1951 • Larry’s diary (age 17) Mar 1 Played checkers at Dipper with Dwain McDonald. Got new music at Brass Choir rehearsal. Got one with bass solo throughout. Also Tuolumne County Orchestra Mar 2 Went to Stockton and saw "Our Town". Most of cast went down. Had turkey at Finney's. Mar 3 … [Read more...]
Archives for 2017
1.54 Larry’s Diary, Feb 1951
1951 • Larry’s diary (age 17) Feb 1 Got "Imogene" in Brass Choir music, easy piece. Also Tuolumne County Orchestra practice. 2nd square dance held, first time I danced. Jerry Paine my partner Feb 2 Band played for Pep Rally in gym and for game with Oakdale. They won both games, A game … [Read more...]
1.53 Larry’s Diary, Jan 1951
1951 • Larry’s diary (age 16-17) Jan 1 Michigan beat Calif by 14-6 in Rose Bowl. Went to last mass. Finished inventory except records. Got to bed early for a change Jan 2 Went to Alan C. house and we went over our stamps. Got Valentine, Graduation, and Easter cards in. Talked to dad … [Read more...]
1.52 Larry’s Diary, Dec 1950
1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16) Dec 1 1st home game Jackson A's lost, B's won. Don Grant drove me out and back. Got price list and catalogue from Sherman Clay on horn. Mailed stamps in late 6 months Dec 2 Turned out Wildcat #6. All ads perfect except spelling. 1st time Balcom (English and … [Read more...]
1.51 Larry’s Diary, Nov 1950
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 … [Read more...]
1.50 Larry’s Diary, Oct 1950
1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16) Oct 1 Saw Father of the Bride with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor. Sat with Ray Ghiorso and Bill Squires. Oct 2 Mom at hospital for operation. Carried horn home for 2nd time for T.C.B. without rehearsal. Boys Sextette and Commissioners meeting at … [Read more...]
1.49 Larry’s Diary, Sep 1950
1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16) Sep 1 Worked on stamps and coins. Treated Joe Drabkin to lemonade. City suing his father for wall crumbling. C.O.P. football players arrived for practice. Sep 2 Put nickels in collection. Saw Mr. Hagemeyer first time since school let out. Hung up pennants. … [Read more...]
1.48 Larry’s Diary, Aug 1950
1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16) Aug 1 Went to Redwood City with mom, stayed overnight at Day’s. Mom drove mostly. Aug 2 Ordered pin at Sherman Clay and got solo in Oakland. Met my aunt Nella May in Sears. Got Ukes and trumpet records. Got fruit. Aug 3 Forgot picking up Decca … [Read more...]
1.47 Summer 1950, Bounty Hunter
Summer 1950 • Sonora ~ The family met Jay Bruce and his wife in the summer of 1950 when their car broke down and was being repaired across the way at Kelley’s. Betty was amazed; they were the oldest people Betty had ever seen driving (they were almost seventy). Mom was concerned about this elderly … [Read more...]
1.46 Larry’s Diary, July 1950
1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16) Jul 1 Cleaned up room. U.S. troops rushed to Korea. Dug in back yard some. Mom went up to Dardenelle for fishing Jul 2 Tuolumne County Band marched for Tuolumne Jubilee, also gave concert. Took Bonnie to show Three Came Home. Got her home by 10:30, then … [Read more...]
1.45 Larry’s Diary, Jun 1950
Jun 1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16) Jun 1 A trial is getting underway in Business Law against shady characters. I am a witness. Bought Business Law book. Senior tea today Jun 2 Went to Phoenix Lake for Junior picnic, went swimming and rollerskating, 1st time in long time. Senior Ditch day. … [Read more...]
1.44 Larry’s Diary, May 1950
Carleen, at fourteen, stepped into our mother's shoes during the periods when Mom was gone. It was expected and she didn’t think much about it, she simply did it. When she went anywhere she took me with her. On her way to school she dropped me off at Mrs. Evans, then picked me up on her way home. … [Read more...]
1.43 Larry’s Diary, Apr 1950; Don’t Go
1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16) Apr 9 Easter Sunday, Band (H.S.) marched in uniform for the Masons to the Red Church. Went to 8 o'clock mass. Carleen got sick. Apr 12 Had lunch at Lions Club meeting of Senior Boy Scouts. Dad got drafted to council in election Apr 21 Carleen got a new … [Read more...]
