The Passing Of Time

Easter 1943 (April 25)

This year Easter was a great disappointment. For one thing, it was dark and damp. Nobody want to go parading in her best clothes when it's raining. Then, the war prevented many of the gay things that usually go with Easter. There was none of the gaily colored Easter eggs, great big chocolate eggs or rabbits, or baskets filled with eggs. Cookies and cake made a poor substitute for young children. It's too common. They can have it everyday. Easter is a special day, and they should have special food.

The first thing we did on Easter morning was to go to church. My little cousin, who is only four months old, was baptized. My uncle was carrying him because it is customary for the father to carry the baby. All the fathers, mothers, and babies were lined up in front when my cousin decided he wanted to cry. My uncle did everything he could to make him stop crying, but Harry cried until just before he reached the minister. Jean, who is about five, got excited because her brother was crying that she got up and tried her best to see up to the front.

After church it was too damp to go out so I stayed at home and finished a library book that was due the next day. This Easter was so different from other Easters, since my brother wasn't at home, that it seems as if Easter is still to come. I suppose our boys feel the same way. They'll do a lot of celebrating when they come home to make up for the celebrating they've missed.

*****

My Greatest Ambition

All my life I have had but one great desire, and that is to travel all over the world. The places i have the greatest urge to visit are: India, Africa, China, and Tibet. I will give my reasons for wanting to visit these places in particular.

India always made me think of Maharajhas or of the different classes of people refusing to mingle or intermarry. Not only the people but the country itself draws my attention. Forest, or rather jungles, wild animals, and the cities.

Africa makes me think of deserts, unexplored country, and heat--definitely heat. I'd love to go into unexplored country and discovery new things and see beautiful animals and scenery.

China, the oriental section of the world, always makes me think of silks, and incense. The weird buildings and the superstitions. The long pig-tails the Chinamen wear have always held a special attraction for me, but only the people who live further inland wear them nowadays.

Tibet, that land of mystery holds a great fascination for me. I have read stories about men going into the unexplored mountains and never coming back. It is said that some of the high priests are over a hundred years old. They put great store in the proverb that the older you grow the wiser you get. It is all this mystery and unexplored regions that attracts me.

Those are the places I would like to visit first if I could ever travel.

*****

My Faults According To My Family

To my family I am one big fault, although there are times when they are glad I'm around, that is, when I do something for them. Maybe, though, it isn't s bad as it seems to me.

For one thing, I make too much noise. No matter what I do, it sees as if I can always find some way to make it noisy. If I do the dishes, I make an awful racket; when I do housework, I make a terrible din; even when I sing, I make an ear-rending sound, not heart-rending, although in some ways it could be very heart-rending. the harder I try the more noise I make.

For another thing, I always seem to be getting in to way or doing things wrong. in the kitchen I'm more of a hindrance than a help. When I walk I always seem to bump into something or someone or find something to trip over.

I sincerely hope that my family will, in some way, come to appreciate me for what I am. they always laugh when I say that. I wonder why?

Orchid

This was my Valentine Gift, presented to me at work, last Monday, and I just wanted to show, for the record, that this stunning and delicate plant has not yet died in protest knowing it has me for an owner, and the black thumb that I possess. In fact, out of spite, three more blooms burst open, and several more are on the way. I'm keeping it at work for the time being, I feel its chances for survival are greater outside our home where tiny little baby hands and sharp little kitty teeth have a tendency to crush and nibble all things that cross their paths.

Carried Away By Love

The Passing of Time

December 7, 1942

"December 7, 1941! Flash! Pearl Harbor attacked by Japanese."

America was dazed. Pearl Harbor bombed? Impossible! But it was true. Shockingly true. Men, women, and children practically murdered in cold blood while resting on the Sabbath. A horrible, cold blooded killing which could be accomplished only by ruthless people. That was how America entered the war one year ago today.

