Garden Notes: April 1, 1975-through 14 1975 --- OVER THE HILL

Bollmann Blooms

 

 

If you’re going  over the hill anyway, isn’t it nice that there is something to do on the other side? Mrs. Bollmann not only went on April 3, but she kept going…again and again!

Bollmann -- B-o-l-l-m-a-n-n – Bollmann
This week I found a picture with this note on back:
“Tho’t you might like this picture that you look upon in the Fall at 3650 California. [signed] The Bollmanns”  2 N’s ---  who knew?

April 1 - April 14, 1975

Tuesday, April 1, 1975 - Temp 32 - 58

Beautiful. Sunny & cool. Went to vote then took bus to Edna’s father’s funeral in Florissant. Came home and ate. Went outside and worked till 6 PM. First day to ride bus without paying for transfers. Lovely ride.

Wednesday, April 2, 1975 - Temp 31 – 50

Partly cloudy AM. PM cloudy, rained & much colder.

Thursday, April 3, 1975 - Temp 22 - 45

Cold & sunny. Sent specks back, insured. ….found out our dear friend Dora Stein, in her 105^th year, died March 22. Private service. Went shopping AM, paying bills PM. Went over the hill and started to clean a little brush.

Friday, April 4 1975 - Temp 23 - 50

Cool & crispy. Went shopping AM. PM went over the hill again. Cleaned a lot. 37° at 10:30 PM.

Saturday, April 5, 1975 - Temp 29 - 54

Beautiful sunny day and crisp. Otto watered plants downstairs. I cleaned a little AM. PM we planted onions (peas, almost 4 rows), Beets & Carrots.

Sunday, April 6, 1975 - Temp 30 - 57

Beautiful Crisp Sunny day. Went to church, took Erna Buren. Stayed for coffee hour. Came home and picked up flowers and went to see Ruth at Alexian Bro. Hospital. Came home and ate turkey dinner. Read a little and stayed inside.

Monday, April 7, 1975 - Temp 32 - 57

Mostly sunny AM. Hazel & Arthur came after snowball bushes, etc. Cloudy PM., We cut a lot of weeds, planted baby onions by Red Raspberries. Otto hauled dirt to cover turnip bed. Really looks like rain. First Ball Game tonite.

Tuesday, April 8, 1975 - Temp 45 - 59

Mostly cloudy. We had a soft rain around dinner time. PM we went out to dig yucca for Ms. Carlisle on both ides of our walk, down the steps to sidewalk. Trimmed out dead limbs of snowball and Otto cleaned the hillside on north side of house.

Wednesday, April 9, 1975 - Temp 48 - 70

Cloudy for awhile AM & then sunny all day. Mary fixed bricks in front where Yucca were. Otto hoed weeds and I tied up Red Raspberries. Stopped at 5PM and ate. Carried away yucca trash with Honeysuckle and Mary saw the first Martin (Old Guard) we call it. Jennifer was here PM. Ran around the house for fun.

Thursday, April 10, 1975 - Temp 40 - 58

Partly cloudy. We tied up Red Raspberries and hoed the East patch by Otto. I went over the hill and cleaned a little and got a bucket of dirt. Very pleasant day.

Friday, April 11, 1975 - Temp 35 - 54

Very cloudy AM. (early) Sun came out but cool all day. Mrs. Carlisle came after the Yuccas and peach tree. Baked a cake and Otto hoed and looked at things.

Saturday, April 12, 1975 - Temp 35 - 58

Beautiful sunny day, Crisp. Cut Otto’s hair, cleaned house and weeded garden. Planted lettuce and tore a lot of honeysuckle out of Bridal Wreath.

Sunday, April 13, 1975 - Temp 38 - 61

Clear most of day. Went to church. Stayed for meeting. Came home to Chicken dinner and listened to Ball Game. Cardinals lost. Went to see Ruth at Alexian Brothers Hospital. Otto went outside all the while I was gone. Never read at all. Real cloudy at 6 PM.

Monday, April 14, 1975 - Temp 44 – 51 at 12:00 AM Midnight

Nice rains AM and at 6 PM raining again. I’ve got the runs but worked in the basement with Jar, Cans, etc.

