June 14

Oh, I need exercise. And less beer. Much less beer.

1965

I got about a 96 in the biology exam!

2004

Morning in western Nebraska, or NE Colorado. Impossible to tell. Undulating green-brown landscape, enormous, cloud dotted sky. We sat in the middle of Nebraska, 40 minutes east of Hastings, for quite a while early this morning. So my guess is that we are running late.

7:40 we just left Fort Morgan, nearly two hours late. No huge deal, since I am not making a connection. I believe the road out the window is the one we used to take to Loveland. I know we would stop in Fort Morgan to eat our sandwiches and play on a playground.

2016

Meeting Elizabeth Sweet last night was so great. Good conversation, good company. She is doing such tremendously important work.

As usual, my head has gone from empty to buzzing with ideas with one mug of coffee and an hour of being awake. There is this: a historian knowing what babies and children got for presents (birthday, holiday) depends on someone (probably Mom) making list, often in the child’s baby book. Why the list? Not just for posterity, but so she could write the requisite thank you notes. I miss getting mail - - real mail - - so much.

Sherri Turkle was right about conversation in many ways. We need it. But it can take many forms. Her preference for face-to-face, oral conversation strikes me as ableist and presentist. Texts, blog comments within a community, and yes, emails can be conversations. What make s a conversation is not the mode, but the intent and the process. As a veteran discussion leader, I can attest to the lack of conversation that happens when one or more parties is thinking of their response instead of listening, or trying to make themselves important by putting people down, or derailing the conversation in some way. The things that make texting conversations “bad” are different, but don’t take them worse than bad FTF conversations. What makes a good conversation?

Attention

Listening, even to your self (a kind of meta-listening; “did I really say that”?)

Interest or concern

Interaction

-support

-good questions

-respectful disagreement

I think I am very good at conversations in many formats. I am not good at arguing.

Oh, I need exercise. And less beer. Much less beer. Why is it so hard to stop at one? I need to at least choose lower ABV beers. I had a lovely gose from Union last night.

2019

Two more days to prepare for the auction event. Yesterday we went to Great Shoals cider and sampled six varieties along with some cheeses and dried fruit. Let me just say the romano was a strong no with all the varieties for me! The manchego, on the other hand, and the smoked gouda, were both delicious. We ended up getting a ginger apple and a crab apple, two bottles of each. Now I just need to decide on a seafood course. My idea was to have three courses, with taste of two beverages each. Cheese and fruit with cider and Pilsner. Seafood with Pilsner and a sour. rhubarb pie with cider and a sour. I'm thinking linguine with clam sauce and shrimp scampi for the seafood course if I can get over my fear of cooking with clams!!

I'm also meeting with Alicia at HIAS today for our first session. I am feeling my way through this, never having taught English one on one. But I think she is motivated enough to let me know what she wants. She's already indicated that she wants more English from me, and less Spanish. So I will use Spanish only if something really needs clarification.

As to the writing, I am realizing I need to go back and look at kids clothes (girls) for the age ranges in chapter 2. Really look, not just download. Did infant styles change at all? And not looking at just 1949 to 1950, but probably until 1955-ish, or until they change. I am reasoning early in the chapter that there is a "crisis of femininity" just like the one for boys in the early 20th century.

Beyond that, what's on my mind? I had a dream about Kiddo 1 last night. She was being called to the ministry and I was encouraging her. In the last week both Kiddos 1 and 2 to have posted thoughtful, eloquent things on Facebook that just made me so proud of them. They can write so well! Better than I can, by far. Why aren’t they using that talent? Here I am struggling with finding the proper authoritative voice after over 40 years as a writer! And I still have never felt entirely like one.

The neighbor across the street is sweeping his stoop and picking up wind blown branches and sticks. Since it is going to be windy all day, I wonder why he bothers! But it seems to be his morning routine. Bless his heart!

Comment 2023

Wow, that was a big jump, from 1965 to 2004. I guess I was usually too busy celebrating Flag Day to write in my diary.

And we just got this from the management: