March 1986

 

1 Quiet day. To Bville w/ David for some groceries in afternoon. He is cutting 4 teeth on top & cries 4 pm till bedtime! Mother comes to spend night. Steaks & double baked potatoes. 

2 To Fayetteville PCA & after church lunch w/Mother. We all enjoy it. Pretty drive back on 102. Try to nap, but David's awake. We watch calf birthed. To Mother's for 2nd episode of Centennial. Cal begins grieving...

3 I go out before Cal & David are up to see the cows & new calves. Photos. Come back to see Papa & son waving from a window. Laundry, housework. Cal took us for a long drive--12, 127, 23, 62 around Beaver Lake & across Beaver Dam. Beautiful. Home after 6 & roast was ruined, but still tasty. Listened to B. Graham on radio (TV). Forgot to listen to Dobson on farm crisis. Need to order those tapes. Mail to Kramers, Griswolds, Rylands, Dad, Gillan, Grimstead. Pork roast.

4 Made dinner & apple pie. Morning nap, 3 loads laundry, showered, lunch. Letter from Uncle Larry. Took lunch to Cal at 2 & stayed at M's to watch TV. David played in playpen & napped. Everyone tired & I'm losing patience w/ D. Ratatouille--at Mother's. To bed early. 

5 Walked after breakfast w/ David & Cal. Both D. & I took morning naps.

6 Dr. Allen: DAVID 10:00 a.m. 1 yr checkup.  New OB Nurse appt 11:00 a.m. Two nurses couldn't find heart tones! So we had to return after lunch to have a sonogram to see heart beat. Saw little baby--very active & heart beating strong.   TAKE TREATS to Bible study

7 Dinner w/David at Mother's after polishing silver.  Howard Ball arrives.

8 Made spinach souffle for brunch. McAlisters stopped by for an hour's visit. Saw 4th new calf in pasture. To Republican fundraiser w/ Cal; then to Shady Grove music party to meet Mother, Howard, & David. Home at 9.

9 To Gateway Chapel w/ Howard & M. Cal & I decide to go to this church for awhile. Feel much at home & much of the H.S. And good for our children to call farm kids their peers instead of yuppie children they'd know in Rogers. Will continue at PCA cell group BS. Lunch aqt Mother's. David & I nap while Cal and H. talk. I returned home w/ David while M, H, & C returned to church for eve service. Great wind & storms through night. 

10 Groceries  Cal-dinner mtg.   Beef stew for David & me.

11 David just isn't eating much. And much of what I do get him to take comes out undigested. Cal suggests he's not needing much right now. Went to Walmart to buy material & stepstool--stepstool is defective--must return it. Catfish for M & Cal at M's. Storms. 

12 Beautiful a.m. walk 7-8. Dressed & fed David. Washed all floors. Nap. Burn trash, get mail; day feels like Saturdays of my childhood. Made spinach quiche for supper--Mother came. Cal took her home & brought back other car. Warm spring evening. 

13 6:45 walk. Overcast & cool. Beautiful. Returned to bathe David. Oatmeal pancakes for breakfast. Spit pea soup for dinner. Made maternity top--ducks. Re: Abortion issue: Ex 1:17    Wash diapers.  David's clothes    Bible study--Did not go for exhaustion. Did they even meet? Cal to Quorum Ct. mtg.

14 Made Brownies for dinner dessert One load laundry. Devotions on front porch during David's nap--beautiful: warm sun, cool air, birds all around, dogs sleeping at my feet. Cal brought a load of black dirt! <3 <3 Cavanaughs' for dinner; David & Cody had such a good time playing together. 

15 Lovely a.m. walk--Tuesday's route, but with Cal & David. Omelette for breakfast. Finished stuffed dogs. Hemmed maternity top. Walmart. Pork chops & stirfry vegets for dinner.

16 Made a yellow flannel pillow for David   Soup at Wengers' after church   Nap. Garden. Sandwiches for supper. To bed early; Cal stayed up to finish a birthday letter to David. 

17 1:00 Party for David--Mother & Cal come home at lunch Roast chicken, rice, broccoli, Angel food cake

18 Mother leaves for Denver--I took her to Springfield. Chris Byrd here for supper. Mac n cheese & pork chops

19 (Depressed day!) Made chili & Fr. onion soup

20 Dr. Becton 9:45 a.m.--I like him. Went to St. Mary's to see facilities--nice. Phillips grocery store. Fish for supper. Bible study--leave early--I feel ill. Letter from Kramers

21 Awoke tired & headache. Napped 2 hrs. while David napped. Leftover scal. potatoes & tuna noodle for lunch. Organized & cleaned laundry room--now David can play out there safely. Wengers for dinner--chili & salad & coffee ice cream

22 Up early & out to see cows & birds with David. Folded laundry & measured playpen. Good time w/ Wengers last night & house clean this a.m. Write letters--a.m. Horvath, Michelic, Swindoll & Dobson. Bought material to recover playpen. Fish for supper.

