1 May 1957

1 May 1957

Talked with Irene Dunkin about club work: P.T.A. beats [jumps the?] gun on Scholarship Fund – The other three P.T.A.s were scooped. They will join or give money as a threesome. Memorial has a clear field.

Mrs. Hartig – Looks over old papers and recalls individuals engendered [sic] by her clippings:

Picture of her date – Army man. The tall German fellow. She ditched him by sending him to the back of Dutch cafe [?] while she scurried home.

The fighter (G.I.) she sent to see whether a light was on at Clayton’s – She beat it into the house.

Yesterday: Kurt thinking I was politely wanting him to have a piece of cake, so I could eat it. I really didn’t want it.

How children’s books have changed: Aunt Roser’s horrible [German] children’s books – and the present day American beauties.

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Religious art in the home of the past – and the present.

Writing’s an art – no one tells you it is a technique starting with grammar and construction. No wonder children scoff at the subject!

Writing is like learning to play an instrument. We would laugh at someone who thought they could play music because they have heard it but hadn’t studied it. Yet because we use and read writing we think we can write. Actually, writing is just as an exacting form of art as the art of playing the piano. Very few people can play by ear. Very few people can write simply by using the language or reading.

We eat a cake – we know it as such – we know roughly it takes flour, butter, eggs, and baking soda. But! In what measurements? To get certain results?

My recipe book – Each cook varies her basic recipes. It is the slight change that makes a particular dish. Exact instructions make the difference.

Mrs. Hartig’s best soup.

My keeping a special notebook of personalized recipes for my daughter.

Miss Dennis’ sister’s marriage and the recipe collections she made. Your favorite recipe, please, to help my sister get started!

Occasionally recipes need no change.

My lemon pie – cherry pie. Family preferences and my own preferences.

My mother’s reluctance to share recipes.

Mrs. Glover’s friend’s sister who would not share truthful recipes. It wasn’t until she left the country did she give her own sister her accurate recipes.

My talk with Mrs. Murzon – about her will. She did not know whether there actually is a will, or what is in it.

People labor under the assumption of what people say.

Mr. Murzon’s father: Sold his son his house cheap – got mad at him. Had envelopes of money for each child.

Estate settling can bring out the worst in humanity, emotions like I was the oldest – I did the most – my father said this – my mother said that – why  did my brother have to go to court?

The house was his – the money was all out [?] of the bank.

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The outward expression of our economic life: Newspapers, magazines, books, T.V. – Do they really touch on what makes man think and do an action – Or does man think at all?