KC's entries for April 1967 begin ...

APRIL 15 SATURDAY  (Too swift arrives as tardy as too late — Shakespeare) 

                Yeah, man, yeah. 

APRIL 16 SUNDAY  (Hurry is the weakness of fools — Gracian) 

    We went to Canada and had a very good time and I bought a lovely Eskimo doll for $10.00. 

APRIL 17 MONDAY  (Using and enjoying is true having — German) 

    We went to Canada and had a very good time and I bought a lovely eskimo doll for $10.00. 

                That is all I can remember

APRIL 18 TUESDAY  (If you utter insults you will also hear them — Platus) 

                                                shh 

APRIL 19 WEDNESDAY  (Give a grateful man more than he asks — Portuguese) 

                                        QUIET, YOU !

APRIL 20 THURSDAY  (The great and the little have need of one another — Fuller) 

                        Life is dull . . . 

APRIL 21 FRIDAY  (No man becomes bad all at once — Juvenal) 

                   . . . dull is Life.

APRIL 22 SATURDAY  (Vision is the art of seeing things invisible — Swift) 

We got back from Canada today.  I had a bit of a headache this morning. 

Everything seems so unreal; Canada one week, back to school Monday ... Oh well! 

    We’ve been reading papers all day . . .  Daddy went to Clement’s house to get them today.  There were 16 all told, out of some 23.  Some he didn’t save, I guess, or his mother or something. 

    Tonight we had a little scare …  The sky was light out one minute and covered with clouds the next.  The wind was blowing rather fiercely, like a tornado.  In fact, there’s been tornados out Illinois way . . . people have been killed or hurt.  It gave me a chance to imagine what the Crucifixion was like. 

APRIL 23 SUNDAY  (The secret of success is constancy to purpose — Disraeli) 

I talk about myself too much.  I don’t mean about the things I do, but about God and things.  It’s a bad form of boasting.  I hope no one ever gets ahold of this book.  I mean it, I’m serious. 

    I think next year I’ll have a diary and be a little more careful. 

    What I mean is that what I write is too heavy and too soppy, which I hate with all my heart.  I can’t stand soppy religious stuff and my writing shows definite signs of it. 

APRIL 24 MONDAY  (The more noble, the more humble) 

    Herb Alpert, baby ! 

APRIL 25 TUESDAY  (Hitch your wagon to a star — Emerson) 

    I have, a million stars. 

APRIL 26 WEDNESDAY  (A wager is a fool’s argument) 

    Yeah, Yeah.

APRIL 27 THURSDAY  (One may smile and smile, and be a villain — Shakespeare) 

          Nothing,       nothing,       nothing. 

APRIL 28 FRIDAY  (There is nothing certain except the unforeseen — Froude) 

No ?

APRIL 29 SATURDAY  (It is a grand mistake to think of being great without goodness) 

I went to get measured for my uniform today at Fontbonne.  Daddy took me early in the morning. 

    The uniform is very pretty; bright blue blazer and skirt, white blouse, nylons, and black or blue loafers. 

    Helena gave me fifty dollars from her and Grandpa toward it.  That should be more than enough. 

APRIL 30 SUNDAY  (The art of silence is as great as that of speech — German)               

                                            ↗︎ 

               You betcha, baby. 

MAY 3 WEDNESDAY  (No epigram contains the whole truth) 

    What’s new, ducks? 

MAY 4 THURSDAY  (Genius rusts for want of use) 

    Today is Ascension Thursday, so we had the day off. 

    We went to Hyde park, on the bus, because Daddy had to go to school. 

    I bought Jane’s birthday present in Lynch’s [Drug Store]. 

    I got three books out of the library. 

    Tomorrow is Jane’s birthday. 

MAY 5 FRIDAY  (A hasty man never wants woe) 

    Today is Jane’s birthday. 

    I gave her a small white ring with pink flowers on it.  She liked it very much. 

    We are having exams next week.  Monday we have Religion and Geography. 

    The thing that gets me is that at the end of next week there’ll be no more exams and then what will we do?  Study, the nun says.  For what? 

