Tuesday, December 31, 1974
early
I think I should get more sleep
I was just playing with my candle and I got pretty scared because it almost got out of hand. I finally put it out. I have been watching tv. all morning.
my parents are going to a new year's party across the street at nine o'clock. Last year my dad came home drunk. I wonder will get drunk again? It doesn't really matter, because my mother (who doesn't drink) to help him across the street.
robert came over this afternoon and I played a few games of ping pong with him. he beat me four out of five times. I am sure I will get better. he only won by one or two points each time. I played my dad and so did robbie. he beat robbie by eight points but he only beat me by six points. after that we went to radio shack to get my sister's tape recorder fixed. we saw a policeman arrest someone driving a black car for some reason. while we were there we spread some spaghetti on the wet pavement so it would soak up the water. we smelled all the flowers in michael's flowers.

I just put my new electric alarm clock on my desk. its called dialite and the dial has soft pink lights so you can read it in the dark.

Laura Wallace is baby sitting while my mom and dad are gone. when exactly new year came, twelve o'clock we went out on the front porch and banged on pots and pans and yelled happy new year.
laura was embarassed when jenny kept on yelling after we finished.
this is a first. I am using a ring notebook for my journal.
I didn't do anything on my report tonight.
I think I will start collecting pamphlets from tourist attractions.
today at radio shack I got a sound effects tape.
my dad did get drunk. he said he had about fifteen drinks. I was worried when he fell backward and hit his head on the closet door. boy, is he going to have a hangover tomorrow. my mother is with him.
I will tape in davey's picture on tomorrow's pages. Happy New Year !!!

Monday, December 30, 1974
Cindy, on of my sister's friends spent the night last night. she is younger than my sister but my sister gets along with Cindy because she's about the same mental age. Cindy is short, thin, and has yellow hair. her normal expression is one of friendship but she has a quick temper and a sense of humor, quite a combination I'd say!

my family is going to get me an I.D. card today so I will be able to get into the commisary with my mother.
I don't know why animal hair is so much softer than human hair.
my sister is a selfish brat. I'm saying that because she's just on the average a brat. my sister is trying to cook breakfast for my mother.
my mother has been grumpy all morning. I don't know when the smoke bombs are going to come. I ordered one hundred almost four months ago.
I think I will write to the company.
we got all our mail today from the post office. I got a christmas card from Davey feroe and it has a picture inside.
Davey has grown longer hair since last time I saw him. as you can see his hair is fairly long and if you imagine a girl's face in his hair it would look possible.
I bet by the time next summer is over I will be the best ping pong player anywhere around here.
me and my dad just finished putting together the ping pong table chasis. we can't do any more because we would have to lift the table onto the chasis and me and my dad don't have a prayer of doing that alone.
most of today has been boring.
I wish robert would have called.
I just found a poster of a polar bear.
I will hang it on my wall.
I only have seven days until my vacation is over, and my report is due. I dread having to do it.
this evening my mother came up to me and started tickling me. I wanted her and my dad to be sorry for me so I hit her in the nose with the spine of my paperback.

Sunday, December 29, 1974

my bed felt very good last night.
here is a copy of the full length:

The Great Amazon River Race
It was a sunny day as Jon Raskin strode along the long, low pier, the starting point for the Great Amazon River Race. The waters of the mighty river were calm, no hint of the dangers that would face the fifty or so daring racers, ready to risk their lives for the five hundred thousand dollar prize. they came from all over the world; North America, south America, Africa, Europe, Asia, but they all had one thing in common: the desire for excitement and adventure.
Jon admired some of the sleek boats, their enameled hulls glistening in the blazing sun and their trim look.
At about ten minutes before the big moment the tension started building.
The racers were now lined up at the starting bouys, tense and ready, the murky waters slowly sliding by.
The starter's checkered flag came down and in a whoosh, a roar, and a cloud of spray, they zoomed off.
Jon stepped on his pedal and roared off with the other racers. The water kicked up by the racers in front of him was almost blinding as he slowly pulled [ahead] of the racers beside him.
About an hour later he stopped at the first checkpoint with no problems. There he got word that seven racers had wrecked, five had been rescued and two had been lost.
He thought "I've just been lucky,"
He climbed into the cockpit, seated himself comfortably and closed the bubble top.
He raced along the river, sometimes you could see the bank on the horizon, the river was so wide.
He went on racing most of the night. At about two o'clock he came upon the seventh checkpoint and decided to get some rest.
Later; he got up and found he had overslept. He ran to his boat and roared off in the early morning haze.
Jon knew he was going much too fast to be safe
Now his boat was barely skimming the surface of the water. Suddenly, as he came around a bend a giant python fell from an overhanging tree branch. It landed smack on the hood of his boat. In a moment it was on him. Here he was, in a racing boat on the amazon river, going at top speed, with a big, fat python on his neck. He was heading straight for a rock. Just as he got there he managed to get one leg free and kick the steering wheel. the boat veered off but he felt the boat hit with a crash.
Jon reached for his knife, cut the python up and threw the dead remains overboard.
the crocs immediately devoured it.
By this time, Jon was far behind the other racers. He went as fast as possible and found all of them at the next checkpoint.
He was faced with a difficult decision, he knew he needed gas, but if he skipped it he would make the lead. He decided on the second alternative.
He had gone about ten miles when he found a wreck and a dying man. He decided to go back and drop the man at the checkpoint. Jon picked up the man and by the time he started off from the checkpoint he was way behind the other racers. he took a risk and went as fast as the boat could go. Jon slowly gained until he was in the lead. as he rounded a curve he could see the line of many colored flags that marked the finish line waving invitingly in the breeze. he was about one hundred feet away when his boat finally sank from the hole in the hull he got fighting the python.
Jon was determined to win after all he had been through. he got out and started to swim. he was about then feet away when a horrified audience watched a hidden crocodile gang pull him under and in a few minutes some little pieces float up to the surface.
the end
on that story I got an A in grammar and an A in content
I had fun all day. first I went to the roller rink with robert he never roller skated before. he did very well. he only fell down once or twice. the roller rink is a big low building.
we came back and tried to set up the ping pong table but it was too big and heavy for us to manage.
Jack Benny just died.
after we gave up the ping pong table.
we went to robert's so we could play air hockey. I won three games to two.
you really need fast reflexes to win and me and robert were a pretty even match.
we had pork for dinner, it was delicious.
the skating session ends at four. I stopped skating at three-thirty because everytime I started skating my feet felt like they were on a frying pan on full heat.
when people used sealing wax my dad used this seal:
[WGD]
they stand for William George Davenport

Saturday, December 28, 1974

we got up too late this morning.
the packing was ok, but everyone was grumpy and cross. I don't think anyone wanted to leave nana's. we are now passing snow covered slopes. most of them are covered with stick-like trees. there are fewer pine trees than you would think. greenfield must be in a valley because whichever way you look there are low mountains on the horizon.
we are having very good weather.
on the way up when we were going through waterbury, a small scattered town I told jenny that waterbury was really floating on a cloud and the town we were going through was just the houses of the people who have ropes tied to their chimneys to keep waterbury from floating away.
she knew I was just kidding but it's fun to tell her things like that.

we just stopped at a howard Johnson's.
none of us was really very hungry but we ate anyway. I had a BLT on white toast. the sun is out and all the snow is melting. I like the rhythm of the car. now we are in conneticut.

