I Cry When I Talk About Leaving Frank Alone

Monday February 1, 1993

Went to bed early and slept well so awake feeling pretty good. I was very sleepy all late afternoon and eve yesterday while watching Super Bowl.

I go have my nails done at 10:45 and the bank. Cari Lyn my manicurist is 3 months pregnant. She wants me at her wedding on March 6. I ask her what we'll do when I'm too sick to come get my nails done. We discuss how to remove the acrylic nails. I cry when I talk about leaving Frank alone when I die.

I go to Taco Bell for lunch. I rest in the afternoon after paying bills. Frank makes cutlets for dinner. I feel well enough to go to the square dance class with Frank. It's good to see everyone. I don't dance. We leave after 2 hours. We go for a malt to Hudson's. At home I go to bed at 11.

This is so sad to hear. Her manicurist must have been crying too. Mom is starting to talk about her death now and it becoming more of a reality. She seems more concerned for Frank after her death than for herself. It would be 3 more months before she passed away. When Frank and I cleaned out all of mom's clothes a few months later, he told me mom was his soulmate and no one could ever replace her. It sounds like Mom felt the same. Frank certainly was a gem. I have thanked him over and over for taking such good care of Mom those last few years. This photo was taken of Mom and Frank on Easter Sunday 3 weeks before her death. She still looks good, but tired.

Manicure

Monday December 21, 1992

Up early. Have my nails done. I enjoy talking with Cari Lyn. She is thrilled when I tell he how well I'm feeling and how good I'm doing. My tumors are shrinking because my bowels are working normal again. She gives me a great Christmas hug and kiss.

Later I enjoy a chili dog, go to the bank, Target and grocery shop for an hour and spend $148.00. I'm tired after 5 hours of running around so rest on the couch when I get home for awhile. We have dinner about 6 p.m. and go square dancing. I feel well enough to dance a tip or two but spend the night just visiting. Later we go to Hudson's Grill. I have a malt.

Mom's energy is back!

Manicure

Wednesday November 13, 1991

Still sleeping very well. I seem to have had no side effects from my kemo yesterday.

I have my nails done. I really like my new manicurist. She's about 22, Caucasian, and very chatty. Such a refreshing change from the past 6 years. My old manicurist was Vietnamese and we never talked. We had nothing in common. She charged $5 less but I finally decided money wasn't that important.

We go to Newbury Park for the squre dance clinic. We do really well and have lots of fun. Afterward we go to Hungry Hunter for dinner with Larry and Bernice. We really enjoy each other.

Throughout Mom's journal I have noticed that money seems to be no object. Here she says that she has been getting manicures for 6 years and that the extra money spent is unimportant. Is she getting a manicure every week, every month? That's alot of money. I have never had a manicure or pedicure in my life. When they go on vacation, they take expensive excursions, go out for meals frequently, and when they go square dancing, they go out to dinner afterwards with their friends almost every time. They also frequently go out to breakfast, lunch or dinner at nice restaurants.

Although my family does go on vacations, it is mostly on camping trips, stays at inexpensive motels, or using our timeshares, which we pay for whether we use them or not. When we were in Utah last month, we spent just $40 on our motel room. I think that's a record for our cheapest nightly stay. My husband wanted to stay next door in Green River at the $32/night motel, but that place made my skin crawl and my stomach revolt. I have limits!

Annual dues paid for our timeshares make our nightly stays in a 2 bedroom condo come out to be anywhere from $50-$100 per night, depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend, and the location and season. When we are staying in a condo, we buy groceries at Costco and prepare meals in the unit, and pack lunches in an ice chest. When we do eat out, whether on vacation or at home, it's only if we have a 2-for-1 coupon, or if we're going to Wendy's for $1.29 chili. Also, since gas is currently almost $4/gallon, Ric goes on-line before we leave for our trip to see which gas station has the cheapest gas.

A Manicure for Frank

Thursday/Friday September 12-13, 2011

Feeling fine, doing the usual, at Lemona. Almost done. Frank is really burning out. Tried to get home in time for a movie Friday but missed our chance by 20 minutes.

I am doing my best to make life easy for fun for Frank whenever I can. I won't allow him to do anything at home that I could do. He has a hard time with that. He's used to helping clean the dinner table and load the dishwasher, etc. It's very hard for him to sit and read the paper or watch TV while I am working. It's the very least I can do.

I arranged for him to get a manicure today for the wedding Sunday. He really liked that.

Wow, I wish I was married to a man like that! Mine has no problem reading the paper and watching TV while I work around him.

Interesting, this is the first entry so far that mom has made for 2 days. Until now she made a separate entry every day.