DECEMBER 8

1939 1:55 It was fun, but my, its late - And I was going to get home early! - After Bob + I went to the basket-ball game, we went up to Lee's studio + played modern music - Lee made tea + I did the dishes - 
1940 I am crushed, absolutely. (It's smart to be flippant isn't it?) - Hell, Frederick did not call. And after all he said last night about how much he liked me. - more every time we went out - How much he missed me - Phooey! - He muttered something strange just before he kissed me good night for about the 8th time. But I can't quite remember what it was!
1941 10:30 Have I got a cold! - Ground colors in technique class - listened to War News. (West Coast vulnerable) 3000 killed + injured in yesterday's air raids!
1942 2:15 - I'M GLAD I WASN'T BITTER OR REPROACHFUL, HOW COULD I BE WHEN HE WAS SO TRULY PENITENT? ... I HAD TO TURN HIM DOWN FOR WED, THURS, + FRIDAY! (I HOPE HE FELT ME NOD MY HEAD FOR SAT.) HE SAID IT KILLED HIM TO SEE THE CORNERS OF MY MOUTH TURN DOWN... HE SAID HE HAD NO EXCUSES - JUST THAT SOMETIMES HE had TO BE ALONE... HE HAD CALLED FRIDAY... HIS INTEREST HASN'T LAGGED, I DON'T think
1943

DECEMBER 7

1939 11:45 - That estimate was screwy. Real one is around $900 - So is our printing bill - Felt swell - but tired all day - Drew Gowns for Chilson - Went over to Don's tonight. 
1940 1:35 Am I a hypocrite? ...Or maybe a fool? - Wish I knew. (probably a combination. Right now, I think F. is quite sincere... I am sure, however, that Freddie is not pour moi. (I could do worse!) - ...Shopped all day in Sioux City (majority of gifts bought) And tonight we pulled taffy over at F's... played Gin Rummy nice, quiet.
1941 11:30 SEEMED VAGUELY UNREAL, UNTIL THE NEWSBOYS STARTED SHOUTING EXTRAS. - JAPAN HAS BOMBED HAWAII - DECLARED WAR THIS WILL BE LONG + HARD + WE'LL BE FIGHTING IN GERMANY BEFORE WE'RE THROUGH! - I PRAY CIVILIZATION DOESN'T ENTIRELY DISINTEGRATE
1942 10:50 THE CLIMAX TO ABOUT A WEEK OF BEWILDERMENT AND FRUSTRATION! Leonard SENT 3 RED ROSES AND CALLED twice - BUT OF COURSE I WASN'T HOME. NATURALLY, I WAITED all EVENING FOR HIM TO PHONE - AND HE DIDN'T! - I FEEL completely BITCHY... I HAVE A LOVELY cold sore... I WAS OFFERED THE LEAD IN "WATCH ON THE RHINE" OUT AT COLLEGE... "PAUL H." CALLED for FRI. 
1943

DECEMBER 6

--------1:30
----------ll is swell - (After what he
------------go through in initiation) - 
---------ed -
 Got first rough estimate in
 Engraving - About 1,000 to much!
--940 Nothing seems to quite penetrate the haze...Went to a 
 B.B. game in Vermillion - Blanche, Fred + S... I had 
 looked forward to it all week... Long ride down - and
 back! Saw lot of Auggies at U. - Press came. - wish I 
 could have been with them! The Edda was up for state
 rating - Hope it comes out okay.
-----2:30 STAYED with Chils and Marie - We saw "Sky-
 lark"... They are both dead. - I cleaned out room office
 drawers - Spasmodically listened to Wagner
-----SUN 1:30 - VIRGINIA + I WALKED HOME IN THE
 Bitter COLD.... WE SAW "YOU WERE NEVER
 LOVELIER" AND HAD FUN IN THE Chocolate Shop
 AFTERWARD TALKING TO 3 SOLDIERS... ONE
 USED TO BE A DRUMMER W/ Jan Savitt... ALL
 afternoon DECORATING Studio... PARTY WAS A 
 SUCCESS I GUESS. I DIDN'T THINK I SHOULD STAY
 - TOO popular!
 1943

DECEMBER 5

1939 Tues 11:00 Coming home from the----------------------
artist series (an actress who-----------------------------------
No Time for Comedy). Bob + I got-----------------------------
valued in life - happiness + future-----------------------------
1940 1:00 Thurs. - Another Grim one. I start out okay. And--
then those darn kids start piling it on. And I forget I wa------
ever supposed to be a school teacher.-------------------------
Gee, I get disgusted with myself.------------------------------
Eleanor's letter leads me to think-----------------------------
Thinks I am pretty serious. Well, I'm--------------------------
1941 1:20 I shall probably be an old hag- good for nothing-
by the time I'm as old as some of those femine---------------
faculty members (Party at Sally's) Don't feel out of place----
with them - Worked on Tempura panel today.--------------
1942 SAT 2:00 STAYED UP TILL LATE WRITING ENLISTMENT SCRIPT FOR THE Navy...
DETERMINED NOT TO LET THE FACT Leonard 
DIDN'T CALL, BOTHER ME; BUT IT DID... I'VE 
FELT cold ALL DAY... WE COULD NOT GET THE 
HOUSE WARM THIS MORNING. IT WAS COLD IN 
THE TOWN CLUB WHERE VIRGINIA, JEANNE + 
BARBARA + I HAD LUNCH -
1943

