My mother and sister, nearly two years after the sad passing of my dear Aunt Madeline, are still going through her things. Madeline only had one small room in which she slept in a twin bed. It is the room I will be sleeping in this time next week when I am in Harford County, Maryland.
As children we always looked forward to Aunt Madeline coming to visit with Grand Pop and Grand Mom Kern who she lived with until they passed and then she moved in with my Mother and Sister. There was always something sweet to eat in that purse and a deck of cards or toy presents as well. On her last week among us, she detailed me to go down to the hospital gift shop and buy her a deck of cards. My mother recalled that with a wide grin last month when she pulled open a drawer in the hallway holding a dozen decks of cards found in Madeline's room.
It turns out, to our surprise, that Madeline was a journalist, that she kept a daily log of all her activities. With her gone and me being the only writer in the family, a memo pad was given to me by Mom.
At the top is a picture of a colonial building next to Bel Air, the name of the town in Harford County where she spent her last 20 years.
At the bottom of the white paper of 4 wide by 6 inches high is printed:
The Town of Bel Air
410-638-4540 www.belairmd.org
What follows is written in cursive.
Page 1
3/7 2007
left BWI at 9
arrived in Fort Myers at 11:25
arrived in Naples at 1
ate lunch
took nap
...
page 2
3-7
went to see sunset at gulf at 5:30 p.m.
Ate dinner at the Boathouse Restaurant in Naples
took tour of Naples before dinner
...
page 3
3-7
dinner coconut shrimp, salad and potatoe wedges
...
page 4
3-8
get up at 8:45
ate breakfast plain yogurt
& strawberries
went shopping bought bathing suit 40% off
...
page 5
3-8
came back to condo
ate lunch & went to pool for 2 ½ hours
was great
...
page 6
3-8
dinner pork chop, rice pilaf & spinach
played 99 & 500 rummy
watch TV –fell asleep
...
page 7
3-9
got up at 9
ate breakfast eggs, fruit & english muffin
walmart
trolly tour of Naples
...
page 8
grocery store
went to pool
had pasta for dinner
played train dominos fun
...
page 9
3-10
got up at 7—
went to see Freddie & Sandi at Samileil Beach for the day
...
page 10
3-10
lots of fun with freddie, Courtney, Sandi & boys
left at 3
watched tv & read
dinner spaghetti & salad
...
page 11
3-11
9 oclock mass at St. Ann's Naples
Breakfast at 6th Street Coffee Co
...
page 12
bagel & cream cheese
went shopping at tin City & concert at park
came back to condo
went to pool
...
page 13
3-12
sleepy head—got up at 9:30
breakfast—went to pool and read
country club for dinner
corned beef and cabbage—carrots, green pudding, very good
...
page 14
3-13
got up 8:30
ate breakfast
read
did word search
ate lunch
left for airport
Madeline was the youngest sister of my Uncle Fred, who did well for himself in coaching, coal mining equipment sales and real estate. This seems to have been his sister's first visit to his retirement home in Florida, soon after the passing of their mother, Mary Kern.
