Beach Haven

Week of 21 October 1983

My age is showing. Last time I posted I mentioned Mom putting in something about me transferring to Seville and a 2-week medical checkup for Lisa and Jessica. These things actually happened the week of 21 Oct, not 17 Oct. In fact, I was so far off that I identified it as the week of 14 October. I guess I was losing it that week.

Week of 31 October 1983

No mention of Halloween. Dad no luck on the deer hunt this week. Dan got a job at Sherwood Hills washing dishes. The clutch went out on their truck so they bought a used truck from the Baker family in Honeyville. It was a ’66 International and only cost them $200. There was a long list of food created early for Christmas between Mom and Lisa. They attended the wedding of Dan Peterson. He’s a guy I went to high school with.

Lisa’s mother-in-law contacted her and shared her then-husband’s address. She also offered to help pay for the divorce. 
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Week of 17 October 1983

This week included a baby shower for Lisa and Jessica. That was pretty much all she said, so I’m including some info from the next week.

Week 14 October 1983

She got a letter from me on my mission in Spain. I told her of my transfer to the city of Sevilla and that I got sick from the change in water. I don’t really remember that, but she was just saying what I had written to her.

Lisa took Jessie in for her two-week checkup. All well. She mentioned that Lisa was working in one of those haunted houses. Mom and Dad took ‘the kids’ (I assume that means Dan and Crystal) to dinner in Salt Lake City and to a professional wrestling match at the Salt Palace. It was a free-for-all that included twenty wrestlers going at each other all at once. It seems the kids had been wanting to see it so the trip was a pleasant surprise. She said the “kids really enjoyed it.”
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Week of 3 Oct 1983

More paper sales accounted for. She and Dad did some shopping for furniture and chainsaw parts. They both got a raise that week at work. In her typical numerical way she listed hers as 37 cents per hour or 5%, and Dad’s as 53 cents per hour or 4.8%.

This week she took Lisa to the hospital so the doctors could induce labor. After several days of inducement nothing happened. Mom gave up and went home on Sunday. Lisa had some blood clots pass, but nothing more that week. While staying at Lisa’s apartment, Mom mentioned a troubling experience. Here’s how she wrote it. “Woke up 6:00am. Went to bathroom. Sounded like someone threw someone up against wall in other (empty) side of house and then someone running down steps. Scared. Went downstairs and got knife and stood by front door for two hours. It got daylight and I felt better. Cleaned up and went to the hospital.”

Mom was worried that she hadn’t gotten a letter from me on my mission for about a month. That’s how it goes with international snail mail. As when she mentioned this in earlier weeks, I was sending a letter every week without fail. 
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Week of 26 September 1983

Monday was a vacation day for both Mom and Dad. They “spent half the day in bed enjoying each other.” TMI! They took a 5-hour motorcycle ride later.

​That day and throughout the week there are more notes related to Mom and Crystal selling ‘paper’. I still don’t know what that means or what it was for, but it seems like she was selling it to make money to cover Christmas present costs because this particular week she put some financials in her writing. “Made $210 profit. Sold $700 including tax. Owe Crystal $25 for helping. Still have $185 towards Christmas. I’m still selling. Hope to pay for Christmas with paper money.”

She was anxious as three weeks had passed without a letter from me (Mike) on my mission in Spain. There’s a reason why it’s call ‘snail mail’. International is even worse. I assure you a letter went out every week. She bought a kerosene heater and some bar stools.

That Saturday she went to visit Lisa. It was Lisa’s due date for the baby. Watching General Conference at home on Sunday, an electric fuse blew at the house. By the time they got it fixed they had missed part of Conference. She finishes Sunday noting, “Still no baby.”
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Week of 19 September 1983

Mom and Crystal were selling ‘paper’. It’s not clear to me what that means, but between them they sold $510 worth. Dad installed the new wood-burning stove. Lisa came out of the hospital early in the week.

There was some sort of work party that Mom took a car-full of food into work for. Dad went to San Francisco that weekend on a Navy trip. Mom and Vangee both visited Lisa in Salt Lake City that same weekend. Lisa felt a lot of pain and started having contractions. Mom took her to the hospital and the contractions stopped. The hospital sent Lisa home. She was mad at Mom for making her go to the hospital. Mom called it ‘false labor’.

