Memoir Monday, May 16. 1960

 Another little peek into the lost year between the two blocks of my high school. I am sure the chores got done but I did not mention that here.

May 16, 1960

It was a pretty day except that it got windy.  Dad and Mom went to Prescott and I held the fort here. I fixed up a yellow blouse with rickrack to match my squaw skirt and made a little kerchief. I did the dishes, made PB cookies etc. Went square dancing again. The Steeles, Pecks and Jacksons were there. Dr Bates came too and was my partner. I’ve already decided not to go anymore. There isn’t anyone my age there and all. There are just no decent young people here and there is nothing at all to do. I get so lonesome and discouraged that I just don’t know what to do. How I’ll ever endure two more years of high school here I don’t know. I look up at Chuck Connors picture and he just stares down with somber eyes and says nothing. Beau, Curly, Deuce, Reb and Breed don’t help me either. Oh yes, Mom and Dad brought me home a watch. She got it with trading stamps and I am tickled to death with it. I never expected to get a watch of my own. Maybe all isn’t darkness but I sure can’t see the light. Maybe somewhere there is a light that never fails and I will sight it in a few steps more. I don’t know, I just don’t. PS Mrs Steele and Mrs Peck said my dress was real pretty. They are both nice. Adios Gaye

Staying home, I would have taken care of Alex who was one day short of a year old. Kids that age still sleep a lot or have to be 'corralled' so I went ahead and did other work to. Charlie was of course in school--about 3rd or 4th grade. The outfit I was discussing was featured a couple of weeks ago too- there is that 'bad' word--it was  a **square dance** skirt! I was not ever real domestic but I often did the dishes and if I had a bit of free time, cookie making was a big deal and they always got eaten up very  fast. Our whole family were sweet-tooths!

A mild little giggle. Dr Bates lived in Bridgeport and his son had been in 4th grade with me but had later gone off to NMMI (New Mexico Military Institute). I recall nothing about Mrs Bates at all but do remember a small scandal when the good doctor "ran off" with a teacher from the Verde Valley School.

I was sad no other teenagers came to the square dancing--well, what did I expect. It was "Square" and that was not a compliment at this time, quite the opposite. I was getting a bit tired of and impatient with boys or guys near my age--they seemed awfully immature and goofy! So I had my "heroes" to include the celebrity crushes (Chuck Connors) and the guys I knew locally--Beau, Curly, Deuce, Reb and. Breed were some of them. I  had drawn them and put up some of the portraits on my wall. They were part of the crowd I called "The Young  and Restless." No, not the soap opera; I do not think I had even heard of it yet. But to me this fit the blue collar guys in the 20-30 age bracket which I had some faves among and most of them were happy to flirt any time. Being out of school for a year, I felt even more dissociated from my peers and sensed I would "fit in" even less when I went back. Since I'd been doing an adult's work the past months and interacting with adult customers, I felt I was quite grown up! (Parents did NOT agree!!)

At the time I did not realize fully but Mom put a lot of effort into getting things that Charlie Mike and I wanted despite us being in poverty.  I did help at times to paste the S&H Green Stamps and Safeway's Gold Bond Stamps into the books but she kept track of how many were required and saved aside the little bit of cash to order things. This watch was one such and later I got a camera and a small record player. They were all cherished but I am sure I did not thank her enough. 

Oh my, those days. Not a lot of photos were taken and I did not have that camera yet--it was Christmas 1961. So I'll find a few at least somewhat pertinent. The first is Alex, probably spring 1961. The next is Charlie's 3rd grade school picture and the last is me, setting up  a post  in a fresh dug hole, probably at "the ranch"--our 20 acres down south of Bridgeport. I had just gotten that black hat--and loved it! And I think I have the watch on my left wrist though it is not clear.