Beach Haven

Week of 26 March 1984

Mom worked on removing wall paper from Crystal’s room walls. She found it to have six layers! Dad was also in the work. He was building something Mom called ‘wall units’. Not sure exactly what she means by that. She had a sick day from work that week, but still managed a list of tasks she knocked out at the house after resting in the morning.

That Thursday Mom and Dad had a dinner date. She also notes how Lisa had a date. Dan had a date. Mike (me) went skiing (no date then). That Friday night there was a big wind storm. She notes, “It howled all night.” 
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Week of 19 March 1984

Based on today’s standards, Mom was a real risk taker with her children. That Monday evening we had a yard cleanup (child labor). When that was over, she and Crystal played a game of lawn darts. For those of us old enough to remember, these things were eventually pulled from the market. For the younger crowd, lawn darts are what they sound like. Think of a dart you throw at a dart board but upsized to about a foot long. Each person lays a mini hoola-hoop on the ground. The opposite team launches one of these large darts into the air hoping to get it to stick in the ground inside the opposing team’s hoop.  You can imagine the potential for impalement. To make it worse, knot head kids like us would put a spin on the game.  An opponent would stand in the mini hoop and would get points for every dart thrown toward their hoop that didn’t cause them to leave the hoop.

This week she had a cast removed from her earlier surgery. She went to Crystal Hot Springs and soaked it for a few hours. She notes how all the “dead skin came off”. Seems I had a lazy Saturday that week. She notes, “Went shopping for paint, wallpaper, bed for Crystal’s room, (and) nitrate for field. Ankle weak from being in cast. Fred worked outside on chicken coups, etc. Dan went to Idaho with Carl. Mike slept in.”
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Week of 5 March 1984

Things were mixed this week for Mom. It was her 43rd birthday. The relationship between her and Dad was struggling. She was being cold to him as he was not always around and had no real reason for when he was away. He was feeling guilty because all we kids had gone out of our way to give her a good birthday with presents, cards and the like. Dad had done nothing. Mom bought a few things for herself and told Dad they were from him. He told her he felt guilty and that he was feeling like a bad example for the rest of us.
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There was a strange phone call in the middle of the night once this week. It was a man’s voice making crude remarks. Mom and Lisa assumed it was her ex-husband seeking some sort of sick revenge for the marriage breakup. It only happened that one night. Just in case, I slept on the couch and would answer any other phone calls to come in. 

Week of 30 Jan 1984

Lisa was having trouble finding work. Mom was worried about the family finances. She wrote, “They’re in pretty bad shape right now with all the kids back…” At the time, Dan and Crystal were still in school, Lisa moved in during the process of divorce, and I had just returned from serving a full-time mission for the church. She seems to have been down.

​Much of the family was at one stage or another of illness. On that Sunday she wrote, “Crystal had a headache. She was supposed to sing in Primary and had a scripture to read. I went to Choir practice along with Lisa. Fred was at work. Just at the end of choir, Sister Hocker came and got me and said Crystal had passed out during song practice. We went and got her in the bathroom. I got the bishop and Mark Bingham to give her a blessing. I brought her home. She had fever all day up and down, couldn’t eat much except chicken soup.” I think we’ve all had our version of this experience.

Week of 23 Jan 1984

That Monday states, “Dan stayed out too late – grounded.” The next day he was running a fever, then later that day Lisa began to have a fever also. The next day, Crystal followed suit. She doesn’t say anything about Jessie getting sick, but on Wednesday she notes that Jessie is getting better, then on Friday, she gets worse again.

This week, Dad flew out to San Diego for a trip with the Navy. After listing a bunch of chores, on Saturday Mom notes that she went to the gym and worked out, then went into a sauna. I have no idea which gym. She doesn’t say. Dad’s trip was only over the weekend, so she had to go back to the airport Sunday afternoon to pick him up. That day was very foggy. They got home late in the evening. Dad had brought her a silver necklace and a leather purse from Tiajuana. 
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Week of 16 Jan 1984

Both Mom and Dad had health issues this week. Dad had slipped on the ice and tore ligaments in his knee. He was on crutches. Mom had a bad cold. They had purchased tickets to see the Harlem Globe Trotters in Ogden, UT that week. Mom didn’t want to waste the $45 per ticket they spent so they went despite the struggles.

They bought some things for the home on Saturday. Mom lists them out. Among other things they included a Tiffany light for the kitchen and new kitchen curtains.

She notes how the missionary homecoming went for me that Sunday in sacrament meeting. “Mike’s homecoming, the service was beautiful and very spiritual. People told us it was the most spiritual they’ve ever been in. Dan gave a prayer. Crystal sang a song with Holly Pincombe and Heather Hoffmeister. Lisa sang and played a pretty Spanish song. Mike and I talked. Rachel Johnson played the flute. Company all day. Lots of fun. It snowed. Kids had a ball outside. Had chili, spaghetti, garlic bread, wheat rolls, Jello salad, and cake.” Good thing she wrote all that down. To be honest, I don’t really remember much of it.
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Week of 2 January 1984

Mom was back to some specifics of logistics for the week. Added me to the car insurance. Added Jessie to their health insurance. Visited Francis Hunsaker in the hospital. Lisa’s picture was in the local paper for her work in dancing instruction. “Gave Mike money for skiing, Dan money for haircut, Lisa money for butter and eggs”. Shows where our various priorities were at the time. “No jobs for Mike or Lisa yet.” Dan introduced the family to some girl he began to date. Mom didn't know this yet, but it was not destined to work out. 