The only effect that the war has really had on our family is: one of my older brother's being drafted, the gas rationing, and my younger brother, George, being eligible for the draft. Sugar rationing has had no effect on us because we get more sugar than we usually use. Coffee rationing isn't so bad because we get enough of that each week too. The gas rationing, though, really hit us in a vital spot. I believe my father will still be able to ride to and from work, but he will not be able to take my mother and her friends to meetings and he will not be able to go out to Indiana on the week-ends to the cottage as he has been doing all summer. All in all, we have not been affected by the war, but other people have suffered severely by losing loved ones.

I have not been affected at all by the war. It seems that the same people are being hurt all the time. The people on the coast and those within reach of the enemy planes are the ones who suffer most. The people in the Middle West are not being touched and may never know what war really is if our borders are always so well guarded.

Looking back on the things the Japs have done since the war started, I sometimes wonder what made us send so much war material over to them. It ought to be a lesson to us not to put too much faith in people we know are liable to stab us in the back.

*****

Christmas 1942

Christmas Eve was the night my father picked to finish his shopping, and since my mother was fixing the turkey, my sister at work, and my brother sick in bed, I was the one elected to go along with him. Now to be candid, I didn't want to go, but did I say so? You can bet your sweet life I didn't. I didn't want my father angry with me at Christmas, so I went along peacefully. Since most of the stores were closed we didn't get much shopping done. When we got home I had to help wrap packages, so to make a long story short, I got to bed at 11:00 P.M.

Christmas morning dawned but our house was quiet. Why? Because we were all so tired we didn't want to get up - a great difference between this Christmas and last Christmas. We finally dragged ourselves out of bed and gathered around the tree, oh yes, and the presents. Did I say presents? And how! But maybe there seemed to be a lot because some of them were so big. Well, it took us a while to get them all opened, and then, of course, we had to sit and talk for a while before getting breakfast.

After we had cleaned up, my sister went downtown to meet a sailor whom she had a date with. I sat and listened to records and my brother went over to his girl friend's house.

I didn't mention the turkey did I? Well that's something worth mentioning. I guess everyone will agree that an eighteen pound turkey is worth mentioning. It was 2:00 P.M. before it was ready and then three of us sat down to dinner; my mother, father, and I. My brother doesn't count since he couldn't eat much. After dinner we lay down for a rest. There's an old saying that only pigs lie down after they eat. Well, I must admit that I made a hog of myself that day. I couldn't look turkey in the face for a week after that, but maybe that's because we had it almost every night for a week after that.

After washing the dinner dishes, it was about 4:30 P.M., my mother, father, and I sat dow to play pinochle, and I must say we ended our Christmas quietly.

Fragments

I was lucky enough to find this under the Christmas Tree and read it, cover to cover, within 48 hours. It's extraordinary and riveting. The depth and sincerity in Marilyn Monroe's writing is amazing and reveals a complex woman that was very human and was never truly given the credit for being more than a bubble-headed pin up. And in spite of that she persisted with her reading, tackling books that I have yet to crack a cover on due to their cerebral and academic content. Just one more quality that makes her fascinating and endearing, even after all these years.

The Passing Of Time

Chapter IV

View Points And Opinions

Thanksgiving, 1942

On Thursday morning November 26, 1942, I woke up and wondered why I hadn't put my hair up the night before. I thought, "Well, I'll just have to fix it so I'll at least be presentable in school today." Then it came on me in a flash. There is no school today! I rolled over and went back to sleep.

Later I was awakened by the rattle of dishes in the kitchen and my mother calling to everybody to get up. With a curious feeling in the pit of my stomach I sat down at the table with the rest of the family. I sat there looking around. This was the first time since Christmas, I think, that the whole family had been at the breakfast table together.

After breakfast I rushed around getting ready for the game. I mean, of course, the Thanksgiving game between Pullman Tech and Fenger. I had to be at school early, because I was going to sell meghophones(sic); so I left all the cleaning up to my mother and sister.

