The Iowa Old Capitol Building - Friday, July 7, 1961

I went with Mom to the Old Capitol Building this morning to turn in her thesis at the graduate office. I saw the pretty white and brown spiral staircase that starts in the basement and goes to the dome. We kidsshopped while Mom went to the library. I had a banana split at Woolworth's; then found out you could break a balloon and pay from 1 cent to 39 cents. I got 36 cents. I started sewing my white terry cloth housecoat. Phyllis took me for a ride on Duke. They are putting an addition on the culvert and filling in the ditch in the field below the barnlot.    

Thesis Reminds Me of Criminology Paper - Thursday, July 6, 1961

I just sighed a much needed sigh of relief. How long ago I should have sighed it, I don't know. We have the thesis all typed except for the table of contents and the list of tables. Every time I work on it I think of all the time I spent on my criminology paper that we didn't get to keep. I got a letter from Helen Birkey and the picture (colored) that her sister took of us on Class Night. It's very good. Phyl had band practice so I did chores without her. It's funny how yesterday was a rainy day entirely between two bright ones.

The Strangest Cloud Way Up in the Sky - Wednesday, July 5, 1961

It rained gently all day today. I don't know when that's happened in years. I spent the day typing Mom's thesis. We should get it finished tomorrow. I just hope I haven't made any mistakes. It's good experience though and real easy with the new typewriter. By the way, Sunday after we left Cuddebacks, when they were on their way to the other farm they saw the strangest cloud way up in the sky that they stopped to look at. It was pretty little when they first saw it. Then it completely disappeared. And came back and got bigger, changed shape, etc. Marion said it was almost dome shaped with vaporish clouds below - right at the last.  

The Biggest Fish Any of Us Have Seen - Tuesday, July 4, 1961

Phyllis about caught the biggest fish any of us have ever seen down at Lake Darling this morning. It bent her pole over double before it got away with the line, hook, sinker, and bobber. Then she had it again (she saw the bubbles) but it bit the hook off. Boy, it was a big one, probably 20 pounds easily. We saw a deer while eating our picnic. We went out to grandma's tonight for  homemade ice cream. I tripped over the black pup while we were out in the yard. He ran howling - I dived along but finally caught myself. We had some sparklers here at home to celebrate. A Glorious 4th!

Ernest Hemingway "Killed Himself" with a Gun - Monday, July 3, 1961

Mom and I had appointments at the eye doctor's this afternoon. I'm going to get a second pair of glasses (real different light blue ones) so I'll have two for college. Mom is going to get a different pair and have another pair to read with. She bought me a dark beige two-piece suit-like dress that will be real nice for fall. I looked at rain coats. I better start sewing on my housecoat. Phyllis got $186 back from the $40 she invested several years ago in pigs. Ernest Hemmingway, the Nobel-prize winning novelist, "killed himself" with a gun.

Playing Softball All Afternoon - Sunday, July 2, 1961

This  afternoon we went down to Cuddebacks. We played softball all afternoon. John Combs was there and Jane Greiner was there a while. John, Phyllis, Ann and I beat the others. The Wolfs from Minnesota are out at Grandpa's. Rikki, Sonja, and Sheri went home after spending most of the past month out at Grandma's. I typed on the thesis till I goofed and typed "of of". It was mendable though so I didn't have to re-do the page. 

Writing by Candlelight - Saturday, July 1, 1961

We're presently without electricity and I'm writing by candlelight. We're having a little more rain and we had another 0.1 this morning. The  kids and I went swimming this afternoon. I enjoy it, but I'm going to have to learn how a lot better plus how to dive before I graduate from Park, I'm afraid. I have Chapter II (the one I started on) of Mom's thesis typed, and now I'm on Chapter III. Phyllis went to Riverside
with the band this morning.