These entries from June 4, 1993 to December 16, 1994 are from the first diary program I started and have been transferred here. It was a copy and paste so there are some funny line breaks and other things.
FRIDAY JUN 4,1993 10:53PM - THE NEW PROGRAM
The girls are in bed and Dee is working. The new shift is hard to get used to. She
works 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday from 7p.m. to 7a.m.
The house at Degonia is filling up with our stuff. We are
going to try to be there next week. This may be one of the last
entries made here on Edgewood. It should be a pleasant change for
us over there. More private, fenced yard (yet to do), and a large
garage for me.
SATURDAY JUN 12,1993 12:47AM - QUIET NIGHT
H
We have been moving all week whenever possible. We can
usually get two loads a night. Dee get home in the morning and the
girls are going to the farm. Dee goes to bed for a while and I'll
move some more.
The library and my room are just about moved as well as the
stuff in the basement. If I can get Monday and Tuesday off we can
be in by Tuesday night or Monday night with luck.
The Family tree from Cumberland is the best I have found yet,
and I plan to register soon for the professional version. I'll
work on the tree some more at the new place and when I get more information. I need to add in the first cousins and write them for
information.
The girls got a kick out of listening to my music while ago.
Some of it they enjoyed and some they wanted to skip, but they both
seem to have a good sense of rhythm.
SATURDAY JUN 19,1993 10:23PM - MOVED AT LAST
At last!!! The first entry from the new home at Degonia.
Though really the older home that is Dee's old home place. We
moved the necessary stuff Monday and Tuesday and spent the first
night here Tuesday.
Had to quit going to the lawnmower shop to work. The old
Carpal Tunnel hands and arthritis elbow got to acting up so bad it
affected the work, not to mention my comfort. I enjoyed the work
and money though and maybe sometime can go back if I can do it and
they need the help.
Pa-Paw and Dee found a horse for the girls. A kind of brindle color Arabian that has not been well taken care of. (Be back in a minute. Got to take the dogs out.) He needs some feed and
attention which will be provided in abundance now.
The main job now is to get the Edgewood place ready to sell.
It shouldn't be too bad. Well not near as bad as this place was
with the three coats of paint to cover, the out dated electricity
and plumbing, and just plain behind the times. But every one has
their likes about decorating.
FRIDAY JUN 25,1993 11:13PM - A WEEK IN THE NEW PLACE
H
Well, it's what the title says. I guess we are considered
moved in, but we are far from unpacked or moved out of the old
place. The girls are in bed and will get up early to go to the
farm. Dee comes home about 8:00 and will want to get to sleep
until about 4:00. I'll move some more from Edgewood. Just to
clean out the kitchen and the upstairs is done.
Nothing else for tonight
THURSDAY JUL 1,1993 11:47PM - A NEW FENCE
We now have a 5 feet tall chain link fence around the yard.
It was put up Thursday by a crew from Builder's Square. This will
help keep the yard safe for the girls and dogs. And I don't have
to take the dogs out on a leash any more. I'm going to try to get
the old place (Edgewood) done as soon as possible now. I just want
to get out, moved, unpacked, and settled.
The date here is not right. This is being written on the next
day. I'll close now since there is no more else and change the
date on the machine.
SATURDAY JUL 17,1993 10:45PM - A QUIET FRIDAY NIGHT
A usual Friday night. One of these days I'll get these times
and date of the entries right. This is the right date but the time
is an hour fast.
Nothing new to report. Don't you wish your life was this
exciting? The Edgewood house should be ready to show the upstairs.
I need to clean the basement and shed out, but I don't know where
I'll put all the stuff. Over here we finally got the drain cleaned
out. It was full of roots. The thing goes out the basement floor,
about 30 feet to a drilled hole and down 60 feet to the abandoned
mine. All the houses from the Tasty-Freeze (the ice cream place on
the corner of main and Old Degonia) out to the 4-H are tapped in.
I would hate to be the person to open that mine for any reason.