    Trocki (Joe) broke a window (supposedly) and he has to pay $48.00 for it!  Crane stood up for Trocki like a lawyer and as he himself said, he said practically everything except, shut up!  Trocki was in trouble for something else, which wasn’t true, and Crane got him out of that.  All of the boys are going to help Trocki pay for the window (stained glass). 

MAY 6 SATURDAY  (One error brings twenty more) 

    Today I wake up perfectly ordinary and have breakfast, or whatever.  (This was two o’clock in the afternoon; I didn’t wake up until then).  Anyway I suddenly notice these horrible red lumps all over me.  I thought they were mosquito bites.  I showed Mummy and she said no mosquito could have done a job like that.  She called up her mother and we found out it was hives caused by some clams Mum gave me.  It is very itchy at times.  

    Late note [re yesterday] that window cost $84.00 and Edith’s insurance company paid. 

MAY 7 SUNDAY  (There was language in their very gesture — Shakespeare) 

    Today I still had the hives.  When I went to Mass today it was horrible.  When I knelt down, my legs rubbed against my blue stockings and it would start itching away. 

    It’s not as bad today as it was last night after I ate some chocolate cake. 

    Helena is going to Expo with Grampa. 

    She came up yesterday to say goodbye only I was in bed at the time. 

    Of course if she had known I had hives she probably wouldn’t have gone, which is ridiculous.  (I mean gone home, and possibly not go to Expo). 

MAY 8 MONDAY  (A bad dog never sees the wolf — Herbert) 

Religion 

Geography 

MAY 9 TUESDAY  (The beginning of health is sleep — Irish) 

Curran

    I am writing this to explain someone.  Curran is a boy in my room who I like very much.  Let me define that.  Like means (and I am being honest, not trying to convince myself) like as how one likes a friend (not a boy friend, just a kid you know and who appeals to you).  He is a good kid but he’s got his faults, but then so do I, so we are even. 

    He is very smart and I can talk with him about things that interest me because they interest him just as much.  He doesn’t like girls, which is typical of a boy, not seeing beyond the end of his nose, because girls are horrible from the outside, but you have to look inside, which I do. 

    His main fault is he is too ambitious and throws things around if he doesn’t do well.  He wants to go to M.I.T.  … [continued on the bottom of her May 10th entry]

MAY 10 WEDNESDAY  (Look to the main chance) 

    Jane came over after school because she wanted to use my paints for her poster on the American flag. 

    Mom bought the white material for my graduation dress.  She also bought me a white blouse for school because all my old blouses are tattered and torn (literally) and she got me a barracuda, that’s a jacket and I am going to wear it to school.  She also bought cupcakes and a Herb Alpert record for me, “The Lonely Bull”. 

    My poster is lousy, let’s face it. 

[Curran continued] … and be a weatherman.  Oh well.  He is good in Math and English and French.  Another thing is that he is like me in many ways.  If he saw that he’d say I was nuts, but I’ll explain another time. 

MAY 11 THURSDAY  (A handsome man is not quite poor — Spanish) 

    I tore up my old poster, all but the flag which I glued on to a new one which is much better.  Jane thinks I’m a fink. 

    I wore my hair in a ponytail today and it looks nice so that’s the way it’s going to be. 

    I saw Curran looking at me and smiling but I don’t know if it was because of that or not but I don’t care.  Which sounds silly and girlish … oh well! 

    Curran and me have been getting along swell.  At 1st I didn’t think he’d talk to me but he does now.  Mainly about tests and things of school type nature.  When I say talk I don’t mean 9 hours discussion, I mean 9 seconds if I’m lucky.  Curran still doesn’t like girls, but he’ll talk to me which is a lot as far as I’m concerned. 

MAY 12 FRIDAY  (A man apt to promise is apt to forget) 

     Sister Rose Maxine told me today I did pretty good on my French test — only 4½ wrong out of 50.  She said of the papers she corrected so far I had been top but I wonder if she had corrected Curran’s or Gaynor’s. 

    Curran did miserable on the Reading Test and the Spelling (miserable for a kid with his brains, I mean, but then maybe they aren’t his baby like they are mine). 

    I went down [to] Helena’s.  We stopped for ice cream on the way.  I got chocolate cocoanut which is very good. 

