Memoir Monday: June 21, 1960

June 21, 1960 Tuesday 

I guess today was a pretty good day even though everything wasn’t quite like I had planned it. We didn’t ride but got a load of hay instead. Bob Smith had lopped off his bush-puss and looked years younger. That Kerley sure is ugly. Reckon “Moose” will look like that in about twenty five years. Didn’t do much in the afternoon. Hurriedly finished the chores and got all dolled up. Mrs Blahnik took a picture of all of us (Arlene, Judy, Eve, Ron and me) The dinner was pretty good but mom cooks better. We listened to records and some danced too. They had Arlene’s party at the Assemby of God church. Arlene was really surprised. It was fun. We played a bunch of kid games and stuff. Ron chose me second (after Judy) to be on his team (ahead of Venita Crick who’s supposed to be batty about him) He brought me home alone and we talked real friendly. He said he wanted to see me again before he leaves but he talks like that to all the girls. Anyway the way he kept looking at me up at Arlene’s makes me wonder. Of course he was with her tonight but there are other nights. Before he leaves I want him to kiss me. Not so much because I like him; I don’t but I don’t want to be unkissed sweet seventeen any longer. He guessed I was sixteen. “No,” I said. “Fifteen?” “Gads! Seventeen. I’m insulted.” Well I guess that about takes care of tonight. Oh yes, guess who was announcing over at the ball game? My new big blon’ baby. He didn’t see me, worse luck. I’d loved to go riding around but not with John Paget, D.F. Frisbee and David Eggers. If Arlene had to be with Ronnie, I’d just stay home. Which I am. Big deal. Adios, Gaye PS Arlene liked her present. Tomorrow I’ve got to return Eve’s lipstick and she’s got to give back my ring. I had fun today. I wouldn’t want to go to a party every day but once in awhile they are cool. 

It was the summer before I went back to school after the "Mule Year" and I was sneaking into a teenage rebellion phase about now. Lots of wishes and big dreams and such, few to none of which were going to come true. I wish I had some more photos of this time but I did not have a camera yet and of course Dad and his cameras were not following me around. (Thank all the Powers for that!!) I felt pretty grown up at seventeen since I had been doing an adult's work and level of respoonsibililty for close to a year but as far as my personal life went, I really felt I was held to about a twelve year old level. And that was not far from the truth. It was a **rare** event to go to a party and be out for an evening with the local lower Clarkdale gang, most of whom were younger than me and had fewer restrictions on their social lives.

 Ah so. Kerley--he had a farm down between Cottonwood and Bridgeport--which were not in effect all one town at that time--and we often got hay from him. We were feeding a bunch of horses and mules by then and ran through hay like crazy. I think Bob Smith worked there; no one I was particulary impressed with."Moose" was the nickname of Marvin Kallsen. I had been in school with him at Willard for two years and he was my first serious crush at the age of eleven or so. When he was about 13 he was "cute" but grew into a big galloot and no longer 'cute' at least to me by high school senior age! 

Judy Davis and her family lived kind of undeneath where the middle school once stood, up the canyon from where it ran behind lower Clarkdale. Ron was Judy's older brother who was home on leave from the Navy--which meant he was probably 19 or 20, a cool age to teens like me. Arlene and Evelyn, then Blahnik and Graves but later Sandoval and Morales, lived a block up from me and were my two besties at that point altough they were 2 and 3 years younger. This was about a year before they began going with the guys they married, Robert and Albert. I think Evelyn already had an eye on Albert but Arlene was kind of playing the field. As for me, well my usual crushes on rodeo and TV stars and shopping around for that kewl cowboy who never quite appeared. I really was not into the guys at school. 

Sadly Arlene passed away this past January due to Covid and peuemonia. That was so sad to me. I am still in touch with Evelyn, at least sporadically, and I have no idea where the Davises ever ended up. Moose passed away in New Mexico about 2004. He was living and working in Albuquerque at the time and left a widow and some kids and grands. His dad had heart issues and died very young and I guess Marvin was similar, just early 60s. 

Here are Arlene, Judy and Evelyn from the yearbook photos and the three Clarkdale "mesquiteers" at a reunion in 2013, I think. We had not changed all that much and the old friendship was still strong!