Enough for now. I'm off to top gun some entertainment.
THURSDAY JUL 29,1993 9:56PM - THE BILLS ARE PAID
Got the bills for August made out and ready to mail. Just got
the Edgewood utilities to go. Still not out of the old house.
Hope to be moved out soon so it can be sold. Dee said we can do
some moving Sunday.
Tara's birthday is coming up August 10. Five years old.
There will be a party down south (at the farm) for the whole bunch.
This is her last year at home after September, because next year
she starts school. Dee's about to go bonkers thinking about that
and will probably be a basket case by next year at this time.
The notice for the first cousin party came the other day.
I'll go this year again but Dee will be in Indy for a seminar.
The work on the story is stopped right now. I sent in the
registration for the Cstory and Ctree so I won't do more on the
story until it gets here. I'll most likely start the whole thing
over like I did in the diary. That's all for now.
TUESDAY AUG 10,1993 4:49PM - TARA'S 5TH BIRTHDAY
Today is Tara's 5th birthday. I just got home from the
lawnmower shop to get cleaned up to go to the farm and have some
cake and ice cream. They went down as usual this morning and have
been celebrating all day. The girls have been enjoying making
bracelets and necklaces out of colored beads that Dee got at
Wal-Mart. I guess it's good to help develop coordination and they
can say they made it themselves. Tara is coming along good with
her printing, and Teea is coming along.
Spelling simple words is starting and they both should be
ready for school when they start. I guess that math is the next
item to work on. Time to trot. I'll try to get back tonight and fill in the
party details.
Well I didn't get back that night. This is two nights later
but I will make the entry here.
The party was a big success. They ate ice cream and the cakes
I made and had fun. The girls rode Bud around the yard and went
for rides on the lawn tractors. Tara got girl type presents of a
purse, necklace, rings and a bracelet. That's all for this entry,
I'll go on in the next.
THURSDAY AUG 12,1993 10:53PM - HOME ALONE
Just what the title says. Got the house cleaned and laundry
done, so now I'm going to relax some at the keyboard.
I got the new versions of the tree and story installed now so
I'll do some work in them later. It rained all day so I had to use
the dryer for the clothes. One of these days I'll find time to get
back to my planes. The stock is getting ahead of me enough to open
my own hobby shop. Back another day.
SUNDAY AUG 15,1993 10:13PM - ONE OF THOSE DAYS
I have been running into one dead end after another today.
Been working on the family tree and story. I found out I don't
know anything about my parents before about the time I was born.
I'll try to get some information from some cousins when I go to the
party in the fall. I also need more information on the rest of the
Schmitt side. SNAFU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TUESDAY SEP 14,1993 2:01PM - BEEN A BIT
Well the birthday got through. Forty-five. Five more years
to fifty. I better get to work on the story to get caught up
before I can't remember any more. Been painting on the old house
trying to get it ready to sell. I keep getting called to the lawn
mower shop to help and am losing some time, but I like the work and
people there.
We made two new stalls in the barn so we can get them all in
and separated. It's not too bad until feeding time when they all
want what the other has.
Dee is still looking for a horse for herself. She had a
Lepord Appalosa but it was too skittish so she sent it back.
MONDAY NOV 1,1993 8:11PM - SOMETHING TO SAY
It's been a while since I have been here. Looks like about a
month. Not much been happening lately. A new horse in the family.
That makes Bud the donkey, Bill the Tennessee Walker, Sam the pony,
and now Shenna the Appaloosa. Dee is thinking about getting a
Morgan from a girl she knows at work. Hy Yo Silver.
Saturday, Oct. 30, we had the first snow. About three inches
of wet sticky snow that coated everything. Although it was gone by
Sunday, I can't remember an October snow. The temp. got down to
26 degrees (someday I'll remember that ASCII code) Saturday night.
Today was in the 50's.
The old house is just about done and ready for market. Just a
few more details.
