1965 is a Busy Year

Moving back to Pacific Beach was good because we now had babysitters.  The Allen family and Beeler family both had teenage girls who liked to earn money.  Susan Allen became a frequent babysitter and was so well trained.  She would come over after school and help with the laundry and the children and we were able to keep up our Friday night date out as well.

We were also being encouraged to get in our Four Generation Sheets to the Genealogy division of the Church and I was sending sheets back and forth to my family trying to get them updated.  At this time it was all being done by hand or on typewriter and I was the typist and we had to have them checked by a representative at the ward before sending them in.  I was quite diligent about getting them completed.

We had one of the men at church help us plan the yard for our home in PB but Richard wanted to do the brick patio.  It was all laid in sand with two by fours as a guide and it was very large across the whole back yard.  However, with his long office hours plus his church jobs and mine, it was slow going.

In 1965 Richard was even in the ward road show as a sailor!  However, the children loved having the backyard as dirt, they could do about anything they wanted.  Johnny loved to play with scrap wood and his trucks.

Some notes I made about the children is that Maria loved to sing and talk loudly in church and Linda was continually on Gantrisin to build up resistance from her frequent urethra infections until her tubes grew larger.  Linda had a special friend her age on the Cul de Sac named Erin and was getting very grown up.

I also set up a 'play house' for them in the laundry room with doll beds, dolls, table and chairs and mother had sent them dishes.  They could go in and out from the back yard to their "playhouse".  Having been a kindergarten teacher I tried to set up a similar situation at home.  The children played well together and always had plenty to do.

Richard was involved in a lot of the planning when Mansfield Mills redid their office and was often very fatigued.  He was to have his first visit to the cardiologist this year.

Notes from letters: "Friday night Len had tickets to see "How to Succeed in Business, etc" $5.00 tickets for $1.50.  It was excellent.  Last night they had a stake potluck at our ward and a pageant that Betty Westwood directed.  It was very good. too.  They had a terrific band for dancing but Carole is a little big so we came home and played "Clue"  Richard thinks he can't be beat but Carole and Len won last night."

"Linda was feeling poorly again but no infection, just irritation in the urethra the Doctor thinks and the Gantrisin perks her right up.  He said in time it will build up her body resistance and she won't be this way, hope so.  Linda takes such good care of Maria and Maria loves to have her lead her by the hand.  Maria cut her forehead the other day (just before Mutual) and it bled so much the neighbor took me to the Doctor but it was so small he didn't stitch it but I suppose it will leave a little scar.

The last two Fridays I've had Susan Westwood Degn's Mexican cleaning lady come in, only $1 an hour and wow, it is the greatest.  She does all my floors, cleans the house, does the ironing and tends the children.  It is amazing, what a difference it makes in the way I feel and the way the whole weekend goes--no confusion on Sunday, Saturdays free to work on the yard.  And things just can't pile up like they do when I get busy on projects.  Last week we were making costumes for roadshow and I knew she was coming in so it was great, can't afford it but it really is well worth it.  Most charge more, of course.  I work along with her in the morning and do all the washing, putting away and tending to children and then take off in the afternoon.  Didn't know it could  be so lovely to get away and come home to a clean house.

Today we were very lazy, Richard cooked steaks and we read all afternoon and evening.  After Church we planned Richard's Sunday night meeting he is in charge of for education.  It is still not really warm, always a little cool breeze but wonderful for getting things done.  I hope to get at more sewing.  I still feel as if summer is on its way instead of almost over.

August 3, 1965

Things have been so hectic lately, seems I haven't sat down for days and no one has watched TV for over a week.  We went to see Carole's new baby today and she is a real sweetie, looks all around.  Carole is feeling good.  I cleaned her house a little yesterday and cooked up a little food.

I talked to Marilyn on the phone to see when they would be at the cabin.  I was all set to have me and the children fly up a week earlier than Richard and we could see Marilyn then, too.  However, the price they quoted me on the flight was wrong and it is much higher, so common sense tells me I can't do it though Richard said I could if I wanted.    The station wagon is on the blink and neither of us wants to spend four days traveling and only have four days of vacation.  I guess we should just wait till next year.

October, 1965

It's almost midnight but seems I concentrate best at night for sewing and letters anymore and it is so nice not to have any interruptions.  The children received some gifts from Mom today and Maria's dress is long--I didn't realize she was such a shorty.  It is very pretty and she really needs one.  The girls were happy with their dresses, too.  I have moved their table, doll bed, doll clothes, and dishes in to the utility room and they have so much fun there and can go in and outside and have all their friends in to play house and dress up without traipsing all through the house.

When we get it painted in there I would like to fix it real cute for them.  We took a trip to Julian to see if we could  find some wooden apple boxes to make some playhouse furniture but they use cardboard boxes now.  Maybe we will get them some cupboard, sink and stove for Christmas out of the catalog.  They surely love to play house and would get lots of use from them.

Richard finally took a week off and got a really good start on the yard.  We have about finished our brick patio and walk and planted about 50 bushes.  Now we have the grass to do, more bushes and the cement on the side of the garage and the one front side to do. 


Richard is more anxious to get me some  cupboards built in the utility room over my machine so I will do all my sewing out there.  I've been in the dining room while we have been working on the walls in there.  The gal who did the taping of the seams used some paste I gave her that had soured and it has left a terrible smell in there that doesn't seem to go away, and we are afraid to paint over it for fear the smell will still be there.

Friday we are going to a dinner dance and guess I'll wear my one dressy brocade again.  I surely need to get busy on some clothes for me,  I'll be glad when our  bazaar is over.  I leave sewing until the end and I'm trying to get it finished now.  I would rather spend the time planting bulbs but don't know if I'll get to it this year.

Richard is getting a new office and it will be so nice, but he is always so tired.  He would still like more independence I guess but seems to me they give him a lot of authority.  He has done most of the office planning and contracting.

John is so loud and wild in the house and is always pestering the girls.  He really gets scolded and he is so sensitive over everything.  I don't know if he has a problem or if it's just natural from starting school.  We surely don't have the control over the children we should.  They all seem smarty and demanding.  Even Maria is getting to where she insists on this or that.  They are all happy most of the time though and Linda is so sweet as long as she isn't suffering from bladder infection.  Amazing how that changes her personality.

Richard has had so much pain in his chest I finally convinced him he should go in for a cardiogram.  I really think we both need more regular exercise instead of sporadic overdoing of yard work.  I am tired all the time, too, but from all I read I guess it is just because I have to think about and do things  I don't want to.  I bought a few annuals today to add a little winter color.  Wish it was only September and I could plant more.  I'm certainly not ready for Christmas yet and all the toys are already moving in the stores so shopping time is here I guess.  I haven't even bought Mom a birthday present yet because I never get to any stores but grocery stores and discount stores. 

I miss having my Mexican lady.  Stupidly I told Susan something she had said about her and Susan fired her.  Betty Westwood said I shouldn't have said that and she is right.  Me and my dumb mouth.

John was so sweet today and Linda the rascal, guess they all have their days."