This seems like a good place to stop, doesn’t it? So I shall bid you
a-doo-doo.  You may look for me over the hill…

...or Under the Blankies

Garden Notes March 22--March 31 1975 --- Planted Onion Sets & Radishes in Rose Bed

That Bird Really Gets Around

From my perspective, the years covered in the Bollmans’ notebook were not so long ago as to be considered the Distant Past or even the Olden Days. However, I will concede that is has been awhile. I am tempted to say life was simpler then, but I will resist and leave that phrase for someone who may need it. Mary and Otto led a simple life because they chose a simple and frugal path. Their days were centered around their house and all things pertaining thereto.  Damn legal background made me say that. Back to the real world:  They loved their Home and Garden and I do not mean their magazine subscription.

I am also tempted to say that they did not multi-task, that they were the embodiment of (yet another of) my Dad’s sayings “one thing at a time and that done well” or Don Fahey’s mantra “Let’s do one thing at a time, shall we?  We don’t want to get confused”.  For starters, nobody multi-tasked. Most of us juggled multiple tasks, especially the workforce and parents, whether working outside the home or not. We simply had not yet  invented a word for it.  Still and all – there is a good old south St. Louis saying for you – I stand by my statement that they attacked one task, finished it, moved to another, and if the first task needed tweaking they returned later and tweaked; or they split tasks 50/50. 

And yet…there are not many pages where Mary does not write: “I did this & that”… or  “I cleaned, etc.”.  Was she a secret multi-tasker?  We will never know.  What we do know is that she planted her onion sets & radishes in the rose bed – that Zany!

Garden Notes – March 22, 1975 –March 31, 1975
Planted Onion Sets & Radishes in Rose Bed

Saturday, March 22, 1975 - Temp 45 - 63

Sunny and Pleasant all day. Otto cleaned strawberries & a lot of weeds & I did too and finished for the Spring spading. Planted onion sets & Radishes in Rose Bed. Inspected the wall. We liked it, newly tuckpointed.  Johanna came over to say hello. No heat today.

Sunday, March 23, 1975 - Temp 47 - 76

No heat today. Lovely day. This evening it’s raining. Thank God we had it nice to go to church and back.  Heard a good sermon. Watered flowers and wrote a letter to Phil for her birthday. Had a tornado watch till 7 PM

Monday, March 24, 1975 - Temp 34 - 56

Windy all day. We got out and spaded and cut or trimmed Black Raspberries & cleared trash. Couldn’t plant seed as it was too breezy. Called Nationwide for roof.

Tuesday, March 25, 1975 - Temp 22 - 34

Mostly cloudy but breezy. Seemed very cold. Stayed inside and did this & that. Even baked some cookies. Had snow flurries. Roofer still coming down; they called

Wednesday, March 26, 1975 - Temp 20 - 46

Sunny mostly. Went shopping and got onion plants & sets & food. Otto planted the onion plants PM. I cut a few Black raspberries. The wind penetrated.

Thursday, March 27, 1975 - Temp 35 – 45

Rained all day. Decorated cookies & fixed bacon. Baked a turkey and bread. Went to see Mrs. Hardy. Took cookies and onions. Mr. Hardy came over to tell us our roofing was blowing off. No leaks so far at 6:30.

Friday, March 28, 1975 - Temp 38 - 47--- Good Friday

Rained through fog AM and rained most of day. Stayed home all day & did cleaning, etc.

Saturday, March 29, 1975 - Temp 30 - 36

Went shopping 9 AM between bread rising --- nice day.

Sunday, March 30, 1975 - Temp 24 – 44 --- Easter

Sunny all day. We spent the nice quiet Sunday at home. Had meatloaf dinner.

Monday, March 31, 1975 - Temp 31 - 64

Beautiful sunny day. Washed AM. After dinner worked outside. Planted Dutch onions & trimmed Blk. Raspberries a bit.

