Snippets from my five-year diary.

March 31.

*1970 (age 12): Gym day. Piano Class. For gym we went on the trampoline. Piano class was fun.

I never cared for the trampoline. I was always afraid I’d bounce too high, fly off, and land in a heap on the gym floor. (I think it was more of the fear of embarrassing myself than anything.) Glad piano class was fun, that’s a first!

*1971 (age 13): Wed. Got report cards. Today in Gere’s yard – next door, we found and caught a real, live bat. I found it sleeping we let it go after a while.

I remember this day very clearly. Gere was our next door neighbor. She had two large juniper bushes near her front door. I’d gone outside and saw what looked like a cat’s paw hanging on the outside of one of the bushes. After she came outside and inspected it, she said it was a bat. She got a large mason jar and caught it and watched it for a while. We saw its teeth, face, and ears up close. I thought it looked like a black rat with paper-thin wings. Her father was a veterinarian and she was used to being around a variety of animals. After a while, she let it go.   

*1972 (age 14): Fri. Last day of vacation this week.

Not much to go on. Apparently, Easter vacation was almost over.

*1973 (age 15): Sat – Today me and mom went shopping and I got 3 tops. A red one, a white one, and a long-sleeved plaid one.

Glad I was so specific. Long-sleeved plaid one – so 70s.

*1974 (age 16): Sun – Went bowling today – got a 70. Yesterday got a 55. Vicki went with us today. Today was the Cerebral Palsy Telethon. Wayne Rogers from M*A*S*H* was the best there. Bruce called while I was babysitting last night talked for 45 minutes.

While 70 is nothing to brag about, it’s definitely better than a 55. Another telethon and Wayne Rogers this time. Being a TV addict, I loved meeting all the stars from my favorite shows. I still have a few of their autographs in my autograph book, but many others have been lost or misplaced over the years.

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Note to self: Your love of animals and science will stay with you through high school. Though you really didn’t care for English, pay attention – one day you’ll go back to college and get a few degrees in that subject.