Author: David Haldeman

Wednesday, December 24, 1975
Cold 7 degrees – but sunny.
Up at 6:30 & wrote cards for all employees to go in their parfait glasses from Hotel Harding & their checks. Put rocks in each glass – (some stores actually selling “Pet Rocks” for $4.98!) . All orders were up last night so day went well 5 delivery vehicles. Got 40 more poinsettias from Nachurs & also sold the 25 on consignment from Buds. Finished by 5. Gang gave me 5 Corning Ware cook set! To Mary’s for supper. They had picked up Howard. They gave me a great tripod & the Exotica Manual. Mother gave me Atlas that belonged to [her fathter] Emmanuel M. Sheneman.

Tuesday, December 23, 1975
Kathi draggin’ with cold. I made chili & took in for lunch & bought Famous Chicken & potato salad & cole slaw for supper. Bought “Pot Luck” Norelco cookers for Karen, Kathi & Mary $40 each.
Bud’s wife brought 50 more poinsettias & I picked up 20 more at Nachurs. Should be about right.
Left shop at 8:30 exhausted. Crew still working. Went to sleep in bath tub & in bed at 10:30.

Monday, December 22, 1975
140 Deliveries – 3 vehicles one every 10 minutes!
Saturday sales totalled $4,983! But receipts still off $2,000 from a year ago.
Judy’s prize poodle killed & Laura’s daughter in car accident – but only bumped on leg. Cindy passed out & went home.
Ordered 50 more poinsettias from Bud – Carey Greenhouses – almost out except $15 ones.
Figured & wrote Bonus check – Bonuses $3,800 + $1,150 Keogh.
Garage almost empty of Christmas greens & all wreaths sold.

Sunday, December 21, 1975
In to shop at 10 after delivering Earl Douce funeral pieces to Timson-Allen. Laura, Dave, Debby, Connie & Terry & Barry working & finished all of Monday’s work by 3:00. I cleaned garage & refrigerator, restocked shelves & answered phone. Home at 3:30 & Howard helped me make butterfly shadow boxes for Kathi, David, Mary & Rocky & Paris.
To bed about 10 after relaxing bath.
Reading “Runes of the North” which Mary Jordan gave me several years ago.

Saturday, December 20, 1975
Don & Shorty left for Fountain City in a snow storm.
Barry, Russ, Mike Zucker, Loren Heiser & Bill Hopkins for delivery & everything pretty smooth. I routed. Frost room jam packed all day. Connie did 11:30 wedding – also a Christmas dance. Marion Power Shovel party had 85 centerpieces – artificial candle ring around a lantern at $4.50 & Clark Paper Box had 10 poinsettias and 10 centerpieces.
20 Poinsettias for Central Christian. Last bunch of poinsettias in last night – really nice ones but setting everywhere. Kathi & I left shop at 5:30 – Kids opened Don’s Christmas gifts – Hair styling girl & nurse kit for Kristi & fire truck for Davy. Then took them to dinner at Dutch Pantry.

Friday, December 19, 1975
Don & Shorty arrived about 3. Picked up Kathi & Davy at Jeans & came to shop for a while. Kathi & I home (to 418 Merchant) about 6:15 with “Famous Chicken”. At 7:30 Mary, Rocky & Mother arrived for Davy’s birthday party. Age 8. Also Olgua, Jenice, Bill & Mary (Walt still in hospital but our of intensive care) Don got him an HO Train set. I left about 9:30 & came home & got beds changed, house “red up” & breakfast set out. At 12 Kathi called & said they were staying all night with her.

Thursday, December 18, 1975
15 degrees this AM.
Put letters in Christmas cards & had ready. To work at 9:30 & routed out Barry & Russ. Had headache & felt like I was on a roller coaster that wouldn’t stop. TO Kathi’s about 2 (picked up her car at filling station & pad $40 repair bill) & selpt for 2 hrs. Then back to shop. More poinsettias in from West Park. Dave had talk at shope for 4H group.
Finished Christmas cards – watched King Family Christmas Special. Cold – about 10 on porch when I went to bed.

Wednesday, December 17, 1975
Russell Cramer – Retired Marion Power Shovel – in for delivery. Took wreaths to Chapel Hgts. Picked up “stale” bread for birds. Big grocery sack for 50 cents & lots of it good buns & rolls.
Blowup with Martha because she doesn’t want red carnations coming in tomorrow used on tomorrow’s orders. Wants to save them for Saturday altar vases – wait till she finds out one of the orders if for one of her “pet customers!
Dead tired. I’ve been doing all the routing. Bed at 9. Too tired to send Christmas cards. Called Scout Tree Service about cutting locust.

Tuesday, December 16, 1975
Paul Hunt in to see if I wanted to buy the whole complex & 615 E. Center for $250,000.
River flooding from rain Sunday night.
Routed deliveries all day & only 2 station wagons to use. Truck at Race Motors for brake relining. Barry & Jim Schultz handled nicely.
From 6 to 7:20 “red” up the place. Half empty boxes in showroom & work aread. Everyone too busy to do anything but get up orders.
To Board meeting of Historical Society at Marion Federal. Richard Carey, Carroll Neidhard, Jackie Clark & I to Isaly’s after where I had supper. Home at 11 & straight to bed.

Monday, December 15, 1975
Had pancakes & bacon for a late breakfast & then all of us in – Karen & Sarah to Mrs. Winters & David & I to shop for Board meeting of Hemmerly’s Flowers & Gifts, Inc. Reported the offer of the whole south wing of our building (ours & Commonwealth) for $1,000 a month. Will add 1,640 sq ft) accepted. Reported decision to provide pension money to employees through bonus & Individual Retirement Act.
Back home & started cataloging 78 rpm records at David’s insistence. They left at 6 & I watched TV. Exhausting 2 days.