A Full Day in Skagway, Alaska

Wednesday July 31, 1991

Arrived in Skagway, Alaska 7 a.m. We had breakfast at 7 a.m. Our train ride up White Pass left at 8:30 a.m. for 3 hours. It was pretty along the Skagway River.

When we returned we had a buffet lunch on the ship. Excellent! Our helicopter ride to the Valley Glacier left at 1:30. We rode in a very small 4 passenger helicopter in the back one way and in the front on return flight. He took us to the glacier and dropped us off where we met a guide who explained all about glaciers. We're there about 25 minutes. Then our helicopter picked us up and flew us all around the area. It was wonderful.

When we returned we shopped the small town of Skagway. Our ship departed for Haines at 4:45, a 1-1/2 hour trip. When we arrived we took the tender to shore where we took a bus to the little town.

On board we laughed so hard at Country Western night skit and games and learned cotton-eyed Joe dance again.

I had no idea what a cotton-eyed Joe dance was, so I did some research and it looks like a combination of country western line dance and square dance. I'm sure Mom and Frank felt right at home participating in the dancing that night.

Skagway, Alaska, was the gateway to the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898, much like the 1849 gold rush in California, but under much harsher conditions. Ships would arrive with prospectors from Seattle and points south and before they could begin their journey over the mountains the prospectors had to buy a mule and several months of provisions. Many mules died on that journey as well as many of the men seeking their fortunes. White Pass was called "dead horse trail" prior to the arrival of the railroad in 1898. In that same year the population of Skagway boomed to 10,000 residents. As with the California gold rush, very few made a fortune except the vendors who sold supplies at exorbitant prices.

Now Skagway is a very small historical landmark with a population of only 800. 750,000 tourist arrive by cruise ship every summer and completely take over the town. When we visited by ferry in 2001, 2002 and 2004 we enjoyed the quaint community and the railroad trip through White Pass, as well as the breathtaking scenery, but when the cruise ships arrived, we would leave town to avoid the throngs of tourists. 4 or 5 cruise ships at dock meant 8000-10,000 tourists in a town of 800. The residents, of course, appreciate the tourists because they provide them with their income for the year.

Tracy Arm and Sawyer Glacier

Tuesday July 30, 1991

I got up at 7:00, ate breakfast in the cabin and then went to have a massage. The swimming pool was overflowing as they were heating it. The massage was a lovely Swedish style. I really enjoyed it and hope to begin monthly massages at home.

Our ship took us up to the end of Tracy Arm to see the glacier. It was Sawyer Glacier. It was gigantic and very blue and jagged. No way you could walk on it. We stayed a long time and took many pictures.

I'm still eating like a pig and surely will pay for this later. Dinner was Oriental with very good duck. Bingo produced no winnings. The show tonight was Broadway tunes with dancers. Very good! Bed early for early rising.

Those monthly massages sound like a great plan. Clinical studies have shown that massages in cancer patients reduce anxiety, depression, pain, nausea, and fatigue.

Tracy Arm is an Alaskan fjord located 45 miles south of the capital of Juneau. It is named after a Civil War general named Benjamin Franklin Tracy. It is 30 miles long and 1/5 of the surface is covered in ice. There are twin glaciers at the end of the fjord, the North Sawyer and the South Sawyer. The area is surrounded by sheer 1,500-to 2,000-foot walls of granite falling into the extremely narrow passage, creating countless waterfalls and strange rock formations covered in forest. The face of the South Sawyer glacier is 1/3 mile long and calves icebergs up to 3 stories tall.

Day at Sea

Monday July 29, 1991

Frank is up and out for exercise classes. I had my breakfast in the cabin. Frank ate in the dining room with Anita and Bob. We had a lovely day enjoying the beautiful water, mountains and waterfalls. The water is very smooth, good enough to water ski. I'm taking the seasick pill anyway.

Our meals were lovely. We had fun horseracing and played bingo. The magic show was great but nothing new. We danced later and retired at 11 but set the clocks back to 10 p.m.

I'm fine except the usual aches and pains and the burn on my fingers from the iron this morning.

I'm wondering why mom had breakfast in the room. Could it be that the seasick pills were causing her to be drowsy? When we visited Alaska in 2001 we took the ferry from Prince Rupert, BC to Haines, Alaska. My mother-in-law Carmen was with us and she took a pill to prevent seasickness which knocked her out and she slept the entire day. The ferry, although quite large, is much much smaller than a huge cruise ship, so the motion is more noticeable. There was only one portion of the trip where we felt rollers and the captain announced it ahead of time to warn us. Most of the journey was in sheltered waters that were like glass. When we entered the open ocean after the captain's warning, we simply went on-deck in the breezy fresh air to prevent seasickness. I didn't want to sleep through the journey and miss the beautiful scenery.

The Cruise Begins

Sunday July 28, 1991

We had breakfast at a cafe down the street before boarding our bus for a 2-1/2 hour city tour of Vancouver. It took us through Stanley Park and Chinatown as well as other places of interest. Then we arrived at our cruise ship about 1:30 p.m.

We had plenty of time to catch the lunch buffet and put our clothes away before we sailed at 5 p.m. It was a lovely sail out of the harbor and away from Vancouver. We sailed along Vancouver Island forever it seemed. It's 250 miles long.

We had a lovely dinner and introductory show. Escargot was lovely French food. We hit the hay very tired at 10 p.m.

