Diary March 16, 1960: Looks Like I'm Not Destined to Be a Soap-Carver

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"Dear Diary

We had a test in cooking. I think I did all right, an A or a B. I got a letter from Becky, she mentioned that she had another pen-pal in Ireland, living in a convent! I wish I could write to her. And her sister won a $3,000 scholarship.

I found an I.O.U. slip in my bank, it probably was from myself, but I paid it back (& 90 cents interest). I'm planning to go roller skating Sat. with Gilda.

I tried soap-carving, but I don't think my talent lies exactly in that field (I should hope not!)

Mother painted some of the floor red, and I think green would be good for the fireplace. (We'll see).

My science project's coming along nicely. (and I might not have to do one at all!)"

Becky Pache was my pen pal. She lived someplace in Pennsylvania. I wrote to her eagerly, but never got the enthusiastic responses I was hoping for. I found her through a children's magazine; she had published a horse story, and in a blurb at the end mentioned that she would be interested in pen pals. I was horse crazy and wrote her a long letter full of questions and opinions about horses. She replied with a curt, 'I mostly am interested in dogs, not horses.'