Author: Trella Hemmerly Haldeman Romine

Sunday, August 14, 1988
Hemmerly Reunion High 93 low 72
Slept until 9:00. Howard helped sweep decks and we had breakfast on patio deck. 21 relatives here for reunion Kenny & Ann’s family also represented by eight. Mark, Jackie and Kenny Marie and Jennifer. Jessie brought Fannie and Floy age 96. Daughter Ruth Baker brought Gail Zimmerman age 93. Most ate in house. David and Sarah here and David sliced the ham. Ended up in my air conditioned room watching Mark and Jennifer use computer. Put Fannie’s banana salad recipe on computer. Tom and Beverly decided to leave about 6:00 and the rest of us went past the Claridon prairie. Ken help me pick up the signs. Home exhausted. Shower and sat and watched TV and read Star.

Saturday, August 13, 1988
Kathi called from Anchorage. Bought a house for $156,000. 4 bedrooms, family room, trash compactor. May not get into it until October. They were leaving for a trip to the Harriman Glacier.
Mary out for Belgian waffles and have with us on deck. Had lunch about 4:00 served in my bedroom where it is cool. Fried chicken, broccoli. Made bean salad and marinated carrots for tomorrow. To Mary’s after I grocery shopped to see Tommy’s prairie slideshows. He put them together with a script and sells them through biological supply house. Seemed impressed with quality of my show. Good to be in my air conditioned bedroom. Tommy and Bev at Mary’s.

Friday, August 12, 1988
Tommy and I up at 6:30- breakfast on deck and then to Claridon Prairie. Misty and poor light until about 9:00. Bloom not as prolific because of late burn in May and many species dwarfed because of drought but still impressive. Mary out to be with Bev and then all into Bob Evans for brunch. Drove to Mount Victory to go to antique shops after calling Doris Ault to see if we could see the Hemmerly chest brought from Germany. Her father is in hospital so couldn’t stop there.
Bought a lovely Walnut Jenny Lind bed $165 and found sales lady was daughter-in-law of Nell Thompson- Alice Hildreth McAdow’s granddaughter. Supper at Kenton.

Thursday, August 11, 1988
Royce here to clean $35. Ray Foerst took out hawthorne near wildflower garden by pond- had fallen over. Exhausted when Mary brought chicken out about 5:30.Tommy and Beverly Hemmerly from Murfreesboro arrived about 6:00- brought me a biology book and tray to hold 600 slides. Really enjoyed the Livit Boeke book I took to them. Good visiting with them.

Wednesday, August 10, 1988
[No entry]

Tuesday, August 9, 1988
Ray Foerst here cutting trees and rose bush at lower driveway. Jim Wilson and another man back to reinstall the air conditioner in a frame in the wall so the fins would be exposed on outside.

Monday, August 8, 1988
[No entry]

Sunday, August 7, 1988
88° dryer air.
Beautiful summer morning. Put posters along Claridon Prairie marking about 10 species for tour at 1:00.Kensel Clutter led the tour to point out the plants- really an expert now. I gave the introduction Tale of Three Roads and Three Generations. About 10 walked the mile and several more drove by. Pat McKinney from Reading Pennsylvania came- one of Larry Yoder’s students.
David called- needs to borrow $2,500 until chimney sweep [Mr. Sweep] pays. Also sending him $500 toward vacation.

Saturday, August 6, 1988
On Madge Gutherie’s program talking about Claridon Prairie. Gary Barnhart also there with excellent report on Harding’s funeral 65 years ago this week.
Napped PM- had read until 3:00 after Kathi called at 12:30 from Haines Junction- Yukon Territory. Had flat tire, Chuckles attacked by two big dogs, slurry on road. Made for poor driving, and soup and sandwich cost $,. but scenery gorgeous and sun finally shining.
Mowed upper lawn. Grass unbelievably green again.
Put copper sulfate in pool.

Friday, August 5, 1988
[No entry]