Sunday, July 17th, 1977-in which the Biddy Brigade rears its ugly head, and Pete gets a brief case of the sullens

Went to church with Mom and Dad.  Betty and Harold gave the altar flowers for their anniversary and Betty did the refreshments.  Harold didn't come until late , because he couldn't sit down for church.  He had surgery, and had an allergic reaction to (medication-the writing is a bit hard to read-PL) so he was really in bad shape.  At coffee, two of the women at my table started talking to each other about how they'd never got to church in old slacks (or slacks at all) and without stockings...it just wouldn't be going to church...of course, it's all right for some who don't know any better..."  I took it very personally since I was the only one in slacks today (except for Mom who wore her usual trouser suit...what else could she wear?), but not the only one without stockings.  But if I though God really cared whether I wore stockings or not, I'd stop believing in God.  I thought about it all day, getting more and more upset.  If it were only for me, I wouldn't go to church again, but Petey loves it, and I think Mom and Dad really need us to go with them.  Did see Carol Wallace today and she promised to stop by sometime when she's shopping.  Petey and I love her dearly.  Promised to pray for Lynne to pay Mom a visit before school starts.  We took a ride after church-first we went to Safeway (I bought 1lb of coffee-I was out but my check hasn't come and I'm out of food stamps-some meat,, and a small bottle of ketchup...Pete won't eat without ketchup...$8.00).  we went home to put the groceries away and let Pete go (he's having trouble urinating).  Then we went to see the cows and a very long freight train, around by the airport, and home again.  Pete had a fit of the sullens and didn't want to get out of the car.  I got him inside and he cried and cried.  Then he stretched out to nap awhile .  I was going to fix lunch but he went so sound asleep, I took a nap too.  He slept until 5:15pm (no nap for 4 days), woke up cheerful, watched the "Muppet Show" (interesting how things come back around again, I'm seeing previews these days for a new version this coming Fall-PL), "Wild Kingdom", and "Wonderful World of Disney".  Then the doorbell rang.  I thought "oh, oh-Stewart!", but it was Carol Carr and Gretchen.  They bought Pete his very first pet, a hermit crab (named "Hermit Hermit" now) who lives in a shoe box till we can get him a proper aquarium.  Then Pete and I ate, and he said plaintively, "Can I get dirty now?"-so we took digger and dump trucks outside and he built roads and railroad tracks.  Betty Phipps came out and Pete told her about the magic show, we showed her and Bill "Hermit", and gave her eggs and beets finally.  Then I put Pete in the tub, after he wiped his black hands on my white top.  Then Pete and I played "jail" with the front hall closet and "camping" on his bed.Betty gave us the altar flowers from church today so we have pretty daisies.  Read Kemelman's Wednesday The Rabbi Got Wet today-my last library book.  Read Pete Just Like Magic.  Then we played "one potato, two potato" till I tucked him in.