I have been trying to go to sleep for the past little while and I pretty near did it to.

we are passing through farm country. we just passed a shining lake. I saw a few boats on it but I think it is still too cold.
the sun is shining bright. we are in new york. if my writing is shaky it's because of the lumpy road. all through new york there are nice rock faces where the road has been blasted. right now I am eating a doughnut, a great luxury. I can see the tappan-zee bridge with it's suspensions gleaming in the sun. you can sometimes, on a clear day, see some of new york city around the point. I have noticed how some parts of the river look as if they were separate streams running along with each other.
I don't understand, this trip used to be a very nice time, but now both on the way up and now my dad and mom fight and everyone is up tight. we are stopped at a small rest stop and went to the bathroom. my dad said he couldn't see the road signs but not to worry.
new jersey is a pretty nice place. all the grass on the shoulders is neatly clipped.
I sort of dread going home because I will have to do a report on confucianism and I have to write an oral book report.
most of the new jersey countryside we have passed through is flat farmland. my dad said we would be there in about four hours if we didn't stop for dinner. it's now four o'clock
my dad and mom changed places and now my mom is driving. I think my dad is glad that he is getting the rest.
the sun is already behind the horizon and it is dusky. my sister is now acting like an ape. jumping up and down on the seat.
I think she's nuts.
my sister just kissed me: I'm doomed.
we are going to have dinner in a little while. I have finished all my doughnuts and my dad is driving again.
I can see the lights of a far-off city on the horizon on one side of the road and on the other side, dark forest, pine trees, probably a farm. driving at night I sit right in the middle of the car and look out of the windshield and pretend I am in a spaceship.
we are going to eat in a new place.
Description of restaurant:
we just stopped at a big building with sort of a chinese-style roof without turned up corners. it has lots of windows.
when you go into the four doors, you walk into a large tile floor patterned like cobblestones. the lobby has a bronze bust of J.F.K. in one part. there is a big gold-colored post with christmas decorations of silver garland. there are four little branches. we are in the far one on the left.
the room we are in has brightly colored orange and red curtains. it has a fairly high ceiling but not as high as the lobby's. there is a pretty plastic flower decoration behind me.
I am sitting at a brown upholstered booth. my eggs and bacon look delicious.

I am very stupid, every time I get mad or hit jenny with a good reason, and my dad realizes it, he overdoes it and screams all evening. this happened this evening.
muffy was very glad to see us and I brushed her. Carol burnett was funny.
on the way home I realized how much I hated to come back home, to school and my report. I almost cried.
it is now about one-thirty in the morning
my own bed will feel good.
I did some more of the coloring cards this evening. they are little greeting cards with blank pictures on the front you are supposes to do.
radio is pretty nice to listen to but it isn't really as good as tv. I like news better than music. music never has had any interest for me. I like some music and others are trash.
I hope I can manage to buy this pen from jenny. I even offered her my old pen and one dollar.
I am going to bed now.

Friday, December 27, 1974

we are leaving tomorrow for virginia.
I am glad sort of because I'm a little homesick. I'll bet our cat, Muffy is overjoyed to see is when we come home.
most of this morning I have been reading or watching tv. right now I am reading a book called Julie of the Wolves it's about an eskimo girl who is adopted by wolves when she is lost.
I like the writer's style. I would love to be on some game show, even if I didn't make any money.
I love to read. I must read awful fast because I have finished three books while I was here, the horse and his boy, Herbert, The Bully of Barkham street, and I am working on Julie of the Wolves.
I wonder what I will get from my aunt and uncle. also Davey.
our family is going to see one of my dad's old friends, very old, she is almost eighty.
her name is Mrs. Wells and my dad has known her for a long time.
she is very boring. my mom said we would only stay for half an hour.
mrs. wells is a short, bent over lady, with fat lips and an accent. she sounds like a mixture of english and australian. she is 89 years old. she was pleased to see us and most of the time was spent with my dad and her talking about people, places, and events they needed to catch up on.
when we got home we got supper of cold turkey, warmed up gravy and stuffing, and for desert: my sister's ginger bread with whipped cream on top.
I watched the night stalker tonight and I think I will get the book. it was about a lady vampire. I think I have developed nerves of steel from watching that show.
this evening I think I must have broken the record for the amount that was the largest winning total in The Masterpiece Game. my total was 7,680,000 how's that?
I played with Jeb and Meg
I found out Meg likes pepsin gum.
I think nana's house has just the right lighting arrangement. the light is always soft and even no matter what combination of lights you put on it is never harsh.
I can see how easy it would be to mark cards.
for some reason nana's roof has cracks running along it all over. not crack cracks but sort of like small mole tunnels and the lumps on the ground they leave.
we are definitely leaving for Virginia tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 25, 1974 (Christmas)

well today is christmas, I got up at about ten minutes to eight. my mother said we couldn't open our presents until 8 o'clock
I am surprised that I slept all night.
when I got to open my stocking I found a code book, a mad magazine, three ping-pong balls, a deck of cards, two packages of gum, an orange, a find-a-word book, a tootsie roll, and a plaster of paris cabin.
on the tree each of us got an envelope containing fifty dollars. under the tree I got books, : (I always like books), Herbert The Wolves of Willoby Chase, The Bully of Barkham Street, Kidnapped, and the three investigators', Mystery at rock city.
I got a thing called a pant-o-graph, the suitcase I wanted so much it's green, soft sided and has a lock and key. it is really a ladies makeup case. I got, two paintbrushes from nana, an acrylic paint set from Roberta trouble bubble from the Bitzers, a Chest Pull, an electric alarm clock for my room, a drawing board from nana and tom upstairs, and some other things. this christmas seemed to be missing something for me. I don't know exactly why.
all this morning it has been snowing. I think my favorite presents are the suitcase and the money. I think I might use some of the fifty dollars to buy a full-size suitcase to match.
everything outside is covered with snow it is very pretty. the snow is just right for snowmen. oliver stinks.
this morning after we opened our presents we were invited to the bitzers for a time. they had their stereo on playing music. I had two glasses of milk and almost ten pieces of cinamon coffee cake. I thought I wanted some scrambled eggs but I didn't like the way they cooked them. me and jeb played with his new cars on his racing track. those things never work, you can never play with them without half an hour's fiddling until it works.
most of the evening I read a book. there isn't much to do. I think I will play with our calculator.
not much besides the opening of the presents has happened. tonight is just like any other night in nana's house except a few new things to look forward to. I have been reading all day and have almost finished "Herbert". It is a good book but the Yadon family are just plain stupid almost all the time.
it seems very hot tonight.
I can't wait for tomorrow for no real reason.
I will probably have a nice day tomorrow sometimes I feel very depressed.

Tuesday, December 24, 1974

at all the presents on or near the piano and think I can't open them to tomorrow morning. I hope I sleep well tonight, I have a pretty good chance to because I won't go to bed until around one o'clock tonight.
from outside my nana's house looks like a castle. on the top there is a small cupola or a room on the very top of the house.
my dad promised me I could go up there sometime. I bet the view is breathtaking.
a little later me and my dad went to Barret and Baker to try to get another notebook like this one. there were a few but none of the right kind. on the way my dad told me that people in small towns are vicious. he said that that was the way it is in all small towns, if you're "in" you're o.k., if you are an outsider, watch out. I don't really believe him but he has had more experience than I have. I think the reason is that in a large town like springfield there are too many people to know all of them. we parked at a small parking lot, 5 cents for two hours. my dad let me put the money in. my dad also said that next year he might take us up to New York City and see all the big buildings and go to radio city music hall.
mitsy, my nana's dog is almost nine years old and getting lazy. she does some of the funniest things, she barks at you when you leave the house and she wags her tail and gets all excited when you come back.
not much has happened all day and I will have a hard time filling this page unless there is something interesting at the midnight christmas service. I don't see why people aren't nocturnal, but I suppose you could be either, depending on when you get to bed.
my mother and I were playing a game of spit (a card game) until jenny decided to take over mother's hand. so I quit because she has been a brat all day.
my mother said we couldn't open our presents until eight o'clock tomorrow morning.
all in all my nana's house is very homey, not like our house is, modern and informal, I would much rather live in this house than ours.
my nana said she would take me up into the cupola tomorrow sometime.
this evening we ate dinner by the light of a candle and an antique kerosene lamp.
I got to light it and blow it out. it has a small cylindrical base with a handle that has two finger holds the old tarnished neck fits into a gracefully curved glass piece with a wavy top. I would like to have one.