She notes how she and I worked on some genealogy. “Dan broke the truck steering.” Dan, do we see a pattern here?

Week of 9 January 1984

They called for truck parts, but the parts turned out to be for a different year truck. Dad gave the agent of the company supplying the parts an earful. He managed to get the right parts and fix the truck that same week. I’m not sure exactly what this means, but in her entry for this Monday she notes “6 baby puppies today.” They bought a family annual pool pass at the local natatorium in Brigham City and we took advantage of it that week.

I took a sales job and got some training that week. Side note: the job didn’t last long. I’m not a salesperson. Mom was kind enough to buy a $500 stoneware set she didn’t need. Crystal started clogging classes at Lisa’s dance studio.

She notes the passing of Elder Mark E. Peterson this week. He was an Apostle of our church. He held a special place in our family. When I was 10 and we were still living in PA, we went to Palmyra, NY to see some of the church historical sites and attend the pageant that happened there in those days. While we visited the sacred grove of trees where Joseph Smith received a vision of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, there was an outdoor church meeting held. Elder Peterson was the main speaker. We met him after and talked for a moment or two. Since then we tended to follow his talks as a general authority.

Aside from fixing the truck, Dad put in some overtime at work this week. The result was he became tired, didn’t feel very good and became “grumpy and miserable.” Crystal spent some time with family friend Heather Hoffmeister. Mom visited Heather’s grandmother Alma Thrash. That Sunday was the baby blessing for Jessica. I performed the blessing. Mom notes with some sadness that Dad couldn’t be in the circle for the blessing. He was still working through whatever he needed to with the bishop and stake president but was not ready to receive some of the blessings of the gospel in his life personally. 

Week of 19 December 1983

Poor Dan. As the previous entry notes, they purchased a car. Only a week later he lost control on some ice and wrecked it. The damage to the car must not have been so bad as Dan planned on repairing it himself. The damage to the trust they had in his driving was not so unscathed. This wasn’t the first car of theirs he left worse for wears.

As for me returning from my mission, after the initial excitement, she gives notes about some Christmas shopping on my behalf. The weather turned cold, and it was 0-degrees at their home. Lisa’s divorce became final this week. I spent time with a friend, Randy Owens. Curtis came over to visit Lisa. This would have been the first time I met him.

We took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family over the holiday. She notes that we left that Thursday about 1:00am. I’m sure the parents would have had to work a full day before we could leave. Given the hour it would seem like Dad was working the swing shift and we had to wait for him. Going through Wyoming she noted that it was 70-degrees below zero. Perhaps she meant seven. I’ve been through Wyoming many times in the winter and that sounds more likely. In Wyoming the gas line froze, and they had to put some dry-gas in the tank to get the engine started. In Iowa, the snow was blowing, causing low visibility. There was similar weather in Illinois and Indiana. We arrived at her parents’ home about 10:30pm Christmas Eve. Grammy Miller had an open house for us over the holiday. Only a few people came because of an ice storm. Mom managed to get some genealogy done over the week. She mentions the names of people I remember and events that were common while I was growing up. For example, they played pinochle at the home of my Dad’s parents with old friends, Kate and Nick Morgan. 
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Week of 5 December 1983

This week is the first I’ve seen mention of Curtis. He was among family helping Lisa pack and move her things. They all enjoyed lunch at the McDonalds inside Crossroads Plaza. Here’s a look at how things have changed. Mom grumbled about spending $16 on six people for lunch (not counting baby Jessica). Later that day they put up the Christmas tree. Her last note of that Saturday read, “tired – a full day.” Of course, that didn’t stop her from sharing another long list of stuff she did on Sunday.

The next several sentences on Sunday are telling about how life was for Mom at that point. “Most of the snow is going away. Feel very homesick for my family lately. Must be because it’s the holidays and we’re going to visit in a couple of weeks. Mike gets home in 6 days. Just can’t believe it. It seems forever. Dan needs a haircut. He don’t want one. Worked on Santas.”
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Week of 21 November 1983

This entire week is summed up in a single paragraph, so I thought I’d just quote it to give you a feel for how she writes:

“Snowed hard all day - several inches on the ground – cold – Fred still on swing shift – Dan has truck & is to be at work – don’t know if he made it to work or not through the canyon – I’m worried about him – Crys is sleigh riding at the church – She gets a perm tonight at 6:30 – Lisa went back to work today – I’m all alone & it’s quiet here”

Week of 28 November 1983

Dan hit ice in the parking lot at work and slid into some lady’s parked car.  Mom took Lisa back and forth to SLC sever times this week. She attended the 50th wedding anniversary of the Halls. They are an older couple who served as missionaries in our branch back in PA when we still lived there. Thanksgiving was ‘quiet’. Then she writes “This morning I passed out – must be my sugar.” Dan and Crys had gone roller skating and Dad was at work.

Lisa had to miss work as Jessie was sick and running a fever. She worried about her ability to be supportive of Lisa as they were struggling financially themselves. Lisa decided to look for work locally and not continue in SLC. It snowed on Thursday adding six more inches on the ground, then another fifteen inches on Sunday. In the middle of the snowstorms they moved Lisa back up to Honeyville from SLC. On the weekend, Mom got in a baking mode and listed a bunch of things she baked and who she made them for.