FRIDAY NOV 19,1993 1:43AM - DONE AT LAST
Well I'm finally done at the old place. I think it really
looks good. I would almost like to move back now with everything
out and so much room. I sealed the basement wall and the white
color makes it look twice as big. Now if Dee would just contact a
realtor and get the place sold.
Just one more paper to search for Dee and she will be done with her MSN school. This will be another relief.ÿ
Nothing new on the girls. Mee-Mee is now in the nursing home.
Her liver cancer is advancing and she can no longer eat. I am sure
she will not go to mom's on Thanksgiving and it's possible she will
not be around by the new year.
Dee wants to make a shelter for baby bud (the donkey) this
Sunday but the weather does not look good. He has a barn stall but
when he gets in he won't come out. So the next thing is to build a
lean-to on the back of the barn.
SUNDAY NOV 28,1993 8:20PM - SAD NEWS THIS MORNING
Mom called this morning about 7:00am. Tara answered the phone
but Dee was not home from work yet. Dee called back when she got
home and mom told her that Mee-Mee had died last night. It was a
sad feeling to suddenly not have some one who has always been
there. Although she was not related, she was a family friend for a
long time. Since before I was born. She died a widow and without
children. She was a God-mother to me, Nancy, and John, and thought
of us and treated us as her grand-children which is how she
referred to us to the end. I plan to write a small biography and
place it in her file folder that can be found in the family tree
box. Some information can also be found in the family tree program
on the computer or back-up disk. I certainly will not forget her
as I did love her as a grandmother and feel she should not be
forgotten by this family.
TUESDAY NOV 30,1993 8:33PM - THE FUNERAL HOME
I went to the funeral home tonight to see Mee-Mee. I stopped
on the way and did a bit of Christmas shopping for the girls. I
got each one a small training computer.
I arrived an Alexander West at about 6:00pm. Mom and dad were
there and so were some of her nieces. Chris, John and his two boys
came in later. When I went up to see Mee-Mee it was as though a
different person was in the casket. The liver CA had done her in a
bad way. I'll not describe details here as it would be an
injustice to her, but she did not look much like I would want to
remember her. Her instructions as to her funeral seemed to be
carried out as I remember her telling me. She had on the purple
dress she had bought just for this five or more years ago. This
would be the only visitation night which I believe should be.
WEDNESDAY DEC 1,1993 8:42PM - THE FUNERAL
I don't like funerals nor do I believe in having them or the
visitation that is part of it, but I must respect the wishes of
others to whom this is important.
This was a typical funeral. Not large, but a small gathering
of family and friends. I would say between twenty-five and fifty people. There was the standard organ music and a soloist. The
eulogy by the minister of St. Pauls, U.C.C. was given as best he
could, being a new pastor to the church. John, his two boys,
Sarah, Chris, and I were the Pallbearers. I drove the six of us to
the cemetary which led the hearse. The final service was held in
the new chapel at Memorial Park. They have gotten away from the
grave side service quite some time ago. There is even a "family
gathering hall", for doing just that after the service, furnished
with snacks and drinks. A nice touch but for just what reason I
don't know.
Well now it's over. I guess this is sort of an end to an era.
This coming Christmas will be the first one without Mee-Mee for
me, John, and our kids. If you haven't read the biography I wrote,
see if you can find it. You may have some questions that can be
answered there. I doubt if Tara and Teea will remember much about
her if any at all. I don't remember much from when I was four and
five.
SATURDAY MAR 19,1994 6:58PM - LONG TIME NO SEE
Haven't been here a while. First nothing to say, then the
computer goes on strike. It went in the shop in December and the
PB plant couldn't ship parts because they got shook in the calf.
earthquake. Still not a lot to report. Time working at home and
the farm. Dee got her final paper turned in and should soom get her
MSN papers from U. E.
Tara has lost two bottom front teeth in two weeks. The tooth
fairy leaves a dollar for each tooth now, up from the dime I got.
I promise to try to make entries more often now. Even if they are
no longer than this one.