When the girl who was going to sell the meghophones(sic) with me came, we gathered them up and went out to the field. We were only out about ten minutes before our toes and fingers began to get numb. We stood there yelling to the people that if they had any school spirit they would buy a meghophone(sic) and help cheer our team to victory. We even accosted some of the Fenger cheerleaders, but, no soap. Oh, we sold some, but not as many as we had hoped. Why even my brother and his boy friend wouldn't buy one.

Just before the game started, however, we gave up trying to sell them and went to get a place to watch the game. Gosh! How we hoped our team would give Fenger a tough time. According to us, we were going to slaughter Fenger, but you can have an awful lot of spirit and optimism and still not have the size and power to do a thing. That is Pullman all over. Siprit (sic) and optimism? Oh, we have plenty, size and power? Oh, we wish we had plenty.

Even so, we gave Fenger a scare in the second half when the score was 13-7. They thought we were going to get another touhdown, in fact so did we, so they started putting in fresh men and pushig our team back to our own goal line. Numb feet or no numb feet, I jumped up and down yelling my lungs out to "Hold that line." They did. Talk about spirit! Boy, oh boy! We showed it that time. Then our hearts dropped to our boots, even though we couldn't feel them we knew that's where our hearts dropped, because Fenger was shoving us back. Back, back and further back we went. We thought we were going to hold them. We were jumping and screaming to "Hold that line." Fenger made another play; there was a pile up; we thought they hadn't made it; the referees gathered around; we were yelling "They didn't make it;" and then--the referee held up his arms. A touchdown! The score--19-7. They didn't make the kick but, so what! they made a touchdown, that's all that mattered. Who cared about the kick? They were still winning. But! we were still cheering our team on. Even though we had been hoping with all our hearts that we would win, we had known that our team wasn't quite up to par. Down deep we had known Fenger would win but we were hoping they would have a tough time doing it, and they did. They were scared out of their wits for a minute, thinking we might tie the score or even beat them. Can we help it if the lion is stronger than the cub? The cub could have the spirit and the will but still be defeated because of the lion's greater strength.

The game over, I trudged home. My feet seemed like blocks of ice riveted to my ankles. When I reached home the smell of turkey and other food that makes up Thanksgiving dinner soon made me forget my feet.

As we sat down to a bountiful meal, my mother remarked, "Sitting down to this big meal makes me feel selfish when I think of the poor folk over in Europe who will be eating whatever they can get and be glad to get it." That made me stop to think. Over here in America we had turkey, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, cranberry sauce, two vegetables, milk, cake, cookies, and a dessert, while over in Europe the people would be glad to get what they could and be grateful for it. It suddenly made me realize how this war is wrecking the lives of people all over the world, not only by killing thousands but ruining the health of thousands through inadequate and improper food.

After dinner we did the dishes and went to a show. The picture was all right, but the stage show was awful. We got out of the show early and came right home, had a cup of tea, and played pinochle for the rest of the evening.

Taking all things into consideration, I think I spent a very pleasant Thanksgiving.

Journal: Nine Months

Dearest Bean,

This last month was the month of "The Great Crib Debacle of 2010" where all of a sudden you no longer were content to just sleep soundly and quietly in your crib. After heeding the advice of several baby safety articles I removed your bumper from the crib since you are at the point where you can easily pull yourself to a standing position and hurl your toys across the room. Not wanting you to use the bumper as a hoisting device to then hurl yourself directly to the wood floor below, the bumper was removed and retired to the closet. This, apparently, was a huge mistake because the moment we did that the moment you stopped sleeping well in your crib what with all the legs and arms getting stuck between the bars and bumping your noggin on the exposed slats. For five days your naps and nights were completely disturbed and finally, in desperation, I set up your Pack 'n' Play in the hopes that it's flexible, slat-free sides would help get you a full nights sleep and it worked! Hallelujah. We still haven't moved you back to your crib, we aren't quite ready to risk the disturbance in sleep.

