1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16)
The majority of Larry’s entries in November deal with school, band, movies, and work. He mentions in passing that Mom is struggling again. Carleen had more to say about Mother below the diary entries.
Nov 1 Went to San Francisco Sherman Clay 3rd time. New springs for horn. Got up at 3:30. Missed community concert. Cop stopped me in Escalon, front light out.
Nov 2 Played solo (Auld Lyne) for Tuolumne County Education Association, all of the teachers. Bob Woodward sang also. Mrs. Cassina played my accompaniment.
Nov 3 Lost 2nd game of season to Manteca 41-0. B’s lost again. Went down with Don Grant. Band didn’t play for game but did for Pep rally
Nov 4 Up at 6 for Music Clinic at Stockton, 30 some basses, 600 piece band. I was first row. Back at 2 a.m.
Nov 5 Slept till 10:45, almost missed church but made it. Saw show Peggy. Cleaned up room and put on electric blanket again, shades still down
Nov 6 1st T.C.B. practice in over a month. Band practiced marching. Passed out Wildcat #4. FFA assembly, Kaufman mentioned my name
Nov 7 Saw show Copper Cannon, led band for short time then march formed a spinning square with arrow. Gave Marjorette W. lessons on fingering bass
Nov 8 Saw show The Outlaw Jane Russell. 2 boys with 7th cleaned up other horn, bought G&G books up to date with Parli. Max cut off fingernail of M.W.
Nov 9 TCO & BC practice. Brass Choir all there but only a few orchestra members. Got paper plates for USA formation, transposing “Sleigh Ride”
1951 Green & Gold Sonora High School year book; Larry is far right
Nov 10 Band and Brass Choir played for Pep assembly for Oakdale game. Stuff in my horn, pulled out. Didn’t go to any classes, excused from all.
Nov 11 Oakdale won 27-7, band played for parade and pre-game. Went to bed early at 6, missed dance.
Oakdale Football Parade, Nov 11, 1950; Larry at left rear on tuba
Nov 12 Got up at 7 and went to 8 o’clock mass. Church has 2 new priests. Saw show Curtain Call at Cactus Creek. Opened safe this morn.
Nov 13 Had T.C.B. 9 guys there, Played tin horn. Got adds for Wildcat #5. Got new black metal stands for band. Brought home T.C.B. horn to fix
Nov 14 Fixed and shined upright bass. Got Sousa book in band. Am on Bob Walls team in PE. Hailed and rained hard. Practice till 5
Nov 15 Saw show The Heiress and Golden Twenties. Practiced tuba at school
Nov 16 T.C.O. and B.C. practice. Hagemeyer talked to me about the publicity for the band. Played with beginning band.
Nov 17 FFA-FHA dance. I went stag and danced almost every dance, had good time. Mex. took Carleen
Nov 18 Saw show Blues Busters with Alan. Creek flooded way up high. Small towns about flooded
Nov 19 Saw show Three Little Words. Walked out past Bonnie’s house afterwards. Another new young Father at 11:00 o’clock mass
Nov 20 1st meeting of Music Club 8 (about) there. Passed out Wildcat #5. T.C.B. practice. 1st noon B.C. rehearsal. Went to bank 6th period for Wildcat
Nov 21 Practiced with the high school orch. 1st time. “New Moon” Went to Europa after T.C.O. with Dwain and Joe
Nov 22 Sang in Mixed Chorus 1st time in public. Also played in H.S. Orch 1st time this year for Thanksgiving assembly. B.C. played for Lions
Nov 23 Thanksgiving. Kept store open 11 to 7. Cleaned room, washed windows. Sent letter to Sherman Clay about horn. Great big dinner.
Nov 24 Saw show Arabian Nights and Tarzan and Slave Girl. Sat with Don Grant and Duane Jacobsen. Mom sick. Roof got reshingling for first time
Nov 25 Got a new pair of pajamas at Pennies. Cal-Stanford tie 7-7
Nov 26 Ima came in store and played party records. Very slow day for business. Steak dinner. Took bath. Straightened music.
Nov 27 Jrs. got their class rings Got folio on C.O.P. test in theory. Roof all reshingled green
Nov 28 Saw Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion 1st variety show meeting. Very foggy.
Nov 29 Saw Rubinstein concert in Stockton, went backstage after
Nov 30 Found wallet, also binder. B.C. and T.C.B. rehearsal, rode home with Mr. Pressey
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Nov 1950, Thanksgiving Day • Sonora
After a short spell of being gone again, Mother returned for Thanksgiving. The air was icy both inside and out, and she was not welcomed with open arms. Carleen had taken her position in the hierarchy, and it didn’t sit well. She informed Carleen that as Carleen had taken over and Mom was now a guest in her own house, she could cook the turkey and fixings by herself. It was the first holiday dinner my fifteen-year-old sister prepared, and she was fit to be tied when she realized she’d be cooking the whole thing by herself while Mom sat on the couch, feet curled under her, reading.
to be continued…
© 2017. Catherine Sevenau.
All rights reserved.
Patricia says
That sounds just like my mom. She was bipolar, too, and if she didn’t get all the attention, she would say and do things like that. I bet your mother claimed to have cooked the entire meal herself, at least to anyone who wasn’t there, and claimed Carleen was on the couch all day.
Susan Davidson Dalberg says
Somehow, after their “breakdowns” it always became the fault of the kids, so return home was rarely pleasant!! Larry was soooo polite talking about it!!
Barbara Jacobsen says
Yes. I wonder if Larry is still making music?
Catherine Sevenau says
He took up the tuba again a few years ago, but then developed macular degeneration and could no longer read the music. He was most disappointed. However, after several shots, his vision is much better, but reading is slow go for him.
Linda Troolin says
Tough lessons learned on both sides after your mom left and returned.