About the diary writer

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Kansas City, Missouri, Alexandria, Virginia, United States
~ About: A 1961-65 Park College Diary ~ As a high school girl and then a college coed in the first half of the 1960s, I wrote nightly entries on the pages of one-year diaries. In January 2010 I began transcribing the entries into a blog and gave each one a title. I grew up on three farms within 30 miles of Iowa City and the University of Iowa with its Iowa Writers' Workshop. As the oldest of four daughters, in my diaries I sometimes referred to my sisters as "the kids" or "the girls." We helped our parents, but we also had good, wholesome fun - a characteristic I took with me to Park. Park is 300 miles southwest of West Chester, Iowa, in Parkville, Missouri, on the Missouri River 10 miles northwest of Kansas City, Missouri, and across the river from Kansas City, Kansas. In 2000 Park College became Park University. Today Park's flagship campus is in Parkville and there are an additional 41 campus centers across the nation. Park was one of the first educational institutions in the United States to offer online learning. My last post was on May 22, 2018. I may be followed on Twitter @BarbaraMcDWhitt.

We Saw "Blue Hawaii" and "Shane" at Drive-In - Friday, August 24, 1962

This morning we girls went along with Grandma and Grandpa down to see Parcells. Shawn has really grown since I last saw him on New Year's Day. We even ended up staying for dinner and didn't get home till 3:00. We took some old toys and clothes down. The kids really got a charge out of them. We girls looked around a few stores with Grandma while Keith cut Grandpa's hair. Tonight we went to see "Blue Hawaii" and "Shane" at the drive-in.

Shelling Corn All Day - Thursday, August 23, 1962

Rain again. That's good because it's cooling it off, but I hope the lightning and thunder don't amount to much. I drove Virginia, Diana and Bonnie over to register this afternoon. Phyllis went along. Daddy and Bob were at Cuddebacks shelling corn all day so we didn't have to get dinner. My blouse is coming along. I mowed grass. It went two weeks again this time.

A Bad Thunderstorm Last Night - Wednesday, August 22, 1962

We had a bad thunderstorm last night. It cracked around so close that Phyllis and I went downstairs for the rest of the night. Phyllis and Virginia went swimming this afternoon. I had a few things I wanted to get so Ann and I shopped and helped Mom do the wash. I got some more bottles for my soil samples, a red scarf for my gray suit, a card and handkerchief for Mrs. Cowan, stationery on sale at the bookstore, and brown braid for my suit jacket. I trimmed it except for the sleeves (have to do them yet) and it really sets it off.

Mom and Dad's 21st Anniversary - Tuesday, August 21, 1962

This was Mom and Dad's 21st wedding anniversary on the 21st. To celebrate we went down to Cuddebacks' pond for a picnic lunch and to fish. We didn't get a single fish. We hardly got a bite. We took Andy along and he had a big time eating all the chicken bones and running through the edge of the pond chasing dragonflies. Virginia is up at Mary's tonight. They went swimming with Oneita at the Y. Cuddebacks took Ann along when they went to register for school this morning. I sewed some and am reading The Long Winter.

"Little House" Names for Our Homes - Monday, August 20, 1962

I finished reading Song of Years. I didn't get much else accomplished for the day except to start on my blouse. Mom suggested we could call the three places we have lived "Little House in the Big Woods," "On the Banks of Crooked Creek," "Little House on the Prairie," and the place we're going to live, "Little Town on the Prairie." It was hot again today, or more so, tonight.

We Went to Look at What Will Be a Nice House - Sunday, August 19, 1962

This afternoon we went up to look at the house. It will be real nice. They'll probably move in before the first of October. This was one of the hottest days of the summer. Typical for August I guess, but this has been such a cool summer it seemed really bad. Well, two weeks left. Not enough time to do anything more than the things I should have been doing all summer. A faster one I've never seen, but of course I always say that.

Mom, Phyllis Saw a House in West Chester - Saturday, August 18, 1962

This afternoon Mom and Phyllis went up to the lumber yard to ask Gerald DeLong about renting their house in West Chester. He said "Sure," and took them over to see it. It's a nice house. He said he's sort of particular about who he rents it to but would be glad for us to. So I guess we'll be leaving this house before too much longer. I won't come home to it. It seems as if a lot of parents move while kids are in college. I sewed most of my jacket and cut out the blouse. Mom's article for Arithmetic Teacher was accepted for publication in the November or December issue. She and Daddy are at the drive-in tonight.