Life was pretty busy and exciting at camp in July, but now at home it's just the same old routine. Jeff, Mom and I went shopping today and we ate at Liberty Pharmacy. I got the cutest outfits in Mitchells for school. They're really sharp. This evening, while playing baseball, I beaned Danny Z. on the head with a hardball, for the 2nd time. Well, now you know where my talent lies.
August 11th
Today is Sunday
Today is Sunday...
This morning I had nothing better to do so I read The Life Story of Abe Lincoln. I read it because I couldn't find any comics to read. Nana and Papa came over for lunch, after which I went swimming. Then our Sunday School's new rabbi and his wife and son came over. Their little boy was another Dennis the Menace!
August 12th
This morning I slept late because I stayed up late last night to watch "Bonanza". After lunch, Mom and I went over the Plaines and worked on cards and cards and cards. It took us 2 hours but it was fun. Before dinner we went to the library. Sandy invited me to go to the vet's with her. When I came over, she told me that her mouse had had 15 little mice!
My father's younger half-sister, my Aunt Marilyn, had just passed away from stomach cancer. My parents apparently kept a lot from me, because I don't seem to be distressed about working on responses to condolence cards and contributions. I remember very little about that time except that I had questions about death which my mother reassured me about, explaining that Aunt Marilyn was in heaven at a tea party with all those who had passed away before her, including my mother's father. I remember lying on the little hill in the front of the house, near the sidewalk, looking up at the clouds and trying to imagine what that party looked like and who would be there.
August 13th
Yesterday I got the greatest books at the library! One was called Raff: An English Setter. I read that this morning because it was raining. After lunch, Sue, Danny, Ricky and I played football. It was hot, but fun. Today is Mom and Dad's anniversary. I gave them $3.00. Dad gave Mom $300! In the evening, Sue and I played games over her house. [I got my first copy of "Calling All Girls".]
August 14th
Today we had the maddest Scrabble game ever! Danny, Ricky, Susie and I played. We beat the boys' team. Boy were they surprised! We also played football. I love to play it. Sometimes I am quarterback. I just found out that Soupy can sleep over Friday! She will be my first friend, excluding Sally, to sleep over. We'll sleep in Jeff's room.
August 15th
We played another pretty neat game of football today. We usually play either baseball or football every day. Our games are mostly at night.
August 16th
This morning a couple of us played baseball. After that, Sue ate over for lunch. Then Mom and I went to the movies. We saw "Spencer's Mountain". It was great. The leading boy was real cute! Sally always made me feel inferior when I slept over her house. So I tried to show off to Sue by getting dressed before we ate and stuff like that. We had loads of fun.
Going to the movies with Mom was always one of my favorite activities because the movies made her happy and I loved that...It seems like I was always competitive with Sally, even to the point of making a competition out of something that wasn't one -- sleeping over. Because her family always got up early and was very active, I thought that that was something to aspire to. Interesting...
August 17th
Today, Sue, Jeff, Mara and I went to the movies. We saw "Flipper". It was a good movie. I saw Elisa, Steve, Aunt Paulyne, Andy Fox, Andy Buchman, Donna Levin, Eileen Rosenthal and Sally's friend, Sue, there. It was a hot afternoon. For part of it I played baseball and for the other part I read a book and ate grapes in Mommy's room.
Being in my parents' room in the summer is a very vivid memory for me, probably because it was the only room with air conditioning back then. I remember the smell of the chilled air and how wonderful it was to just kick back and enjoy that space.
August 18th
This morning we went to the Children's Zoo. it was great! I love animals, wild and tame. When I grow up, I am going to have 2 dogs, a bird, a turtle and some fish. If my husband doesn't like them -- that's tuff! Guess what, dear diary -- I have a crush -- on Danny Winn. He doesn't particularly like me, but he's so cute it doesn't matter too much if he doesn't.
And so it started -- the Danny Years. I remember liking Mike Curreri and Ronnie Friedlander during the spring of 6th grade, but this was my first REAL crush and would be so, on and off, for the next 4 years...I really loved going to the zoo with my father. It was probably my favorite activity with him. My earliest memory of being there was when he took Jeff and me to the old bird house and we talked to the mynah bird. I eventually did grow up to have all of the animals I mentioned except for the bird.
August 19th
I knew that I just couldn't sit there having a crush on Danny, so I decided to do something about it. I called today I.D.D. (Impress Danny Day) and I dressed up real neat and pretty. I even wore my bra. But he wasn't home most of the day, so it didn't work. But tomorrow is another day. So this evening I took a real good bath and tomorrow I'll try again.
I love this early entry for the way it reflects my focus and efforts when I want something. I really was/am a positive little go-getter when I'm motivated. ;-)
August 21st
Sally and I went out to Green Valley today. I had a lot of fun. We played ball in the water and other games. Connie Hoffman was there. So was Susie Shackman and Jackie Himalys. Sally slept over tonight. She kept complaining about her poison ivy. Mom and Dad sort of made me feel queer by telling Sally all of my faults. but it was still good.
It wasn't easy being oversensitive, and having a Saggitarian mom. This must've been one of those times.
August 24th
Karen and I went to The Plaza today. She had her portrait sketched and I got a few school supplies. We were going to make brownies when we came home but she went out to her club. This afternoon I folled around and wrote a letter to Ute in Germany. Later, Dad took us down to the gas station to get air in our bike tires.
