My diary - June 23-25, 1972

Mom and Aunt Helen posing

Mary and I posing

June 23, 1972 Fri.

Dear Diary:

Grandpas birthday. He’s 71. I got up at 12:30. Got to sleep at abut 3:15. Aunt Helen worked today from 12:00 to 15 to 6 (& then till 9:30). I was a nurse today. I filled Mary’s icebag, got her thermonometer, wastebaskets, apple sauce etc. We watched T.V. Talked. We looked at old picture. Mary & I have to have some pin-up pictures. Made the salad, washed dishes, & had a glass of beer. Mom picked me up. They all were at Jim’s 

BYE!!

Note: Aunt Helen worked at Halles, a major department store at that time. It worked out well that I was Mary’s official nurse while she recovered from having her wisdom teeth removed. We had fun looking through old pictures of our Moms posing as pin-up girls. Later we attempted to replicate with our own poses. I look pretty dorky but we had fun. 

Might have been my first beer and I don’t even remember it.

June 24, 1972 Sat.

Dear Diary:

Sleeped with Mom last night. I was scared believe it or not. Watched T.V. Everyone but David & I went to to the supermarket. Boy everythings flooded. It isn’t bad at Grandma's but in Penns. etc. awful. I washed my hair in the basement. Took a bath. I read abit on a book “Five were Missing” Got a letter from Missy. Somehow it was sent to Uruguay, luckly a Reverend forward it to me. Went to church. Rained all day. Watched T.V.

BYE!!!

Note: Grandma’s house had scary, very graphic religious photos on the walls of the two bedrooms in which we slept. They really made me uneasy and sometimes I would have nightmares.

It is ironic that Hurricane Helene came through this weekend causing incredible flooding and devastation in the southeast. In June of 1972 Hurricane Agnes came through Florida and the mid-Atlantic states; it also caused terrible flooding and destruction.

How wonderful that the Reverend in Uruguay forwarded Missy’s letter.

Pottstown, PA flooding from Agnes June 1972, photo by Dominic Viscardi

Asheville, NC flooding from Helene 9/27/24, photo from N.C. Department of Transportation

June 25, 1972 Sun.

Dear Diary:

I was woken by the Walders at the door. Luckly Grandpa told them we were sleeping. Grandma said the boy would have just walked in & see Pepe. Well we babysitted for Mary Single grandson. We had loads of guest poor mom rolled her hair too. Mary & family came. Father Botzman, some elderly lady, Father Paulus, Uncle Leo, Aunt Erma. We had pork for dinner. Watched T.V. Saw movie “Island of Love” with Tony Randall.That little boy we sat for (Jeff) was real cute.

BYE!!!

The Walter’s were neighbors to my grandparents and knew my mom. Lucky for us that Grandpa intercepted them from bursting into the bedroom. Pepe, the parrot, shared the bedroom with us.

Mary Single was a friend of Mom's and they liked to travel together.

We had lots of visitors. Uncle Leo was my Grandmother’s younger brother; Aunt Erma was his wife. They were a lot of fun. I remember him always cracking jokes. He got into making jewelry and beveled glass ornaments.

Ornament made by Uncle Leo

Pendant from Uncle Leo