1970 Diary

(Transcribed by Kathy Desterhaft)

Previous month - February

SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 1970 - I got up in time to get my breakfast over & in time to watch the Shut In Mass & then I also said a good program of home Masses & enjoyed it. I got my prayers ready & Wilma came up to visit with me this P.M. We had a nice visit. Gene & Pat each called. Glad we went to Mass last night as it got slippery & was frozen & slippery this morning.

MONDAY, MARCH 2, 1970 - I didn't get around too early today but got quite a lot done. Was working around & sorting out material for more quilt blocks and got quite a few done. Got my prayers ready. Joann called 2 times & Pat once. Betty stopped in with the mail & put out the garbage can for me. It was a rainy day.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1970 - I got up and going in fairly good time. Cut out yellow & white quilt patches today for 6 blocks. So that is the last for this quilt. I got a fairly good dinner & cooked prunes ahead. Also made macaroni & cheese. I got all my prayers read. The weather was fairly decent so I went to our card party. Gene took me down. Rita Dvorsky brought me home. Wrote to Sister & Bro.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1970 - I got up fairly early & got my washing started and got my breakfast. Washed my bedding & mended some this A.M. besides reading my Mass prayers. Betty got my groceries. Gene & Betty stopped in this P.M. and she got my sheet on for me. I wrote Pvt. John today. Also sent for Easter cards. Veatress & Harold came with a big supper to eat with me. Its their 45th Anniversary.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1970 - I didn't get to sleep very early but got around pretty good. I got my ironing dampened but didn't get to iron until afternoon. Betty came this forenoon & vacuumed my floors. God Bless her. She also took my checks to the bank for me. Dave called & said he & Rita were coming tomorrow night & bring our supper.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1970 - I got up in good time & got around real good, watering plants & dusting & odd jobs around. Read my Mass prayers. Joann called & talked a while. Dave called to tell me they wouldn't come this eve as Rita F. wouldn't get around early enough. Heard from Louise. They went to Larry's . So glad to hear that. Pat called. Otherwise I have had a fairly quiet day, but tired & sleepy.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1970 - I got up early & took my bath & got my breakfast and got my work finished & then read my prayers. Libb & Lyle came for me around 10:00 A.M. & then they got Jennie Hall & took me to Bill & Marilyn Kruse'. We really had a nice day & very nice time. Good meals & played quite a lot of cards. Got home a little after 10:00 P.M. I'm not too tired.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1970 - I got up early & got ready to go to 7:30 Mass with Gene's. Then home & a quick breakfast, then Louise came down & visited with me till about noon. Then I got my lunch and before I was through eating, Leonard's stopped in to get their eggs & talk a while. Then Paul & Lillian & Ron & Pat came. Ron's brought me 8 TV dinners, my Christmas gift from them. Then Pat & Glenn & family cam with a good summer of Kentucky Fried Chicken, French fries, salad & Ding Dongs. Then we played cards.

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 1970 - I didn't get up too early as I took a sleep capsule last night and rested pretty good & late. Joann called before I had my breakfast, but I got around O.K. and kept fairly busy all day. I got Bro John's letter. He is pretty low, so I wrote to him tonight. Sewed on quilt blocks. Wilma & Pat called. Betty got the mail & put out the garbage for me. I am sort of sleepy.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 1970 - I got up earlier today & got my breakfast & then wrote to Sister M. & John F. and a little more to Bro. John. Betty mailed them for me & also deposited my check from Medicare of $72.80, which was a surprise for my Dr. Bill from Dr. Larsen. I got my prayers done by about noon & watered the plants this P.M. I didn't get Sister's letter today. Sewed on quilt blocks, finished it & laid out a new one. Tired & sleepy tonight.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1970 - I got up early & did my washing & got around real good, drying clothes, mending etc. I was quite tired this P.M. and rested and read my prayers; also mended this evening. Leonard & 3 children came and we had a good visit besides watching TV. Betty got my groceries & other things, also my stamps. Libb, Wilma, Pat & Gene all called me.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1970 - I got up rather early again & got my breakfast, mended my girdle, did a little washing, put up my hair. Joann called. I got my prayers read before dinnertime. Made a pretty good dinner. Wilma came this P.M. & we had a good visit. I made my Holy Hour. Gerald & 4 boys came this eve while Pauline had a meeting. Watched ball game. Iowa got beat 104-103. Pat called to talk a bit & then called back to invite Sister & I out for Easter. Mary Lou called & said Marie Smith fell & hurt her knee. Pat & Glenn went along to the hospital. It wasn't broken.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1970 - I got up early & took my bath & got my breakfast, watered plants & got ready to go to the Dr for my appt at 10:30. Had a pretty good check up. BP 150/90 and weight down to 158. That means I lost 9 ½ lbs in 2 mo. Didn't get any important letters. Ben still sick & in trouble with his arm. So went to Dr. today & got medicine. Gene visited me for a while. Wilma, Pat & Joann called. I called Joann too to let her know about my visit to Dr.

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1970 - I got up fairly early today again as I wanted to get my work done early. I got my floors done & Leonard, Marilyn & Debra came out. Marilyn did my hair then I kept Philip & Brenda while Betty taught Catechism in the forenoon & again a little while in the afternoon when she went to confession. I got my work done & prayers read & went with Gene around 4:30 to go to confession & Mass. Then home with him for supper. Paul, Lillian & Linda, J's Pat & Ron & Pat also were here. Alan surprised me by coming. He got home from Vietnam Monday.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 1970 - I got up quite early & had my breakfast so I could watch the Mass for Shut Ins. Then read my prayers & then had another program on about the new Baptism & Marriage ceremony. Louise came and visited for a while then I ready my Mass prayers & Rita called and they were coming to take me for a ride. Went to Cedar Rapids, got a Minnie Pearl dinner then went to Maurice's. Had a nice visit. Then we came home. I had a long evening & I'm tired. Lyle's are so good to me.

MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1970 - I got up fairly early & got around real good - had telephone calls & kept busy. Betty brought the mail in early & I heard from Bro. John & the insurance co. So I ans. Bro. J's letter & sent check for ins. & Betty took them for Gene to mail for me. I got more mail ready this P.M. & wrote to Sgt. Joe Milder this eve. Sort of nervous tonight. Fairly good weather today.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17, 1970 - I got around fairly early again & got my plants watered & 2 letters written this A.M. Joann called me 3 times but I got around & had a good dinner on time to suit me. Got a good letter from Vera. This evening I wrote to Larry's and Sister M. & watched TV, played a little solitaire& I'm tired & sleepy again. Washing tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1970 - I got up fairly early & got my washing started & breakfast over & got along real good. Also washed 3 rugs today & wrote to Bro. John. This P.M. I rested some & got my Easter cards addressed tonight. Gene's got my groceries. Gene also took the evergreens & poinsettias out of my window boxes. I am tired & sleepy again.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1970 - This was a pretty good day. I got around fairly early & wrote letters to Sister M. & Carol. Then I washed the rugs from the breezeway & dried them, which took quite a while. I got prayers ready & dinner in time to watch my stories this P.M. I made my Holy Hour, sewed on quilt blocks & mended corset.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1970 - I got up in good time, rather early too. Had a lot to do in the forenoon. Washed the poinsettias & water plants, clean up the breezeway and I also washed some windows & mirrors. Got my prayers ready & dinner on time this P.M. I sewed some & got my prayers done & Pat & Glenn, Nancy & the boys came to see me tonight. Brought me an Easter lily & card & some lard. A very nice evening. I really needed it.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1970 - I got up fairly early & took my bath. I worked quite hard all forenoon getting my work done and washing rugs, etc. etc. and was late getting my lunch. After reading my prayers this P.M. the same but got ready just in time to go to Mass with Gene & then when we got home Nick was here waiting for me to go to their house for supper. Had a very nice time.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 1970 - I got up early & got my breakfast early so I could watch the Sun In TV Mass which was the new Mass & very nice. I tog my work done around here & read prayers. Louise came down for a little visit and then I got my lunch & read the Mass prayers & got other prayers read. Rested a little while then got ready to go to Paul's for supper & evening. Really had a nice time. Catherine was home.

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1970 - I got up fairly early & got started at my work. Different little jobs. Got Myrtle's gift and letter written to her. Also a letter to Bro. John as I received his today. I got my prayers read before dinner. Made chicken rice soup today. Betty did my floors around the noon hour today. Gene tuned up my television.

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 1970 - I got up rather early again & found plenty to do as usual. Watered plants and combed out the fringe on the bedroom rugs. Pat called this morning, Libb this eve. I got 6 Easter cards today and heard from Sister that she is coming Thursday. I called Leonard this eve. Joann called today. She sounded more cheerful but Ben's arm still in bad shape. Gene also called.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1970 - All white with snow and snowing pretty hard. Up in good time. Got my washing started & done early. Mended some - read prayers - kept Brenda here while Gene's got the groceries. A very heavy wet snow again but it wasn't very cold so we went out to Pat's for Jerry's birthday. Virg & Darlene & family there too. So we had a very nice evening and big supper.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1970 - It was a pretty nice morning. Snow has stopped. I got my ironing done early and some mending done. The telephone man came around noon & changed my phones to private now. I think I am going to like that. In the P.M. I made my Holy Hour & got my work finished up before Sister came. She called a little after 4:00 P.M. Betty got her. Betty took up to Holy Thursday Mass at 7:30. Lyle, Libb, Rita & Dave here tonight.

FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 1970 - We got around in fairly good time and I got my bedding put to wash and got it washed & dried then we got my hair put up & got a good dinner. Betty took Sister M. down town & they got groceries then at 2:30 P.M. we went with Gene to the Good Friday Services. I stood it real good. Anna May came for eggs & visited a while. Gene brought us good fish sandwiches for our supper.

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 1970 - I got up early & took my bath. Sister M. stayed in bed a little longer. We had a busy forenoon. I helped what I could & Sister did lots of baking. In the P.M. I tried to rest, but didn't make out too good. Bennie & Steve & Marcia came out & we had a nice visit. Gene took Sister & I to Holy Sat & Easter Services tonight. Paul & Lillian brought us home & Pat & Glenn & family came out for a while.

SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 1970 - WE had a very nice Easter day. Sister M. went with Betty to 7:00 Mass. I got my prayers read and coffee made & then we got breakfast. Watched the Shut Ins Mass. The Louise came & visited. Pat & Nancy then came for us & we went home with her for dinner & supper. Libb & Lyle & Rita came there in the P.M. We played some Royal Rummy. Gene's came for supper & we played Royal Rummy again. We had a very nice day.

MONDAY, MARCH 30, 1970 - A fairly nice day. WE got up in fairly good time & had our breakfast. Sister M. got busy and made doughnuts & rolls today. Then she went to town with Betty & was looking for a blouse. It took quite a while. She got some pussy willows when she got home & Betty brought some over for her. Wilma & Clarence came over for her this evening. Wilma took my new blouse home with her to fix. Also turned up some hems on two dresses.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1970 - I got up around 7:00 again and Sister M. Also got u about the same time. I wrote a letter to Bro. John and Sister M. mailed it for me. She kept busy all forenoon at this & that & then we go an early lunch and Lillian came & took Sister over to the U. Hospital to meet Sister Rose. A long afternoon for me. Wrote to Sgt. Joe Milder tonight; also to John Milder.

Next month - April