***
I am going to hide a secret message in the base of the tall green candle that is thick with the fake velvet berries of red and green it will have my symbol: WMD engraved near the bottom.
***

now I am all dressed up for the church service. nana and everybody says I look very nice.
the church was a cavernous place, like most churches. it had mostly colonial styled woodwork. it had a full sized pulpit, and a smaller pedestal. the minister mostly used the pedestal. there is a high arch over the platform with a lamp hanging down.
the pews are upholstered with velvet and are pretty comfortable there were holly wreaths and boughs all over the altar
there were candles all around. on the platform there is a double seat for the minister or two or three choir boys.
it had a stand in front of it for hymnals.
I put a dollar in the gold tone velvet bottomed collection plate.
here is a copy of the note under the candle: Tuesday December 24, 1974
I am writing in this note for a keepsake, and I hope after years when this is a yellowed tattered scrap that it will recall all of the good times at my grandmother's house always.

Sincerely, WMD

Monday, December 23, 1974

My nana's living room used to be two rooms separated by a partition with a door in it.
the living room is now a big rectangular room with one door going out into the front hall and a door that opens onto the patio.
one wall is covered with a big bookcase painted red with four locking cabinets.
next to it is a big yellow, plush armchair. with a lamp overhead.
there is a big, carved fireplace with two mantles with three yacht half hulls and a round ships clock on it.
there are two couches in the room one is aqua, with four assorted pillows on it and the second is a low antique one with a black patern on it and two pillows. in front of the blue sofa there is a marble topped coffe table that usually has a flower arrangement on it.
the blue sofa has two end tables with matching lamps and an antique rocking chair with richly carved arms, upholstered in the same pattern as the old sofa.
there is a black baby grand piano in the room with yellowing keys, our christmas tree is on top of it. in front of the old sofa there is an old, worn shoemakers bench and two tables on each end there is a floor lamp next to one and a big glass bottle based lamp on the other one. the small black and white tv. is on the floor next to the end table.
there are two matching chairs in the room
they are gold, carved legs and not too thickly upholstered but are very comfortable for reading
one is beside the piano and the other is near the fireplace next to a table with a lamp on it. there is not what you would call a carpet but a big rug that covered the floor it has pink and brown flowers set in a field of bluish gray.
this morning I went with jeb on his paper route for the town crier. I just walked along with him and only delivered ten papers but it was fun. I have noticed that almost all of the old houses are big enough for a tennant
my grandmothers tennant is called bob, he is a carpenter and made nana a nice wheelbarrow and painted it red.
I just found out that my cousin Marc Bitzer, is taking a course in mechanical drawing.
we are now going to the grocery store to stock up on food.
I think I might buy some savings bonds, but maybe I would make more money by just putting it in the bank.
now I am sitting in the living room, I was reading and now I am writing. there is a warmness in the room the lights are on, the christmas tree is lit up and nana, jenny, and mom are listening to the radio.
I am afraid that this book is finally deteriorating to the point of no return. there are two alternatives, either take the whole cover off and tie it in or try to glue the binding together.
my nana's dining room is about one fourth the size of her living room. it has pinkish wallpaper and a pinkish bordered rug with white and red and brown and gray flowers and plumes.
there is a chandeleir which is not too fancy and is round with four smaller lights.
one wall has a window with all-covering wooden shutters. on the other wall there is a smaller window of the same kind. in front of it nana keeps her plants because they will get the sun there. there are two doors on the same wall which look like they don't go anywhere. one opens into the entrance hall, but noone ever uses it because of the tennants and because there is a big cedar chest in the entrance hall where she keeps all her christmas ornaments and other trimmings. right in the middle of the room there is a big table which will six as is but probably has a couple of leaves to put in if you like. the other wall has a big square mirror and some small framed pictures over the old and in very good condition silverware cabinet. then on the fourth wall there is another door that opens into the pantry. that one is never used either. and a china cabinet that goes with the silverware cabinet. it has a glass front with many frames and drawers at the bottom.
there are also some other chairs and a bench.
just now bob came down with a nice chess set made out of marble that he bought in mexico and a stand he made for it with drawers that opened on either side to put the men in when you finish playing. tonight some kids named Beth and Robie who I don't really know who they are but I have a vague memory of them and I have heard of them and I don't know what relation they are to me but they are some relation.
at first I was shy but Beth and Robbie are nice people and I still don't know what relation they are to me but we played inventors for a while and we got tired of it so we played a few jokes on each other
I took a wet dime and put it on jenny's forehead so it stuck there. when she shook her head till it fell off and I put it on again but this time I didn't leave it there, if you press hard it feels like its still there when you take it off. she shook and shook but couldn't get it off. eventually I took it "off" so she thought it wasn't there. I repeated the process but said "maybe someone glued it to your forehead" I told her to go see daddy, so she goes into the living room saying "daddy I've got a dime glued to my forehead" and showed her forehead, boy did we laugh.

Sunday, December 22, 1974

today I got up at about 10 o'clock. I was tired from the trip and from building our igloo in the snow. I think the sheets, blankets and quilts on the bed are so heavy that they practically crush you.
when I woke up I went outside and raised the walls of the igloo about a foot. my breakfast consisted of a bowl of corn flakes, milk and a cup of coffe.
right now we are thinking of going to a tree farm to cut a tree for on top of the piano. I am very excited about it.
greenfield is full of interesting people, places, and things while we were on the way to the tree farm we saw a cow barn saying mark's "mootel". when we got to the tree farm a kid gave me a saw and we looked for a tree. I hate it when a kid is in charge, it makes me feel inferior. we found a perfect tree and I cut it down. they must keep their saws razor sharp because I cut down the tree in about thirty seconds. we went and saw deerfield academy, it is an awfully big place
I think I might go there when I get old enough.
I have noticed that in a small town like greenfield all the stores have people's names, goodnow's, clark's, Joe's, Harry's and the like.
the way nana sets up her tree is interesting, she gets a big pot and stuffs it with wet newspapers and packs coal around the tree.
we decorated the tree and put tinsel on it. we had roast pork for supper.
my bedroom is a small place with a big four-poster bed and a chest of drawers in old office style that looks like it has had its share of bumps and use, and a night table to match. the chest has a mirror on it and the room has one window and a bare floor except for a blue and white worn, handmade rug beside the bed. there is a small rocking chair (which is antique like most of the furniture here) and a wicker seated chair next to the wall beside a wood toned somewhat newer cabinet.
both the cabinet and the night table have small lamps on them.
I went over to the bitzers house tonight to watch tv. and have some desert (strawberry shortcake).
when I got there I found out that memory, the bitzers dog was full grown.
I am afraid of him and I hope he will get to know me before I leave.
the christmas tree is pretty.

