1:30 to 2:50. Seems like an afternoon nap has become a daily habit. Good or bad? Could be boredom. Feel I should be working, but I do feel tired enough to sleep. Have letters to write but can’t seem to
[Continued in to new journal] get in the mood. Was going to call Rosie when I got up from my nap. About four, Len said he saw her Station Wagon coming. Sure enough – She came bounding right through the snow. Kids came by the path. Kim and Darryl. Kim brought us 7 grapefruit. Have two kinds cheese, tossed salad, Kim birthday cake – loaf Vienna bread. I cooked noodles with beef- chicken and Rosie fixed Darryl tuna.
Seems Kim gets prettier and more grown up each time I see her. Darryl doesn’t change too much. A little taller. Rosie looks good. Hope she and Bob can get together again. Such a nice family; and Life is so short, I love them both. I love Bob, as though he was my own son.
Low 1° High
February 20, 1978 – No cat. Got up 8:45 After breakfast, got some old curtains from box in garage and started 2 pr drapes for bedroom. Len has always hated the white and yellow ones. Me, too. Finished two pairs curtains after lunch before I watched my “soaps.” Put regular hem in the yellow drapes for spares for sewing room and hallway for this summer.
Before supper I got all the wash in from lines in garage – and Len folded everything for me. Got Aunt Maes sympathy card ready to mail and wrote her a letter. Got Ralphs birthday card ready & wrote Effie a note.
26° 5:00 P.M.
February 21, 1978 – No cat. Len got up first again and made coffee. Let me sleep an extra forty-five minutes. Ripped hemming from another strip of yellow drapes. Feel lazy again today. mailed letters.
7° Airport
16° Downtown
9:30 A.M.
Feels colder today; instead of being calm, the winds are 12 MPH. Sure makes a big difference altho’ the sun is brilliant, it is cold-d-d. Didn’t do enough today to earn my supper. Took a nap from 3:15-4:30. Len and I spent today sorting old bills and papers. What a mess! “Cat” came home for supper.
Tooth aches a little bit all day. Especially when I chew on it. May have to have it pulled.
Low 8° High 25°
13° 27° (1977)
February 22, 1978 – Got up about 9:00 Len had been up for almost an hour, and had my coffee made. Fed cat. Finished letter to Mary after breakfast, then mailed hers and a B’day card to Lens sister Pearl –
Sewed on the green polyester blouse made from Grace Donaldson’s dress. After lunch I watched usual soaps – while Len stuck stamps in Big Bear books. Put zipper in blouse this afternoon before supper. Got the mail and the paper.
After supper, Len did dishes while I read the paper. Worked on blouse while listening to Grizzly Adams BaBa Black Sheep and Police Woman. Got sleeves basted in blouse. Sewing as tiring as shoveling snow.
Sun shiny, but cold today. Can’t seem to get warm this evening.
Low 8° High 19°
Low 25° High 57° (1977)
February 23, 1978 – Got up 9:15 Fed cat – After breakfast, picked up blouse, put away supper dishes. Fixed seed balls for the birds. Too late in the morning to start much, so just messed around – made grocery list.
Got the mail – Letter from our Dorothy at long last. Still having problems with Ray. She was worried about how we were during the big blizzard. Wrote her all the details today – to mail tomorrow.
After lunch watched “soaps” and worked on green blouse for a while. Had headache, so took nap for 1½ hours before supper. Started snowing about 4:30 or so. Not too much.
11:20 P.M. 23°
Winds west at 10 MPH
Low 4° High 26°
65° High in 1977
February 24, 1978 – Got up 8:30 (Fed cat) One morning I could have really slept but knew I’d have to shovel another path to the road. Wind had drifted the new snow over my path before we went to bed last night. Mailed letter to Dorothy this morning.
Called Ethel 10:00 she said they’d be here between 12 & 12:30. Got Lens license (drivers) at the court house, then on to Big Bear – Looked like I bought out the store – but could have got more; but it was a lot to carry thru the snow in the driveway.
Had another darn tension headache – Ethel & Ralph stayed for doughnuts and tea. After supper, I slept for nearly two hours. Headache eased considerably.
Winds 5 to 10 MPH
26° at 11:20
Low 28° High 30°
Low 41° High 55° 1977
February 25, 1978 – Got up 9:00 Len had coffee perking. Started on the cleaning after breakfast. I cleaned the kitchen while Len dressed and made the bed. Got the mail after lunch (Letter from Bill) Emptied trash – froze bread, oleo, etc; fed birds; cleaned sewing room and furnace filter. Len swept living room, hallways and bedroom while I did bathroom.
Len baked chocolate cake 13x9x2 while I made chocolate frosting – before supper. Len did dishes while I took a much needed bath. Watched Welk, Ralna sang “How Great Though Art.” My! How very beautiful!! Cold out today – winds very sharp. Tried to fix paper boxes but wind too cold. Have to wait for a warmer day.
Winds W 10 MPH
Low 29° High 24°
Lo 38° Hi 53° (1977)
[There is a note on the side of the journal about Bill’s letter – “Got letter from Bill 25th. Myrtle isn’t interested in selling one of the afghans she made. I’m very disappointed, but I know how she feels – I probably wouldn’t want to either, after all the hours it takes to make one.”]
