Almost half of the 'vacation' already survived and part of it had gone surprisingly well. Really no huge traumas, thank heaven! This was my first Friday of the vacation and though I did not have a journal with me--it was safe in my desk in my room at NAU--I did take the time to write a bit on a plain sheet of paper. Thus I covered most of the week in a single entry. I spent one more Friday in Clarkdale and finally went back up the hill January 3.
Just a few notes on happenings since last Friday. Last night (22nd) we got the furniture shifted and the Christmas Tree up, progress I guess. Monday evening (19th) Sir James came by for me about 7:00. We had cokes at the Kentucky Bar and I was introduced to Jerry Vojnic and Charlie Bonaha. Big thrill--by then Bonaha was Judy C's ex,( my sophomore year HS friend) We then went on up to the school. They had the program, mostly music, with a recitation or skit or two. I saw Rick and Vicki Patterson who did not recognize me at first but were friendly when they did. We ended up taking a few of the boys home to Cottonwood so I got to see the lights in all three little valley towns. I noted Jim now never bids me adieu without making a date for the future, in this case later this week. I admit I am going about this in a hard, cold and mostly unemotional way--for the first time in my life playing a scheming female. It is good practice and whether I 'win' or 'lose' is unimportant. In no way is Dusty replaced or ever briefly forgotten but this charade serves many purposes. In a way the old 'cowboy-outdoorsman' versus 'prince charming' still plays a tug-of-war. in me. I do enjoy Jim's company and being treated like "a lady." Notably, he never really made a pass at me; maybe those 'gay' rumors were true? Later though he did marry.
I rode both the studs today and cleaned Leo's pen. Yesterday I washed and cooked. Tomorrow I will ride and iron. Nothing like keeping busy--nothing! How are the fish biting at Rocky Point? Silence reigns in the halls of MUHS for now, no doubt. That takes care of it all fairly well. Vamos, querido.. I will see you in my dreams..
December 23, 1966 (as written on December 24)
I was fidgety all day yesterday (the 23rd) . Dad and the two boys went to Phoenix, left late. I washed my hair, and loafed. Jim was not much late. So far he is very punctual. I just wore my hair down "Nancy Boots" style and he kept complimenting it--and after all the effort I put into fixing it before! We dined at the Gray Shadows --he on steak and I on shrimp-- and watched the fireplace. All evening I was touched by a faint melancholy, not sure why. I turned down a chance to drive the Green Hornet and fumbled helplessly with the seat belt as usual, We went up to the school via Vojnik's bar--a crowd there, almost no one knows me and I think they tease Mac about his "mystery girl." We descended to the cellar at MUHS to escape the wails of "Peanut Butter". upstairs and played records on his stereo--Copeland and Dvorak. Mel Minthorne and his Hawaiian wife joined us for a bit. He is the art teacher now. I got a copy of Jim's script for Antigone and Cindy back but he wants to see it again. A bit later, off to home and adieu until next Wednesday when I am to have a pool lesson (better than with Jerry Airth?) Suddenly I am very tired;my cold about which Jim was very solicitous is dragging me down a bit.
A few minor explains: The Nancy Boots remark referred to a song by Nancy Sinatra and her long haired look on the record jacket; "These boots are made of walking." Anyone remember that, so very long ago? For the life of me I cannot remember a restaurant called Gray Shadows--all that comes to mind is the Officer's Cub at Fort Huachuca which did have a fireplace in one main room. Where was this place? I am sure long gone today. Jim was partial to classical music--well really not the rock 'n roll and be-bop type, which I was not much either. This was Friday, the last day of school at MUHS before the vacation so I think they had a party or dance and I guess Jim and Mel were the chaperones, but casual about that duty! Antigone was of course the classic Greek tragedy from which Jim had written a play. His drama students put it on early in 1967 and later presented at NAU. I witnessed both.
Otherwise I spent time sewing, rode some and helped Charlie Mike with the chores, cooked and cleaned a bit and the days slid by fairly painlessly. Oddly I cannot recall the folks ever saying anything at all about my 'going out' with Jim, never a complaint, a snide comment or any derogatory or accusative statements. That is really odd, in retrospect. I am not sure why this was so. I suppose they were so relieved "that railroad man" was apparently out of the picture (little they knew!) and beyond that, who knows? Maybe I was past reclaim to where it did not matter so the ex-virgin princess no longer needed any protection|? I have to laugh now. Thus passed week one of the Winter Holiday, 1966.
A couple of pix, ghosts of Christmases past: My first Christmas in KC in 1943, I was 8 months old. Then Charlie's first Christmas in Jerome in 1951, my live baby doll about six weeks old . And last the final one that was documented with a photo, 1956 in Clarkdale. I was 13 and Charlie was 5. There were never any others. That is a graphic reminder of how the family dynamic deteriorated; Alex never had any until much later when he was the only one at home and basically grown up. So sad. No birthday photos for any of us from 1956 on either. The cameras still got used but always for "business" until I got mine in 1962. And I seldom did holidays.
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