(1949 November 16)
[Postcard to Skip who was taking Freshman French:] Je pense que votre chien est enceinte. [He got it just before class, and anxious to know what was wrong with his dog, he asked his teacher to translate enceinte and was mortified when the old lady snapped "pregnant."]
August 7, 2009
August 6, 2009
Varnished in
(1949 October 10)
Goodnight, Sweet Prince - I shall now go up to bed and varnish myself in and hope that Mary M doesn't have to paddle down the hall in the middle of the night and that all will be dry by morning so we can rise. If not, a perfect excuse for not attending services. If we get out and go to church, I will mail this letter tomorrow and if you do not get it, that is a sign we are still varnished in.
Goodnight, Sweet Prince - I shall now go up to bed and varnish myself in and hope that Mary M doesn't have to paddle down the hall in the middle of the night and that all will be dry by morning so we can rise. If not, a perfect excuse for not attending services. If we get out and go to church, I will mail this letter tomorrow and if you do not get it, that is a sign we are still varnished in.
August 5, 2009
Cleaning the study
(1949 October 7)
I am so tired I can hardly hold a pen. Now I am housecleaning Daddy's study and hope all goes well so I can get it back together before he gets home [from California]. I can hardly push the stuff back far enough to get a square yard to varnish. Then I wait a day for that to dry and thus I continue. -- Yaas - now that I have got the three worst offenders out of the house, I am trying to restore the poor thing.
This morning finished varnishing the study except way under the safe. It seemed too terribly heavy to move because I was tired. I know it has casters and really isn't and feel guilty. Mary M unloaded the oak bookcase you made, and I cleaned and put all back, though I fear not in identical spots.
I know just how it will be: Daddy will come home and glance in and see the shiny floor and all in order and his heart will sink. But he will have guessed how hard I worked and so he will kiss me and say how wonderful it looks. Then when the welcome is over, he will sit down and dig in. Then things will start to fly and thump and that will be a good time for me to rake leaves, if daylight, or take a bath, if evening. But then it will be clean - after all, once every 3 years when he goes to his church convention.
I am so tired I can hardly hold a pen. Now I am housecleaning Daddy's study and hope all goes well so I can get it back together before he gets home [from California]. I can hardly push the stuff back far enough to get a square yard to varnish. Then I wait a day for that to dry and thus I continue. -- Yaas - now that I have got the three worst offenders out of the house, I am trying to restore the poor thing.
This morning finished varnishing the study except way under the safe. It seemed too terribly heavy to move because I was tired. I know it has casters and really isn't and feel guilty. Mary M unloaded the oak bookcase you made, and I cleaned and put all back, though I fear not in identical spots.
I know just how it will be: Daddy will come home and glance in and see the shiny floor and all in order and his heart will sink. But he will have guessed how hard I worked and so he will kiss me and say how wonderful it looks. Then when the welcome is over, he will sit down and dig in. Then things will start to fly and thump and that will be a good time for me to rake leaves, if daylight, or take a bath, if evening. But then it will be clean - after all, once every 3 years when he goes to his church convention.
August 4, 2009
Outing
(1949 October 7)
Tonight I went to Woman's Club program in a cab, the first I took since Daddy left [for church convention in California] - pretty good for us. Heard Mineral Point artists and saw their pictures. Mrs. F had puppets she made to put on St. George and the Dragon, and she decorates bowls etc. Mr. F had pictures he painted (and will sell). They bought an old rock house and restored it. Then I saw many old friends I hadn't seen in years. One does feel stuck in the woods once in a while.
Tonight I went to Woman's Club program in a cab, the first I took since Daddy left [for church convention in California] - pretty good for us. Heard Mineral Point artists and saw their pictures. Mrs. F had puppets she made to put on St. George and the Dragon, and she decorates bowls etc. Mr. F had pictures he painted (and will sell). They bought an old rock house and restored it. Then I saw many old friends I hadn't seen in years. One does feel stuck in the woods once in a while.
August 3, 2009
Fried eggs
(1949 October 7)
[The new mother's helper] is by far the nicest girl I've ever had.... She fried the eggs last night while I took a bath and Mary Margaret came up and said, "How do you want your eggs, Mother? S'all we turn 'em over or s'all we let 'em lay?" This with the cutest gestures you ever saw.
[The new mother's helper] is by far the nicest girl I've ever had.... She fried the eggs last night while I took a bath and Mary Margaret came up and said, "How do you want your eggs, Mother? S'all we turn 'em over or s'all we let 'em lay?" This with the cutest gestures you ever saw.
August 2, 2009
Cosmic humor
(1949 October 4)
Today on hike:
Me: "Look at the moon, girls."
Diane: "Hey - what's the moon doing in the sky when the sun is out?"
Mary Margaret <4> (sighing as if the universe is too much for her): "Oh, God's a funny guy."
Today on hike:
Me: "Look at the moon, girls."
Diane: "Hey - what's the moon doing in the sky when the sun is out?"
Mary Margaret <4> (sighing as if the universe is too much for her): "Oh, God's a funny guy."
August 1, 2009
Sandman
(1949 late September)
Saturday morning a young fellow, Al something, from Coast to Coast, brought this guy Woody out with the sander. Vica [our German shepherd] was in the house and didn't see the car come nor see them get out until they were at the door, when I thought (and they were sure) she would tear them apart. So I put her in the basement. Old Woody: "No sir. I want to be apart from the dog, as I can see he don't like me" (quaint). They were both green they were so scared. Well as things went on we discovered the dining-room plug didn't work and an extension was needed. I told Al to go look in the basement. He yanked open the cellar door and there sat Vica looking right up at him. He acted just like a scared guy in a movie. His knees shook and he clutched the door and said in a sinking voice, "Ooo man!" - almost a prayer. I wanted to laugh in his face but called Vica and sat down on a kitchen chair and she put her paws on my shoulders and kissed me, and if I had been trifling with one wild black panther they could not have been much more impressed!
Saturday morning a young fellow, Al something, from Coast to Coast, brought this guy Woody out with the sander. Vica [our German shepherd] was in the house and didn't see the car come nor see them get out until they were at the door, when I thought (and they were sure) she would tear them apart. So I put her in the basement. Old Woody: "No sir. I want to be apart from the dog, as I can see he don't like me" (quaint). They were both green they were so scared. Well as things went on we discovered the dining-room plug didn't work and an extension was needed. I told Al to go look in the basement. He yanked open the cellar door and there sat Vica looking right up at him. He acted just like a scared guy in a movie. His knees shook and he clutched the door and said in a sinking voice, "Ooo man!" - almost a prayer. I wanted to laugh in his face but called Vica and sat down on a kitchen chair and she put her paws on my shoulders and kissed me, and if I had been trifling with one wild black panther they could not have been much more impressed!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)