Saturday, December 21, 1974

and we're off!
all morning everyone has been busy packing, and loading the car. we got up at seven and I had a light breakfast.
when we finally left, we stopped at my dad's office to get stamps for our bills.
I am at my dad's office now.
I brought plenty to do so I don't think I will be bored between writing, reading, and playing games.
last night I was looking for my other thermal mitten and found my old fountain pen.
I always feel good when the car pulls out of the driveway

now we have been on the highway for a while and I have read a chapter and a half on the Silver chair. It still hasn't snowed or rained yet. there isn't much traffic and all in all the driving is pretty good. I am not bored yet but I probably will be.
the weather is cold and gray.
we just passed a sand pit and you should see all the sand in the piles. nearby there was a small sandstone cliff.

we are now passing baltimore and we are going into the tunnel, we call it the bunny holes. once one guy went in the wrong way and we were stuck inside for an hour and my nana was scared because we got home so late. this time we didn't get stuck.
my favorite state we go through on this trip is new york because of all the blasting and open rock faces to look at by the side of the road.

we just stopped at a place called The Maryland house. we were going to eat and get gas. when we went inside it turned out that it was jam packed and there weren't four seats available so we went upstairs to the carry-out and I said that I would rather eat a full sized meal at a restaurant later.
everyone has been edgy all along the trip and my dad is ruining it for me.
our car is usually quite comfortable on these trips but we are somewhat cramped because of all the christmas presents.
the weather is still good.

we finally stopped for food at one of the many Holiday houses all along the New jersey Turnpike. I ate a BLT on white toast. I think we are pretty seasoned travellers by this time, seeing that this trip is almost a migration.
I can't wait to get to my nana's house.
I am afraid that somebody will try to steal our car or break into it because of all the presents inside.
everytime we leave I am scared that whoever we hire to feed muffy will forget to feed her or go to the bathroom and close the toilet, because muffy drinks out of them.
the new jersey countryside is pretty
I remember one christmas when we got up and opened our presents on christmas and then left for massachusetts with the ones we liked best.
I always like massachusetts, it's like a trip back in time, sometimes you get homesick for some modern inventions.

now we are stopped at a gas station, It seems that we will never got to mass. now I am in the way back and I am pretty comfortable. this station is by a Holiday House.
we aren't making very good time.
I think the weather is pretty good, the sun is even shining.
the countryside is interesting to watch with farms, fields, cows and horses, and woods and houses.

we just came out of another restaurant
I had some milk and a slice of pumpkin pie, the best you ever tasted. I finished and found a piece of clay rock and a piece of white and red marble when the peice was cut it must have been on the edge of two rock layers.
the reason my writing is messy because I am in the back where it is jigly.

I am glad our trip is over. I am pretty tired. when we got here mitsy was very excited, she jumped all around and wagged her tail.
nana's kitchen is a homey place with a round wooden table and wallpaper that has cooking pictures on it. it almost always has a part musty part tiniest bit rotten, and mostly whatever is cooking smell.
she has an old fashion electric stove, refridgerator and most of the things are painted white. off to one side there is a small pantry where the dishes, cups, canned foods, dishes, and bread and crackers.
she has an old worn looking linoleum floor. I notice that she has a new clock. nana is a pretty tall old lady.
they have about an inch of snow but it is piled up by the side of the road. I hope it snows before christmas.
my nana's house is about 200 years old.
I was wondering if when nana died the bitzers would be more affected.
nana still has an old fashioned coal burning furnace but I have heard that she is going to get a new electric one.

Friday, December 20, 1974

before school
today my cold is worse than it was yesterday
I would like to stay home but I don't want to miss the party or our geo. filmstrip

Geo. Class
right now I am watching a filmstrip about russia. I think it is very boring.
Meehan and pike are putting on a skit. today I am going to watch it.

Reading Class
today I don't feel so good because I helped Mr. Davison down in the music room. when I finished I had six tootsie rolls. I found out that our class was in math class when I got to math class we were in the middle of a test. now I am in trouble. I will have to do the test over when I have time.
I hope mr. lichfuss doesn't take off my grade for it.
while I was down in the music room we first moved the tables that were there to the gym. then we spent about ten more minutes putting batterys in electric candles. they look real neat when you turn them on.

english class
all the teachers got presents but I didn't remember to get them. I really wanted to give mr. Bedell a present so I gave him a makeshift christmas card using my big animal wildlife stickers. he liked it.

Theo.
now I am in theo. class we are having a big party. it is a lot of fun.
everybody got up on his chair and saluted we had lots of fun

evening
tonight my mother, me and my sister went to J.C. penny to get my grandmother's sweater then we went to Mc Donalds and when we stopped a miraculous thing happened, my dad drove in at the exact same time.
we got dinner together and we came home.
we have a whole lot of packing to do for our trip to massachusetts, the house is in an uproar.
I am going to pack my red white and blue carpet bag.
tonight I brought Robert's present to him. he was going to get my present tonight so I won't get it until we come back or else unless he gets it tonight and comes over very early.

english
tonight my dad said he would give me and jenny a surprise. It turned out that it was a ping-pong set, a net, some balls, paddles, and instructions, everything but the table. then he said that the big box on the patio was a ping pong table. we were overjoyed.
robert brought over his present and said that I might be able to use it in massachusetts. I hope my mother and dad let me open it before we go, well, we're off to massachusetts tomorrow.

Thursday, December 19, 1974

Geo. Class
I am going to have to give horton his dollar back.

Math Class
now I am in math class. I hope the day goes fast.
I just came back from chapel, it was the same as usual.
I hope I do better on the second math test than I did on the first.
I can't wait for christmas.

Math Class
I think there must be something radically wrong with the way people raise their kids today. most of the kids and teenagers I know or have seen are spoiled bullying brats who think they are big shots, but they are dumb. I have heard that Dr. Spock takes full blame because his system was wrong and hundreds of people raised their children according to his books. Anyway, I think most of them will grow out of it, lucily.

Reading Class
today at recess I saw Meter do a trick that was very daring, but I don't think it was as dangerous as it looks. He went out along the railing until he was about ten feet above the stone stairway and put one foot on the other side of the three foot wide chasm. then he put the other foot across and went to the other side. and then he went back again.
today our book orders came.

Theo. Class
Now I am in theo., mr. bedell hopes to finish animal farm this period. then we will watch the filmstrip tomorrow, first period.

evening
today in english period we had a test. I think I did pretty good.
tonight I got a no nonsense fiber tip pen here is a sample: how do you like it?
I think this is almost the same as my fountain pen. now I have all the no-nonsense pens, so I have a set.
I am worried that I won't be able to find ink cartrides to fit my fiber tip so I won't write with it. I am surprised at how little difference there is between the two.
Yesterday Mr. Luther gave us a bag of big apples and a gallon of apple cider. I think it was very nice of him.
We are getting christmas cards all the time now. I am sorry we won't be here for christmas.

evening
I am now watching the swearing in of the vice president. this is the first time both the president and vice president weren’t elected by the people.
this is only the vice president being sworn in.
I think most political speeches are dull, the same old thing over and over again.
I can't wait to go to my nana's house.
I will probably write almost three of four pages the first three of four day on the trip and at her house.

Wednesday, December 18, 1974

Geo. Class
Last night I stayed up till midnight, so I had trouble getting up this morning.
I think that the best present you can give is something that is practical. then whenever they use it they will think of you.

Math class
yesterday we had a test in math we got the results today, I did rotten. two of the problems I missed because I didn't see the problem right.

