In this Part 1, Stella starts out as a young mother of a growing family. In search of good employment, the family moves from South Dakota to Seattle, Washington. In Seattle, her husband Charles is consumed with remodeling their house while working full-time. Stella gets a job at Northwest Airlines, and the demands of being a working mother are evident, but so are the benefits of being a two-income family. As the children grow up, Stella's husband Charles suffers from poor health and dies at age 55. Stella makes the needed adjustments and becomes very active at her church. Her diary continues with Part 2.