Beach Haven

​Week of 7 March 1983
 
Mom starts by wishing herself a happy 42nd birthday. It was a normal work day for her. The evening was about running Dan, Cris, and ‘3 Ellis kids’ to go skating. On Tuesday, Dad was supposed to return home from a navy training trip. He didn’t show and didn’t call. The next day she checked with the Navy Reserve Center. They didn’t seem to know anything either. By Wednesday afternoon they got word the ship had been held up and got back to port for a day late. Mom and Cris were really upset that there was not a phone call. It’s clear they did not understand what it meant to be on a military vessel at sea in the days before cell phones or the Internet. Even at that, exact ship movements are considered classified information. Dad finally arrived home in the middle of the night on Wednesday night after she had gone to bed.
 
She had a foot doctor appointment on Friday. The doctor was a no-show. Dad was back at work as well, including overtime as usual. She did her normal listing of the many chores accomplished. Dad fixed Cris’ bike. That weekend she had a mammogram. She had a few lumps. She didn’t believe them to be cancerous, but expressed some concern. She was also stressing over poor decisions of Lisa’s first husband. He seemed unable to support her no matter where she was, which put financial stress on everyone else. Mom speculated more that he was unwilling rather than unable. 

Week of 28 Feb 1983

Like usual, Mom lists out all sorts of chores done by her, Dan and Crystal. She sent a letter to me on my mission, and got one as well, also a letter from Grammy Beach. On Monday she notes watching the final episode of M*A*S*H, “2-1/2 hour special when the war’s over and they all go home. Watched with the kids. Quilted.”

That Monday evening she spent time talking on the phone with Lisa about her trials, stuck in PA with grandparents who were not really feeling able to support. Dad was away with the Navy so she was feeling overwhelmed without him. The stress caused Mom to snap at Dan.

Much of the rest of the week was about Relief Society events (she had to teach a lesson), getting Dan to events like play practices and a Sunday School skating party. On Saturday, Dan rode his bike all the way to Brigham City for his play practice, about 10 miles each way. No note about how he got home. Likely the same way. She wrote, “It was good exercise for him.” Crystal was getting into needlepoint while Mom kept quilting. Work seemed to be good that week as she felt a need to mention it several times.

Week beginning 21 Feb 1983

This is a continuance of summarizing journal entries from my mother, Paulene Beach.

She was happy with the results of a cake she made over the weekend. In an earlier entry I shared the bit about Dan damaging it and a middle-of-the-night repair. A letter came from me (Mike) while serving on my church mission in Spain. She noted they would be getting $2040 back from their tax return. Dad left for a two-week training exercise with the Navy reserves. She put in work on a baby quilt for Lisa.

This week she found out the new position she put in for at Thiokol went to someone else. That Wednesday evening, Dan went skating with the German club. Mom and Crystal played the card game War. The week was a never-ending list of chores. Crystal helped out Heather Hoffmeister serving food at someone’s wedding (she didn’t say who’s). Dan helped set up chairs and tables for at the church for a Boy Scout dinner. Dan and Crys each had a friend sleep over that week, while Mom stayed focused on a baby quilt for Lisa. Dan seems to have been active with the German club. Late in the week she ran him to a football game with the club. He was also in a play that week and went to a stake dance on Saturday. Picking him up in the evening made for several late nights that week.

Lisa was making plans to return to Indiana. She intended to take over management of a skating rink while her husband worked before entering the Army. She was feeling isolated enough to ask Mom if Dan could spend the summer with her running the skating rink while her husband went into boot camp. Mom was worried about her. Mom also had trouble shaking a headache most of the week. She also expressed missing Dad.

That Sunday was a missionary homecoming in the ward for Ron Seamons. It made her miss me while I was serving. She expressed missing Dad again as well. Dan was helpful in drawing a Goliath on butcher paper for her upcoming Relief Society meeting. It was ten feet tall. Crystal made 'stones' out of tin foil to use with Dan’s slingshot. To round out the week, she was asked to make a cake for the Relief Society birthday, continued on Lisa’s baby quilt, and wrote a letter to me on my mission.

Week beginning 6 Feb 1983

​A snow storm caused Mom to be late getting home on Monday, making for a short Family Home Evening conducted by Crystal. She got letters that week from Mike on his church mission, and another from Lisa feeling sick from pregnancy. Lisa encouraged Dan and Crystal to visit over the summer. Perhaps she was feeling a bit homesick.

Crystal had to go to the orthodontist this week to get spacers put in. More interaction with Lisa made it clear she wanted to stay with our grandparents since her in-laws were not supportive. Our cousin, Jeff was asking to do the same thing so Grammy Miller called to chat with Mom about it. Seems Grammy wasn’t really in a position to take in either at that time. Despite that, Grammy Miller seems to have let Lisa go to PA from where she was living. PA was closer for her than UT. Mom was worried because of the heavy snow in the weather report, but Lisa made it safe at least. At issue was that her husband of that time, Vince, was in basic training in the military. They had no money until he got paid. The in-laws were very negative about everything which put Lisa in a bad place.

Spring-like weather that Friday. That week Mom put in for a job that came up within Thiokol. It was a “six” level job. She said she was sure not to get it since she was new to her current position, and so many would apply since that level job was rarely available. Her boss wasn’t happy to hear about it. Dad and Dan had valentines and candy waiting for her and Crystal when they got home. Dad was working overtime that week which meant leaving for work at 10p.

Saturday brought time at the temple, then a bunch of tasks. Don Thrash gave her a tunnel to go with the family Christmas miniature train set. While she was away and Crystal was with the Thrashes, Dan had decided to clean the house for her. He had even dusted! The evening was full of other house chores (laundry, dishes, etc.). Don Thrash had been working on their taxes for them, and was expecting them to get a return of about $2000, clearly much needed. The evening ended this way for Mom, “worked on embroidering and watched a movie, wrote letters.” Dad had a Navy Reserve weekend duty after working all night.

Sunday brought church, choir practice, more letter writing and embroidering. 

Week beginning 31 Jan 1983
​
A change of work starts this day. Mom began working in the Manufacturing Engineering Section after a transfer within Thiokol. Rumor mill depicted her new boss as “bad” and the others in the section in a nice light. This boss was on special assignment for a few months so she was glad for the time to learn the new job before needing to “contend with him.”

That same night Lisa called to say she might be expecting her first child. She notes Crystal was sick enough that they called in the home teachers for a priesthood blessing. Stressful day I’d say.

​Cris’ illness caused her to miss the next day of work. Not the best start to the new position. That week she went on to begin embroidering a pillow case for someone (not noted who).

Mid-January of 1983 included lots of tasks accomplished, like everything she writes. There was getting her parents off to Pennsylvania after attending Lisa's wedding, getting the newlyweds out the door and accounting for gifts. She also mentions Lisa selling her piano. On January 15 she mentions her and Dad picking up a Basset hound named Sadie, born November of 1981. About the dog she particularly notes, "Fred loves her."

Later that week, January 18, Dad picked up "our cut up cow". For many years they raised a few steers and kept a nice full freezer of beef. She noted that counting all costs they paid about $0.50 per pound. That included buying, feeding, and butchering the steer. Not a bad deal. That same day she notes that Dan got the braces taken off of his teeth, and mentions that his teeth "are beautiful." Really Dan? Are your teeth beautiful?

The next day a snow storm dropped 17 inches at their house.