We did that same bus tour of Vancouver when we visited there in 2006. It is a beautiful clean city. We did have one bad experience however when our brand new truck was broken into in a parking structure next to the cruise ship docking area. Besides finding our lock broken, our new camera was stolen. We were told by the parking attendant that this sort of thing happens all the time and they ignore the car alarms that are going off in the parking structure.

Vancouver Island is very long and the cruise ships head north up the Strait of Georgia in protected water for some time. When we went boating there in 1993 we saw plenty of Orca whales and Dahls porpoise. The porpoise would swim in our boat wake. We took our motorhome and boat trailer on the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, drove north to Campbell River, where we launched and headed to Desolation Sound, a maze of tiny islands and calm waters, which are surprisingly warm. The water was like glass when we launched in the morning, but later in the day a storm came in and we fought 8-foot swells in a 20-foot ski boat. It was terrifying. When we realized there was no way we would make it back to our campsite in Campbell River we pulled into a calm bay to spend the night. When it was still stormy the next day, we took a series of taxis and ferries to get back to our campsite, leaving our boat moored at a marina, then reversed the route driving our motorhome and empty boat trailer, until we could retrieve the boat and head back to Campbell River, to Nanaimo and then on the ferry to Vancouver. That was our last adventure in Desolation Sound.

Victoria

Saturday July 27, 1991

We're loaded on a tour bus at 8 a.m. for a 10-hour trip over to Victoria Island. It's a lovely drive. The ferry is huge--carries 250 cars. It takes 90 minutes to cross. Our tour takes us to Bouchard Gardens. It is 50 acres but hard to see it all. Alot of walking, alot of stairs. It's unbelievable--so beautiful--so many different kinds of trees and flowers and so healthy.

On to the city of Victoria, where we have time to walk much of it and go through the wax museum. No chest pain today, just ache all over and knee pain. We're returned to our hotel about 8 p.m. We walk to pick up a pizza to eat in our room. Bob and Anita come to our room at 10 p.m. to watch the fabulous fireworks from our balcony. We have the best view! We're so lucky. The Chinese are presenting the display tonight, the French, Spanish and Canadians on other nights.

If there is one event that defines summer in Vancouver, it's the Celebration of Light international fireworks competition and festival at the end of every July. It is four nights of fabulous fireworks. The first celebration was held in 1990, one year before mom was there. It has become one of the most prestigious fireworks competitions in the world, attracting the world's best fireworks pyrotechnicians and designers.

Vancouver

Friday July 26, 1991

I arise at 5:30 a.m. We weill leave at 7:15 to catch the 8 a.m. Fly-Away bus in Van Nuys. On the bus ride I feel the tightening in my chest again. I feel very relaxed but maybe I'm experiencing anxiety. I decide a prayer to ask God to keep me healthy while on this 10-day trip is a good idea. I must put it in God's hands. I pray he'll grant my request. I promise to talk to the doctor when we get home.

A good flight, excellent food, nice bus ride, we arrive at Sheraton Landmark Hotel. Nice room, 20th floor, great view of ocean bays, ships, boats, parks and hotels.

We take a bus to Gas Town (20 blocks away) an area that has been revitalized, with a historical past. We window shop and have dinner at Spaghetti Factory.

We pay to go to the top of the Harbor Center Building (553 feet high). It's a panoramic view of Vancouver. Great!

In 1867 the south shore of Burrard Inlet was a wilderness. Its only non-native settlement was a lumber mill where the owner didn’t allow alcohol on the premises. One September day, “Gassy Jack” Deighton arrived (he received his nickname because of his penchant for spinning tall tales and talking without end). He stepped ashore with a barrel of whiskey, telling the millworkers that if they’d build him a saloon, he’d serve them drinks. The saloon was up and running within a day…just across the property line of the mill. Gastown was born. Today Gastown is a quaint tourist area of Vancouver with many restaurants and shops. We visited Vancouver in 2006 and enjoyed it's mild climate and beautiful setting.

Bob and Anita

Thursday July 25, 1991

No walking today. I think my body needs a rest for our trip. I'm still concerned about my chest pain. It takes us all day to pack and get the house ready to leave it. There are plants to water and plants to move, anhimals to prepare for, last minute phone calls, notes, mail and neighbors to see.

Bob and Anita McKee arrive about 3 p.m. They are excited about the trip. We take them to see Doris' carvings then out to dinner at China Palace. They insist on buying our dinner.

We retire about 10 p.m.

Bob and Anita are the parents of Frank's daughter-in-law Judy. They live on the Central California coast.

Muscle spasms

Wednesday July 24, 1991

Up early and walking early so I can make my 10 a.m. nail appointment. While I am shopping around 1 p.m. I experience a tightness in my chest. It feels like a muscle contraction in the center and lasts a couple of minutes. Could it be a muscle spasm?

I tell Frank about it but I don't want to tell a doctor because they'll want to keep me in the hospital for a few days like they did a few years ago. We're leaving on Friday for Alaska cruise. But I am worried when it happens again about 3 p.m. My joints all seem to ache. Maybe my whole body aches. I seem to be tender to hard touch all over.

I was not aware that mom went into the hospital for chest pain a few years earlier. I do know that what she says is true though about complaining of chest pain. Both my husband and my brother complained to the doctor about chest pains and were made to spend the night in the emergency room for observation. They were both fine, but the hospital takes extra precautions for those symptoms in case of heart attack.