DECEMBER 4

1939 Mon. 12:00 - We wrote copy for "Picampus" tonight. - Bill + Carp brought me home (they'll probably be writing till all hrs tonight) - Bill asked to bring me home Wed. night from the Philo-Web party! - He's so young! (Swell, though)
1940 1:00 My first experience judging a debate contest - thoroughly enjoyed it (also the $3). I still feel like one of the students; Today was grim. 
1941 - C'est horrible - Guess it was waking up at 7:45 - When I had an 8:00 that started things out right. - Came home this afternoon + slept
1942 FRI - GEE, THAT'S THE BEST PHILO-Web PARTY I'VE ever BEEN TO... Lee HAD FUN too. HE SENT ME 2 HUGE GARDENIAS... I WORE Eleanor's FORMAL and MY HAIR UP... WE NOT ONLY DANCED all EVENING, BUT HAD SHERRY WITH OUR MEAL. CAME BACK and ATE SOME of PHILIP'S Birthday CAKE.
1943

DECEMBER 3

1939 Sunday 11:30 (I'm really becoming efficient at procrastination + all its afflictions) went to a very good "Thin Man" movie with Sara + Helen + Marguerite - then M. + I came over here and we talked about love, happiness life + marriage - She'd make a swell wife for some man (preferably with money!)
1940 My outlook (pretty bad) improved when Frederick finally called about 9:00 - About Friday. He squared everything okay. - I am happy. Also nuts, I don't want to go out with him - Day was intermittently grim + good - swell 5th person -
1941 12:00 GEE, I hope you can get oop in the morning - Didn't acc. much today. Gee, you're really earning that salary? Went over to Jeane's tonight - We talked (I listened) about HOUSE - FIXED lunch for Mother + guests, both
1942 THURS I WAS OVER AT STERN'S THIS EVENING; MRS. S + BARBARA... I MADE MY BLACK VELVET "HAT" BEFORE I WENT...
1943

DECEMBER 2

1939 1:05 Well, I stayed up + got my hair washed + (put up instead of just plain "hang" as I usually wear it) - and really scrubbed in a hot tub - Today I went down to Beache's + talked "cover" - took a driving lesson (Wilmer made me drive out to school + back!) - I bit off part of a tooth last week
1940 10:30 Dear God, I loathed today. And I hate myself... Could it be I don't belong in this racket! ...Ha - And then should be shot for even thinking that way... After all, $120 a month - someone called... Bobby Rees is a corky little fool.
1941 12:00 Bob got home from Mlps - hope he'll settle down now + be good - he + D.J. + I went down to Palace - talked - took sketches out to Mrs. Phillips this aft. Okay
1942 Wed 1:30 NO, HE didn't kiss me! - And I thought more of him
NARROW ESCAPE TODAY... WALKED OUT BEFORE, HAPPENED TO REMEMBER MISS LEWIS SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE GALS coming IN AT 4:00. TURNED AROUND + MADE IT BACK IN TIME - I'M SUCH A DUMMY! - HAD COKES AT PALACE... ATE DINNER WITH VIRGINIA. MOTHER REDID THE COLLAR ON MY BLACK SUIT FOR ME. MISTER SILVERMAIL WAS OVER... WE WENT OUT. My HE TALKS!
1943

DECEMBER 1

1939 - Today I spent with Carp + Howard up at Madison taking pictures of the gal picked by Tyrone Power as the most beautiful co-ed in S. Dak. - Tonight he took me to the show - Carp is sweet but rugged + a little young. 
1940 10:30 Some one is singing "Ave Maria" - Wish some of its serenity would penetrate my existence - somewhere there's a jazz band interfering. I think it's quite symbolic. Today was gone before it began... Got back early. Fred called, said he was working - phooey. Harley + Bob took me for a ride.
1941 11:00 I DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE NICE, PLEASANT DAYS LIKE THIS (L WASN'T OUT!) - WENT OUT FOR 8:00 - NO SCHOOL UNTIL 12:00! - DRAWING AUXILIARY, SPITZNAGEL, DINNER, KNIT, EXERCISE, BED -
1942 TUES 12:00 WAS OVER AT VIRGINIA F'S PLAYING BRIDGE (FOR A WHILE) WITH MARION B. + VIRGINIA N. (2 OF EACH!)... I WORE MY SLACKS, TOO COLD TO CHANGE...
1943

NOVEMBER 30

1939 Thanksgiving: - Well, I really went without Breakfast (after many years of swearing to forestall it on Thanksgiving + not!) - It was nice... Turkey + Huckleberry pie + Mrs. Groth, etc. - for dinner - I ate too much naturally.
1940 Sat I hope I never go out with Hunk again. Yet I never want to hurt him! It would be like kicking a dog. Was a little bored. Bought a pair of shoes. - huge "loafers" - Definitely not school teacher-ish. - Saw Fosters - Not much Utley left Wish I could have done it! - lunch w/ gals
1941 12:00 (SAW HIM AT THE AUTO SHOW - WANTED ME TO GO TO M. BALL - NO!) - SLEPT TILL 12:00 WENT OUT TO SCHOOL AFTER DINNER - COLD - WILBUR WAS HAPPY. R.H. # APOLOGIZED FOR FRIDAY NIGHT - (WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ASKED HIM WHAT N HELL WAS THE MATTER WITH PAYNE! WONDER HOW LEONARD WILL ACT TOMORROW?) WE DANCED TO RADIO - HOPE REV DIDN'T SEE
1942 12:20 WROTE HIM A LETTER tonight - (he's in ILLINOIS) I WONDER IF I'LL HAVE THE NERVE TO TURN Leonard DOWN SOMETIME... HE DESERVES IT WHEN HE NEGLECTS ME SO MUCH, damn him!... And I WROTE TO DON GREGORY, too. I HOPE WE MEET AGAIN. I'M PRETTY BORED with STAYING HOME EVENINGS!!!
1943