I don't remember when the Reisterstown Plaza was built but I do remember the empty field that was there first with the tall weeds that reminded me of waving wheat... I wasn't the best correspondent but I adored having pen pals. It's amazing, when I think about it, to see how easily connected everyone is worldwide today.
August 25th
Nana, Papa, Jeff, Mom and I went to Karson's Restaurant (after checking out 4 others). It was very nice, though, and the food was good. Danny, Scott and Barry were home I got back. Scott and Barry are still the same. We rode bikes and played stepball [with the pink pinky] in the evening. Bonnie called me. We had a great talk. She is swell.
I remember this particular day for some reason, and how hungry I was when we finally got into that restaurant. Waiting for food when I'm hungry has never been one of my best things. ;-)
November 22nd
This day will go down in history as one of the most tragic, horrible, despicable days ever recorded. Today, our great President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Texas while on a tour. He died at 2PM, one hour after he was shot in the head and neck. Johnson has just taken the oath of office to become our new president.
I just can't believe that President Kennedy is dead. It's not possible! He was so young! Gosh, dear diary, it just isn't fair! Why would anyone do it? Why?! Why?! Why?! Dear Diary, please say that it isn't true!!!
I remember this more vividly than perhaps any other major news event in my life because I was only 13 and the shock was traumatic. I was sitting in science class, drawing a picture of a battery, when Jenny Smith came back from the nurse's office and told us what she had just heard of the radio. We didn't believe her, but a few minutes later, the intercom came on to confirm what had happened and that Kennedy was dead. Classes were dismissed and I recall running down the hall to the library where my mother was volunteering, as she did every Friday. I was sobbing, and as she walked me out to the car, she remembers looking up at Mr. Snodderly on the front steps of Sudbrook and they both just shook their heads.
November 23rd
Today, as if sensing the tragic mood of the nation, the weather dawned cold, wet and dreary. It remained this way all through the day, as the late President Kennedy lay in repose in the East Room of the White House. Yesterday, Lee Harvey Oswald was picked up in connection with the assassination and a mounting wall of evidence shows that he might have committed the murder.
I wrote this as if I were writing for a news report. We were all glued to the TV that weekend because no one could believe what was happening.
November 24th
While I was in Sunday School this morning, it was reported that a man named Jack Rubenstien shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald. but when I got home, I heard no more about it for awhile because the procession that was carring the body of Kennedy to the Capitol was being televised. President Johnson has declared tomorrow a day of national mourning. Services will be held.
Here it is almost 50 years later and I don't know if we'll ever learn what really happened that weekend. There were major inquiries of course, but no definitive conclusions were ever released. Conspiracy theories still range from the Russians and Cubans as killers, to the Mafia. Will we ever know the truth?
Poetry
Nature's Children
Colorful canyons,
rippling lakes,
snow-peaked mountains,
God creates.
Delicate flowers,
twittering birds,
are all too majestic
to put into words.
Big fluffy clouds,
twinkling stars,
mysterious planets
like Venus and Mars.
Soft falling snow,
sprinkling rain,
pattering against
my windowpane.
All one big family,
as beauty are known;
Nature their mother,
God fathering this home.
Santa Claus
I see him in the distance
with his reindeers' pounding hooves.
I see his bright red cherry nose
as he lands on top our roofs.
He stands out like a shadow
as he bows to the chimney so low.
and his reindeer watch intently
while they stand in a perfect row.
He slides down the chimney
all filled with soot and grime,
and while he unloads his brim-filled bags,
He sings a merry rhyme.
And when he is all finished
and helped a worthy cause,
he flies away in the moonlight,
Yes, that's jolly Santa Claus.
The Eagle Flies Free
Swooping down from the sky above,
never more to roam.
He lands on a lofty perch,
and surveys his new-found home.
After long, rough days of hardships,
in an over-crowded nest,
he had won his independence,
because he fought the best.
Now he begins to build his home
using sticks and mud.
Little by little, it starts to take shape,
like a tiny springtime bud.
Many kind friends come to help him,
and together, as one, they all made
a place of which to be proud of,
and it was here that they all stayed.
Who's the Pirate
Who was the sea dog
so handsome and bold,
who robbed Spanish ships
of silver and gold?
Who sailed the great oceans
all around the earth,
and captured large galleons
and all they were worth.
Who with craftiness and cunning
fooled the people of Spain.
And the master thief
became part of his name.
Who discovered New Albany
near America's shore.
How could he possibly
want anything more?
He fought many wars
all for England's sake.
And this great man's name
was Sir Francis Drake.
A Dream Come True
Christopher Columbus was a weaver's son,
but he dreamed of ships at sea,
of splashing waves
and tossing winds,
and the bravest sailor was he.
He tried to make this dream come true,
so he went to the leaders of Spain,
to get three ships
and a few supplies,
and add glory to his name.
He planned to find a route to the Indies
that was shorter than the rest,
to save confusion and many wars,
a route that was the best.
He set sail on August 3, 1492
with his crew of men
and three small ships,
headed for the ocean blue.
He sailed and sailed for many days
without even sighting land.
The men grew restless
as days dragged on,
too tired to raise a hand.
But -- on October 12th, land was seen,
and everyone shouted with joy.
And Columbus was thankful, happy and glad
as he thought of the dreams he'd had as a boy.
Columbus named this brand new land,
San Salvador,
and claimed the land for Spain alone,
not knowing he had come to America's shore.
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