Tuesday, 5 January 1971

[Top panel: long distance calls: Cokesbury, Boston Whittemore Cokesbury, Teaneck  Beck]

Up about 7:30—Θ—(i.e., I was beautifully seduced by my wife) so I didn’t get up til shortly after 8:00. I came downstairs, shaved immediately—as I was having my breakfast, Miss Rose Margossian, whom I was supposed to meet at the church at 9 o’clock, called to postpone the meeting because she was having car trouble. So I was able to turn to my reading. I read Paul’s letter to the Colossians; when Bonnie and Debbie came downstairs I had a cup of tea while they had breakfast. Then I started reading in Exodus, chapters 19-24—before this was finished the mail man arrived, with very little. Late in the morning I was on the telephone getting details re: the upcoming COCU study tended to. Had to talk with Bamforth, Nutting, Cokesbury, Boston, Whittemore—and Cokesbury in Teaneck. After lunch Bonnie went to work—Debbie went to play in her room. I tried to get back to studying, but was rather drowsy. I got a phone call from Miss Margossian—so I met her at the church about 2:45—with Debbie. Homer was also there. She is with Action, Inc. and wants to use the church for Head Start if needed. Came home after changing the wayside pulpit. Studied or dozed. I had supper almost ready by the time Bonnie got home. Just as CBS news was almost over—Bob Dawson arrived to work on our electrical problem, i.e., two outlets in dining room not working. He fixed it by 7:30. Also advised us on putting electric heat in back room upstairs. Bonnie went to SS meeting; I played with Debbie (built blocks to the ceiling!) then studied in Mowinckel until about 10:15. Relaxed, read, bathed  OBLO 11:35.

Wednesday, 6 January 1971

[Top panel: 3 photos of cats]

Up at 7:30—came downstairs, read first 3 chapters of Thessalonians while having my orange juice, then turned directly to reviewing Mowinckel. At that hour I was in no condition to plow through Exodus 27.  About 9:30 or so my peace was interrupted by the arrival of Deborah—and we had breakfast together. Bonnie made it out of bed while we were eating. After breakfast I shaved, then turned back to Mowinckel until the mail arrived, then spent some time with it. Read some more until lunch time. During the noon hour I made a walking trip down to Richdales for milk and bread. We had lunch when I got home. After eating I took our Xmas tree (which was out in the yard) + the two trees (discarded in the yard) of our neighbors—a[nd] dumped them over the edge of the wall in the yard—where we have dumped brush in the past—this way they won’t have to be burned. Took 3 pictures of the cats. Sully had managed to climb up into the attic of the garage (using the car as a stepping stool) and was relaxing in the window! Early in the afternoon I made a beginning on the sermon for next Sunday, then about 3:00 turned back to Mowinckel. Becky Bussey dropped in—and she and Bonnie visited upstairs while I read downstairs. Shortly after she left I began getting supper ready. Just as we were preparing to eat, Ed Nutting dropped by with some figures on JYF monies. When he left we ate; watched CBS news. Spent the evening studying; about 10:00 began reading in Exodus, i.e., skimmed chpts. 27-31; bathed; OBLO  c. 10:50.

Thursday, 7 January 1971

[Top panel: 1 photo of cat on radiator]

Up at 7:05. Had juice along with St. Paul; read the 4^th and 5^th chapters of I Thessalonians, then turned to Exodus 32-34. Shaved and began again in Mowinckel’s Psalms—worked reviewing this until Bonnie and Debbie came down for breakfast after 9:30. Ate with them, then returned to Mowinckel until the mail man arrived—spent some time with it. After lunch Bonnie went to Gloucester—to pick up this month’s surplus food and to go to the grocery store. Debbie played in her room, I studied—dozed briefly too. When Bonnie got home about 2:30 I helped her unload the car, then at 3:00 I went to St. Mary’s church. Bamforth, Nutting and I had a meeting to plan this Sunday’s meeting to launch the COCU plan of union study. We met until about 4:35. We have remained very flexible about how to handle Sunday—a lot depends upon how large a crowd turns out. COCU is so remote to most people—they just don’t know what it’s all about—and that’s very unfortunate in view of its importance. As soon as I came home I worked on supper. We ate between 5:30 and 6:00. Watched CBS news. 7:30–8:30 I spent doing some phoning and working further on the sermon. 8:30–10:00 TV: Ironside and Odd Couple. After which I returned to working on the sermon—got about 90% of my rough draft done—the subject is COCU—will the Marrs walk out?! Bathed about 11:30. OBLO  11:50.

Friday, 8 January 1971

Up at 7:00. Read 2 Thessalonians and finished the book of Exodus before turning to Mowinckel. I was tired—previous mornings this week the early hour hasn’t bothered me too much—but it has [been] hard to stay awake; I dozed briefly sitting in Bonnie’s rocker. She and Debbie appeared downstairs before 9:30—then we all had breakfast. I then for back to working in Mowinckel until the mail man arrived. He brought both a box of slides and a movie. We viewed the slides. After lunch Bonnie left for work, Debbie played in her room, and I got to work on the sermon—this was my main preoccupation for the afternoon. I had the rough draft largely done, so it was a matter of producing the final, polished written draft. I was done with this about 3:30. Then I turned to the slides which had arrived today—i.e., cataloguing, numbering, dating, labeling—also had to mount 2 slides that had been returned unmounted. Fixed supper, so we ate shortly after Bonnie arrived home. I was pretty exhausted, weary. Watched CBS news, etc—Spoke to Lewises on the phone. The evening was spent at my desk, getting caught up here and there, making phone calls. I didn’t have the heart to go back to reviewing Mowinckel—which is really rather tedious. I think that the review is certainly helpful—but not very enjoyable or exciting. Bathed about 10:30. OBLO  c. 11:00 Θ

David’s diary, 8 January 1971

©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by David Madison and Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/11/25/davids-diary-january-5-1971/