Packing for the Cruise

We're up early and walk one hour. I'm glad to be walking but don't seem to be losing any weight. We begin getting our clothes ready for our trip.

We're still eating Healthy Choice frozen dinners under 300 calories.

Philip and Debbie

Monday July 22, 1991

Up and off to Kaiser for blood test. For the first time my white blood cell count is low. It is 12 days since my chemo. She had told us the danger period was day 7-10. Not to worry. I should just avoid people who are sick.

After Kaiser we head to Palmdale to visit with Philip, Debbie, Joey and Sara. Phil must leave for work a couple of hours after we arrive. Deb gets home from work at 2 p.m.

Sara wants lots of love and touching. She loves the white lace outfit we give her for her birthday. Joey wants attention too. He's really interested in war and army stuff. He is reading the Marine manual and knows all the details about guns, etc. I'm worried.

We get home in time to go square dancing in North Hollywood.

Philip is Frank's oldest, who is a few years younger than me. 2 years behind Philip is Frank's son Paul, who mom and Frank visited 3 days earlier to see their new baby Taylor and his wife Judy, and finally Frank's youngest is his daughter Dolores, who was married to Steve in 1986. The photo above is taken at Dolores' wedding with their son Joey, who is 5 years old here. Sara has not yet born in 1986.

Not to worry mom, Joey never did go into the military and he is healthy and safe. My son Derek is really into guns too and he plays "airsoft" with his friends several times each week, where battles are staged and they shoot plastic bee bees at each other, but he has no desire to join the military.

We'll Start the Diet Tomorrow!

Sunday July 21, 1991

We leave early stopping to visit Marty and Kathy Murphy and shopping before going to Henry and Jan Alent's house for dinner. We meet his daughter. She's very nice and stays for an hour or so. Jan serves us a wonderful turkey dinner and dessert. Our diet is shot but last night we ruined it with chili fries and Friday night we had Chinese dinner with Judy and Paul.

We are quite tired today. We stayed up late last night and couldn't sleep in so had about 6-1/2 hours sleep.

We're in bed at 9:30 and right to sleep.

Marty Murphy was mom's boss when she worked as a purchasing agent at a medical supply company. Never heard of Henry and Jan Alent. Perhaps they belong to their square dancing club. They made many new friends there.

The Neighbor is a Child Molester

Saturday July 20, 1991

Walking 1 hour again this morning is 4 days this week. Stopping at Helen's we find out our neighbor Herb has been found guilty of child molesting. He will be sentenced on August 21 to up to 18 years. Herb is 64 years old. His wife Michele is 40 or so. She'll be OK without him and surely won't miss the way he treated her, or rather mistreated her.

More yard work and house work. I'm very achy in my joints and back. I do my back exercises and lay on ice but little helps. I feel much better if I keep moving about, so we go square dancing. It is our second "real" club dance. We do very well remembering the calls. We have lots of fun and feel so welcomed.

Wow, I don't think I ever heard about this. It must have felt kind of scary that the neighbor on their cul-de-sac was a molester. Everyone on that cul-de-sac was quite close and mom hosted a potluck every year for the neighbors. At 64 years old, I doubt he survived an 18-year term in prison. He would have been 82 when released 2 years ago. How awful for his wife. I hope she was able to make a new life for herself.

Rubber Ducky

Friday July 19, 1991

Dr. Russack is very happy to see how well I'm doing. He's my G.P. and the one who admitted me into the hospital in April. He seems to have a real interest in me. He asks how Frank is doing. He makes me feel good. We do some shopping in the valley, then head for Palmdale to arrive at Paul and Judy's at 3:30. Paul comes home at 4 p.m. We have a very nice visit. Taylor is 3 months old now. Judy loves the stuffed koala bear hand puppet and Taylor loves the yellow rubber ducky for her bath.

Judy and I walk the baby. I push the buggy. I help bathe and feed and change and dress Taylor. It's fun! We stay til 9:30 and really enjoy.

Frank's son Paul commutes from Palmdale to the Los Angeles Water Department everyday, an hour-long commute. His day starts very early. Their daughter Taylor was born just a few days after mom's cancer diagnosis.

Another Day

Thursday July 18, 1991

Another day just like the day before except we go square dancing with our friends. I'm feeling a bit more aches and pains in my back and knees.

Walking the dogs

Wednesday July 17, 1991

Walked one hour 3.5 miles. It's OK for me. I feel fine afterward. Not tired or aching. The dogs really enjoy the walks and they are very good.

Frank works in the yard all day. We watch our diet, eating fruit and Healthy Choice frozen dinners.

That's a brisk pace, especially with the dogs. Ric and I go hiking at Foothill Park frequently, and when he brings the dogs, they want to stop at every other bush, so the walk becomes a slow stroll.

Daisy and Pumpkin

Tuesday July 16, 1991

We're home! Up at 7:20 and off for a walk with the dogs. Our goal is to lose 10 pounds in 10 days. That's when we leave on our Alaskan Cruise. We plan to eat and walk alot on the cruise and hopefully not gain weight. Walking should be no problem as the weather will be cool enough. I just can't bear to walk when the temperature is 72 degrees or more. I perspire when we walk at 60 degrees or less. The dogs love the walk and are very well-behaved on leashes. They heel and halt and stay just like they learned at obedience school years ago.