So it’s time for me to hit the hay early, due to exhaustion and body aches too numerous to mention.  This is the last time I read ahead in the notebook.  A couple nights ago I skipped to harvest time 1975 and came away feeling like  a real slacker. Bottom line, I have now planted 4 rows of snow peas, a few leaf lettuce, scallion and dwarf Pak Choy seeds, transplanted the volunteer lettuces, found and transplanted a volunteer sorrell(?), started marigold and moonflower seeds, pruned and re-potted the philodendron that wintered over in the basement, cut, pulled and cut the forest of dead morning-glory vines from the wishing well, pulled off dead honeysuckle vines from the flag pole, cut out the honeysuckle around the vine; it overpowered my hyacinth bean vines last year so it  must be destroyed. For my encore I seriously trimmed back the honeysuckle growing on the back fence.

Is it time yet to go to Carondelet Park, fill empty kitty litter buckets with free compost and lug them back to Tara?  Wait, am I getting a little disoriented?

  Be careful what you read.

Whoa....Where'd he go?

1975 Garden Notes March 6 - March 21 GOD'S GOOD SUNSHINE

March 6-through March 21, 1975 --- 1^st Day of Spring!!

Bollman's Bird Bath - and What a BIRD!

So much for my determination to keep up with the garden notes.  I said I was going to post the 1975 notes as they loosely coincide with the current week, didn’t I?  So here it is March 16, 2011 and I am a little behind.  All in all, it is better than being a big behind. And no smart talk outa youse guys, as we say in the City.

I am looking out my window at accumulated snow on sidewalks and cemetery headstones, don’t ask – and flying slush in the street as rush hour traffic speeds along Morganford Rd.  What am I saying?  All traffic speeds along Morganford, but that’s a story for another day.

Snow on March 14 is not all that uncommon but after the winter we have endured did we need this “surprise”? Yes, that was the caption to the news story this morning on Channel 5  - pasted across the screen - “Snow Surprise”. Apparently not the only surprise for local weathermen and the Missouri Dept. of Transportation…I’m thinking that somebody around there forgot to adjust their clocks to daylight savings time.  About 1:45 this afternoon a weather alert was issued that the snow would continue to accumulate till NOON then change to all rain.

Garden Notes – March 6 – March 21, 1975 – 1^st day of Spring!!!!

Activity in the Bollman Garden is still in low gear but preparations in the form of spading, digging, tying up raspberries and generally putting the winter to rest is ongoing.  Spring 1975 on California Ave. is on its way.  I know that, not because of the calendar date but because on March 10 the Bollmans “woke up to 8 inches of fairyland snow”.  And on March 16 Mary said “A lovely day, and did we enjoy it. Went to church….came home and stayed in God’s Good Sunshine”.  Sounds like a harbinger of Spring to me.

Thursday, March 6, 1975 - Temp 30 - 46

Mostly cloudy & cool. Went shopping A.M. Worked outside P.M. but it was cool. Fixed up Jamie’s wedding present, also wrote Blue Shield about check rec’d.  It was quite cool outside.

Friday, March 7, 1975 - Temp 33 – 57 at Midnite, 41 for High PM

Cloudy mostly. Otto took me to church to go to World Day of Prayer. Got home about noon. Otto was cooking dinner. Good Ham Hock & Sauerkraut & Potatoes.  Cleaned a little and froze meat bought yesterday. Otto sliced the bacon.

Saturday, March 8, 1975 - Temp 22 – 35

Lovely winter sunny day. We cleaned a little around, went shopping, wrote letters P.M.

Sunday, March 9, 1975 - Temp 19 - 34

A.M. partly cloudy, P.M. it started to snow about 5:30. Went to church, read Sunday paper late…it’s still snowing at 9:30 PM

Monday, March 10, 1975 - Temp 28 - 32

Woke up to see 8 inches of fairyland snow and we shoveled it this AM. Afternoon, washed windows in bathroom & put up clean green curtains. Otto shoveled more snow. Read paper and other things till Tillie called.

Tuesday, March 11, 1975 - Temp 30 – 38 --- 6:30 PM 34

Went shopping as we moved the car. Got things ready to take to church, Mizpah Bake Sale and to Evelyn R. her recipe I promised and a few others and washed my hair.  Raining this evening. Hope it doesn’t get slick.

Wednesday, March 12, 1975 - Temp 30 - 37

Cloudy all day. Otto and I washed kitchen windows and put up clean curtains. Signed contract with Excell for tuckpointing alley wall, etc. Otto made rain gauge. It rained about an inch and snow melted quite a lot.