MAY 13 SATURDAY  (If men be good, government cannot be bad — Penn)

    Grampa & Helena, Eily and Bob and me went to Scituate, which is beautiful.  We went down to the harbor where all the boats are.  It is lovely down there with the sun shining on the water and the lighthouse and the fishermen.  I could stay there all day. 

    Sometime I would like to paint a picture of it all.  Down at the lighthouse there are some rocks that jut out into the water like a small peninsula.  I climbed out over these and put my hand in the water. 

    Helena bought me a gingerbread man. 

    I got a half-yard each of blue, white, red, and yellow ribbon for my ponytail. 

MAY 17 WEDNESDAY  (Make us happy and you can make us good — Browning) 

    Not much now, either. 

    Wait — Just noticing 

    Curran is polite — to me anyway — if I’m goofing it up he doesn’t make faces at me like he does everyone else.  But then I’d do the same. 

    Not noticing — 

    If various people ever read this diary and what I noticed they’d probably laugh or get upset . . .  but I’m not stating these as facts, rather as a translation of what I see.  Get me? 

MAY 18 THURSDAY  (What is strength without a double share of wisdom? — Milton) 

Those nuns are getting down everyone’s back.  The whole room is filled with tension, like something is going to snap back in their faces. 

    The nuns pounce on the kids, like a bunch of lunatics. (the nuns)

    Sr. Noreen is o.k. and I owe her a lot. 

    Sr. Rose Maxine is very nice. 

    Sr. Edwardine must be slightly retarded. (addled) 

    Sr. Genevieve is rather a bit old.  I’ve got to the point where I sit behind Jane G and make noises, whenever Sr. Genevieve comes in.  I have to stick it out to the end somehow. 

    Sr. Noreen & Sr. Rose M. are the only ones who don’t bug.  Of course every nun has their bad day, but I understand that.  At least they are normal. 

MAY 19 FRIDAY  (Hatreds are the cinders of affection — Raleigh) 

Today I had to go to the dentist.  I thought he might pull out one of my teeth; in fact I hadn’t thought otherwise.  He said no, and one of my teeth is going to loosen by next week.  I hope he knows what he is talking about, because it’s been that way for a long time.  What a relief not to have him pull it out though! 

    Last night my tooth that was all cracked up was very loose, so I pulled it out.  It came out in 3 pieces.  If I’m ever going to be a dentist I'll have to have practice.  Of course, I pulled it out with my fingers. 

    Later: Mommy says my teeth are very strong — and that’s because I drink so much milk.  So it’s true after all.  The dentist says I have a narrow jaw. 

MAY 20 SATURDAY  (Method will teach you to win time — Goethe) 

This morning I went over to St. Anne’s and took the Scholarship test.  Who knows, maybe I’ll win it.  There are two awards. 

    Sr. Alice Marita was very nice. 

    Mr. & Mrs. Hurley (Sid & Olga) came over.  They are nice — interesting…

    I watched Mission: Impossible*; Plot: 

Four sons of the Old Nazis meet.  Each has part of plan to get the Jew’s money.  Force gets one of them and Martin Landau impersonates.  So forth and so on.  They (Nazis) put 4 pieces together which are on microdots.  They go to a cemetery.  M.I.F. [Mission Impossible Force] goes to cem. before Nazis.  The plan leads to Eva Braun’s grave.  They find out that the gold is built into the mausoleum.  Very good — Steven Hill great actor! 

    * [This was “The Legacy”, episode #15 from season 1, which first aired on Sat. Jan. 7, 1967, and part of that time slots reruns over the break before season 2’s start on Sept. 10th 1967]

MAY 21 SUNDAY (The groundwork of all happiness is health — Hunt) 

V. S. D. (very special day)

    That quotation up there is true.

    Today I decided that riding my bike would be a good idea, so I dragged Eily on a long hike.  After Mass, I went again — sob. 

    I was riding along and I saw this girl.  She had said hi to me several times — one reverse.

    Well today same thing only I went a little further.  Before I know it we are talking away.  Her name is Patricia (Patty) Playeau or something like that.  That’s how you say it. 