We call our families. We try to call everyone at least twice a month and when we return from trips.

I'd like to go to Paul and Judy's to see Taylor.

Paul is Frank's son. He and his wife Judy recently had a baby girl they named Taylor.

From the time I was a little girl we always had at least one dog. Mom loved her animals and lavished them with her love and attention. I think it took some persuading on my mom's part to get my dad to agree to our first dog, but I remember being about 7 years old when we got our first dog, a springer spaniel named Cinnamon. Our next door neighbors had a cocker spaniel and those two got together every year and we had a litter of puppies, at least 8 or 9 in each litter. What a mess they made, but so much fun. The dogs that Mom and Frank had in 1991 were both mutts. Daisy was a black and white short-haired terrier of some kind and Pumpkin was a scruffy ball of fur with his hair in his eyes. This photo looks a little like Pumpkin:

This photo looks a little like Daisy, except she was white and black.

The Odd Couple

Monday July 15, 1991

We're on our way home about 9 a.m. after breakfast out. I'm feeling great. It's a long drive home but we are there at 5:30 p.m. It's good to be home.

Chris and Ric seemed less at odds this time. Maybe Chris is just accepting more. She must accept him the way he is if she plans to marry Ric. He's not a neat person. Things seem to be falling apart and he isn't bothered. Chris has always been so neat and clean. Much needs fixing and finishing. He has too much stuff. But he is a kind and accomodating person. We are getting used to him and he to us.

They want to have a baby and I am very concerned about Chris having a child at her age. She is 38 now. I've always worried about her health alot.

Wow, I could write a book after reading this journal entry! Where to start? To say Ric is not a neat person is a huge understatement, and I'm trying to be as kind as I can here, but Ric reminds me of Walter Matthau in the photo above and I am like Jack Lemmon in The Odd Couple. He spends hours every day in front of the TV and around his recliner are dirty dishes, dirty clothes, newspapers, old mail, and all kinds of miscellaneous junk. I do pick up the dishes, clothes and newspapers everyday but the miscellaneous junk accumulates. Two area of our home are off-limits to me and therefore look like a hurricane went through recently. Those areas are Ric's bedroom upstairs which he straightens up once a year, and his garage, which will never be straightened up. You can barely walk through the garage, as it is piled floor to ceiling and wall-to-wall with his accumulation of stuff. A car will never ever see the inside of our garage. Mom, if you think he had alot of stuff one year into the relationship, you should see it now 21 years into it! I would say he suffers from hoarders disease, as he loves to accumulate stuff (craigslist, EBay, and garage sale acquisitions) but never lets go of anything. With the garage full, he had to overflow into our backyard, which currently has 6 jet skis and 5 ATVs, none of which actually run, and are in various stages of disintegration and disrepair. But they were all great deals! I think hoarding must be kind of like a gambling addiction, because very little of the stuff is actually necessary, it's all about getting a "deal". Besides the garage and the backyard accumulations, we pay rent for 3 storage units in Healdsburg, all of which are stuffed to overflowing as well. Bins and bins of baby toys he bought for our boys 18 years ago are stored there because he can't let go of them. So Mom, as you can probably tell by my ranting, I am bothered by it. I like things neat, orderly and simple, and living in chaos is frustrating and exhausting, as well as expensive. Thank goodness Ric rarely buys anything new, but mostly used, so for that I am thankful.

As for the fixing and finishing, that has not changed too much, although I have to say he is better about fixing things when they break, but he's still quite a procrastinator about finishing what he starts. This creates tension not only in our home, but with our tenants.

I never knew that mom was so concerned about my health. Yes, we did have a baby (Derek) when I was 39, and that pregnancy was absolutely one of the worse experiences of my life. I was so nauseous 24/7 I could not get out of bed for 9 months and had to take off work. Just opening the refrigerator door made me puke. Being pregnant with Justin at the age of 27 was a piece of cake in comparison. I had a little nausea in the mornings for the first trimester and after that I felt great. By the time I was pregnant with Ryan I was 41 and he was born a few weeks after my 42nd birthday. That pregnancy was easier because I took B6 injections every morning which helped with the nausea.

West Side Story

Sunday July 14, 1991

No nausea this morning or this day at all! It must have been the vitamins late at night or the Sav-On tums. I'll return those to Sav-On.

We have a lovely eggs and fruit breakfast. We discuss that we all must eat more fruit and vegetables so we can all lose weight. Chris and Ric have much to lose. It makes me very sad to see Chris so heavy.

John has invited us over this morning to see his home. It is lovely. The boys really enjoy the pool and sports court. Justin is excited to show us his room. Geri, his stepmom, is very nice. I think he is very happy there. Brad is a nice brother.

Chris and Ric take us boating on the Petaluma River. We dock for coffee. That night we go to see West Side Story live. It's great!

Wow, so it was the Tums at night that made her sick the next morning. I will keep that in mind if I ever take Tums. I always take my vitamins in the morning after breakfast, but I know if I try to take them on an empty they will make me nauseous.

Yes, mom and I have always battled our weight. When I broke my foot the previous summer after returning home from Lake Don Pedro in the rain I gained 30 pounds while it was in the cast. In the past 20 years I have gained another 20, so have at least 50 to lose. Ric has about the same to lose, and he has developed diabetes as well so has even more reason to lose.

