8- 1965 April: Easter, Science Fair, Color TV, Report Cards, & New Puppies
I find many reminders of rebirth and renewal in these diary writings from the last two weeks of April. Please, enjoy these writings of a 12 year old girl who explores other rites of springtime in rural Georgia in 1965.
“16 Apr 1965, Friday, Daddy picked me up from school. We went by the hospital to visit Grandmama, but I didn’t go into her room. We shopped a little bit afterwards. I got new shoes and a new purse for Easter Sunday. 17 Apr 1965, Daddy and Uncle Red had a squabble. I worked on my Science fair project. Daddy, Adie and I went to see Grandmama in the hospital. She looked a LOT BETTER to me. 18 Apr 1965, Today is Easter Sunday. We ate dinner at the local motel then went to see Grandmama. I have finished my Science fair project. 19 Apr 1965, I had a music lesson today. Went to GAs (Girls’ Auxiliary) for the first time in months. I got my Science project all together, ready to take to school tomorrow.”
As I’ve mentioned in early writings this year, I was thankful for school work as a refuge from some of the stresses of life. My father and his brothers were in a state of agitation and discussion over health questions and the resolving of how to provide continued care for my grandmother.
My thoughts turned to Easter Sunday which offered a moment to enjoy our community. Church attendance typically soared on Easter Sunday. People dressed in their Sunday best and often children had new clothes to celebrate new beginnings. Young girls wore new dresses with hats, purse and shoes. Boys usually had sports coats and/or a new suit. My Easter outfit was a gift from my Uncle George and Aunt Irene. They traditionally sent me a new dress each year for Easter until I was 13 or 14 years old.
As I read about ‘finishing my Science fair project,’ I am reminded that I used resources that required considerable footwork prior to the finishing stage. Many homes were fortunate enough to have a set of encyclopedias. As today, most school projects required several sources of material. I had made several trips to the local library and checked out support materials for my research into “the Heart,” the theme of my project.
The convenience of the Internet in present day to find support materials and answers to any question is beyond amazing. I so enjoy being able to get an answer to any question in a click of a button. Even into the 1980's, students would grab an encyclopedia off the shelf to search for a particular topic or person or area of interest. Most school research was text based.
As students participate in Science Fairs across our nation in 2017, many anticipate and contribute to new dawnings in technology and science which will usher us into amazing developments; we stand on the threshold of doors opening into worlds not even imagined a few years ago.
The Girl’s Auxiliary group was a church sponsored youth group. Miss Patty was our adult sponsor. She hosted us in her home or sometimes in the Sunday School annex of our church. We would sing some praise songs, have some refreshments, and usually have a lesson, similar to something one would hear in a Sunday school setting. Part of our quest as members was to memorize certain passages in the Bible and achieve different levels of recognition. At our meetings, if a couple of girls were prepared, each would recite in front of the group, in order to achieve the next level of competence.
“20 Apr 1965, We had the Science Fair today. I won fifth place. We went to see Grandmama. She’s very weak, but looks better. It’s been almost a month since the fall. 21 Apr 1965, Wednesday, Today I had my music lesson. I got two new music books. Jimmy joined the church one year ago. I wrote a letter to Debra W. 22 Apr 1965, I made all A’s on my report card. The third six weeks period I made my first B, actually a B+. Laurie studied with me tonight. She’s sad about her report card results.”
The Science fair was set up in the gymnasium of our junior high school. Students displayed their projects through posters and items related to their topics. The atmosphere was similar to the way students display their research in current day. Not so much has changed in 50 years!
Music lessons, letter writing, and report cards are standard annotations in my writings.
Miss Ruth, my piano teacher, initially gave piano lessons in her home, but later she moved her little ‘music business’ into a little two story red building situated just past the only traffic light in town.
I remember buying cool little boxes of stationary which had pre-printed themes to liven up the pastime of letter writing. A picture of a bird, some flowers or a rural country scene would grace the top of each page. The matching envelope would carry the same picture or emblem.
In the seventh grade, since we now changed classes and had different teachers for each subject, we received separate report cards for each class. Each one had to be signed by a parent or guardian and returned within a couple of days to the teacher.
“23 Apr 1965, Friday, I took my signed report card back to school. There was a bicycle derby at school. I got a scholarship pin during a school assembly. We are trying out a new COLOR TV set. Very Nice! 24 Apr 1965, Buster (one of Tiny’s litter born last year) is gone. We gave him away. I miss that little guy. Mom, Dad and I went to see Grandmama. We left Daddy over there with her. I mowed the front lawn. 25 Apr 1965, Sunday, Tiny had a little girl puppy. It is so cute. I went to Cuthbert with Laurie to the pond. We had a picnic there. Had a really good time.”
The excitement of getting a color TV set was immense. Many TV shows had begun broadcasting in color in the 1950’s, but the technology for bringing color into people’s homes was just becoming widespread in the mid 1960's.
Our little dog Tiny was a mix between chihuahua and toy terrier. She had a couple litters of puppies during my growing-up years. This particular birth of a single puppy was kind of unusual. Tiny had had four puppies a year earlier.
“26 Apr 1965, Got back a math test. I made a 92. I had a music lesson. Our school Girls’ Choir was on the Rozelle TV show. I’m in that choir! Laurie studied with me again today. 27 Apr 1965, Tuesday, Had a Science test that I didn’t even study for. There was a biscuit contest in our 4-H Club meeting. I wasn’t in that. Laurie, “mi migo” came down and we studied together. 28 Apr 1965, Got back my Science test. I made an 85. I had a very good music lesson. I played basketball in the backyard almost the whole afternoon. The new puppy is all right.”
The Rozelle show on morning TV is a long forgotten blur. She hosted a talk show format that was a local broadcast out of Columbus, Georgia. I remember the thrill of being on live TV. I have one other childhood memory around kindergarten age of being on the “Bob Brandy” show. His show was also a local broadcast. He was a singing cowboy and hosted a small time variety show.
“29 Apr 1965, I got out of school at 12:40 and we drove to Columbus. Daddy signed papers today to buy a new car. We ate at the S&S cafeteria. I bought a new red checkered shirt. 30 Apr 1965, Friday, Today was mess-up day. I got to wear shorts to school. We went to Columbus and got our new car (a Simca) The police stopped us on the way home.”
New beginnings continued with the purchase of a new car. That Simca was a small car which got about 30 miles to the gallon! That was historical for this era. Other larger sedans such a Oldsmobile or Plymouth never got better than 8–10 miles to a gallon.
We kids felt like renegades on the ‘mess-up day’ at school. Being able to wear shorts was big time change! Girls were still required to wear skirts and blouses or dresses to school. Everyone, boys and girls alike, let their hair down and had a fun relaxed time.
The saga continues. Stay tuned.