Reading Class
my school day is pretty much fun after I get out of math. today we got homework in math. in recess we played the same game that we played yesterday.
I wish we could do something fun at wrestling for once.
I just now finished a sra reading test
I did very well I think. we have had fun today

english Class
I think Mr. Stone is getting demerit happy. he has given sixteen demerits in the past two days. I am going to give horton a no nonsense pen for christmas, I am going to put it in a big box so he'll think I got him something else.
I can't wait for our party in geo. class for christmas.
I can't wait to go to massachusetts. we got some homework tonight, I think I will do my math.

waiting in car
right now I am waiting for my sister after her choral service. I think the service was pretty boring and I looked forward to when I got home.

evening
I am now writing with my new no-nonsense ball pen. do you like it?
this evening I went to my sister's choir service. I think it was very boring.
during the first few songs I wandered around outside the school and scared a few people by coming up behind them silently.
the singing was pretty good.
now I have a set of pens. bye bye!
John horton wanted me to find a no nonsense fountain pen. I don't think they make them anymore because I can't find one anywhere. now that I have my new ballpoint I don't know whether to give it to him or not (. by "it" I mean my old fountain pen)
I think I will keep them both and tell John I can't find one.
tonight I finished up my B.B.R. because I think it is due tomorrow.
now that I have my ballpoint I feel more secure because now I know I can write in all my school workbooks without worrying about ink going all over the page in a big blot.
I think I am getting sick because I don't feel very good and one side of my nose is plugged up and that side of the roof of my mouth is burning as it always does when either my nose gets plugged up or it gets irritated.

Tuesday, December 17, 1974
Geo. Class
today my mother got me up at eight o'clock, lucily I got to school before I was late.
Mr. Bedell is reading us a book called "Animal Farm" it is a pretty good book which is supposed to correspond with the russian revolution.

Reading
today in reading we decided to go into SRA cards and we went over the record book.

english
today mr. Stone isn't in a very good mood at all I hope he gets better the rest of the week.
I don't think he will because he is as restless as we are to get out for the christmas holidays.

Theo. Class
today athletics was the same as usual, dull
I am not looking ahead to wrestling as I used to.
at recess me and three or four other people were playing a game with other people where you run along the benches and the low brick wall that is on the new patio.

evening
I have taken up crochet when I can.
tonight my mother and my sister went to a pta meeting at the school my mother teaches at and I am looking forward to an evening of shopping for christmas presents in the mall alone with my dad.
I am surprised at how fast I can crochet when I put my mind to it.
right now I am watching Hogan's Heroes they put on the same show twice in the past two weeks.
lately Mike Small and John Metcalf have been bothering me and John horton by trying to steal our bookbags because they wouldn't dare fight me or him.

before bed
at the mall me and my dad never even went up to the second floor. I got three christmas presents: I got my mother a thimble, a package of assorted needles, and three spools of thread. I got my nana a bag of lime scented soap shaped like limes. And I got my cousin Jeb a magic trick called "cut and restored rope". I also have a few ideas for my dad's present. this christmas I don't have nearly as much money as I had last christmas when I got my mother a big eleven-dollar mixing bowl.
I think I could have picked a better trick for Jeb (short for James Edward Bitzer) you can only do the trick I got him three or four times
I have stayed up late tonight reading "the silver chair". now that peter and susan and edmund and lucy are out of the story completely it has gotten sad because I don't know many of the characters and the two in this story don't have any power like the others did.

Monday, December 16, 1974

Geo. class
today I was looking forward to our play in english class but when I got to school I found out some knucklehead took out our beer can and one of our rubber boots
I thought that we might manage but I found out Bavin came and horton didn't then I realized we were ruined because horton had the tape recorder.
I am very relieved because horton just came with the tape recorder. now all we need is the beer can and boots.

Reading class
I finally got through to my dad and he brought the missing things.
now we are all ready for our play.

Theo. Class
our skit didn't go as well as I had thought it would. horton forgot some of his lines and the invisible man didn't leave me enough time for me to dress up for elmer fudd.
all of the others were not as good as ours.
peter Katson does a good commercial for roy rogers. he is very funny.
the other plays were match game, C.B.S. world report, good times, and some commercials in between.
today robert bodner brought a tape of the prelude to the six million dollar man, so did meder. [?]
horton said that mr Stone got mad when horton through the door when the drunk left.

Sunday, December 15, 1974

morning
This morning I feel pretty sad. There’s nothing to do. I hope robert or steven come over to play.

afternoon
I haven't done much today to write about. my dad wanted me to go to the gas station with him and I went. while we were there we saw a man in a camper who had troubles with his ignition.
we went to the mall and watched santa claus for a while and had a slice of pizza at the Orange Bowl.
this morning robert asked if I could come ice skating with him. I had my dad talk me out of it for an excuse not to go.

evening
I can't wait for me and Jon to put on our play in english tomorrow. tonight I picked out clothes very carefully for the play
I have decided to write to my nana tonight, I don't think my dad will approve. we called the martins and they had a pretty good hunter's hat.
I love krispy crackers.
I would like to go on a bike hike next summer. I think it would be fun.
I think I will try to break the world's record for crocheting in a lifetime. once me and robert thought of breaking the worlds record for swinging on a swingset, but we decided not to.
I can't wait to go to my grandmother's (nana) for christmas but I am against the idea of taking all the presents with us.

Saturday, December 14, 1974

Today I got up pretty early and I read Prince Caspian for a while.
Here is a copy of the original script for the last night show:
Intro: And now taped from stonywood, the Last night show starring Johnny Carson, with his guests The invisible man and Elmer j Fudd
Now, Heeeeeer’s Johnny!
-Johnny: Hi there! We have two great guests for you tomorrow. Here’s our first guest the invisible man! (waves his arms offstage twice)
Offstage voice: he’s already there!
-Johnny: (startled) oh, may I shake your uh . . .
well that alright.
tape: I am very honored to be here.
Johnny: are you?
tape: of course I am, mumble
Johnny: well, I see your time is up mr. uh . . .
Tape: bye, bye now!

Johnny: Now for our next guest, Mr. Elmer J. Fudd who is a very alone person so it was hard getting him here, you know him and his rabbits! (Fudd walks into room carrying popgun looks like he is tracking something)
Fudd: shh! I’m hunting rabbits
-Johnny: Mr. Fudd, I would like to ask you on behalf of your many fans . . .
Mr. Fudd? Mr. Fudd? Mr. Fudd!
Fudd: shh! I’m hunting rabbits!
(offstage man now throws stuffed rabbit on string into room Fudd chases it out of room)

Commercial

(drunk comes stumbling into room holding beer can)
Johnny: hello! This is our next guest, mr. uh? . .
drunk: (looking at beer can) “bud”
Johnny: bud who?
drunk: (looks at beer can again) bud weiser
Johnny: oh I see, mr. weiser, have a seat.
(drunk weaves and misses chair completely)
(johnny lifts him into chair)
Johnny: mr. weiser . . . . .(drunks head slowly goes down onto desk) are you still with us mr. weiser? Mr. weiser! (shouts into drunk’s ear)
Drunk: (slowly head comes up) yup!
Johnny: now mr. weiser . . . . . (drunk’s head goes down again) mr. weiser! Wake up! (shakes drunk)
Drunk: yup (head starts to go down again)
Johnny: well, anyway the reason mr.weiser is here with us today is because, uh because, why is this guy here! Get this bum out of my studio!
(drags drunk out of room into hall.)
The end

Today I spent the whole day with John Horton. He is a pretty nice guy.
when I got there he invited me in and first thing he did was give me a pepsi.
during the day we must have rehearsed our skit twenty times. I have all my lines memorized now all we need is to get all the props ready for Monday.
When I was at John’s he took me bike riding. We went to his country club about 6 or 7 blocks away. We arrived in about 15 minutes and parked our bikes in the bike rack. We bowled two games of duckpins ( I did pretty well considering I have never bowled duckpins before)
John won both games.
When we came back we rehearsed our show and played with John’s tape recorder a while.
I had lots of fun.
The hortons live in a mansion of a house but it is still very cozy.
All the time I was there John wore his sweatshirt and sweatpants, even when we went to the country club!
I heard that steven came over looking for me but I was not here. Steven doesn’t come over too often so I hope he comes back.
We are going to have a lot of fun on Monday.

