There is a four-year gap here – I am missing 1977 through 1979,
formative years for the Smith family. Forward to 1980, a year of less journal
writing, offering limited documentation of life at the Smith farmhouse. We can
glean from Jody’s journal entries that time was of the essence, or she grew
weary of writing things down. Nonetheless, the entries are just as sincere –
Pete buys a new Cadillac, Jody works at the Clinic more often, enjoying social
activities after work, and horses remain her solace.
The year begins strong, but then dwindles after March, leaving a few empty, yellowed
pages. I hope you can reminisce over specific journal entries and reflect on
the pivotal moments that defined the 1980s.
January 1980
·
New Year’s Day, Pete took top off vinegar bottle
I was lending him for water for running > 8:30 am called LL – got him out of
bed, short conversation > looked at gas well site with Mary Connors, let
Puff run > J Jones called > fixed ham dinner
·
Worked at Clinic, Pete to Dr. Sarver
·
Gault, grad school application > 11 am, Dr.
Wackman, Philosophy Dept > Church > to Mac’s, picked up jacket >
picked up Larry at his parking lot > Parsons, lobsters > Pete, Marie
(dishes), Larry, Tim, I, to Christian Ed
·
Snow, roads icy, went after Nanette, I worked at
Clinic, Beth Bryan, daughter, here for lunch
·
Took Nanette to CE > Epiphany service with Lutherans,
sat with Collier’s > Junie bolted, broke harness, I patched it up > K
DeWitt, children, sleigh rides > Parsons, oysters
·
Worked at Clinic > 1:30 L. Horsely’s
·
Pete new Cadillac
·
Worked at Clinic > 1:30 Eslocker’s > Pete,
Dr. Sarver
·
Church prayer group, Pam, Dan Williams, Helen
Marsh, lunch at Strawberry Patch > saw liger, drug groceries up to house on
sled > Pete carried salt block over beyond pond > Adventures in Attitudes
course, 103 Tupper Hall > Marie Clementine at Clinic
·
Worked at Clinic > went to Columbus after
firing iron
·
CE > to Church, annual meeting > J Jones
tracked Puff, C Matthews laid track, stayed at end > talked with Ray Jones
about ins
·
Worked at Clinic
·
New set of twins, took sheep down to Clinic,
dewormed them, left lambs > returned firing iron > ate at ice cream
parlor Swardson’s > CABTC
·
Worked at Clinic
·
Luther, Pam, Artifacts Gallery > to Church
> took 4 lambs to Seaman’s > ate at Oasis > AA class, OU
·
Osteopathic Clinic > left for Columbus > 5
PM Stan Jones
·
Loaded up lambs, Pat, Carl Lorubbio took them to
stock sale, sold goat (wether), picked up Barbara Parsons > stock sale >
Pete to Charleston > B Parsons overnight > called Daddy
·
Church, Bishop Krumm, slides of Nigeria,
Confirmation – sunlight as Bishop came forward to speak > fed at barn,
hauled grain up with Junie on Western saddle > led Barbara on him, rode
double briefly > organ/harp concert, sat with Mrs. A. Larson > to
Elizabeth Stout’s for tea, cookies > fixed Pete dinner, sat, read by fire
·
Worked at Clinic > John Leslie here, horse
ruptured intestine, surgery > called Helen Marsh about Donna > desk,
wrote letters
·
To bank, straightened out overdraft computer
mistake > picked up June H. Wieman, lunch at Strawberry Patch > Seaman’s,
paid for lambs > picked up Marie, toured Vinton County Camp, strip mining,
went to Mountain Leather for lamp parts > fed at barn, milked Falene for
cats > lovely evening > cut up lambs (broken legged ones)
·
Wrote letters to Betty, Abbott > took vacuum
cleaner to Standall’s > 3 pm, Pete up for lunch > fed at barn
February
·
Car in shop, Fritz Connor took me in town >
to Church > Mom’s Coffee House with E. Sweeney > to Class, Pete on calls,
took Puff in car > Bob, Thelma, Mrs. C, Oasis
·
Missed L. Smith, Robin at theater, movie “The
Jerk”
·
Clinic, John Hopkins horse at Clinic,
Pete vetted dog > J and I tried to get fence out of frozen ground, put one
circle around one apple tree, moved wood onto porch, covered with plastic >
Geologist, John, pre-vet student, etc., here for dinner > P, Carl, Matt,
another boy here overnight
·
Early Church > ate at Perkins with Pete > to
Church > fixed lunch, Pete, P, Matt > rode Junie, J rode Apple, over to
trailer, to gas line road, saw Pete, Larry Smith > potluck supper, slides of
Africa
·
Worked at Clinic > took bank deposit, stopped
for cider, no money
·
Worked at Clinic, talked with fellow about oil,
gas lease > ran errands, got errands, Pete brought them up hill > got
hyacinths for Pete > Pete evening out, I did dishes, washed by hand, cistern
dry, Pete home 4 am
·
Mended blue coat, did laundry > Father James
called > Pete up for lunch > took bucket of ashes out of woodstove > jumped
Puff, Jelea helped me take lumber off broad jump > put up antique mirror
·
Lovely nap by fire/music > went on calls with
Pete, to Don Norman, Gassan’s lunch, Horace Karr’s > Carl L, Pete took
grain, dog food up hill(s), fed at barn > AA class
·
Dull headache (too much caffeine?) > Pete got
sheep for OU osteopathic lab > rec’d 2 boxes oranges, grapefruits from
Mom/Dad > worked Puff, got mail > Pete, Marie, project, up till 1:30 am
·
Pete breakfast at Jan’s, dewormed horses >
napped > Barbara Parsons went up to feed at barn with me, took Jim, Kanga
> napped > read
·
Ash Wednesday service
·
Dave Smart “Your Father’s Mustache” cut my hair
> Pam, K. DeWitt, Mom’s Coffee House, Police Station, dropped Ad off at
radio station > Pete loaded walnut logs, to McArthur > fed at barn > Adventures
in Attitudes > Mr. Bojangles, hot cider
·
Beautiful, beautiful day > put my sheep back
in, patched up gate > talked to Lyle Schultheis about gas lease, etc., >
Kay Everett, new belt for truck > Eslocker, Warmke suit > Hole in the
Wall sub shop, lunch > herded Hilferty’s cattle, goats off 550 into Windy Hill’s
pasture > J and I fed, worked on apple trees > Pete and Marie, call to
Roger Linscott’s > Pete, J, I, read by fire
·
5 am breakfast > J, Pete, OVMA Columbus >
read, did dishes > Apple pulled blue ball off antenna
March
·
Murphee’s grandchildren here
·
$10 Lucy Lamb to Judy Lempton > ATC, J
Croxford 3 PM
·
Pete to Charleston > lamb milk replacer, Judy
Lempton
·
To Church, call from Jan, Easter
·
Calf milk replace, Howard Johnson
·
Call Jan about cat > ATC
Please forgive typos, name or place misspellings; transcription from
vintage handwriting sometimes requires a magnifying glass and random
interpretation.