In other giant news, I went back to work full time this January. I'll tell you all about the politics and reasons behind it when you get a little older but understand that it seems to have been a lot harder on me then you. Your Nana agreed to watch you full time and she's even agreed to watch another little bebe so you'll have a playmate. Your social skills have just exploded this last month, you are so demonstrative and curious. You love to watch other children and show the utmost patience when other little boys or girls invade your space or touch your face. Adults are delighted by you and you get compliments everywhere we go on what a charming and cute baby we have. You are definitely that.

You began waving. Not a beauty pageant wave but a whole-arm, frankenstein wave. You wave good bye and hello and sometimes you will just wave at the room in general or at your "Finding Nemo" Ball. You are also quite proficient at tearing your playroom apart in a matter of seconds. The other day I had to vacuum the rug in the living room and I wasn't quite sure how you would react, considering I haven't vacuumed in an embarrassingly long time. So, we fired it up and you got so excited! You charged across the room, crawling at top speed, laughing and went right up to that roaring vacuum and smacked the top of it, as if to say, "I'm the boss around here!" You are such a funny little nut!

We finally made it to story time several weeks ago and it wasn't as cool as I thought it would be. You did great, chewing on our book of songs and playing with the instruments but I was hoping it would be a good social environment for mama's as well. Obviously, I have a lot to learn because not one other mama seemed interested in chatting it up and comparing poop stories. However, I was informed by a woman that I simply HAD to buy a certain children's music CD, one that happened to by playing in the room at the time, and that before long I would know the words to each and every song. Honestly, I was a bit horrified by this since the current CD playing sounded like a middle-aged man plucking away at his guitar that he hadn't quite learned how to play properly. I failed to mention that your music tastes at the moment resemble mine, with a heavy helping of hard rock and alternative music with a dash of Spanish guitar and you wouldn't know a nursery rhyme if it came up and poked you in the ear. Maybe it's a generational thing or maybe I just don't want you stuck in a world that is TOO kid-centric or maybe I can't stand the idea of listening to "Old McDonald" sung by a group of children handpicked by the Mickey Mouse Club. In the meantime, I'll just crank up the Metallica and hope for the best.

At your Nine Month check up we found out that your growth is back on track after taking a break between month six and seven. Apart from that there's nothing much to report. Dr. Stein said you have a pretty boring and uneventful medical history and that's alright by us. We don't mind postponing the serious stomach viruses and whopping fevers until you're a bit older.

Christmas was a whirlwind. The tree held the biggest fascination for you and we spent a lot of our time putting up a wall of toss pillows to keep you from taking it apart ornament by ornament. We also got a good exercise of the word, "No" as well. We kept presents pretty simple this year, your wardrobe is impressive to say the least, so we focused more on interactive and developmental toys. Not that it made a bit of difference, for you it was all about the wrapping and ribbon and shoving it in your mouth. Through some bizarre oversight that I am going to write off as being overwhelmed by the holidays I forgot to buy the necessary ingredients for our Christmas dinner. For the past eight Christmas' we always do a lovely homemade dinner with a "from-scratch" apple pie but this year there wasn't an apple or a potato to be found in the kitchen and I had forgotten that everyone, EVERYONE, is closed on Christmas day. So, instead of pouring ourselves a festive bowl of cereal we struck out at 4:30 Christmas afternoon to see what we could see in the way of a holiday meal. It turns out, within a 15 miles radius of our house, the only food establishments that were open at all were Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. We were at the point of trying to decide which was the least likely that would give us diarrhea when we drove past a Mexican restaurant that had a cheery string of Christmas lights and an "Open" sign blazing. Let Heaven and Nature sing! We'd much rather hedge our bets with a taco dish than a mysterious bowl of Pho. And that's exactly what we did. Happy First Christmas, Little Bean! It was definitely a holiday to remember! We'll do better next year!

Love Forever:

Mama