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...]
1.30 Larry’s Diary, Apr 1949
April 1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Apr 1 Freshmen's return was given, but it was so bad I left it to watch the baseball game with Livingston. We won 3 -1. Apr 2 Had tooth taken out, very large molar. He sawed it up and had to take it out piece by piece. Got pills to kill pain, just in … [Read more...]
1.29 Larry’s Diary, Mar 1949
March 1949 • Larry’s diary (age 15) Mar 1 - 8 no entries in diary Mar 9 Joe Drabkin won Lion's club speaking contest. Mar 10 no entry in diary Mar 11 Second night of East Lynn, I went tonight and sat about in the middle of the auditorium with some boys. Mar 12 no entry … [Read more...]
1.28 Death of Gordon Chatfield
My mother's ability to cope waxed and waned. There were times when she appeared "normal" and times she could not deal with everyday life. I know this story feels disjointed (rather like my mother) but I don't know what happened in the blank spaces. I'm simply telling the stories as they were relayed … [Read more...]
1.27 Plucked From the Womb
August 1948 • Sonora ~ I was welcomed into the family two years after Mom’s first breakdown, though not by her. She didn’t want another child, she wanted out. As far as she was concerned, I was a fifth burden tacking on another eighteen years to her prison sentence. Another eighteen years of not … [Read more...]
1.26 1948 Small Town Gossip
1948 • Larry’s diary (age 14) Aug 1 - 15 no entries in diary Aug 16 Got a new sister at 12:10 a.m. Her name will probly be Kathern. Babe Ruth died. Aug 17 no entry in diary Aug 18 Went down to San Francisco, started out at 4:30 a.m. and got back at 8:30 p.m. Store packed … [Read more...]
1.25 Larry’s Diary, Jan-Jul 1948
Note: my brother did not keep a diary for much of 1948. Many entries were the typical posts about Boy Scouts, band, and building bookcases, some days were missed, and some weeks and months were completely blank. 1948 • Larry’s diary (age 13 and 14) Jan 1 USC lost in Rose Bowl. Took inventory … [Read more...]