    She is tall, almost as tall as me, only in 7th yr, interesting, comparatively intelligent, fascinating to talk to, and she is honest and sincere and kind.  She likes messing around with little kids, but she doesn’t say “aren’t they cute?” all the time.  She likes to help other people.  I think she is quite nice and a better specimen than Janet. 

MAY 22 MONDAY  (To choose time is to save time — Bacon) 

Meet Patty at 3:20.            DON’T FORGET 

Puleo          NOT THAT THERE’S MUCH CHANCE OF THAT 

Today Patty came over at about 3:20 with a friend of hers, Grace & her baby brother (?).  Then another girl came, Grace’s sister, Roseanne. 

    I became friendly with all of them quickly.  I ask God for 1 friend & He gives me 3! 

    Patty, Roseanne and me went for a walk into the swamp near Paul’s bridge.  Then we went to the brook and put our feet into the water.  Patty dropped her sneakers in the brook.  Then we walked home barefoot.  We went home for supper, then they came over to do homework in the back yard.  After that they showed me how to jump-rope on a long rope; they are very patient, but I got there in the end. 

    Tomorrow we are going to play tennis down the playground — I can see where I’m going to get a lot of exercise this summer! 

    Wednesday is procession day, Mommy is making my graduation dress — It’s nice. 

MAY 23 TUESDAY  (History makes one shudder and laugh by turns — Walpole) 

Today we played tennis and I am the best of the bunch.  I was hopping all over the place. 

    Momma nearly finished my dress.  It is beautiful. 

    Anyone reading this diary must think I have a crush of Curran. 

    I don’t; I have had crushes before and I know what they are like.  His isn’t — it’s just . . .  If I were a boy we’d probably be good friends — only I’m not, that’s all.  As it is, he is as much of a friend as is possible through circumstances.                                                 I’m too enthusiastic. 

MAY 24 WEDNESDAY  (His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles — Shakespeare) 

Today we had May procession ～ very nice.  Mommy did a gorgeous job on my dress. 

    I met Patti and we went to Cleary Square in Hyde Park and walked around.  I bought two bright blue enamel pins for my hair. 

    Went to a pizza place and got a piece each and a drink of tonic. 

    I’ve never had such an interesting week before. 

    After supper I went to Patti’s house and played a game and met her family and then we went to Gracie’s house and played outside ～ very nice. 

MAY 25 THURSDAY  (Do not hang all on one nail — German) 

Today I didn’t do much because it rained and it poured.  The wind blows fiercely with a beautiful rushing sound, while the trees shake their heads, “I won't, I won't.” 

    John Clearly sits beside me again.  I thought I might get my seat changed, but, thank God, no. 

    Today Cleary had a rotten Science mark.  Sister Noreen asked him for it twice, then got off on another subject, then got back to marks again and asked him a third time.  Well, what kid wants to constantly repeat a lousy mark?  So he said, “You heard me.”  He was sorry after she let loose on him.  I don’t think it was fair.  She never made a mistake before, never said the wrong thing.  Oh, yeah! 

MAY 26 FRIDAY  (A good name is better than riches — Bible) 

It has rained steadily and I don’t think I have seen the sun for 2 days. 

    We went to the movies, Mom, Dad, and I, “Bullwhip Griffin” and “The Fighting Prince of Donegal”, which was very good. 

    Looking back at that episode [from yesterday] : Cleary was wrong to say that but Sr. Noreen needn’t have acted in the way she did. 

I am not complaining that she reprimanded him, but I don’t like what she said.                       On the other hand, who am I to judge her?  

MAY 27 SATURDAY  (Be bright and jovial among your guests — Shakespeare) 

Today we are going to Canton and Dedham.  Tomorrow we are going to a cookout at Hurley’s.  These India type Indians are going to be there, 3 of them.  

MAY 28 SUNDAY (The beard does not make the philosopher — Italian) 

    We did not go to the Hurley cookout after all.  Bobby was sick, so no go. 

JUNE 5 MONDAY   (Good ware makes a quick market) 

Naught me. 

JUNE 6 TUESDAY   (Business neglected is business lost) 

Yawn . . . . . . .  !

JUNE 7 WEDNESDAY   (All good things are not given to one — La Fontaine) 

Today something big occurred. 