I do remember our visit with John, my ex, Justin's father. Mom was always very fond of him. Geri was very welcoming to Mom and Mom talked openly about her battle with cancer. It was the first and only time they met. Her son Brad is a year younger than Justin so they grew up together and became very close. I'm glad he got to grow up with a brother his own age. Ric and I have 2 boys who were born in 1992 (Derek) and 1995 (Ryan) so they were babies when Justin was a teenager.

That little trip on the Petaluma River was interesting. We launched in Petaluma and drove down to where the river enters the San Francisco Bay. The Petaluma River meanders through flat grasslands for several miles. It is very shallow and muddy, and not much to see. That was our first and only boat ride on the Petaluma River.

West Side Story was performed at a small playhouse in downtown Santa Rosa. It was fun. I'm glad mom was up for it.

Napa Jazz Festival

Saturday July 13, 1991

Sleeping in til 8 a.m. we're up for breakfast and off to Santa Rosa to pick up tickets for West Side Story tomorrow night. Then on to Napa for a Jazz Festival in the park (free). It's a beautiful day 78-82 degrees.

I awoke sick at my stomach again. I didn't throw up but did eat a granola bar before I got out of bed. I felt queazy until after lunch. Why?

After the jazz festival we go to Sonoma for Italian dinner. It's very good. I'm still eating too too much and often. I'm still gaining weight. I'm abougt 35 pounds overweight now. I'm hungry every 2 hours. It occurs to me that the Sav-On brand tums might be making me nauseated. I will take no vitamins at bedtime tonight. We'll see.

So glad she finally got to sleep in just a little. I remember the jazz festival in downtown Napa but don't remember where we ate in Sonoma.

The Corner Wellington House

Friday July 12, 1991

I'm awake at 6 a.m.. I'm hungry. At 6:30 I head downstairs for breakfast. I eat oatmeal. Still feeling icky. I eat 1/2 banana. Still icky. I drink 4 oz. apple juice. Two minutes later I have thrown everything up all over the couch cover (plastic), me and the carpet. I don't feel well at all, but must get ready to leave for Chris and Ric's in Windsor, California, an 8-hour drive. I am 45 minutes late being ready to leave. We're off at 8:45. I feel icky for a few hours but finally my stomach settles down. I eat a good lunch.

Traffic is awful from San Francisco to Windsor. Chris has prepared a lovely spaghetti dinner. Their house is really lovely. Some very nice touches.

Chris is happy. Ric gave her a diamond engagement ring yesterday. I am happy for her. Their wedding will be here on February 15, 1992.

Poor Mom! I feel just awful knowing she had to face an 8-hour drive to bring Justin back home to us, when she was so sick. Nausea is a common side effect of chemotherapy, and I am actually amazed that it took this long to affect her, considering her chemotherapy was 3 days earlier.

As for the traffic, it is still just as awful through Marin County at rush hour from San Francisco to Windsor, especially on Friday nights.

Ric and I were living in the corner house we had purchased on Wellington Circle in Windsor the previous October, after moving from my condo in Santa Rosa. This is the first time Mom and Frank had visited us there. Above is a current photo of the house, which we owned until 2005 when we sold it to my mother-in-law and continue to manage for her as a rental:

As far as the wedding, that didn't happen until June 15, 1992. More to come on that.

Rocketeer

Thursday July 11, 1991

We try to get some more done from our last trip and get the house ready to be gone again for 4 days starting tomorrow. We take Justin to the movies to see Rocketeer. We check with Newbury Park tenants. They owe us $5000 now and it looks bad financially. They are still taking good care of the house.

After dinner we go square dancing. Justin is so good. He reads a book. We dance from 7:30-9:30. It's alot of fun.

When we get home we still have to pack and finish getting the house ready. I fall into bed at 11:30.

I remember that silly movie. According to Wikipedia it bombed at the box office even though it received favorable reviews from critics. For a 10-year-old boy though it was a fun way to spend the afternoon.

When Mom and Frank married in 1982 they rented out her two houses in the San Fernando Valley and his house in Newbury Park and bought a new house together in Simi Valley. $5000 was alot of money in 1991 to be behind in the rent. My husband and I have 9 rental houses and manage 6 more for my mother-in-law. Being a landlord can be very stressful, especially when tenants cannot pay their rent. It's a fine line to walk between showing compassion for your tenants when they hit a rough patch and going through with an eviction, which is also very stressful. We currently have a tenant who is $10,000 behind in his rent and it is putting a huge strain on us. The wife is undergoing chemotherapy and they are struggling to pay the medical bills, their rent and other bills.

La Brea Tar Pits

Wednesday July 10, 1991

We're up early to take the boys to La Brea tar pits. It's very interesting. We took them to the Sizzler for lunch. They really pig out again.

I'm not feeling very well today. Not sick, but tired and really hungry by lunchtime. We go shopping for a new part for Frank's water ski. We go to Van Nuys, Burbank and Valencia and end up buying new double water skis.

We have dinner with Gary and Maria--chicken, rice and salad. I'm feeling pretty good by then.

OK, mom is still not slowing down! Up early, taking 3 boys to downtown Los Angeles, undoubtedly dealing with traffic, to the La Brea tar pits, one of the world’s most famous fossil sites, recognized for having the largest and most diverse assemblage of extinct Ice Age plants and animals in the world. Visitors can learn about Los Angeles as it was between 10,000 and 40,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age, when animals such as saber-toothed cats and mammoths roamed the Los Angeles Basin. Through windows at the Page Museum Laboratory, visitors can watch bones being cleaned and repaired. Outside the Museum, in Hancock Park, life-size replicas of several extinct mammals are featured. I remember going there as a girl with my bluebird troup. Mom was our leader (no surprise there!)

