Friday, January 1, 1965

January 1, Friday Started the year right. Worked 10-7 - busier than I thought. Bud went to Patty's - color TV. Weight 174

January 2, Saturday Worked as usual. Made appointment with Dr. Curran for 25th. Marv goes to the doctor Monday. $100 short. Wish I was a chorus girl.

January 3, Sunday My Sunday to work. Since Thursday I've worked every hour the store was open except 5.

This is a pretty good baseline post. Mom is at work, the Kroger store at 31st and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. She is a head cashier, "head checker" in their parlance. Her job is to keep the front end of the store running smoothly, maintain cash accountability, and keep the books. Her Saturday entry indicates that her daily counts came up $100 short. She doesn't say whether it was from one till or total, but that kind of money sets off all kinds of alarms. "Wish I was a chorus girl". Mom had a love-hate relationship with her job at Kroger. I suppose all working-class heroes have that.

Mom, in the store office at Kroger.

Mom mentions her weight. It has been her cross to bear for years, but her weight always seemed to define my mother in her own eyes.

"Patty" is mom's sister, my aunt. Her daughter, Susan, two years older than I am, is one of my best buddies in the family. We vacationed with Patty and Susan, and I was as comfortable at their house as I was at home. We laughed a lot. That was Mom's family in a nutshell. Close, supportive, and always laughing.

L to R: me, my cousin Susan, my aunt Patty; Pike Peak, 1961

Mom was the oldest of the six Patton kids. She was born in a tiny house in equally tiny Jarbalo, Kansas in 1915. Her siblings were, Paul, Jean, Jane (Patty), Bob, and Bill.

Mom and the Pattons, Christmas, 1975