1965
I visited K. today. We went to Angelo’s Pizza. We had some soda, went and hung around at the bowling alley and went back and had pizza. I haven't gone there for 6 months, I guess. Back in August I went there and Angelo tried to kiss me. He's asked me for a date a couple of times, too, but my stars, he's only about 5'1".
Comment 2023
He was also at least ten years older than me. So much *ew*. I avoided that place afterwards.
1979
I really hate getting 1/2 done with things. I sent out sign-up sheets for the Omicron Nu meeting to two departments in January. Terrific. So organized. Now March is almost over and I still haven’t picked them up. I committed myself to the Textile Chemists and Colorists veep position and have arranged two field trips and a panel discussion. But I haven’t reserved the meeting room or publicized the meeting. Feh.
Of course, I doing things and I used to do nothing. So I have improved. Everyday in every way…
1980
Can I not work at all? Not so. I can I just don’t want to. I also don’t feel like being anxious and guilt-ridden.
1985
It’s just a little after 8 and I’ve been up and going for 2 hours. Breakfast, lunches, exercise, getting dressed, getting Kiddo up and dressed and fed. I almost started folding the last of yesterday’s laundry , but then stopped. Here I have a few spare moments to be alone with my thoughts. Why spend them folding socks?
1993
This feels like spring! I have been prowling around, trying to find things to do but unable to settle down and do them. What I want to do most is be alone and read, but the house is full and busy. I’ll be alone more when I’m old, so might as well enjoy the rowdiness now. It was a strange weekend. Jim and I went out Friday night to see Tom Rush, which was very nice. Then Saturday morning we had a flurry of soccer games, Girl Scout meetings, etc. After that it slowed down - cookie sales were cancelled because we ran out of cookies (!) and soccer and softball practices were raised out. So had looked like a gawdawful weekend finds me home on a Sunday afternoon, looking for things to “accomplish” that don’t take any energy (since I don’t have any!)
Should I:
Write the great book? Clean the kitchen floor? Sew or mend? Iron? Tidy the office? Fill out insurance forms? Clean the porch? Plan the garden? Play the fiddle? Read a great book?
2003
Rising Phoenix (women’s retreat). Woke up with a headache. Maybe it is allergies, maybe it was the bag of malted milk balls I ate yesterday. That was a mistake, but so delicious. But I’ve taken a decongestant and taken a hot shower, which should help. I want to enjoy this day, but my head aches and I just want to nap and have the pain go away.
Later. The headache is nearly gone. As usual, getting upright was the solution. I have mad a list of all my projects and now I need to ruminate on them. One reason I love this place is that no matter where you look, or what room you are in, there is something beautiful to greet your eye. I flower, a basket, a graceful chair. Such a treat!
Later. The other retreaters will start arriving soon. It was an excellent day. Thinking, meditating, planning, crafting. The only thing I didn’t do was nap. There is still time, but I hate to go inside when it is out beautiful outside.
Later (bedtime). A lovely long soak in the hot tub, and I’m ready to sleep. All of a sudden, it feels like there are two many people here, and I am a bit worried that there may be too much structure in the schedule. We’ll see. Now for some reading and then to bed.
2003
(Same retreat; I brought TWO journals!)
I thought I would hate being alone, but it is feeling very comfortable. Of course I’m not entirely alone. The workmen are here, and Phil the cook, and Margee is in her office. But last night I was entirely alone. So I locked my bedroom door and ready until I was tired and then slept.
What am I doing here early, before the full retreat begins? Trying to find a focus for my work, at least for the next year or two. I don’t want my efforts scattered anymore. I want to get done with something. That might mean finishing things I started long ago, or abandoning them and starting something new that has a better chance of completion. Dropping things is the hard part. Or is the hard part not starting too many new things? That heaven my headache is gone. The sun on my shoulders feels amazing.
Here is my plan for today:
Meditate to music, make list of projects.
Walk the labyrinth, revisit the list
Create to music
Lunch
Nap
Meditate to music
Get ready for friends to arrive.
(Later) I am not sure it is a good sign that I started with 12 projects and only managed to eliminate two. Four pages follow, describing the ten remaining projects and their current status.
Comment 2024
Of the 10, just one turned into a published piece of writing. None of them had anything to do with the two books I published in 2012 and 2015. So much for planning.
2004
8:25 AM. Waterloo, Indiana on the westbound Capital Limited, just pulling out of the station. I’ll be arriving in Chicago in about two hours. Hopefully, it won’t be too rainy, as I could sure use a long, brisk walk. For now, I need a couple of hours toward on the encyclopedia chapter.
8:55 PM. That was one long day. We were late arriving in Chicago, and Berghoff’s was closed. So I had to settle for lunch at the Frango Cafe and a couple of hours of shopping at Marshall Fields’. (Frango mint ice cream pie!!!) I did get some writing done, which was good. More tomorrow. I am tired now. It is more like 10 PM my time and the train is rocking gently.