23 Too tired! Up early for a walk--then Cal went. I napped & didn't go to church. Then played outdoors with David who's getting very good at climbing & judging edges. Chili for lunch. Ham sandwich "picnic" dinner we took to Cavanaughs' Went to chapel service--evening. Soda at Barnetts'.

24 Begin playpen refurbishing after walk & breakfast. Devotions. Spec COR letterhead--take to Gary Lookadoo. Dinner early - chicken.  Cal--pm mtg.

25 PRODUCTION DAY Leanne called--timely. Shortened nap--Mary Lucas [landlady] knocked. Deep-fried chicken & onion rings & took them to ofc for lunch w/ Cal - a failure! Long afternoon nap with David :) Fed David good supper; then made salad supper for Cal & me. Ate at 8 after David to bed. Called Leanne re: Ingrid Trobisch's church in Springfield, MO

26 Cleaned bedroom closets!! Vacuumed. Postcard to Lenore Macafee. Tuna salad & tabouli lunch w/  Cal. Potato onion soup for dinner. French bread. Beautiful afternoon. Paste-up COR letterhead p.m.

27 Letter to Daddy. Express mail letterhead to Ray Allen. Buy kitchen jars, reprints, glue for p.p, frames. Quorum Ct Mtg. I skip B. study. Fish supper w/ salads

28 Cal had mtg. p.m. Then we had devotions. Chicken supper with potato salad.

29 Lunch: Mac n cheese   Drove to Springfield 4-6 to pick up Mother. Supper at Denny's. 

30 To Messiah Lutheran Church, Springfield--then to Sheraton for brunch. Home 65 to 86 etc by 4 pm. Made chicken & tomatoes. To bed early. Daddy called after we were asleep. 

31 So tired this a.m. I'm wanting to do nothing. Went to proofread copy Gary set on Sat. Then groceries at IGA for a taco salad, milk, potato salad. Postcard to Micki Kramer, L'eggs order; Devotions, nap. Letters to Phyllis W, Janet Bamford, Julie Byrd.    Discouraged today!    Taco salad supper. Went to bed after an evening walk w/ Cal & Davie; after David's bath & dishes were done. 8:30 p.m. Woke 2 a.m. to change David & his soaked bed. 

April floods and travel to Kansas City, May travel to Illinois, June and July and progressing pregnancy through hot temperatures and a one-year-old master climber who perfects the crib escape! 

February 1986

1 David has learned to CRAWL!   Mother came here late afternoon for a walk. Then Mother went to Withers'.  Eggplant parmesan for Mother and Dad B's 44th anniversary.

2 Went to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Which Cal liked & I didn't -- no nursery personnel, I couldn't stay in church. Back here for leftover eggplant w/ Mother. Then she cleaned up while we had naps. Worked on jigsaw puzzle. Rained all day. 

3 I slept in until 8:30. Letter to Kay Hobby. Began devotions again. Rained all day. Made split pea soup for supper. Dinner at Mother's. I foolishly stayed up till Cal came to bed to work on jigsaw puzzle: 1:20 a.m.!. Still awake at 3:30! Letters from Sarah and Beth

4 Up between 8 & 8:30. Fed David & did dishes from last night. Morning nap.  Shower. Lunch. Jigsaw puzzle. Nap. To Mother's to fix supper--To Gateway Rural Water Assn mtg. with Cal. Home for supper, State of Union address, Moonlighting. Letter to Pinky. To bed again after midnight again!

5 Letter to Sarah. Cal's day with David. Morning walk. Chicken broth & banana bread. Late lunch.

10 Began to bleed heavily mid-morning. Also snowed heavily all day. Cal took me to Dr.  Heard heartbeat 160 bpm. Cervix closed. Dr. prescribed getting off feet for 48 hrs. Move into Mother's w/ David. Greenlees stay the night for heavy snow. Pizza for dinner. 

11 Bleeding stops

13 To house noon to supper with Cal. Make supper for M & Cal.   Greenlees' house burns down. They stay at M's for 2 days. We give them Cal's old dishes. Cal bought 3 roses for me <3 & 3 for Mother "from David". Cal left late evening for Springfield, MO. I stay at M's. 