Week of 12 September 1983

Lisa was suffering from toxemia, and the family truck broke down. That was a bad start to the week. Lisa lost work time, and so did Mom as she went to Salt Lake City to help take care of her for a few days. Mom visited the temple and did some shopping. She picked up a prescription from Lisa’s doctor.

Mom was back at work on Thursday. She wrote four letters (she doesn’t say to whom). She notes, “Dan finally passed his driver's test.” On that Friday their new fireplace was delivered. I assume she means a newer wood-burning stove in the living room. Dad had his Navy Chief’s initiation that week, and Mom was up with him the night before making sure his 'uniform' was all perfect and ready. She said, “He’s a nervous wreck, but cute in his dress and wig (blue).” Yes, that's really what she meant. As one might guess, an initiation in the Navy is all about humiliation. I had a similar get-up when I crossed the equator on the USS Duluth years after this.
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She had to work with the bank to straighten out “check protection”. I’m sure there is a story behind that, but she doesn’t share it. Lisa wasn’t getting any better, so the doctor put her in the hospital. Mom and Dad spent some time on Saturday looking for a new truck. By the time she got back down to Salt Lake City on Sunday, Lisa was doing much better.

Week of 5 September 1983

Don and Alma Thrash joined Mom, Dan and Crystal to the park for a picnic. Dad had to get three teeth filled that week. Dan applied for a social security number this week. There was a good harvest of tomatoes so plenty of canning to do (53 quarts of juice to be precise). Mom notes “ordered a helmet from Sears” but never mentions what sort of helmet or who it was for.

There was a Friday night trip to Salt Lake to see the Ice Capades. It was ‘Smurfs’ oriented. Saturday was filled with annual Peach Days activities. Lisa got sick and was not able to drive back to Salt Lake on Sunday.
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Week of 15 Aug 1983

Crystal had a bike crash on this week. She skinned up her arm and leg. Along with a plethora of tasks, Mom spent a bunch of time making a quilt for me (Mike). I was still on my mission in Spain at the time. Dan spend some time over the weekend riding horse on the mountain above Honeyville with Lance Maxwell. Lance has since died (much later than this time period). Lance’s older brother James was friends with me in high school. James and I also at times rode horses on the mountain above Honeyville. Both Lisa and Vangee were living in Salt Lake City. Mom noted that they were getting time together.

This week was difficult for Mom in a particular way. In past years my parents had almost divorced because of bad choices Dad had made. On this week, Mom had reason to worry he was making similar choices. 
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Week of 8 Aug 1983

A big storm blew through that week. It was a welcome relief from the heat, and the pasture really needed the water. Dad and Crystal visited the book mobile, a regular thing in the small town of Honeyville back in those days. I’m not sure if that is still true. It was Dan’s birthday that week, and Mom and Dad’s 21st wedding anniversary. Dan’s big surprise was a motorbike! Mom wrote, “It’s an old one, but it runs good.”

That weekend Dan got stopped by a cop. Not on the motorcycle, but while driving a truck. He took some of his buddies on a ride up to a mountain hideaway known as “Doc’s Flats” above the town of Mantua. On the way, one of his friends was goofing off by standing up in the back of the pickup truck. Dan got a ticket. I wonder if his friend offered to pay for it. This ticket came at a bad time for Dan. As Mom puts it, “He just barely got his permit on Thursday.” Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do?...

​Mom and “the kids” (I assume that means Crystal and Dan), helped Lisa lay some carpet in her Salt Lake apartment. Dad put a crib together for her.

Week of 1 Aug 1983

At this early point in the year, Mom already started making Christmas plans.

Dad, Mom and Crystal went fishing. Not something I would picture her doing. On the way home the truck died. It’s not clear where they were, but she said they tried to push the truck to no avail. Brother Argyl came and pulled them home with his vehicle. Turns out an alternator wire had become disconnected and drained the battery power.

That Saturday she went to yard sales with Alma Thrash and Crystal. It was a hot day. She said it was 115 degrees that day. On Sunday she went to the Honeyville 2nd Ward “to see Jesse blessed.” There is no note about who Jesse is.
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