April 5

April, 1973 was a wowser.

1965

What a lousy day! We had a Geometry test and, well, it was a spot quiz (2 questions). I got a 0. I was in a lousy mood all day. I still can't seem to get out of it.

Mrs. O called up tonight. She said there's a camp weekend at Maria Pratt and we couldn't go to it before. But today there was an announcement that since there were no snow days, our vacation was being extended.

Comment 2006

 After transcribing all these entries that include snow storms, it is amazing to recall that we had no snow days in our small Western Connecticut town that winter. If we had the same winter in the Maryland suburb where I live now, we'd be doing make-up days until the end of June.

But that's winter in the north country, children. So your momma wasn't exaggerating; I really did walk a mile to school in the snow, uphill (but only in the morning).

Commenter 2006:

You made me laugh with the last line of your comment! I took my daughter to the city in upstate PA where I grew up and we drove from my house to my high school to prove that it was in fact over a mile and a very steep hill - and no snow days either!

Have enjoyed your diary posts. I didn't have the patience to ever keep one.

1973

I want to go to Colorado! It would be so sweet to drive out the last two weeks of May…or late May and early June. Four days out, 6 days there, four days back. If Aunt Grace still has her condominium. Have to ask…my flight schedule so far:

4/12 Hartford 11:05 a.m. to Chicago 12:20 pm

4/14 Chicago 12:40 pm to Omaha 1:59 pm

4/16 Omaha 12:50 pm to Denver 1:08 pm

    Denver 2:05 pm to Sacramento 3:17 pm

4/20 Sacramento 1:15 pm to Denver to Hartford 10:37 pm

Must get a camera!

Comment 2023 

April, 1973 was a wowser. My mother decided to visit her parents in California for the first time since 1953, and take me along. It was the first time I’d ever flown, and the longest I had been away from Jim since we were married in 1970. All those stops along the way were short visits with two of her sisters - Grace in Chicago and Carol in Omaha. I had met them at various times, but not recently. In Sacramento I was to see my grandparents for the first time since I was four years old, and three more of my aunts, two for the first time since I was a baby. Mom was one of eight children, all still living in 1973. 

1980

Time marches on, passengers in tow. Yesterday Dr. Smith announced my selection to get the new faculty position. I feel really good about it…almost immediately I felt like “me” again. Still, I am going to get counseling as soon as I can, to try to get over my writer’s block. It is important that I see myself as competent again! Jim acted hurt and frightened when I told him of my decision. He said he was afraid I would change. I get it. No one wants to be alone.

1982

I have been very busy (good for me!). I finished and mailed off the encyclopedia article. The content analysis article has been proofread and can be mailed today. So that’s two. I am about to switch the “dude” article to focus on men’s clothing. We had a nice weekend. Saturday we went to Georgetown and walked around and went to a movie; later D and W came over and watched the last episode of “Brideshead Revisited”. 

1984

This is not the time to have another child. The soonest we could seriously consider it would be 1986; the latest would be 1988. I will be up for tenure in 1986/87. I must be crazy.

 1992

Baseball season opens tomorrow. Spring is finally creeping up on us. Today I devised a new chore system which worked so far. I remains to be seen if it lasts longer than that. But everything got done and not by me. Kiddo 2, especially, seemed to enjoy it.

1998

One problem I do not have is discerning a sense of personal style in clothing. I believe I have always had it. Comfortable fabrics, personal touches, certain shapes of blue, cranberry, and that gold . (Love that gold.)

Comment 2023 

WHAT IS THIS “GOLD” ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, WOMAN?

Seriously, I own nothing in any shade of gold and I can’t remember what I was talking about.

2003

My poster session went well. It was lightly attended, but I was talking and interacting the whole time. Which was exciting. I have an idea for where to submit the “questions” article. All in all, I feel very energized.

The worst experience I had in grad school was an advanced textile science course which assumed not only knowledge of textile chemistry but also calculus. My highest math course had been Algebra II, taken in high school thirteen years before. For the first exam, I asked the teacher if I should memorize any math formulas or it they would be provided. He said not to bother memorizing. When I saw the exam, I immediately saw a question that required a certain (unmemorized) formula and there was no “formula sheet” in sight. When I haded in my exam, I said to the professor, “I though you said we wouldn’t need to memorzie formulas.” He looked surprised and said. “Well, you should be able to derive them.” 

2007 Still in Boston

Many potentially useful books at the book fair - for me, not my students!! Is American Studies now a subset of cultural studies, or is it still interdisciplinary? Who can I safely ask? I don’t feel like learning a new language, especially not one that on one outside my field understands. 

Hooray for Filene’s Basement. I am deeply enjoying my new cashmere sweater and Missoni scarf.

2024

I dangled a movie day to myself as a reward for getting enough work done this week, and now it’s Friday. Not gonna happen. Luckily, I saw “Devdas” with friends last night, which should hold me.