FRIDAY APR 22,1994 8:14PM - I'M BAAAAACK
Just got the computer back today. Packard Bell sent a bad
motherboard and the thing wouldn't send to the printer. I have
tried just about everything out and it seems to be working. There
also seems to be more speed. I'll try some of the sims and see.
After I get done here I'll try to print and see if it works. If
not I may just throw it out the window.
Dee signed Tara up for kindergarten at the Warrick Christian
School. She is looking for quality education for the girls and
feels they may be better taught there than at public school. I
told her she should go on to the "round-up" day at Loge to see what
if. Maybe she will and maybe she won't. Tara looks forward to
going to school one day and cries about it the next.
If I haven't mentioned before we are out of the Edgewood place
altogether and done. The new owners have moved in and driving by
Dee has found that others may not like your ideas about how your
house looks. The main changes is in the yard. They like a neat,
clean, and open space where Dee likes more things growing. Bill the horse had to go. He got to mean for Sheena, the
Apaloosa, and Robert traded him in. No replacement yet. Sammy,
the pony, is having a bad time with arthritis. His age was
estimated at about 25-30 years being closer to 30. Baby-Bud, the
donkey is his same old self. The way the girls ride him is for one
of them to get on his back and the other picks up a cat and walks
ahead. He will not lead or follow unless the person leading is
holding a cat. Figure it out.
Got the garden started for this year. Found the best soil
behind the barn where Warren, when he lived there, dumped the barn
stall cleanings (horse shit). The flat west of the house needs a
lot of work yet and will be 3 or 4 years before it's very good.
Just got done cutting grass here. Dee left for work about
1730hrs and I had to feed the babies. BABIES ?????. It's like
this. Scott and Kelly were cleaning up there place, mowing,
moving, planting and such when Scott picked up an old half whiskey
barrel planter to throw out. There happened to be a bunny nest in
there and momma took off and did not return. They waited most of
the day and then called Dee to see if she would help since they could not let them go and did not know what to do.
We went out there about 1800hrs or 1900hrs and picked the five
babies. We were both skeptical because they did not have their
eyes open. We brought them home and got some formula to feed them.
That was on 17 April and they now have their eyes open and so far
are doing good. Dee says she wants to raise them to turn loose
when they're big enough but I don't think she will let them go.
Like Chip, the rabbit she raised before, I bet she keeps them.
FRIDAY APR 29,1994 10:58PM - HOME ALONE
Dee had to work a double shift today and left at 1330 hrs.
this afternoon. I think I have the girls tomorrow night though.
If so we will stay up all night and sleep with Dee Sunday. I'll go
to the lawn mower shop tomorrow and help out some. A lot of
business there this spring and they need some help to get caught
up. Dee found out that U. E. screwed up her diploma for her MSN.
They should have released it in March but someone in the registrars
office goofed. She should get it next week.
The computer seems to be working ok now. I put in DOS 6.0 and
the .20 upgrade so we are now running DOS 6.20. I ran the mem
maker utility and it out performed the 386 Max program. That
helped quite a bit along with the 2 extra megs of memory that I had
Pinnacle put in. There is no need yet for double-space. I will
probably get the new Norton Utilities 8.0 since I am still running
6.0 and did not upgrade the last time. I want to check next week
about some programming classes so I can start programming. Dee
wants to learn more about computers also. All for now, I need to
do some back-ups.
FRIDAY MAY 6,1994 8:30PM - A NEW PONY
Wednesday afternoon I was at the farm doing some garden work,
planting tomatoes, peppers and onions, when Dee came back from
town. She said to get the empty stall ready because the new horse
is going to be here soon. When they got there is was a small horse
or as Dee calls it an Indian pony. It looks just like what you
would expect to see in the movies that Indians ride. The body is
white with two red-brown spots on the rear flanks, and it's head is
red-brown. It's name is Jim-Bob. This will be the girls pony to
learn to ride on. Sammy is getting up in the years and is about
retired from riding.