    It was a perfectly ordinary night.  I was upstairs in Grandpa and Helena’s room.  Some guy came to the door.  Mommy thought he was a salesman and didn’t act toward him as one would a man from the National Guard, which he was.  He gave Mom a card and told her to call up this guy at the Armory, because I had won some contest, which I couldn’t think of, except for a flag contest which we had entered. 

Dad called up this guy . . .  Major Riley and found out the details.  I have won a contest, not 1st, 2nd or 3rd, but I am the Boston finalist.  I have to go and see Governor Volpe in the State House and I am getting a Paul Revere bowl in the common [formally, the Boston Common, a 50 acre park in downtown Boston, originally purchased by Puritan colonists in 1634] on Flag day. 

    Tomorrow I go to the Armory to get my picture taken.  So I don’t go to school. 

JUNE 15 THURSDAY   (All doors open to courtesy) 

Today is a sad one because this is the last day of school at Kennedy. 

    I started a rag fight today.  Maybe that is not the best sort of thing to be doing, but on the other hand the kids let out their emotions that way. 

    I got this pen from Frank Crane (I think he was feeling bad, in fact we all were). 

    Cathy Gately started crying on the way home.  So were Jane and Lorraine. 

    I feel bad but I didn’t feel like crying.  I don’t know …  8 years of my life … 

BOOM !

JUNE 16 FRIDAY   (Many are brave when the enemy flies — Italian) 

        Graduation from 8th grade at Lt. Jos. P. Kennedy Mem. School 

    Today was many faceted: 

1. It is the day of my graduation. 

2. I received $47.00 from relatives and friends.  Miss Hilduff and Miss McGowan sent me $5, which was a very nice surprise.  Now I have, plus Daddy’s $20, enough money to get a good shortwave radio.  I’ve wanted a shortwave for a long time, but I don’t think I ever dreamed I’d get one this soon. 

3. Graduation at school was lousy.  Grandpa didn’t go, but [Aunt] Dotty did, so that was good, but that’s about it.  The kids were trained like dogs; everything smooth, but you didn’t have the feeling this was a nice goodbye. 

4. Because of the long graduation I decided to go to Jayne Carney’s party. 

5. Daddy took a bunch of colored pictures of me which all came out rather well.  I’m in my graduation dress, which is white.  We took one at school, it was on the playground, but the background was all black and I am the only thing that shows.  Symbolic? 

    I’m kidding (really, I’m not that egotistic).

JUNE 17 SATURDAY   (All cats are gray in the night) 

It is Saturday morning and a lovely one.  I am lying in bed, writing this now I have just finished yesterday.  I was thinking, I could go right on now and I don’t think I’d even miss anything (school-wise).  I wish I didn’t have to go to that party tonight, but I do, alas, alack!. 

    Today maybe I will get a chance to look at some shortwaves.  I was thinking in terms of a Halicrafter.  Isn’t it funny, the great travelers start with Hal, like Halicrafter shortwaves, and Richard Halliburton?

Late note: 

    The party was O. K.; not as bad as I thought.  The cottage was right on the water in Scituate, not far from Helena’s.  I jumped around on their porch for a while with a ball, like a basketball player. 

Everyone thinks I’m nuts.         I agree. 

JUNE 18 SUNDAY   (One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters — Herbert) 

Thanks, God, for this: 

Today is one of those once in a lifetime days, only this is the second time it has happened to me. 

    The thing is, I have won another scholarship.  This one is worth $400.00, which, with my former $700.00 makes $1,100.00.  Quite a sum! 

    Let me explain: This is from the test I took at St. Anne’s.  There were two awards, I think mine is the top one.  It went like this when we found out: 

    We went to church, kind of interested in finding out who did win it, in the church bulletin, because it seemed apparent I didn’t win it since I hadn’t been informed that I had won it.  Daddy takes a look, looks shocked, points it out to Mum, and I see it and what a surprise!  This is wonderful!  Wait until Curran hears about it! 

    We went to [get] pizza to celebrate. 

At just 13 years old, KC had won her 1st "Art Award" on Flag Day, June 14th, 1967, said goodbye to 8 years of Catholic grade school, was awarded two scholarships for (presumably Catholic) High School, and started looking seriously at shortwave radios!