The Grandmother Diaries - A Chance Encounter

I've been flipping through Gran's diary - and I came across an interesting entry on Saturday March 21, 1987:

Sunny - warm.  Lazy - did puzzle (escaping).  Must go for a walk.

The Grandmother Diaries: I Opened the Box

I finally jumped into Pandora’s box.  I pulled out a handful of Gran’s journals today.  I’m starting with 1987 – as it seems to be the earliest I found.   Just the first page brings back memories.  It's yellow, curled a little and smells faintly of cigarettes.  She lists the times of her favorite  TV shows – Jack Benny, Hollywood Squares, Barney Miller, Lucy.  I remember watching them with her, she on her green fuzzy swivel chair with the table and lamp beside it.  A half chewed pencil, a crossword book and an overfilled ashtray.  I sat on the brown shag carpet, watching with her and sniggering as she shouted her version of explosives at the screen during the game shows. (Her version because she was a lady. And ladies don't use bad language.)

She would have been retired for a few years by this point - spending her days doing crosswords, having lunch with her lady friends, watching TV and going bowling with the league.  We spent a bit of time with her - we were older by this point and likely able to spend time on our own at home, but for the longer periods Gran's was where we went.