15 Aunt Edie died during the night.

16 Cal drives back, bringing Daddy with him. They arrive at 8 pm. I make dinner of chicken. David acts shy with Daddy. M & I attended Bro Dan's church int he morning, Spaghetti lunch at her house then here to clean. 

17 Daddy went grocery shopping with me. 

18 Went to B'ville to post Daddy's poem and my sketches. Home on Ark 40. Took Daddy for drive to LB Village & PR Military P. Home for naps. Catfish at M's. Watch Jack's funeral etc. video.

19 Mother comes for dinner--WOK. How terribly tired I am all the time!

20 Cal & Dad had lunch with Carlton & Alvarez. To Little Flock potluck with M & Daddy & David. Then home to see video of Mom's memorial. Good for M.

21 Daddy, while here, built bird-feeder, stair railing, took drawer organizer. To Wengers' for dinner. 

22 Left for airport in Tulsa at 10:30. Daddy treated us to lunch since my brunch was ruined by a broken oven. Then we met Kinnamans as Daddy boarded the plane. Lovely drive home. I baked chicken at M's while M & Cal covered Dem. Party Rally. M very depressed!

23 Took M to church at FBC. Had lunch at her house. Cal fasting. She gives us some of Jack's clothes. Return here for naps. Then drive White Oak Holler. Then clean house. Then back to M's for first episode of "Centennial." Difficult time disciplining David to go to sleep.

24 Letter to Connie Wallace. Bath for David after lunch.

25 Letter to Julie Byrd. Pork roast at Mother's 

26 Meatballs & scalloped potatoes. Mother hits bottom--S.S. forms! Spends night w/ us.

27 Gray day. To KMart to buy yarn for Greenlee blanket. Home--exhausted! 3 hr. late afternoon nap. To Shoney's for supper--then to Bible study. Evelyn gives us sewing machine base. 

28 Good productive day for Cal. I stop by Mother's mid-afternoon & we have lunch. Sagans for dinner--chix, rice, salad. Good mtg & conversation. We like them, we decide. 

In March David cuts teeth, we watch a calf being born, get the first sneak preview of Susan in utero, and celebrate David's first birthday

January 1986

New Year's Day: Clara Williams arrived at 5 pm. After David put to bed we had steak stir-fry supper. She brought champagne.

2 Clara & I spent the day together. Drove her to "see" Pea Ridge, Lost Bridge Village, the Military Park. Took her to lunch (good catfish) at Battlefield Restaurant. Dinner of Cincinnati chili

3 Clara left 7:30 am. Noias stop by on their way out at 11 am. Wengers arrive for lunch at noon--then Cal has to run in to help Dad off pot! Back for 1/2 hr. then on to take Dad to dentist. Returns late afternoon. I'm feeling low--kind of "trapped" Alone. Supper of steak stir-fry on fettuccini--Then to Dad's and Mother's for company. Till 9:30

4 Took a walk upon arising to gather kindling & watched Fred feed the cows--David fascinated. Had Dad & Mother out for dinner of catfish & hushpuppies.

5 Attended Fellowship Bible Church in Bentonville. Good sermon on Servanthood by Dr. Jim Walters of John Brown University. Saw John Grant. Liked the church. We'll return sometime. Left David with Dad & Mother. Then returned after church & stayed with them until 2 pm. Came home for naps & a supper of chicken, slaw, French fries, & black-eyed peas. Did not go to see Bleak House 'cause David & I felt so lousy.     Clara's 69th birthday.

6 Am so tired! Am I pregnant? Clara & Dad B. say no - the eyes would tell them. Went to Dad's mid-morning with David. Made ww bread. Had clam chowder with Cal for lunch. Returned here for naps. Made mac n' cheese & returned to be with Dad--made dinner for all of us. Home at 8:30. Cal taught me cribbage (Dad had tried, but David interrupted too much.) Pinky called.

7 Supper of steak, rice, broccoli, acorn squash

8 Cal gone all day on errands & helping Dad. I feel the isolation of the place very keenly. Chicken & fettucine for supper. 

9 Went to Rogers with David to run errands. Robt Cupp came over to have lunch with Cal. Dad fell on his return from dr. & Cal had to run over at dinnertime to help him Then Cal left for Quorum Ct. mtg. Chili & Nachos.

10 Took a 2.4 mile walk in the afternoon after a cry. David so much to handle and "getting to me." Cal took me to Mary Maestri's for a nice dinner.

11 Cal took care of David most of today so I could work--painted chairs blue, made meals, cleaned, napped, read a little & did a bit of desk work. Sandi called to tell me about Belinda. Lord, heal them. And we're wondering if I should go to help Gretchen or if Mother should--Cal & I would stay with Dad. We're so tired--just want to live our own lives. But Lord give us guidance & strength.