Friday, December 13, 1974

before school
I just now realized it is friday the thirteenth. It makes me feel spooky.
today I got up early at seven o'clock because my dad has a trial today.

Geo. class
I am worried because of our skit on Logan's losers, I can't think of any good story.
today someone brought a deck of cards which were strung together so you could do spectacular tricks like throwing the deck from hand to hand.
Mr. Bedell is going to read us a book called Animal Farm.

Math class
I am writing this with John Leiner's pen.
I hope we don't have homework over the weekend.
I am looking forward to wrestling. I think I am slowly gaining respect from people in my class.

Reading Class
today at recess everyone was watching the eclipse. It wasn't very spectacular.
borthwick never saw it because he was trying to use a shoebox with a pinhole in it. All the other people either looked at it straight on of took four fingers and made a tiny peephole and looked at the eclipse that way.

evening
today our group for Logan's Losers split up and me and horton are going to do the Last night show. and the other half of our group are doing the C.B.S. world report.
I am all excited over my and horton's tv show we have a script all but worked out.
tonight I went to the library and got the next four books in the narnia series. they are good storys.
tomorrow I am going to Jon Horton's house for the day. we will have a lot of fun. we are also going to get all the bugs out of our skit.
when I watch the night stalker I always get the creeps when I go to bed.
after I am finished writing I am going to finish our skit script. I will not tell you about our play because It will be copied in this book.
we have a big box in our back patio because it is too big for the lear's (our next door neightbors) to hide it from their children.
here is our yesterday night show sign:
[drawing}
well, anyway it isn't a good copy but it will give you some idea of it.

Thursday, December 12, 1974

Geo. Class
today in geo. we are going to watch a filmstrip. I am glad because we don't have any notes to copy. I don't know what it's about yet.

Reading Class
today at recess I played a game of keep away with some other people.

english class
just now everybody was acting like apes jumping around and making noises like chimps. I think everybody was finally going crazy.

upper school library (theo.)
right now I am in the upper school library. when I came in today the library seemed smaller, but it was still very big. there is a good view from the big windows on one wall of the library. last time I was in here I never noticed the chandelier. on my way out I am going to ask someone why it's there.
I am very hungry, even though I ate a big lunch.

evening
tonight I am not using my fountain pen because I lost it. I don't see how a pen can vanish into thin air. I can't remember that I put it anyplace.
tonight me and my dad had an argument over my math homework, he makes everything so complicated when they are actually simple. he writes down a big long-division problem when I figure out the answer in seconds.
today I took the skunk I got from the Magic Hat and took out the spring inside and replaced it with a pair of old socks.
today for english we were assigned to do a takeoff on some T.V. show. our group of six voted to do a show called Logan's Loser's. we are going to use the episode tonight for out base. tonight's show was about when Hogan and his gang rob a ban so they can pay for some secret information.
my nana's house in mass. is a fascinating place. she lives in a big house, so big that they have tenants upstairs. it's the kind of house where you always think there is some secret passage somewhere. my nana is a nice old lady, not crabby like some grandmothers. she owns a piece of land called "the gully" mainly because that's just what it is. it is so overgrown with vines and fallen trees that getting to the bottom is a real feat. even if you did, it's all marshy at the bottom and you can't walk. my dad says there used to be a tennis court down there and lovely flowers lined terraces on the edges. personally, I think it looks more like a canyon than a gully.
I am now writing with my new pen, my sister's old one.

Wednesday, December 11, 1974
Geo. Class
I didn't do my geo. homework again tonight I guess that it just doesn't seem important. I think Mr. Bedell is a pretty nice guy. when I wear my white with green plaid jacket I feel like Karl Colchak on The Night Stalker. I have always wished I had esp of some sort and I could do something mysterious, I still do but I found a power I do have, I can be completely silent when walking and I can scare people to death.

Reading Class
some people are awfully stupid.
I like Scope magazine a whole lot, it has good storys and I also like the mini mysteries are good.
today I found a pen on the floor which to put out the ballpoint you push one end of the clip and to retract it you push the other end.
when I wrestle Jon Horton no matter what he does I turn it to my advantage.

Study Period
I am mad because I hate work in my green math book, he said that the homework would be the same as the things we did in class today. they were not. I hate it when people steal my bookbag and I have to go looking for it. I suppose that they think it's fun because I do it sometimes to but all the same I don't think it's very nice.

evening
today I was picked up by a taxi because my dad was in court- much too late. we had the same cab as we had last year
I like Hogan's heroe's more than all the other shows on channel 20.
we are going to nana's for christmas.
I can't wait, just think of all the snow they will have in massachusetts! my cousins and my nana live across the street from each other. our plan is to leave on sunday (christmas is on wednesday) and take all our presents with s and on christmas open them then we would leave on the following saturday or later. I always like going down to nana's its a lot of fun. I just thought that now that it's winter, gould's sugar house will be open and will have sugar on snow. it's the best stuff you ever tasted you pour hot maple syrup on a plate of snow and it turns into a kind of maple taffy.

before bed
tonight I read Survive the Savage Sea all evening. it is a good book.
when I was reading my sister and parents were watching the andy williams christmas show when I heard the carols they sung it had a saddening effect on me. I think it is the beginning of my annual pre-christmas depression.

Tuesday, December 10, 1974

Geo. Class

today I had a hard time getting out of bed and just got to school by the skin of my teeth. I don't know why I am tired because I went to bed and I went right to sleep.
Alex bryan hasn't had a pencil for two weeks. I don't know why he can't get one. I like Davey a whole lot. he used to be my best friend and still is even though he moved to colorado. once we made a computer which would answer questions. we had lots of fun with it and made some money to.

Reading Class
today recess was pretty fun. we played keep away with a pair of knee pads. Mrs. Price is in a pretty good mood. I like my old fifth grade teacher Mrs. Beatte she is pretty nice.

evening
I didn't write much in school today. in study period Mr. Marlin told us the story of chalk man.
tonight I decorated robert's present.
I took a candle and dripped wax all over the outside and burned the ribbon on top. with wax I covered the ribbon so it is almost brittle. I think robert will like it.
I am reading Survive the Savage Sea it is a pretty good book it's about a shipwrecked family afloat in mid-pacific for 37 days and how they survive.
I think I am pretty good at wrapping presents.

before bed
tonight I watched two shows, one called the year without a santa Claus and a special called: out to lunch where the theme was that the muppets took over ABC while all the people are out to lunch. it was funny and I liked that they thought up a good show for once.
tonight my dad is yelling and screaming at everybody he spanked jenny because he said she defied him. he thinks that he can solve all the problems in our family by yelling. I wish he wouldn't yell. he won't believe me but whenever he yells at anyone he punishes me to. I have to hurry because he said he would give me five minutes to write.
I don't know what I am going to get for my mom or dad for christmas when I grow up I hope I never have anything to do with drugs, or anybody who uses drugs.
I really can't think of much more to write because this has been an uneventful evening.
I feel guilty for never doing my Geo. homework.

