8/15-8/21/54

 Aug 15 Sunday to Aug 20, Friday We left 10 AM on our driving trip to Niagara Falls, Cape Cod, Syracuse and visits to the kids in camp. Today we saw Sylvia in Quannacut Camp, Pine Bush. She was in fine spirits. We stopped at the American Switzerland Motel in Roscoe where mom found small ants had gotten in our food in the morning. Monday we got to Niagara Falls, crossed to Canada, and stopped at Mrs Daley's Tourist Home. We saw the beautiful spectacle of the falls under colored lights. Tuesday back to the U.S. side and viewed the falls close up - a breathless sight. We got to Syracuse and Sadie's about 7 P.M. where we were received with hospitality. We saw Mrs Kreuger, Sadie as ever, Bernie paunchy and composed, Fredi - husky, Arline - thin, Robert - a rascal. We had supper slept over and left after breakfast. This evening we stopped right in the village of Sturbridge, Mass, "Ye Olde Homestead" where the trucks rolling by kept us up some of the night. Thursday we reached Cape Cod, stopping at the Casa Brazil in Provincetown. We saw the Provincetown Playhouse, beaches, art in the store windows, shopped in the gift shops, saw the Pilgrim monument, etc. Friday we travelled [sic] all day and made New York by 8 o'clock 350 miles. On the trip we had breakfast and suppers out but ate lunch in picnic areas. 

This trip was one day after his final driving lesson? Dad doesn't say when he got his driver's license or, for that matter, when we actually got the car (a 1954 Chevrolet). He says they were visiting "the kids in camp", but nothing about a visit to me. Also, this was the first diary entry where he referred to his wife as "mom", probably because they were visiting their daughter. 

Aug 17 The "House" voted to outlaw the C.P. 305-2

Aug 20 Dr De Gasperi is dead at 73. 

Aug 21 We saw a delightful comedy "Genevieve" at the Valentine with John Gregson and Dinah Sheridan. Also, "Glory at Sea". Eisenhower vetoed the pay rise bill. 

The bill which was vetoed was for a pay rise for federal employees, which included Dad, a postal worker. Hence the red ink, for significance.

8/8-8/14/54

Aug 8 Sunday Pop took us, Molly & Sam and Madeline & Jerry to Woodlawn where I split with Levitan. I won a chess game from pop. Molly had a back-ache but sat and chatted with Lil & Madeline. Jerry worked on my baseball puzzles after the ball games. In the "Mile of the Centruy" Roger Bannister defeated John Landy with a 3:58.8. 

Aug 9 I took my first driving lesson. ...

Aug 10 ... Eugene has won 50¢ on an astronomy bet and is taking merit badges in astronomy, camping and cooking, Vito Marcantonio is dead at 51. Terry, Dickey, Bobby Wallace, Tom Connolly, Ed Barrow, Chief Bender, Rabbit Maranville, Billy Klem and Harry Wright were inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

This list seems to include 1953 inductees (but not all of them) into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

The following box score was glued in on this date; Dad wrote "New record of 13 runs in an eighth inning".

 

Aug 11 ... Dr Bryn J Hovde is dead at 58. 

Aug 12 ... But Eugene would like to go home earlier. Only one of the boys in his bunk is nice. Agnes Rothery is dead at 67. 

Aug 13 The mail was good today from both kids. Lil and Molly went to visit Shirley today. The Senate voted 85-0 to outlaw the C.P. 

Aug 14 I took my last lesson today at the Lexington Auto School.

8/1-8/7/54

August 1 Sunday Temp yesterday 96.3 Eugene was all right. Mom and pop came over, had dinner and we went for a ride to Westchester County. We got a card from Sylvia saying she loved camp.

August 2 Lil took Eugene down to the bus at 167 st and came back to join me in an empty house. ...

A box score was glued in here. Dad wrote "Saturday game in which Adcock hit 4 home runs and double, setting new record of 18 total bases. 

 August 3 ... A new Guatemalan uprising forced President Armas to disband his "Liberation Army". Communists however are not in the revolt. 

August 4 Lil and I went over to the park at Gunhill Road. Molly had a back-ache so we had to go up to see her, but Sam came down and sat with pop and us. When mom was through we went up and had supper with her and pop. Bess Streeter Aldrich is dead at 73 and Colette at 81.   

August 5 ... I got my learner's permit today. Lillian went downtown to Macy's Ohrbachs etc. with Paula P. They looked mainly at dinette sets. 

August 6 ...

August 7 ... Molly & Sam came over for lunch and we spent the day with canasta, puzzles, readings, radio, television, etc. I beat Mac Cohen in the morning. Emilie Dionne is dead at 20 of an epileptic stroke.

7/25-7/31/54

July 25 Sunday Mom and pop took us over to Woodlawn. Later pop came back and lost a chess game to Eugene. Mom and Sadie also came back with pop and just caught Al & Edith and the kids who were driving away. Danny is extremely quiet but adorable. Debby is an independent little devil who wanders all over and comments on everything. She wore out everyone going to the water fountain. I lost a chess game to Al and beat Warren B. at tennis and played with both kids. Eugene also played with Carol Buhr. 

July 26 Eugene went to Dr Holzman's for his pre-camp check-up. Lillian had to stay home to wait the truckmen for Sylvia's trunk. Sylvia went swimming. William MacLeod Raine is dead at 83. Lillian read "A Cry of Children" J.H. Burns. We both read "A [sic] Doctor Looks at Life" P.J. Steincrohn. 

July 27 Sylvia went swimming, then we went to the library where Sylvia drew "By-Line for Josie" R Saffron, "Where the Heart Is" J. Lambert, "New Worlds for Josie" K. Worth, "The Treasure in the Little Trunk" H.F. Orton. Eugene drew "New Tales of Space and Time" R.J. Healy, "Introduction to Astronomy" R.H. Baker, "I, Robot" I. Asimov and "Wildfire" Zane Grey. U.S. in retaliation for China's downing of an Amer. plane, brought down two Chinese planes which attacked U.S. searchers for survivors of the first attack. 

July 28 Sylvia went to the library again to return an overdue book and drew "The News is Good" Marie McSwigan, "Ballet Shoes" N Streatfeild

I played tennis with Eugene. 

 

It looks like Dad left space for more books drawn from the library. 

July 29 Lil and Eugene went down to the 'Y' at 53rd st to see Sylvia off for Camp ... Eugene gave Sylvia his ball point pen in a generous gesture. ... I tied with Gene Zalazny at St James. Last night Lil and the kids went over to Sam & Molly to say good-bye. They also saw mom and pop. Mary Church Terrell is dead at 92 and Jim Bagby at 64. Eugene played ball with Larry. 

July 30 Eugene went to Jones Beach with the Rubinsteins. He had a wonderful time, but came back with an earache. 

July 31 We called Dr Holzman as Eugene said his ear hurt when he blew his nose. He had no temp. Dr Holzman told us to put glycerine in his ear and watch his temp.