12 Decided not to go to church. So tired! Napped during David's nap. Dad had needed us, but they'd thought we'd gone to church so they didn't call till later. Took a long walk--discovered the ravine we see out our bedroom window. Cal stayed w/ Dad while Mother walked with me out here. Then in to Pea Ridge. Home at 7 pm. Poignant dream about Mom & family. 

13 Dad called me in to P.R. Went early with David, but he doesn't settle down well for naps. Dad officious & cranky--I wonder why I came!? Tension builds & builds. Then Cal stops for lunch with mail from Daddy--pictures of Mom--how I miss her! And poem by Pinky. I break into grief & go home. Sleep afternoon after cry. Clean after spaghetti supper while Cal covers a meeting.

14 Stayed home with David. Painted "The Mentor." Took David in to Dad for short visit. He is so busy trying to work that he's lousy company. Make chicken 'n pasta salad for dinner but Cal never comes home--takes Dad to hospital with hernia. Home at 11:30. I called Bev.

15 Have an early lunch w/ Cal. Make "Never fail sweet rye bread" & it fails miserably. That & Lentil soup & Cal goes to cover another meeting. Work on Laurie painting.

16 To P.R. for steaks w/ Mother & Dad at 5:30 & then on to Rogers for Bible study at McAlisters'. David delightful. Bev calls us.

17 Clean all day after a long walk up White Oak Holler in a.m. So, so tired! Wayne & Sandy Weatherford for dinner. Made B.C.C. Savory R. C. Hens. Very good. Strawb. shortcake for dessert. I fell asleep before they left--they'd stayed for a Kirk story.

18 Rain. Got up early with David so Cal could sleep in. Joe Miletits came to talk about insurance & stayed till noon. French onion rice soup. Short nap. Then the sun came out & we drove backroads to Bentonville. Beautiful. Walmart & Oscar's (for paint). To Mother's & Dad's for a short visit. Then back here. To Brightwater Methodist Church to cover a social for the newspaper--I went to keep Cal company & David loved the music...

19 Did an ANSWER preg. test this a.m. at 5:15. Read results when I got up to nurse David at 6:30. Positive. To F.B.C. Very happy with this church--think we'll stay. Spent day with folks. To Roaring River State Park. Then BBQ at Pea Ridge. Electricity went out & we chased down the story for Dad's whim. 9 p.m. & I'm exhausted! Cal's staying up to read, but I'm going to bed!

21 Dad taken to hospital mid-day. Cal home part of day, sick. Register cars.  

22 Mother called from Fayetteville at 1:30 a.m.--Dad very bad. Cal rushes down. Arrives an hour before Dad dies. Later autopsy showed it was a subsequent heart attack. Cal brings Mother back here. After morning naps she & Cal spend the day with Brother Dan making plans Bert, then Bev, stop by. DeDe comes by at dinnertime. Mother stays with us.

24 The girls arrive at 10 p.m. Together at Mother's until past midnight. Bev & Gretchen stay with us. David never nurses. WEAN

25 Funeral 10 a.m. Return here for lunch, then long lovely hike. Then chatting around fireplace. Barnetts stop by. Then to Mother's. Supper & view video of service. Boys return with us & Bev stays at Mother's. David has hard night.

26 To Mother's by 9:15 for breakfast, tree trimming, & family time. Return to our home after the kids leave at 11:00 am. Mother cleans while we nap! Return to Mother's. I make supper. Then shower me & David. We go through florist cards with Mother. 

27 Write CK. John K calls. Says Griswolds are back in B.S. Morning nap. To mother's late afternoon. Made supper. Watched Passage to India with Cal. Daddy sent flowers to Mother. 

28 Called to see if flowers from "Art" were Dad's. Yes. And found out Marcia is expecting a baby in October! To B'ville with David in afternoon: License, register vote, Walmart. Organized Mother's linen closet, Made roast for dinner at Mother's. 

29 Mama's day off! Paint Laurie's portrait. Wrote letter to Clara and to Laurie. Letter from Aunt Edie. Mother here for Taco salad supper. Shared symp. cards & Elis. Eliot article. David to his own bed at bedtime for the 1st time in 5 days!

30 Dinner at Mother's 6:00. Bible study. 

31 I made Salmon dinner at Mother's house. Then we watch To Have or Have Not.

In February David has learned to crawl, Greenlees' house burns down, my great-aunt Edie dies, my recently widowed father comes to visit...