Memoir Monday, March 22, 1961

 March 22, 1961  Thursday

It started out to be a perfectly lovely day so I wore my peasant blouse and a full skirt. School went by quickly. I gave my book report in English and got a ‘one’ on it (as I expected) (Dig my conceit.) I didn’t feel so hot this afternoon. Maybe I am getting this flu. I played volleyball without much interest. Maureen and I rode the Bluebird down as usual. I got letters from Wayne, Shane, Jerry and Judy G. Wayne’s was on the bottom but I knew it would be there. My cards told me last night. Out to the pasture as usual but tonight I rode Stella home. I was really feeling kind of sick by then. Dad and I had a little set-to about catching Chip which did not help me much. I did the chores, came in, and played cards with Charlie Mike. Dad and I got our little argument settled. Wayne says he might come down muy pronto. I hope he will but I am afraid too. Oh well, he ain’t here yet. I kind of laid around all evening and didn’t study a bit. See ya tomorrow, “Doll”

Back in school for the spring term of my junior year. I was still not totally happy with it but in a way found myself between a rock and a hard place. It was either work very much full time as I had done most of the previous year or go to school--and still have quite a bit of work to do also.  I did know I would need that diploma to ever do anything with my life except fall into an ultimately miserable marriage to one of those "young and restless" guys I flirted with. That was fire from frying pan, I  knew. 

I'm trying to remember what peasant blouse that was. I loved the style and eventually made a number of them but I do not think I had yet gotten the pattern from a penpal friend in California. So I am drawing a blank--I don't remember ever getting one as a gift or buying one. It wasn't the sort of style Grandma Witt would have made. Full skirts she did make, often pleated and sometimes gathered. At that stage I loved full skirts and really did not like narrow or straight ones. I had my own ideas of style and what was 'cool' to me. And by this point, I had made several tiered full skirts--the 'squaw skirt' style--before that term became politically incorrect.  I guess we'll call them square dance style instead. Three tiers, and usually lots of ric rac or trim to add some flash. 

Pen pals were my main substitute for social life.  At that time Wayne, the Washington state rodeo cowboy, was my favorite of the several guys I was writing. "Doll" was his nickname for me which I thought was neat. Jerry was a neighbor of my grandparents in Kentucky and we corresponded for a bit. Shane was a bit older and had epilepsy or muscular dystrophy or something, basically disabled but a huge fan of 'fast draw' and western stuff.  I had several friends named Judy over the years--not sure who Judy G was. It was Judy C from whom I got the peasant blouse pattern. 

I played at fortune telling with a deck of playing cards and cannot now remember the pattern that would indicate yes or no etc. Was it colors, suits or specific cards?  So long ago--memory is hazy! Anyway I had an evening ritual of asking a few questions and 'predicting' what would happen. Probably it was wrong as often as right!

Disagreements with my dad were common. He was always on my case about how I was doing some of the chores and working with various horses and mules. He'd bawl me out; I'd get mad and sulky and do what I was ordered to but with ill grace. I was not always convinced his way was the best or right one! At that point I would usually apologize or make nice later though. After a few more months and years, that got much harder to do and did not always happen. He was not an easy boss to work for. 

A few photos; First is me holding two of the mules, Mindy on my rightr and Annie on my left. roughly the same time as this entry, Second is a shot from a play put on at Mingus--either '61 or '62. Anita Schwartz with Bennie Lovell and Jon Sollenberger. Third is Judy C (Couch) with a horse she was taking care of. And four, a couple of years later but shows a two piece outfit I had made with a peasant blouse and tiered skirt. This style was a big favorite of mine.