We Went with Some in Youth Fellowship to Lake Darling - Sunday, May 16, 1965

We girls went with some of the others in youth fellowship to Lake Darling this evening. Phyllis, Sharon and I had been invited as "alumni." We had a lot of fun more or less just "goofing off." Even Rev. Peters was clowning around. We had a "sea" burial for a little dead mouse we found. David Johnson taught me how to skip stones on the water. There were some Parsons kids there - I thought there would be. Mom hasn't been feeling very well this weekend. She has felt tired for about two weeks now.

Virginia Looked Nice Tonight Ready to go to the Prom - Saturday, May 15, 1965

Phyllis and I spent the afternoon working out at Grandma and Grandpa's. She harrowed while I mowed grass. It rained once but just a drop - then at 4:30 a sudden rain came up and we quit for the day. I found three nice mushrooms in the corner by the little cherry tree - just when I was cautiously thinking about and on the lookout for snakes. And this morning as I was thinking about the thicker seeming Avon creme rinse - I was washing my hair - Mrs. Hahn, the Avon lady, rang the doorbell. Virginia looked so nice tonight. She went to the prom with Ron.

Went with Grandma to Grace Hill Mother-Daughter Dessert - Friday, May 14, 1965

Phyllis and I went with Grandma to the Grace Hill mother-daughter dessert tonight. Betty and Ben came home for the weekend and she was there tonight. We went to town this morning. I did two loads of dry cleaning while Phyl went to the eye doctor's. She went again at 1:30 and was there for the rest of the afternoon having her eyes measured for contact lenses. I read Writer's magazines at the library. I think I'll try writing magazine fiction. We got home just in time for me to get three business type letters off before the post office closed.

Class Rank at Park was 48th Out of 120 - Thursday, May 13, 1965

I wrote a two page business letter to the executive secretary of Quill and Scroll in Iowa City explaining why I thought the post high school accomplishments of West Chester graduates (notably Tom Bauer and Brad Kiesey, plus what Phyl and I have done) should make a good feature article. I took the dog walking this afternoon on the back road until the chain handle broke. He also managed to scratch my leg with the chain. I mowed some grass this evening. My class rank at Park was 48th out of 120 - not so good - but the Military Degree Completion Program students have pretty high averages.

Folks' Graduation Present will be a Clock-Radio - Wednesday, May 12, 1965

Phyllis and I went to town this afternoon after watching out 1:00 and 1:30 TV shows that we've become addicted to - Flame in the Wind and Day in Court. She had to renew her driver's license. I looked at clock-radios at Payne's. That's what the folks are going to give me for a graduation present. This evening I read The New Art of Living (sequel to the original This Week magazine's The Art of Living that Mom got for each of us). I got that, The Grapes of Wrath and Thoreau's Walden at the library. This morning Phyl went with me out the back road and through a field to take some colored pictures.

Marching in for a Concert Showcased New Band Uniforms - Tuesday, May 11, 1965

We took Grandma and Grandpa with us to the band concert which was presented in appreciation for the new band uniforms. Mom and Dad were on the committee which got the fundraising for them organized last winter. Daddy made a presentation speech for them. They marched in first, then "shed" their hats, overlays and spats for the concert - really sharp. I finished reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - it would make a good movie. I really liked it. It "stole my heart" in places.

Reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Thinking of Seth - Monday, May 10, 1965

I spent most of today reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. When I read that I can't help thinking about Seth and wondering how he will turn out. In a way I'd like to write to him, but I just don't think I should do anything to encourage him. I'd like to write a book myself. I've been toying with the idea of Krap Egelloc (Park College spelled backward) but I can't decide on an approach. Jean Burright's behind me on the title, and Tom Strauss thinks it would be fine - if it contained "a lot of sex." I wonder if I could get away with something along that line - I want to do it for certain reasons in connection with Park.

Philosophical About Experiences as They Have Happened - Sunday, May 9, 1965

Sometimes I just become philosophical about my experiences as they've happened so far. I can't believe that summer has come again so soon. I remember all my long, thoughtful bike rides last summer, and I'm looking forward to more of the same. I think how fast my four years of college went. The free will philosophical question, and an answer, "could have acted otherwise" gets to me when I puzzle over why I wasn't more outgoing - my nervousness and a certain kind of self-consciousness still bother me. But I have changed a lot, too, for the better. We had a family dinner at Cuddebacks. I gave Mom a pair of "surfer" knee knocker pants for Mother's Day. We gave her a yellow rose corsage.