52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks – Week 24 “Dear Diary”

I have never kept a diary and I don’t believe I have any ancestors who did but I do have a copy of the desk diary that my mother kept in 1974. Mom was widowed in 1959 with nine children under 18. In 1971 she moved from Elmhurst, Illinois to Pompano Beach, Florida to be close to her sister Kathleen and brothers Tom and Jack who had retired to Ft Lauderdale. At the time there were three children still living with her, Peggy, Alice and Donald. Mom lived in Florida until her death in 1977 at the age of sixty. Shortly after moving to Florida, mom developed cancer and by 1974 was no longer able to teach full time.

These are the entries from her desk calendar for January 1974

Tuesday, January 1

            Alice’s bday – 19 years old

We are having dinner at Peg & Mike’s; SMC [her sister Sister Marie Camilla], A.K., Mary, Al, Don and me. Tris (Mike’s brother) of course. The apt is very nice they have beautiful bedroom furniture.

Saturday, January 5

            Budget for 2/75

            (other than checks)

            4.25       gas and milk

            100        gro.

            150        mail

            135        church

         1099        gro

[decimal points omitted but I believe these amounts represent dollars and cents]

Monday, January 14

            Rain fell all day today – 4” or so in vacant fields flooded and many streets

Didn’t drain off. So it was with Mc ab Rd when I tried to get to St Coleman’s for CCD. I had a terrible time and was lucky a good angel pulled me out.

Tuesday, January 15

Not feeling strong I hesitated about H.C.H. [Holy Cross Hospital] work but am  glad I tried it. It was not too tiring. Dr. George took me off Alkare for 2

more weeks.

Wednesday, January 16

            Alice joined the choir by her own request. It will be good for her, I think. She                is also thinking about Confirmation.                  

Thursday, January 17

Don took the car today so I am grounded. Hilda had us (Kay and I) for waffles. Tomorrow Don buys Mike Wilde’s car a “67 Cutlass for cash. Pretty good at saving!

Friday, January 18

Alice took me to Diane’s for lunch after grocery shopping. Sitting in front of T.V. at 11:00 when T.B.K. S. [my brother Tom, his wife Beate, their son Kurt, and Beate’s mother Susi]come! Don moves to liv fl [living room floor] to make room. He admires Tom and enjoys Beate. Alice makes banana bread which we forget to serve. Tom has no beard Kurt is v. friendly!

Saturday, January 19

M V [my sister Mary Virginia] and I shop at Fields but she doesn’t like what they have.

Sunday, January 20

Mass at 11:00 – Ir is a good experience to attend a “straight” Mass with choir. The kids went swimming at Boca bridge. Susi and Mary and I spent a quiet afternoon. The swimmers were back early.

Monday, January 21

CCD was a staff meeting. We are going to have 3 classes and 2 teachers for each class. Relaxed atmosphere, more free range rap[?]. In the AM Suzy & I went to the shore for shells We took Kurt.

Wednesday, January 23

T&R[my uncle Tom and his wife Ruth] took us T.B.K.S. to lunch at 2100 then we walked or sat on the beach till I left to do tutoring. The young ones went out to mini golf.

Thursday, January 24

Suzi and I took Kurt to the beach “shelling”. He is so sweet and trusting – his eyes say so much. At noon we went to HCH to have lunch with Ingabor and Mary. Susi and Beate enjoyed. At 3:00  we all drove up to WPB [West Palm Beach] for a Rst Bf [roast beef] dinner at St Raymond with SMC.

Friday, January 25

Tom and Beate left for Orlando We decided not to go – I am too tired and it’s quite expensive. So Susi and I went to Creighton’s . She liked v. much.

Saturday, January 26

The travelers get back form Orlando about 8:00. Had a grand time. We took things easy.

Sunday, January 27

Went to A.K.[her sister Kathy] for a nice dinner – she really can cook up a good meal.

Monday, January 28

Tom, Beate, Kurt, Susi Mary left and it was a lonely morning. Alice tried to cheer me up. We went to Inveraray for lunch with Isabel. The phone was ringing when we got in – a tutoring job 3^rd gr Louise. T.G. and Dorothy Hajjar.

Tuesday, January 29

Call from the Learning Tree – tutoring. Will look into it. I’m so thankful to have these jobs pop up. Hospital made me lonely for my sweet Mary. Peg came in the AM so cheerful – so is Alice.

Wednesday, January 30

Louise is a very sweet dark-eyed child. She is rather slow in reading but definitely able. We both have rapport.

                                   Thus, ends the month of January 1974.