Monday, December 9, 1974

Geo. Class
today when I got up my mom asked me to draw in some more ornaments on the scandinavian christmas tree drawing.
today mr. Bedell wrote about a half an inch taller and thought I could see it from the back of the room. I wish I could find my glasses.

Reading Class
today just after athletics it started snowing. everybody was very excited and clapping each other's backs. everybody ate lunch quickly because they wanted to go out for recess in the snow. at recess everybody was jumping around catching snowflakes on their tongues. it was the most fun recess we have had all school year. you could look up and the snow looked like a swarm of albino bees.

when we came to reading class I drew some snowflakes and put the slogan "GO Snow!" in big letters on the board. I think everybody can't wait to get home, even Mrs. Price

The Bedellian Files
at 9:27 A.M. Mr. Louis Bedell came back from the bathroom to find his whole class of sixth graders missing.
Dum-da-dum dum, dum-a-dum dum dummmm!
he looked in his closet and went out of the building in search of his lost class. after thoroughly searching the room for his class he called in the famous detective Stone.
Stone checked the room for fingerprints but substantill leads were uncovered. Bedell and stone left the school at 10:00 A.M. their first stop was at the house of John Dru Horton Stone knocked on the door a lady answered, Stone said Where's your son? Mrs. Horton said "Why, he's at school isn't he?"
Stone said "Don't answer my questions with questions!" "Now, Did you know your son is missing with the rest of 6A?
"Ohmygoodnessgraciousmercyme!

After Strenuous questioning and many housecalls it was discovered that the class 6A had gone to math class.

* * *
This story is true, the names have not been changed to condemn the guilty.
How do you like my story?

Late Night
Tonight I wrapped all my christmas presents. so far I have a blacklight for robert, my old tape recorder and some tapes for jenny, and I am sending Davey a 1908 sears, roebuck catalog because I thought he would like it.
This evening I wrote to Davey and drew a picture of Mr. Bedell on the bottom of the second page.

Sunday, December 8, 1974 (private journal)
Very Early
Today I am up very early because I was up at 6:00 this morning reading Charly Brown books and then I went back to sleep for a while and got up at 6:30 on the news last night they said that the sunrises at 7:15 this morning so I decided to see it.
I think charly brown books are funny.
Just think, a man (Charles Schultz) is a millionaire just because he can six basic characters and think up punch lines.

1:40 P.M.
this morning my mother asked me to draw an outline of a scandinavian cottage for her 2nd graders to paint
I finished the outline in no time and now I am working on a picture of some kids baking christmas cookies to go inside the house. my mother wants me to also draw the background of a procession for her to, the outline is five feet long and so are the other pictures she wants me to draw
when she takes them to school her second graders are going to paint it, so I don't have to put in much detail because they would just blob on the paint anyway.
I am glad she asked me to do it for her because I didn't have anything to do this morning.
right now I am going to a place in alexandria which specializes in husky clothes to buy a new sportcoat for school. we are either going to get brown or red.

at home 3:15
while we were at the clothes shop called Herbert's youth fashions, we bought a tan courdouroy jacket, three ties, and a pair of brown pants. we were served by the owner of the place, he was a little rough but was nice.

evening
me and my dad went to the mall for almost 2 hours and I didn't accomplish a thing. we left because all the stores closed at five today, when we got out it was past five o'clock and the library was closed. it made me very mad because I haven't been able to get my hands on a book for days.
while we were in the mall we went into B. Dalton bookseller and looked around, I wish I had a hundred dollars to spend in there. while we were in B. Dalton I found a book called "the nothing book" want to make something of it? and it had all blank pages, it might make a good album for leaf pressers.
I think it was a good idea if the pages had lines I might have gotten one for the next edition of this journal.
I think it would be a good idea if the store offered lettering on the front to say whatever you want.

tonight my mom and dad went across the street to the Hielman's house for a civic association meeting to fight the townhouses at the end of our street.
I think it wouldn't be nice to have them because it would make the traffic so that I wouldn't be safe to ride my bike. on the other hand, maybe there would be some nice kids living there. I don't want the houses because they will destroy the woods in back of my house.

Saturday, December 7, 1974 (private journal)
Evening
Today I decided not to go to my art lesson because I didn't want to.
Most of the morning I was bored until robert came. Robert brought the tube from his metal detector, which is smaller than mine and also brought some tacks because they just fit into his tube and he could shoot it so that from 20 feet he can drive a tack into the plaster walls of our house.
we played with our blowguns most of the time robert was here, once I almost caught a squirrel in the head while he was climbing a tree.
we also shot at fish in our fishpond out back but we always used my blowgun because the magic markers it shoots float. we shot at a tin can set up on a tripod from my front porch.
my mother and sister have been gone most of the day.

Later
when my sister came home she gave me a black light bulb for robert's lamp he made at school I wrapped it and put a bow and a christmas tag. I think he will like it.
today me, robert, and my dad went to radio shack because my tape recorder wouldn't work. It turned out it needed new batterys while we were there we saw a ball thing that told your fortune and it was very mysterious because it wouldn't work unless you put on this flashy ring which has a magnet concealed in the base which activated the ball.

Friday, December 6, 1974 (private journal)
Reading
today Mr. Bedell isnt at school they say that he had the flu and had a bad reaction to his medicine and is in the Hospital.
At athletics we ran relay races and in one of them I had to give a guy a piggy back ride across the gym, we couldn't wrestle because Mr. Bedell is gone. we also did wheelbarrow race, a crab walk, and a backwards race.
All the people in my class liked my picture show with the alligator.
I am making a new one where a stick person builds a machine and the machine makes woodpeckers when he turns it on.
at lunch I sat in my usual place at the head of the table.
I am glad that the table head didn't want to sit there.

?
I just finished watching the advent program it was pretty good more about it later

in library
I am now in the new library, it is very roomy but it still doesn't have as many books as springfield estates. it has a couple of big windows too.

in the car
tonight we are going to eat at a new resteraunt it's called smorgasbord, we're going to lie about my age because if you are over 12 they consider you and "adult" and you pay $3.50 for all the food you can eat.

at smorgasbord
now I am at smorgasbord it is a pretty nice place, it would be very economical if you were very hungry. they don't have much of a selection but you can eat all you want. the food is good, well at least the salad is. I think I will get their special for tonight, roast beef. I was hoping that they would have something exotic like crab. I am surprised because I pictured this place to be dimly lighted and very elegant with a chandeleir. and the food would be served on a wooden cabinet.

Evening
I wish I didn't have to go to my art lesson tomorrow.
I am now doing some exercises before I go to bed and I am trying not to munch on cookies and crackers while I watch T.V. I think the flexibility exercises are doing at school are doing some good now I can sit on my knees and lay back on the floor.

Thursday, December 5, 1974 (private journal)
Before school
I don't think anyone on the newspaper could refuse to publish my Ballad of Mr. Stone. I am going to turn it in today, I signed it with (drawing of secret monogram) just to be safe but Mr. Stone is a nice guy.

Geo Class
Today we are playing. Woody Wood Squares, we drew it in big letters across the board and I drew a big woodpecker and at the top we put starring: and Mr. Bedell signed it!
everybody cheered.
I am not in one of the star's chairs and I am not a contestant. I am just in the audience.
I get to run the projector for the next round.

Math
Chapel was pretty nice.
some people did a stupid skit where the ran around the room yelling "Pre-e-e-e pare ye the way of the lord. over and over.

