Saturday, August 28, 2004
JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER....1974
August 8th ….President Nixon resigned office because of Watergate scandal.
Aunt Mardelle was released from the hospital in July and after she was a little stronger uncle Emil brought her to visit mom and dad. She was very thin and had so many pills to take it was unreal. Aunt Beulah was invited to come and join in the fun. Whenever the family got together there were always spirited card games, lots of laughter and good food. Aunt Beulah and I usually had something to stitch on but when cards were on the table, aunt Beulah was first to sit down. She loved table games.
I usually begged off to crochet, knit or quilt; whatever I happened to be working on at the time. I knit an adorable sweater and cap for Jennifer in pale yellow during the winter months and she looked like a little pixie in it. It had little pom poms on top and on the strings that tied under her chin. I have a picture of her I wish I could share…..maybe some day I will learn how to operate a camera and scanner for our PC.
When the games got to a certain point it was always time for dessert and coffee. With aunt Beulah and my mom we always had wonderful food….I had learned well from them, growing up, and had become a fair cook in my own rights. They taught me from the empty bowl to the oven or stove top. The cooking experience they had was a wealth of information….it was fascinating to watch my mom. She handled the dough with such ease….she always said you had to have “the touch.” She certainly did.
Warren quit at the shoe factory when the work became slow and went to work for the Ford dealership as a salesman. He was sent to St. Louis to a sales meeting, using one of the cars from the lot. On the last day of meetings he loaded the car so when the meeting was over he could come straight home. When he popped out the door to do so, to his amazement…..the car was gone. He went back inside and called the police who arrived some time later. Of course the red tape and questions took most of the afternoon. He had to catch a bus to come home and arrived late evening. Our insurance company reimbursed us for the luggage and contents…..the car was found later, stripped.
John surprised us by being here one Sunday when we came from church. He planned on taking in a revival going on the next week and to go on a float trip with Becky and Hank. He came and went on the bus if he didn’t have a ride any other way…..he managed to get back for Jennifer’s birthday but had to leave the next day for work. We always hated to see him go……..
Mom had a funny spell in September and dad was quite worried about her. She was telling him something and all of a sudden she started talking crazy….nothing to do with what she was previously talking about. Her mouth sagged down on one side and then she couldn’t talk at all. Dad took her to the doctor and he told them it was little mini-strokes. A few days later they left for Blair to visit aunt Mary. She was suffering the effects of taking care of grandma for so many years and suddenly being alone. Losing someone whom you have been a caretaker for is a terrible void after they are gone.
Mom had another “spell” after they were there a few days and this time they went to a local doctor that was well-known by the family. He put her through a series of tests and found an aneurysm at the base of her brain as well as indications of small blockages. He gave her medications and after a few days she seemed better. Dad continued to worry about her but kept it to himself.
Mom and dad were planning a trip to Seattle as aunt Mary and aunt Beulah hadn’t been there before…….the folks thought it would be good for aunt Mary to have a change of scenery. Dad wanted me to go along to look after mom. He was afraid she would have one of her spells on the trip and he wouldn’t be able to take care of her if that happened. I hated to leave home for that long but gave in because dad wanted to celebrate his and Louis’ birthdays together. Dad never asked for anything and I knew this was important to him. I finally agreed.
I rode to Omaha with aunt Beulah and we stayed with her sister, Mildred, the first night. Dad and uncle Tom came after me the next morning and aunt Beulah joined us after supper so we would all be ready to leave in the morning. September 22nd we left for Seattle…..the Powell’s left for home in Virginia. With every mile we would be further and further apart. Tomorrow we take another long ride to Seattle……….
Until then,
Essentially Esther
Aunt Mardelle was released from the hospital in July and after she was a little stronger uncle Emil brought her to visit mom and dad. She was very thin and had so many pills to take it was unreal. Aunt Beulah was invited to come and join in the fun. Whenever the family got together there were always spirited card games, lots of laughter and good food. Aunt Beulah and I usually had something to stitch on but when cards were on the table, aunt Beulah was first to sit down. She loved table games.
I usually begged off to crochet, knit or quilt; whatever I happened to be working on at the time. I knit an adorable sweater and cap for Jennifer in pale yellow during the winter months and she looked like a little pixie in it. It had little pom poms on top and on the strings that tied under her chin. I have a picture of her I wish I could share…..maybe some day I will learn how to operate a camera and scanner for our PC.
When the games got to a certain point it was always time for dessert and coffee. With aunt Beulah and my mom we always had wonderful food….I had learned well from them, growing up, and had become a fair cook in my own rights. They taught me from the empty bowl to the oven or stove top. The cooking experience they had was a wealth of information….it was fascinating to watch my mom. She handled the dough with such ease….she always said you had to have “the touch.” She certainly did.
Warren quit at the shoe factory when the work became slow and went to work for the Ford dealership as a salesman. He was sent to St. Louis to a sales meeting, using one of the cars from the lot. On the last day of meetings he loaded the car so when the meeting was over he could come straight home. When he popped out the door to do so, to his amazement…..the car was gone. He went back inside and called the police who arrived some time later. Of course the red tape and questions took most of the afternoon. He had to catch a bus to come home and arrived late evening. Our insurance company reimbursed us for the luggage and contents…..the car was found later, stripped.
John surprised us by being here one Sunday when we came from church. He planned on taking in a revival going on the next week and to go on a float trip with Becky and Hank. He came and went on the bus if he didn’t have a ride any other way…..he managed to get back for Jennifer’s birthday but had to leave the next day for work. We always hated to see him go……..
Mom had a funny spell in September and dad was quite worried about her. She was telling him something and all of a sudden she started talking crazy….nothing to do with what she was previously talking about. Her mouth sagged down on one side and then she couldn’t talk at all. Dad took her to the doctor and he told them it was little mini-strokes. A few days later they left for Blair to visit aunt Mary. She was suffering the effects of taking care of grandma for so many years and suddenly being alone. Losing someone whom you have been a caretaker for is a terrible void after they are gone.
Mom had another “spell” after they were there a few days and this time they went to a local doctor that was well-known by the family. He put her through a series of tests and found an aneurysm at the base of her brain as well as indications of small blockages. He gave her medications and after a few days she seemed better. Dad continued to worry about her but kept it to himself.
Mom and dad were planning a trip to Seattle as aunt Mary and aunt Beulah hadn’t been there before…….the folks thought it would be good for aunt Mary to have a change of scenery. Dad wanted me to go along to look after mom. He was afraid she would have one of her spells on the trip and he wouldn’t be able to take care of her if that happened. I hated to leave home for that long but gave in because dad wanted to celebrate his and Louis’ birthdays together. Dad never asked for anything and I knew this was important to him. I finally agreed.
I rode to Omaha with aunt Beulah and we stayed with her sister, Mildred, the first night. Dad and uncle Tom came after me the next morning and aunt Beulah joined us after supper so we would all be ready to leave in the morning. September 22nd we left for Seattle…..the Powell’s left for home in Virginia. With every mile we would be further and further apart. Tomorrow we take another long ride to Seattle……….
Until then,
Essentially Esther
