Wednesday, 13 May 1970

My main concern today was getting work done on the sermon I’m having to write for ordination. I didn’t make it out of bed til late—after 9:30. After breakfast I went to work on the sermon. Bonnie went over to Lewis’—Carol helped her pin up some dresses. When the mail came—with Newsweek and The New Republic—I looked through them. After noon Bonnie returned and went about getting lunch—we had lunch late—about 1:30. When we were finished I got some more work done on the sermon while Bonnie went shopping. Debbie was sleeping and I took a break—I finished the fence around the strawberry patch—which I had been working on when I got the mumps. I find that I still don’t have a reserve of strength—I was pretty tired. I tried to work on the sermon; read through the paper when it came. Then napped from 6:00–6:30. Watched CBS news—we had supper. From 7:30–9:00  I worked on the sermon—also played with Debbie. From 9:30–11:30 we watched the film: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance—I’d seen it many years ago with Mrs. Myers. 11:30—watched Johnny Carson, bathed—had snack, OBLO, 12:45.

Thursday, 14 May 1970

Up about 9:15. Had breakfast, then went to work again on the ordination sermon. By noon I had finished it except for the conclusion—for some reason this turned out to be a very difficult conclusion. Trying to get some thoughts I strolled in the yard—also sawed off a dead branch from a short tree in the picnic area. After lunch I shaved, then went to the P.O. to confer with Mr. Gray on this Sunday—the American Legion is visiting our church. Then I changed the wayside pulpit. When I got home I played with Debbie a while. Then she and Bonnie went for a walk—down to see Drue. I worked on the sermon again—the conclusion—finally finished it. About 5:30 I began working on supper—we ate about 6:30. At 7:30 I went about getting the lawn mower out—for the first time this season. To my surprise it started up immediately—on the second pull of the rope. I mowed until about 8:20. Then came in to watch TV—Ironsides. Shortly after this was over Ned Albee called. They’ll be coming Sat. morning instead of Frid. afternoon. 10:00-11:00 I tended to various things, worked on cleaning up my study. 11 o’clock –bathed; OBLO.

Friday, 15 May 1970

[Top panel: took pictures of Debbie in box]

Up about 9:30. Had breakfast—did some yard work—tried to get the picnic area into a little better shape—again I found myself getting exhausted very soon. Relaxed to wait for the mail man—he brought the black and white pictures that we’d taken of Debbie last Monday and a new Time-Life art book, The World of Whistler. I looked through this—also read some in Life magazine. I wasn’t hungry—so didn’t have lunch. But I supervised Debbie while she finished hers—Bonnie went off to work. I put Debbie down in her room, she immediately went to take a nap—fell sound asleep. I relaxed for a while, but then got up and wrote letters—urging an end to the war—and giving encouragement to anti-war senators. Wrote to: Kennedy, Brooke [?], Harrington, Fulbright, H. Hughes, Goodell, Hatfield, Church, McGovern, Margaret Chase Smith, Earl Landgrebe, Griffin, and President Nixon. This took most of the afternoon. Also wrote to Mrs. Myers. After Bonnie got home I did some mowing, 6:00–6:30—we had supper, watched CBS news. I spent the evening at my desk, straightening up, beginning work on my doctoral statement. Had snack, watched 11 o’clock news; bathed; Johnny Carson, OBLO, 12:40.

Saturday, 16 May 1970

[Top panel: Debbie 21 months old—we took several pictures in tub, Bonnie putting nightie on Debbie]

Up about 8:00 (ugh!) We didn’t know what time the Albees were arriving so we wanted to be ready. I shaved, had breakfast. But was so groggy that I stretched out. It was a lost morning really, since we didn’t know when they were arriving. I read some New Republic articles and did some weeding in the strawberry patch. The mail man came about 11:00—brought a box of slides. Then shortly thereafter the Albees arrived: Ned, Ann, Mark, Bryan—who is their adopted son (although not legally; he’s been with them 3 years.) Mark is a few months younger than Debbie. We had a nice day together. After lunch we went down to Bearskin Neck. Didn’t spend anything—Debbie knocked over a dish in the House of Glass—broke it—but they didn’t make us pay for it—we offered. Late in the afternoon we relaxed, visited—had tea. Then I fixed supper. After supper we played Tripoli. About 9:00 we stopped, had dessert. Then they prepared to head back to Allston—we agreed to go see them next Thursday. After they left I did the bulletins, worked on preparing the service, practiced the sermon; bathed—more on service; OBLO, 1:25.

Debbie, May 11, 1970

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by David Madison and Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/08/28/davids-diary-may-13-1970/