January 17

A slice of time reveals unfinished projects.

1965

After church I had to sell calendars for $1 on the church steps. One lady wanted to buy one, but couldn't. Another finally found her money, so I only sold one. We didn't get to go ice skating, even though it is zero now (10:00 PM) and we had a blizzard yesterday. The ice is too rough. I hope they call school but they won't, I know. I remember last year a blizzard, almost 2 feet of snow and Dr. R made us go to school.

Comment 2023

Ah, Dr. R, the school superintendent. New Milford was a small town, just over 20,000 inhabitants, and our high school was correspondingly small. But nearly all of the 600 or so students in the school knew who Dr. R was and hated his guts. The reason not all of us hated him was that one of us was his son. L was a year behind me, and we eventually became friends, as he attended the same university and decades later also ended up in the DC area, living not far from me. But in 1965 L was the object of pity, along with the three students whose parents taught at the high school. (My dad had taught Spanish for a couple of years when I was just a tot, and I was forever grateful that he had gone back to his newspaper career before I even started kindergarten.) My Spanish teacher had two sons at the high school and they were both taking Spanish (WHY???) and my Geometry teacher had a daughter, but at least those two teachers were well-liked. L’s dad was also likable, I assume, but his refusal to liberally declare snow days made him an object of scorn and his son a pariah.

1984

The break is almost over. A week from now it’s back in the drink!

I only have two work days this week, and need them to prepare for classes. If I start out behind this semester, I’ll really stay behind.

I feel “done” with sex role research. I shouldn’t just stop, though, if only to keep my interest up while working on the book. BOOK? Oh, that thing I was “working on” last summer. Very funny

Comment 2024

I honestly do not remember what book that was. It is interesting that I was still using the term “sex role” and not “gender” yet. As it happens, this tidbit of information will be useful in my current book project, which is about - - wait for it - - GENDER!

1985

Jim likes the house, too! We are going to offer $85,000, with $10,000 down. It isn’t as big as I thought it was. Memoranda wishful thinking expanded it. Still, the rooms aren’t bad, and the closet space is excellent for a house that old. Even with prices as they are, and crazy interest rates, too, this could be out best chance.

Comment 2024

It was a fixer-upper that needed a new roof, foundation repair, and (a week after we moved in) a new furnace. Thirty-year old metal (and drafty) casement windows, no air conditioning, and a wet basement. The 30-year fixed rate in January 1985 was between 12 and 13%. We ended up getting a lower rate (and higher anxiety) with a five-year balloon mortgage. We sold it for $490,000 in March 2020 (pre-pandemic boom). The current estimate is over $600,000.

1987

What a day! I finally got the downstairs hall closet cleaned and organized, after nearly two years in this house.

Comment 2024

But it didn’t stay that way.

2003

I make revising my courses around research sound so easy, but it isn’t. I am losing the forest for the trees. Am I once more creating a grading monster? I will take another look tomorrow.

My feet are blocks of ice. Even with a pair of fleece socks and my fleece booties, my toes or chilled to the bone. On the plus side, Suzy is keeping my lap warm while she snores contentedly. Poor old thing is clearly feeling the cold. It’s been a hard winter for elderly short-haired dogs.

2023

Somewhere between waking and sleeping, I wondered why I am trying to combine memoir and dress history. And then I wondered how honest to be in the memoir part. Why not keep some secrets? I don’t need to be an open book. I especially don’t need to share pain or trauma explicitly. Isn’t that what poetry is for?

Comment 2024

And then I gave up on that project altogether. For now, at least. Yes, I have two unfinished projects about gender now. Works in progress? We’ll see.

Comment 2025

Make that three.