After visiting the tar pits, there is lots of driving around and then finally another visit at my brother's house in Simi Valley.

Chemo #4

Tuesday July 9, 1991

Up early for chemo treatment at Kaiser this morning. We are there from 9:15-1:15. Most of the wait is for results from blood tests. Dr. Bix is very nice again today. She says everything looks good.

We finally get away for lunch on the way home. We do some shopping. After dinner we drive to La Crescenta to pick up Justin. I'm not feeling red hot. Not sick but not well. Bed sounds good!

We stop at Gary's to pick up Junior & Joe.

Geez, even having chemotherapy doesn't slow mom down. She's still off to lunch and shopping and then running around visiting.

Frank and Elaine Reyes

Monday July 8, 1991

I feel more rested after a good night's sleep. I spend the day washing clothes and putting things away. Justin entertains himself. Frank goes to L.A. to take his dad to the doctor to have the catheter removed.

We drive Justin to Frank and Elaine Reyes to spend the night. We all go to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Frank Reyes insists on paying.

We have a nice visit back at their house. We get home at 11 p.m. dead tired.

Mom made a point of taking Justin to visit his other grandparents whenever he came down to visit in the summertime. The photo above was taken in 1985 as Elaine reads a book to Justin while Frank stands over them. Elaine always loved to read, but most of all she loved to paint. She had an entire room in her house full of her oil paintings. Frank and Elaine both lived well into their 90s.

Mom also made a point of taking my brother and I to visit our Dad's mother Alda whenever we visited mom, even though she and dad had been divorced for 20 years.

The Dodgers Win

Sunday July 7, 1991

We're up early to meet Gary and Maria at her mom's house at 11:30 where we leave from for the Dodgers baseball game. Gary treats us all. We pig out on pizza. Justin buys shirts and cards. Luckily the Dodgers win.

It's very hot sitting in the sun. I wear a big straw hat and keep a napkin over my bare legs. We are tired from vacation and ready to stay home. It's good to get home.

But first we must stop at Lemona and Gledhill (their rental houses) to check with tenants planning to move soon. So we visit with Joan and Hal (neighbors on Lemona Street) and Marty and Cathy and girls. Everyone is pleased to see Justin. We eat dinner at Millie's.

Oh my goodness, does mom ever slow down? They just got home from a week in the blistering heat, and here they are off again to a baseball game. Perhaps it's because her beloved grandson Justin (my son) was down for his annual visit and she wanted to keep him entertained. My sister-in-law Maria grew up in a small 2-bedroom 1 bath house in Los Angeles very close to Dodger Stadium with her parents and 8 brothers and sisters. Although Maria's mom passed away from cancer a year after mine, her dad still lives in the same house.

The rental house on Lemona is the house I grew up in. My parents bought that house for $12,000 in 1954 and I spent my entire life there until I moved to Santa Rosa in Northern California in 1974. When she and Frank married in 1982 they bought a house in Simi Valley and turned the Lemona house as well as another house she lived in after I moved out, which was the one on Gledhill, both of which were in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, into rental houses. When she passed away my brother Gary and I sold the rental houses. It was sad parting with not only my mom but the house that held so many great memories of my childhood.

Marty and Cathy Murphy are the friends who did not show up at Lake Don Pedro as expected. She writes about it on her entry for July 4. Interesting that she does not say here why they failed to show up?

The Shower Feels Wonderful

Saturday July 6, 1991

We're up before the sun breaking camp to beat the heat. Bob and Ron offer to help transport our gear. We make it in one trip and have the boat out by 10:30 a.m. A shower feels wonderful. We are all quite tan. We make it to Merced Sizzler for lunch. We all pig out buffet style.

It's hot driving through Fresno and Bakersfield but our air conditioner works wonderfully! Justin and I play games.

Smokey (their cat) is really glad to see us when we get home about 6 p.m.

Oh yes, how well I remember that shower at the end of every trip to Lake Don Pedro. Up near the parking area for the launch ramp on our way out was a campground with restrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. After a week without a shower and spending time in the hot sun, that shower never felt so good, and we didn't even have to feed it quarters. Our bodies looked so tan against the white walls. The drive home was always a hot one. Thank goodness for the invention of automobile air conditioning. When I was a kid, our car did not have air conditioning, so just before getting in the car, we jumped in the water in our bathing suits and doused our beach towels with water. We draped the wet towels over the vinyl seats of the car and kept the windows down for the drive home. It was so hot that our swimsuits were dry within minutes and the beach towels were dry in a few hours, but it was better than nothing.

Fireworks

Friday July 5, 1991

No skunk last night! We put all the trash and cans into the rubber boat and floated it between the big boats. It was so hot again at bedtime. Couldn't sleep. Some people far away were shooting fireworks. We worry alot about fire. The hills are all brown.

I ski only a short way. My back hurts too much. We ride to the marina in Ron's boat to call Frank's dad. He's doing fine from the surgery on Monday.

Bob gets hot when our neighbor beefs about our wake and we have an anxious moment trying to keep them from fighting.

