Memoir Monday, Oct 18, 1961

Finally my senior year! In most ways it was the happiest time I had in school except maybe sixth grade down a Willard in Bridgeport.  I really did not mind going to school very much. 

Oct 18, 1961 Wed

Today was a good day, I guess. I got up, dressed etc. I was a little earlier than sometimes. The bus seemed to be slow. Once in school the morning passed quickly. I worked in study hall, extraordinary for me. English and Civics were about ordinary. At noon ‘Reen and I talked about everything from horses to whores. We really do talk about everything. We don’t try to change each other’s opinions. That’s why we get along so well. The afternoon really hurried by. In Journalism I’m always busy. That’s just the way it is. Then homeward bound. Guess what, my pictures came. I am so pleased with them. For once I looked like my ‘lovely self’. I shall get vain! I rode Ruby out. She didn’t want to cross the Verde River bridge but my ‘friend billy’ made up her mind in the other direction. The chores aren’t too difficult anymore. I’ve sent off for my small photos all ready. I’m in a hurry to get them so I can give them to people. I’m so proud of them!  Wrote Dee. I’m rather tired of him but… Dad gave me 64 cents and I had only asked for a dime—see what being sweet does for you? Well, I’ll go to bed feeling happy. I need to do that now and then. 

Of course there were still chores.  Mom did the morning feeding for me sometimes, a bit more in the spring as I was heading down the final stretch and hoping to graduate with honors etc. That gave me  a little more time to dress and get ready since I did not have to jump into dirty work clothes, do the chores, and then rush to change and be ready to go catch the bus. Anyway this day I am not sure but sounds that way. 

It was a novelty to study in study hall--I often read a book, wrote letters or just fiddled around. I really did not have any 'hard' classes this year. Math and Science were always the most challenging for me but I had completed all the required ones.  I was on the way to becoming the editor for The Mingus Spirit. For now, Jean was editor--last name? draw a blank--anyway she quit and I took over before the 2nd semester I think.  At this point I was writing several articles for each issue and typing part of the stencils.

Maureen Jewell had come to Mingus the prior spring and we got to be good friends since she was into horses and cowboy stuff too. If we were both there, we almost always ate lunch together, both brown bagging. When I was at the recent reunion, I  meant to get a photo of the window ledge where we sat in decent weather but I missed that  It was on the ground floor, north west corner anyway. 

And my ordered senior pictures came. I was so used to having ghastly, ugly, awful pictures that I totally hated, so it was nearly a miracle to get some I liked enough to want to share. I could only afford about three or four 5x7 prints of my favorite pose but I sent one off to a place that would do wallet size copies--I  think they said they would not do copyrighted which most school photos were, but they did do mine! Of course the copies were to go mostly to my favorite pen pals. 

I know  I mentioned little Ruby before-she was a very petite, dainty little mule and the prettiest deep red color with a white star on her forehead.  She was good but had a few pet spooks, one of which was the bridge there at Clarkdale over the river.  I carried either a quirt or a little persuader called a "billy" which was a short length of hard wood with a leather thong wrist strap. A bump between the ears with it was very helpful in convincing a reluctant mule they did want to do something after all. Right then we did not have too many animals at the pasture out behind Tuzigoot so that set of chores was not very lengthy or hard.  

Dee was another pen pal, a kind of farm boy/cowboy who was living in Kansas at that time. He did actually come for a brief visit, maybe the next year, but he never got to be a  real favorite.  I do not even have a photo, I don't think, although he sent me one on a horse. He was a rather big stout looking guy, wide shoulders etc. 

No new pix but anyway: Here is Ruby and me looking a bit surly holding her, that old bridge--which is now kind of falling to ruin and the ends blocked by trees and junk-- and yours truly (looking sooooo young and innocent.) Well, I guess at that time I really was. I was eighteen that fall or eighteen and half,  since my birthday was in April. From  the viewpoint of 78 that is very young!!