Saturday, July 30 1977

Betty woke me up this morning arriving at the door with the laundry...that is, Pete woke me up to answer the door and let her in.  We had coffee together and after she left Pete and I watched cartoons.  Vicky Plaza came over before Pete had dressed.  They watched TV and set up Pete's electric train in the kitchen.  They played until just before three (making the tracks into snakey curves so the train would go crooked).  When I finally sent her home so Pete and could have lunch (hamburgers and watermelon).  Then I put Pete down for his nap where I read Paul Gallico's The Hand of Mary Constable.  I read his Too Many Ghosts yesterday.  They both involved a specialist investigator of "psychic phenomena" and were rather dull in contrast to Mrs. Arris stories.  I read Elizabeth Goudge's The Sister of the Angels today, too-a charming if rather slight Christmas fable.  I think I'll try some of her other books.  Then I took a nap and, as soon as we woke up, Vicky came over again.  This time they set up the train in the bedroom since they didn't think they had enough room in the playroom.  Vicky went home to have her hair washed for church tomorrow and Pete and I took his airplanes and GI Joe* and his jeep out on the front lawn.  I showed Maria my mother's doll (with china head and wooden limbs) and she invited me in to see her doll collection.  Then she showed Pete and me the 80 year old painted tin car, with two drivers, that she and Daniel had bought at an auction.  They had gotten a leathery stuffed alligator at auction today.  It frightened Pete at first but Daniel got him to touch it  (it looked rather like the evil crocodiles in "The Rescuers")   They have, as one would expect, antiques everywhere-including handmade Chinese carpets.  Then Vicky came back and took Pete-barefooted-over to her house.  He played till about 9:30pm, when I phoned for him to come home for dinner.  Walking back they went too fast and Petey bumped his foot on a rock and cried.  We had pork chops and sweet potatoes but Pete only tasted the potatoes and didn't like them (just as well, I guess).  He had a few bites of chop and a little watermelon and that was all.  Thelma called, back from Sun Valley, and said they had gotten Pete and me presents.  I called Sylvia and arranged to take Pete and Sharon to the 7:15pm movie tomorrow night.  Gave Pete a bath -he had a nosebleed tonight and the rash on his face looks worse.  Saw Margaret Bunce tonight.

*Can't remember if I mentioned it previously, but this was one of the first GI Joe toys-more of a 12" doll than the action figure line that inspired the cartoons and recent movies.  This is one of those childhood toys I wish I still had-if for nothing other than it's current resale value on EBAY =-)    PL