1.42 The Sight of Blood
Feb 8, 1950 • Sonora, California ~ Mom’s ham and cheese sandwiches were our favorite lunch. She ground the ham with her metal meat grinder which she vise-locked onto the edge of the yellow Formica kitchen table. After filling the soft hot dog buns, she rolled them in waxed paper, twisted the ends, … [Read more...]
1.41 Larry’s Diary, Dec 1949
1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Dec 1 Had first pep band rehearsal, missed Junior play Mountain Justice to do homework. Missed T.C.O. and went to finals on Opportunity Time with Grace. Dec 2 Both the A's and B's won their first home basketball game with Calaveras. Got all ads in. Went out … [Read more...]
1.40 Larry’s Diary, Nov 1949
1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Nov 1 Saw show Every Girl Should be Married. Washed Mode O' Day windows for $1.50 worked from 7 to 9:15 in evening. Washed Schultz Nov 2 Washed Dr. Parker's windows, appointment made long time ago. Side of tennis shoe completely gave out Nov 3 Had … [Read more...]
1.39 Larry’s Diary, Oct 1949
1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Oct 1 I was guest radio announcer at KROG radio for 45 minutes on Teen Time. KROG often broadcasts from store for advertising for store. T.C.B. (Tuolumne County Band) marched for Elks, had to use tin base. Oct 2 Printed 600 Wildcat and folded them. Moved … [Read more...]
1.38 Buck Fever, Sep 1949
September 1949 • Twain Harte ~ September is deer season. My father was initiated into deer hunting up in the Twain Harte hills above Sonora in the canyon behind Sugarpine. He’d been pheasant hunting with his brother-in-law, Jim Fouch, up near Colusa a few times, but hunting deer was a whole 'nother … [Read more...]
1.37 Larry’s Diary, Aug 1949
1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Aug 1 Sold boy U.S. album and kit. Band practice consisted of talk. Band has $320 in bank. Owes Pennies $328.70. Paid them $200. Aug 2 Had dinner at Bob and Doris' house. Had false alarm. Whole town on street. Polishing up horn completely. Aug 3 Had a … [Read more...]
1.36 Holy Cards, Hell, and High Water
Summer 1949 • Sonora, California ~ As Sonora was a backwater with no Catholic school, five Franciscan nuns in black habits and white wimples were imported every summer to bring the local schoolchildren a proper religious education, and for five weeks the nuns had complete charge of the Catholic … [Read more...]
1.35 Larry’s Diary, Jul 1949
1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Jul 1 Raked the leaves up on the ground for garbage man, took walk around town and up to Grammar School with Peckham Jul 2 Sold all sparklers but had about 2 gross of them. Took some out for kids. Got $10 for cleaning off roof. Got 8 pack of BB Jul 3 … [Read more...]
1.34 Larry’s Diary, Jun 1949
1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Jun 1 Cut Spanish because I was 20 minutes late. Watched some practice for pageant. Got impressions for new tooth. Windy. Jun 2 Had last big meal at R&B. 3 weddings, 3 engagements, 1 pinning. I announced Mary Alice engagement with borrowed cat. Chased … [Read more...]
1.33 Benedict Arnold & Eleanor Roosevelt
“Bettyyyy. Claudiaaa.” Mother’s nightly yell for supper bounced across the yard until it floated down to the soft shadows of the creek where the girls fooled away their afternoons with tadpoles, skimmers, and leaf-hoppers. Betty paid no attention to Mom whatsoever. Claudia, emptying her large Mason … [Read more...]
1.32 Dad, God, and the Holy Ghost
1949 • Sonora ~ Our parents never argued about how to raise their children. They argued about my mother’s smoking and drinking and about her housekeeping, but not about the kids. Mom gave the older ones a swift kick or a snapping backhand when they didn’t move fast enough or do as they were … [Read more...]
1.31 Larry’s Diary, May 1949
May 1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) May 1 Days went back to Redwood City. Took bath. Dad owes about $10,000 in bills has to pay bank $1000 tomorrow, only has $800 May 2 Grammer Schools of county came to the High School for play day. Saw show Three Godfathers. Took bath again. May 3 … [Read more...]