I'll go to the lawn mower shop to help out tomorrow again. I
got a new self-propelled mower from them instead of being paid. If
I like it I'll keep it and work in trade. Couldn't cut grass today
due to it raining all day.
SUNDAY JUN 5,1994 10:19AM - A NICE SUNDAY MORNING
Dee is in bed now. Home from work and back to work tonight.
It is getting warm outside now with rain possible tomorrow. Not
much going on here at the house. The garden at the farm is comming
along nice with all things growing good. We have been picking
radishes, lettuce, green onions and spinach. The tomatoes will be
ripe in a week or so and the bean are about to bloom. The girls
new horse, Jim-Bob, is a good riding horse for them though
sometimes hard to catch for saddling. The kittens are now all
named and beginning to come out of the barn to play. I have been
visiting IVTech in Evansville to see about some programming
classes.
I went to the Latter Day Saint (Mormon) library in Evansville
last week to check out their genealogy library. It's all on CD
ROM, easy to use and the staff helpful if some what guarded. But I
could not find one mention of anyone I was looking for. I'll do
some more work at Willard before going back.
SUNDAY JUL 31,1994 10:26AM - I'M BAAAAAACK
Been awhile has it not? Just nothing newsworthy to write
about. Been doing some work at Willard, and some at the lawnmower
shop. The girls, all three, are taking a nap. Dee just got home
from work and picking up Tara and Teea. The new Skelton Garage in
going steady after the move last Saturday. The city bought the old
garage and will tear it down for parking spaces. We will salvage
in the old place next week. The new place is the old A & B place
and has about four times the space plus windows. The old place was
originally the stables for the St. Charles Hotel.
I got signed up for classes at IVTech in Evansville. Got a Pell grant to fund the venture and start Aug. 22. I'll take
evening classes in computer programming. Maybe I can make my own
games so I can make something I can win.
Dee brought Boo, the kitten, home so we now have three cats to
go with the three dogs. Carey the boxer has seemed to adopted Boo as
her own and mothers him. Boo has taken to playing with water drops
in the bathtub after you turn off the shower. Tiger, the yellow
cat, started this last year and Boo watching him just wanted to
know what was so interesting. None of the animals here are your
typical cats and dogs.
FRIDAY AUG 12,1994 8:29PM - THE NEW SHOP
Well we are in the new garage. It's the old A&B place at main
and walnut streets. The place has about three times as much space
as I have said. They now sell a line of racing go-carts. Nice,
but I would rather have a four wheeler. I just about have the old
garage cleaned out or shall we say everything of value that we
want cleaned out. We should move some of the stuff Sunday if the
weather holds. Right now it's fixing to storm again and I'll have
to shut the machine down. I have been computing between the storms
all day. Dee is working and may get to come home after one shift.
Tara had her sixth birthday on the tenth. Both girls start school
on the twenty-ninth. They will go to the Warrick Christian School
because Dee thinks they will get a more quality education than at
the public schools. Tara will be in Kindergarten and Teea preschool. They both seem to look forward to the experience.
I start school at IV Tech on the twenty-second. I got a
government Pell grant to cover the cost. I should have some kind
of degree in computers in a few years. I go on Mondays and
Thursdays for the fall semester, taking evening classes to avoid
conflict with the day schedule here at home. I'll probably try to
take all evening classes.
Been doing a lot of time at the lawnmower shop lately.
Business is going good, with a lot of folks being just plain stupid
about taking care of their machines. I have paid a lot for a good
lawnmower or trimmer or such and I could sell it any time for just
about what I paid and still give a warranty. People would save a
lot of time and money if they would just read the documents that
came with yard equipment. But then business would fall off.
Back later. Going to try to log on to the Courier BBS.
FRIDAY AUG 26,1994 5:03PM - NICE QUIET EVENING
I have had my first week of classes at IV tech. Not bad but
could be better. I have a typist to take notes for the
Monday/Wednesday class and a girl in the second class takes notes
for me. This set up works fairly well and I get a good set of
notes either way.
