Carolyn's Diary: Thursday, June 20, 1963

About Carolyn's Diary

My mother kept diaries from January 6 1962 until the morning she died in October 1998. Her diaries were written for practical purposes, and provide a chronicle of the events of her days. Few feelings are expressed, if any, and you have to read between the lines to discern her emotions. She would often refer back to her diaries to confirm that the roof was replaced on this date, the taxes were paid on that date, the weather was sunny and warm or snowy and windy.

My mother stopped working when I was born in 1959, and my father was a US Navy diver. My mother's first diary was presented to her on January 6, 1962, when her parents arrived from Iowa for an extended stay as my dad prepared to leave the country with the Navy. My grandmother kept a daily diary until her death also, and I guess she encouraged my mother to do the same.

My mother seems unsure of what to write initially, but gradually gets into the rhythm of writing each day. It is simply a record of the day-to-day life of an average American housewife.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Thursday, June 20, 1963

Started scraping tar on the living room floor this A.M. - got about 1/3 of it done & ready to wax - then I planted some flowers that Mr. Paul gave us - Mowed all of our lawn today & the back of Jim & Ruby's - Billy rode with me most of the time - We went to Carrol's & ate supper (Military Hwy.) - Took a shower tonight. Kitty came before we went to eat & we covered 4 of the dining room chairs - Hank & I done the other 2 tonight.

3 comments:

Daniela said...: This really brings me back to when I was a kid. I was an army brat and we lived on the base until about the time that I was 6, then moved off. My mom was always busy like yours. These women were phenomenal, where they got all there energy I will never know. I swear, I can't imagine putting tar on the floors then waxing them. Why did she put tar on the floors? I don't think I've ever heard of that. I remember my mom getting on her hands and knees to clean the kitchen and bathroom floors. She said it wouldn't be clean enough if she used a mop. I use a mop. No, I use a swiffer. Thank god for swiffer, i love them. I want to marry the person who came up with them. I bet it was a woman..hell, I'd even marry her. ok, here i go rambling again. Have a good day Bill. Can't wait for the next installment.; April 13, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Bill said...: My mother had an ongoing battle with the tile on our floors. The idiot who built the house used tar (or a tar-like substance) as an adhesive for the floor tile. They used too much, and the tar constantly oozed up between the tiles. This problem continued until my parents installed a new floor in the kitchen, and carpeting throughout the rest of the house.; April 13, 2008 at 4:30 PM
Daniela said...: Bless her heart that must have been horrible. Thanks for explaining that because I couldn't for the life of me imagine why you would have tar in your living room. My dad used to do odd jobs when he was in the service and he laid tile at night. I remember going to see him at work and seeing tar...totally makes sense now. Now lets go sing some Christmas Carols. I love all of Judy Garlands christmas. She had such a lovely voice. Talk to ya soon.; April 13, 2008 at 7:03 PM