Random pages from a life

Among the many things in the long closet on the 3rd floor, a box of Grandpa Bass's journals, an incomplete set from 1967 through his last year, 1976.

There's also a binder labeled "Abstract of diaries, Emery Bass, Apr 1963 to  ", listing events culled from his diaries, starting:

1963
Apr 17 Last days at Hires Root Beer
Apr 19 Left for Boston
May 14 Left for Chicago

etc. etc. etc.

1964 includes:

Sep 3 Birth of --------> Lauren

(her name is off to the right, in the column for "Events", rather than "Medical" or "Trips", which were the other options.

1967
Jan 26 Snow started at 6am. By nitefall of Jan 27 - 24" Everything at a standstill
.
.
.
July 21 Call from Boston - Karl born

(and an "x" over in the "E" column for "Events")

In the 1976 journal the entry for Wednesday, September 15th reads:

4 hrs work in morning

Drove to Kenosha in P.M. for my own relaxation + at same time deliver a special order to a religious organization at the request of John. No time - no mileage charge. Enjoyed trip.

Evening spent relaxing and reading periodicals.

1st + last time for Starsky + Hutch.

News + bed.

Fairly restful nite.

November 7th has notes about seeing Noel Coward's "Design for living" and other entertainment:

Brilliant satirical comedy, highly sophisticated but a bright mirror on the manners + foibles of artists, rich, the press.

Sylvia viewed "Gone with the wind" - I packed some more. [Grandma and Grandpa were getting ready to move from their house to an apartment]

Early bed

Over that entry he taped a newspaper clipping, in such a manner that you could flip the clipping up and read his own notes. The clipping is a short piece titled, "Not to have purpose generates despair".

Thursday, November 18th, has a note at the top, "Medical", then the entry:

Not feeling well. 2 hrs at work.

Early appointment with Dr. Steinberg. Diagnosed condition as coming from gall bladder. If persistent further lab studies.

Asked for and received a better understanding of heart condition. Radical methods such as surgery inadvisable at this time due to age + high risk. Moderate living, weight loss, excessive labor or exertion and avoiding excitement best means.

More dish packing in evening. By about 10 P.M. all previous symptoms of discomfort seemed to have disappeared.

 He died of a heart attack in November, aged 75. I'm guessing the date was the 19th.

The man had commendable taste in television.