There is a new horse at the farm now. This one is red with a
white mane and tail. Teea has claimed it for her own and took it away from Dees dad. Now each girl has a horse.
Dad went to the hospital (Deac) Monday. He woke up early in
the morning with chest pain. They found fluid in his lungs and
could not tell where it was coming from. The fluid was drained
from the right side and a CT scan was done. The left side is also
filling up so he will go to surgery Monday to see if a source can
be found. The doctor said that a malignancy was expected. He will
be 87 years old in November.
FRIDAY SEP 9,1994 2:33PM - NOT SO GOOD NEWS
This is about a week late in getting but things have been
busy. Dad got to go home last Friday from Deaconess. The test
showed mesothelioma, a rare type of cancer usually found in those
who smoke and those such as shipyard workers. I suspect asbestos
involvment from when he worked at the Evansville Shipyard during the
war. This form is not treatable or curable and the prognosis is in
months. If he sees this Christmas he will not see the next one. So
far he has had no discomfort other than dyspnea due to the fluid in
his lungs. A lot of times, according to Dee, those with lung CA
have no pain.
MONDAY DEC 12,1994 6:19PM - DAD DIED TONIGHT
Since this was the last night of class, I went to mom and dads
tonight instead Wednesday as usual. When I saw how dad was I
thought there would not be much time left. I would have expected
his death at any minute due to the type of breathing and looks. I
said nothing though as to not aggravate the circumstances for mom
and the others.
I left there about 3:00PM to go to class. When I got home
about 8:00PM Dee told me that Christopher had call and said dad had
died about 5:00PM. Dee said that what he described was one of the
easiest and most peaceful deaths that she has known. There was no
pain or struggle and it was as if he just went to sleep.
TUESDAY DEC 13,1994 6:39PM - TEEAS FIRST SCHOOL EVENT
Tonight was the Christmas event at the Warrick Christian
School. This was the night that Teeas group was to perform. The
event was divided into two nights and the next one will be
Thursday.
This was the first time I attended a school program as an
audience member. Teeas group was the second group to perform. She
did all she was supposed to and seemed to know her songs just fine.
They sang "Away in the Manger", "Don't Forget", and "I Saw a Little
Wormy".
THURSDAY DEC 15,1994 6:49PM - TARAS FIRST SCHOOL EVENT
Tonight was Tara's turn for performance. I left the funeral
home about 4:30PM and got home just as the girls were returning from
the farm.
We got ready and left just like we did Tuesday night. Since
it was so crowded Tuesday night, although we had fair seats, we
thought we would get there earlier to get a better seat. Dee took
Tara to her room and Teea and I went to save seats. We got a seat
on the aisle about half way to the front.
Taras group was the first to perform and she did as good with
her program as Teea did. Both programs were enjoyable and all
groups seemed to have worked very hard to give a good show.ÿ
Taras group sang "Psalm 100", "Joy to the World", "A-L Verse",
"Christmas Day", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas".
FRIDAY DEC 16,1994 6:27PM - FUNERAL
The family viewing for dad was Wednesday at 2:00PM and
starting at 3:00PM for friends. Dee went with me and we met the
rest of the family at Alexander West. The next day I went from
2:00PM until about 4:30PM. I left to go to the program at school
that Teea was in.
The funeral was at 10:00AM this morning. About fifty people were there along with us and dads three remaining sisters. It was
raining when I got up this morning and still raining when I got
home. The temperature was about 45 degrees.
From the funeral home we went to the cemetery. Mom, John, and
myself rode in the funeral home car. Johns two boys, Mike and
John, drove moms car with Sarah and Christopher. We were the
pallbearers, an unusual situation but a nice touch. The service at
the cemetery was in one of the chapels and a small gathering was
held in the family center at the cemetery.
This will be the first Christmas I can remember without dad
being there. The feeling can only be experienced and not
explained. More information can be found in the family tree
records.
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