Reading
recess wasn't as much fun as usual, John Koch read the ballad of stone, he thought that I should make a different ending.
I think I will write the Ballad of Bedell.
I hope the table head doesn't have to sit on the end because I will have to find another seat.

theo.
today I started my notes for my Theo. report, it is very boring.

Study Period
people are generally mean and nasty today Hallinan stole my bookbag and I got him for it in the neck.
Hollingsworth isn't very nice he twisted my arm so I got him.
I like this black ink much better than the old deluxe blue.

evening
I just finished my math homework, tonight I watched santa claus is coming to town on T.V. it was a little childish but it was pretty good.
I made a picture show on the sides of the pages of my math book where a guy rides a motor scooter over an alligator pit and he stops and gets off his motor scooter and sees an alligator coming after him and starts running the alligator crawls along a ditch and the runner couldn't see him and the motorcyclist stops running and the alligator comes up from behind and eats him and contentedly goes back to the pit.

Wednesday, December 4, 1974 (private journal)
Geo.
I dread going to demerit hall.
for theology I have to write about 4 pages on a religion, I am going to do Confucianism.

Math
I am looking forward to wrestling.
I had fun at athletics and at recess me and Hesse played cops and robbers again.

Reading Class
I never buy any books on a book order because I just don't bother.
I just can't beleive how many books Peter Hallinan reads, in our reading file he has a stack of file cards an inch high.

Study prd.
I don't know what I will do at demerit hall, I know that I can't do my homework and I didn't get any work from my teachers.
I finished all my homework so none can accuse me of doing it.

The ballad of Mr. Stone
Mr. Stone down the hall,
if you listen hear him bawl,
be quiet or I'll smash you all!
Look, look what a sight!,
Stone's coming down the hall so fast it looks
like he's in flight!
No time to run, we'll have to fight . . . . . .
Stab him with a pen, he's down!, oh, no
he's up again!
Mr. Stone was finally slew,
for someone knew just what to do,
he got a mirror for he knew,
what Stone would see is icky goo,
the battle tied 'cause we did too.

evening
demerit hall wasn't too bad
I managed to do three units of a sixth grade workbook. in one of the units I got to draw a picture.

Tuesday, December 3, 1974 (private journal)
Math Class
This morning in geo. we had to write our notes from our geo. book on historical periods of russia.
I have a rock I think is a meteorite because it is very heavy for its size and I found it in the middle of our school field when I was in springfield estates school, I was in third grade at the time.

Reading
Recess wasn't much fun today.
Mrs. Price isn't in a very good mood.
all our posters have been taken home.
John Koch made a big fuss about a fly that landed on Bobby Curtis' legs.
Mrs. Price liked my book report, I got and "A"
I can't wait to get home.
Today I finally hit Bobby Curtis back, he is a real bully.

Theo.
I finished most of my math in English class.
Tonight my mother went to bingo. my dad is mad about it even though my mother asked and he said yes.
Our next book report is going to be an oral one.
I wish there were something to watch on T.V. after Hogan's Heroes on channel twenty. My sister is a crybaby.

I hate my dad on nights like this he gets all worked up and yells and screams all night. I am very upset. he made us clean the living room all by ourselves, while he stands on the sidelines and yells at us some more. he upsets me an awful lot. he talks about how mom doesn't do any housework, throws things on the floor, which are entirely false. I think I will go out and tell him that he would immediately stop if someone came over. he once said that mom would do that.
I am going to leave home as soon as possible when I grow up.
my sister is lazy she won't do her homework and somebody always tells her the answers.
I like friendly dogs but I don't like the kind of dog who barks at you whether he knows you or not.
I think the movie "the Red Badge of Courage" was dull, I think the book might be better.
I think it would be neat to have a time machine to travel in.
I like the humming of my fish tank at night.

December 2, 1974 (school journal)
Stone's bones
One routing day Mr. Stone walked into his sixth grade classroom. He eyed his glaring pupils, sizing up the day's competition. He walked up to his class, crouched down to inspect the legs for stability when wham, someone booted him from behind. Stone got up from the floor and looked around.
He decided that he wouldn't catch the culprit and sat down, crash!! whoops! forgot to check my chair thought Stone. When he finished getting a new chair his pupils had time to smash his desk to bits. He sat down and Zip!! a nice new arrow from the Mr. Muscle Makes sporting goods shop bounced of his bullet proof vest.
Stone managed to survive the day.
that evening he was walking down his street when he saw a car coming toward him he ran to the nearest phone booth and called the police

Monday, December 2, 1974 (private journal)
Geo.
today we have an old substitute. she seems o.k. we are supposed to write a report on a National Geographic.

Math Class
I didn't manage to write my report because I found out that the article I picked up was about twenty pages long.
we are going to start in our second math book tomorrow.
we got our test results today from November 27 (I didn't write about it.) I did rotten, I got an 68 when I knew everything on it, they were all just careless mistakes.
Jim Croswell thinks I should turn this in to Mr. Stone for my english journal.

Reading Class
recess is the most fun time of the day. today George Hesse, Billy Bavin, and I were playing cops and robbers.
I kept chasing them and putting them in "jail", just to have them escape.
today when I came into the room all our posters were unstuck off the wall and one was ripped. there were lots of things, wind, temp. changes, but I think it was the 7th grade.

English
today we are supposed to write in our journals the whole period.
I can't think of anything to write.

Theo.
our substitute is pretty nice. I think all old teachers are pretty much the same: crabby.
This one is not nearly as bad as Erkhart. She was pleased with my drawing of a church at the extra space at the bottom.

Tonight I finally gave my dad what he had been waiting for, I read the third page of November 23.
Now it is time for me to go to bed but I don't want to.
I didn't watch Rhoda tonight. instead I talked to my dad
I think we are slowly coming together but he has a long way to go.
I really think I should have a more specific time indicator for this book.
tonight I made a blowgun out of the metal tube from my metal detector, It shoots marbles with great force. I may go bean some birds tomorrow.
Sometimes I think, when I'm in college I take this notebook out of a dusty trunk and read it and think back and remember the good times I've had.
In case there's any doubt: I'm 12

Sunday, December 1, 1974

evening
Today I have to write my book report.
This morning I had a good breakfast, bacon and eggs. After that I decided to go to the roller rink. I stayed there until four o'clock.
The weather has been perfectly awful all day. This morning me and jenny bundled up and went outside we found out that one section of our back fence had been blown out. I had fun at the roller rink.

I can't figure out what makes teen-agers do some of the things they do, while I was at the roller rink I saw two people push down other people for no reason. I also overheard a couple of teen-agers say to each other: "Let's go push that fat turkey down" actually the person whom they were talking about was not fat at all.

we are having spaghetti for supper again tonight. we have a lot of spaghetti, but it doesn't matter because everyone in our family loves it.

I think during this storm that my room feels like the captain's quarters on an old sailing ship. except a lot messier.

our back yard has a nice pond made out of cement about 4' wide and 5' long in the shape of a sea shell with a fountain shaped like a statue of two people. we also have three (3) or four (4) plum trees. we used to have an apple tree and an orange tree but they were dead so I got rid of them. we have a big oak tree right in the middle of our yard it's almost 3' in diameter. whenever the wind blows hard it passes my window and make eerie sounds.

I like my new draw poker machine.

well, my dad has suceeded in ruining another evening that would have been nice.
now I can't write my book report.

watching kojak
I am pretending to be upset but I really did my book report and I am pretending I didn't to worry my parents.