Alika, Leah's dog is more fun! She swims with us in the water, catches frisbees, and fetches sticks. Only 8 months old and she's very smart and trained well.

It cools down a little for sleeping. I'm tired and ready to go home. So is everyone else.

After already battling a grass fire at the lake years before, the last thing mom wanted to do in this heat, was fight a fire, or even quickly break down camp and head back to the launch ramp. When you check in to the marina, there are huge signs that say Fireworks Forbidden, so we never did get to enjoy fireworks on the Fourth of July for years at the lake. After mom passed away our tradition of meeting at Lake Don Pedro faded away as did many other traditions. She was like the spoke of the wheel that kept the family together. After her passing everyone drifted apart. We do get to see fireworks now but our 2 younger boys never did get to camp at Lake Don Pedro in a tent. We are spoiled now camping in a big RV. It would be hard to go back to camping in the dirt with no shower, no running water, and a porta-potty. I give mom alot of credit for sleeping on the ground at her age, which is my age now, in spite of her sore back, aching muscles and sleepless nights in a pool of sweat. My idea of "camping" now is a king-size bed with a pillow top mattress, air conditioning, TV with DVD player, hot shower, electric refrigerator and propane stove. Oh and our campground has a swimming pool.

That's a Smart Skunk!

Thursday July 4, 1991

Another night of laying in a puddle of sweat. The skunk came back and tore the bottom out of Bob's trash bag--what a mess! It was hanging up in the screened in tent. The skunk stood on the table bench to reach it. The others were tied up high enough.

I didn't ski today. Too much ache all over especially the back. We spent most of the day in the water. We had fun playing Frisbee. Everyone took a ride to the marina. Frank and I stay in in camp to avoid the sun.

Justin is swimming and skiing very well. He seems a natural athlete. Junior is skiing well. Joe does pretty well. Little Brian has learned to love the water. The boys are so good to him.

Jennifer and Ron arrive at dinnertime. Chris and Ric cancel due to Ric's back. The Murphy's don't show. Don't know why. I'm OK except for the heat.

Looks like Ric and I missed this trip in 1991. Ric has always had chronic back pain which has only gotten worse since I have known him. The year before on Memorial weekend we launched the boat in a thunderstorm and spent the weekend camping in the rain. As I was driving the boat onto the trailer the wind blew the boat in too fast and Ric strained his back to keep it from hitting the truck. When we finally got back home I had to unload all of our wet camping gear in the rain by myself because Ric was in too much pain. I slipped on a wet stepping stone and broke my foot. In spite of his pain Ric had to take me to the emergency room where I got a plaster cast. I still went to Lake Don Pedro for the July 4 weekend that year, where I was hot and miserable and unable to get in the water due to the cast. Looks like a year later, it was just as hot or hotter.

Skunked Again

Wednesday July 3, 1991

The skunk came back last night to rattle around in the bag of cans. Rosa is feeling better this morning. We spend the day in the water trying to escape the 112 degree temps. Good company but too much heat. We sleep most of the night with nothing over us but a sheet. The heat is getting to me. I don't feel sick but I'm getting edgy from discomfort. I perspire from any movement at all. I'm very uncomfortable. Hope the weather cools soon.

Lake Don Pedro in July

Tuesday July 2, 1991

The boys ski!! They all ski so good! Another hot day 100-105 degrees. We had a skunk in our trash bag last night. Gary flashed a light at him and he turned his backside so we left him alone. We all had a great ski ride early. No boats, no ripples. Gary, Frank and I. We spend most of the day in the water. Donna and Bob arrive in the afternoon. We sit in the water in our chairs. I have an umbrella over me.

We eat all day and have dinner earlier but it was so hot eating in the dining tent. Rosa is sick tonight--too much sun. We tried to tell her, but...

We retire early. The skunk comes back to rummage through the cans. We have tied the trash bags up high. Some neighbors party loud and late.

Mom was so patient with kids. She loved to teach them to ski. She would patiently get in the water behind them, hold the skis together and help them balance and keep their arms straight allowing the boat to pull them up. My dad was the boat driver when I was a kid. After she remarried her new husband Frank was the boat driver. They both did a great job. On this trip Justin and his cousin Joe are 10 and Joe's older brother Junior is 12. Rosa is my sister-in-law Maria's sister. At first the boys would ride behind the boat on a raft or a tube. In the photo above Justin is 7 years old and riding the torpedo behind the boat. You can see our primitive campsite in the background, with sleeping tents, dining tent, and living room shade. Later the boys learned to water ski. The best skiing was early morning. On this morning, with no other boats and no wind, the water was like a mirror reflecting the mountains around the shoreline. Cutting through the glass on a water ski was a thrill and it was a refreshing way to start the day before breakfast.

The July 4th trip to Lake Don Pedro was always a hot one. On this trip, even sitting in the shade was not enough to keep from baking, so everyone moved their sand chairs into the water. Everyone snacked and visited all day and I always gained 4-5 pounds.