Thursday, March 13, 1975 - Temp 19 – 30

Cold all day. Otto & I got Marie F. first boxes and took Marie & Mildred to Assoc. luncheon. About 60 people came to hear Celeste R________, policewoman from the Rape Squad of St. Louis. Very interesting. Stopped by Ruth’s as Mrs. Kurtz brought me that fan she was going to give her.

Friday, March 14, 1975 - Temp 26 - 42

Very Chilly but this PM beautiful & sunny. Went shopping this AM. Took Ruth along as she wanted to get Linoleum strips. She was sweet and had us to lunch. We came home and then went to Rausch’s to shop some more. It is 42° now at 6:45 PM – 41% humidity.

Saturday, March 15, 1975 - Temp 29 – 49

Very Chilly but sunny most of day. Watered flowers by Otto. Mary planted a few beans and we just did this and that. Went to Holy Cross fish fry for Carryout.  It was good.

Sunday, March 16, 1975 - Temp 36 – 57  52 at 6:30 PM

A lovely day and did we enjoy it.  Went to church, stayed for coffee hour by Circle #4 – came home and stayed in God’s sunshine.

Monday, March 17, 1975 - Temp 29 - 58

Cloudy AM. We washed and hung inside. Hung a few hand washables outside. Otto fixed the little Bird House & painted it.

Tuesday, March 18, 1975 - Temp 38 – 49

At 5:30 it’s 48° and raining. Otto raked strawberries & put on Crab Grass Killer between showers. Went shopping and got Anacin 300 for $2.70, also prunes 3 lb. $1.58. Got money order for Otto glasses & sent away to receive them. I ironed and now am patching.

Wednesday, March 19, 1975 - Temp 40 - 63

Beautiful day and we got our alley wall tuckpointed by Excell, 2654 Gravois. Also tuckpointed chimney and both sides of wall at end of alley at Winnebago. Mr. White [my Dad] helped Otto get Bird House down & we cleaned it and Otto started to paint it white. I tied up some Red Raspberries & folded the curtains. No heat today.

Thursday, March 20, 1975 - Temp 47 - 73

Beautiful day all day. We both were out spading, digging, tying up Red Rasp. No heat today.

Friday, March 21, 1975 - Temp 55 – 79
It is Spring and couldn’t be better.  Just beautiful. Went shopping and paid our tuckpointing bill. We are glad that’s off our mind! We spaded our garden and have a little more to finish and bits to plant and also have rasspberries to tie up and trim. No heat in house today. Our Jonquils and Crocuses are in bloom. Took wool coverlet off our bed.

at 5:30 it’s 48.

Well, it's time for me to give it a rest and go  out - in the pouring rain-sleet-or is it snow? -  and fill food dishes for the homeless hungry alley kitties.  Till next time....

60's Marilin with  Kenny, Laura,
that Great Purse that finally wore out
& a (relatively) Little Behind

 

ALWAYS REMEMBER AND NEVER FORGET

Always Remember and Never Forget

When You Bake Up the Dog Treats

Don't Leave 'em So Wet

Or...the Wearin' o' the Green

Sophie
Old Girl

                                  

 

OK, let’s say that some Sunday afternoon you make a double batch of natural-ingredient dog treats.  Let us also say that you slightly undercook them so they remain chewy (old dog).  Let us further say that after setting aside a few for your best friend, your grand-dog and his house guest, and some for the vet  you stash ALL THE REST in 70’s Tupperware with a tight-fitting lid.

DON’T.  Who knew that on the stroke of Day 7 the dog bones concocted of whole wheat flour, rolled oats, peanut butter, a splash of olive oil, a touch of honey and hints of homemade apple butter, garden mint and cinnamon would grow their own furry green coats? Not your average shade of Mold Green, either, but really quite a lovely shade. 

AND YET - I, the lover of all thing green, recoiled in horror.

I have yet to check with the vet but am so hoping he distributed them to his patients upon receipt. I believe the odds are in my favor because he was saying “Oh, these smell good!” as he exited the exam room.  My friend’s dogs ate them within hours.  Grand-dog and guest survived. 

And so I leave you with two words:  FRIDGE and FREEZER.