Over the years we often had critters. On this trip there was a nightly skunk. On several trips we had a rattlesnake that one of the men killed. One time we even cooked the rattlesnake and had it for dinner. One year we had scorpions and mom got stung. It was very painful for her. Sometimes we even had cows grazing on the shore from a nearby ranch. We generally camped on the shore about 7 miles from the launch ramp at the Don Pedro Dam. It was a 30-40 minute boat ride from both the dam and from Mocassin Landing launch ramp at the north end of the lake. We always launched at the dam, a huge ramp with 7 lanes across. At least once or twice on our camping trips we all piled into the boats and went for a ride to the marina for ice cream cones. That was fun. Most trips we went for a ride up the Tuolumne River until we got to the "log jam" where the cold river water met the warm water of the lake. One year we camped in at Wreck Bay where there were large trees in the water off the shoreline. My brother Gary jumped off a tree and cut his head open. Mom used a butterfly bandage to close the wound without having to drive into Modesto for stitches. On another trip we had a forest fire up the hill. Everyone grabbed buckets, pots and wet blankets and towels and made trip after trip from the water's edge to the fire to douse it with water. The men used shovels and covered the dry burning grass with dirt. Fortunately, we were able to get it out before it got too big, and since we had lots of hands-on-deck we safely put the fire out.

Michael Landon Died Today

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Monday July 1, 1991

Michael Landon died of cancer today. He was 54. He had it in his liver and pancreas. I feel terrible. Michael's cancer was announced 6 days before I knew I had cancer. I felt that day a bond with him. I somehow knew then I had it too.

We arose at 6 at Donna's to leave early to meet Gary and Maria at Don Pedro Lake at 11:30. We took Justin to Carl's Jr. for breakfast. The 2-1/2 hour drive took us through old gold rush towns on Highway 49. The day is beautiful.

It is hot at the lake. Probably 95-100 degrees. The water is very warm. Gary makes 3 trips in the boat to get Rosa, Brian, Joe and Jr. over. It's a hot job setting up camp. I help some, but I'm not supposed to be in the sun says Dr. Bix. We spend most of the day in the water.

We skiied late and ate in the dark. The water was good all day.

Keep in mind this is the first time I have read Mom's journal. It is 20 years later. It gives me chills when she says she knew she had cancer before she was diagnosed. I too remember the day that Michael Landon died, but not that he was so young. 54 is so very young, especially now that I am almost 58. As Mom is writing this entry in her journal she was 57. I was always a big fan of Little House on the Prairie, both when it was originally aired from 1974-1984 and later in reruns. It was filmed at Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley just a few miles from where mom lived.

Lake Don Pedro was a family tradition for over 30 years, starting when I was about 10 years old. It is located 20 miles east of Modesto, California and is one of the few lakes in California that allows camping anywhere on the shore. Every Memorial Day weekend, July 4 weekend, and Labor Day weekend, large groups of family and friends met at the launch ramp at 6 am with all our camping gear. We usually had several boats, and it took 3-4 trips to get all our gear and friends to the campsite, which mom always picked out. It varied almost every time because the lake level would fluctuate, but once she picked out a nice flat area with a good beach (and hopefully some trees if the lake was full) the camp set-up would begin. We had a dining screen tent with folding tables, boxes of food and dishes, and the Coleman propane cooking stove. We usually ate inside the screen tent so as to avoid the flies and bees landing on our food. Each family had a sleeping tent as well, and we all shared a communal potty tent. It was often over 100 degrees so we would spend our day in the shade of an awning or sometimes just set up our beach chairs in the water to stay cool. The boats would take out the first skiers around 7 am every morning while the water was glassy calm, and by 9 am after everyone had a turn, we came back for breakfast. Later in the day the wind would come up and more boats would arrive so we would just visit on shore, go swimming, or take a boat ride up the river. In the evening, everyone got to ski again when the wind died down and the water became calm again. Often we would ski until it was dark. This family tradition continued after my brother Gary and I were grown and had our own children to bring along. His boys Junior and Joe were 10 and 12 in 1991, and my son Justin was 10. They have great memories of playing in the water and skiing or tubing behind the boat. On this trip my sister-in-law Maria brought her sister Rosa and Rosa's son Brian.

Bob's Retirement Party

Friday June 30, 1991

Up early again to get ready for Bob's retirement party at 12:00. Jettie (Donna's oldest daughter) arrives at 9 a.m. with Don from Lake Havasu. Cousin Shirley, Marc, Chris, Ric and Justin arrive.

Eventually about 35 folks are there to help eat the mountains of food Donna has prepared. Bob has a good time with all his friends. Tom, Jennifer's ex-husband is there. He seems so sad and depressed. Everyone else has a good time. Ron and Don cook the burgers and dogs and seem to have alot of fun. Justin has made 2 new friends. They have a great time running in the woods. They have found a great tree fort down the road.

Leah (Donna's granddaughter) spends the night. She and Justin sleep in bags in the living room. They talk for an hour until I go down and ask them to stop. I don't sleep well. It is too warm.

One of the things I remember about Mom was she was a people-watcher. When we would be in a restaurant or other social arena she would be eavesdropping on other conversations and studying the people. She was so interested in people. I'm sure not another person at that party noticed that someone was sad and depressed. I'm not sure why he was except that he was the ex-son-in-law, so he probably felt out-of-place. Donna's daughter Jennifer was there with her new husband Ron. The ex-husband was there alone.

Justin and Leah were 10 years old and born just 5 days apart. They had not seen each other for years so I'm sure they had lots of catching up to do. I do remember the house always being warm. Living in Pollock Pines at 4000 feet elevation meant that the electricity went out frequently every winter, so residents had wood-burning stoves for heat. That wood-burning stove really cranked out the heat.