11/21/69 Don’t know when I last attended a Masonic meeting but I made it today. Harry and I went for 3rd degree. “Belly Masons” he called us because a dinner was served. Had chance to talk to Harry alone and satisfied myself that he is going to make it. I told him that Grace had given 25 years of her life making a man out of him and he would not be true to her memory if he let her down now. Fine words, Johnson, how would you take a blow like this?
11/22/69 At 5 p.m. we took off for Eisnachs’ “Hilton on the Bigfork”. A great evening followed. The Eisnachs, including Kurt, Don Chase, Harry and his sister, Villa, and about 10 Henricksons. What a clean looking bunch of kids! They will never get on TV for creating a disturbance. Harry left early which gave us a chance to talk about him. He has everyone’s stamp of approval.
11/23/69 Today I was a fair picture of the typical football fan as seen in cartoons. Fat, sloppy and glued to my TV set thru a NFL double header. The only difference was - no beer. I ate an apple instead.
11/25/69 Called the Cleveland office (personnel) of Coast Guard and Mr. Ball gave me dope on insurance. Looks good. I then asked him to check his figures that said I would get $175.00 per month if I retired now. Can’t believe it. I then went to see Mr. Nelson of Social Security. What a shocker that was. He told me I could get $125.00 a month for the five months I was not working. Not only that, it was retroactive for five months. Wow!
11/26/69 Buck and Dale stayed for dinner. Much discussion concerning feud between Vice President Agnew and news media. For better or worse we agree that the newspaper and TV are a source of trouble in U.S. We are all for Mr. Agnew.
11/27/69 Thanksgiving Day. Company here by 3:30. Buck & Dale and family, Irene Case and Gene Monahan. In the “olden days” we used to feed the old lake bachelors, now we have the widows. This has been a year with much to be thankful for. I checked back on my 1959 diary and learned that that was a bad one. We lost my mother, also Carl Harrison. Both after a long period of suffering. Layna had a hernia repaired. We went thru hell concerning the immigration problem into Canada before finally deciding to cancel all reservations at NWI. Now, 10 years later, it had faded so far in my memory that I had to read about it to bring it back. Surely “Time heals all wounds.”
11/28/69 Bernice put on a post Thanksgiving feed for her family and we were invited. Much to eat and drink, also good talk. Johnny and Sue got their full share of advice concerning coming wedding. The Vikings play Los Angeles on that day and Dick Williams suggested that the ceremony be performed between halves!
11/29/69 Robin and I walked over to island. About 4 - 6 inches of ice. Took off at Buck’s dock. We burned pile of brush, picked up some meat, and on back to their homestead where we burned more brush. A good workout which I needed.
11/30/69 Robin went after Jayme and Timmy to play “Risk” with them. Me a bystander. It is always interesting to watch how those two brothers get along. They told about walking to Backus Island yesterday, shooting a partridge, and cooking it over an open fire. Sure hope this comradeship stays with them. We took Dale, Timmy and Jayme to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. For mature audiences, they said, but I don’t think our kids were hurt too badly.
12/1/69 Had date to show Rainy Lake slides to Lions Club so spent good part of day editing and reediting same. As Layna says, we could stay home and spend the winter getting our pictures in order. There are literally thousands of them. To Rex Hotel at 6:00 p.m. Met Gil Louiseau and had a drink with the boys before meeting time. A good evening followed. Probably the thing I do best is throwing the bull with a gang like that. I enjoyed it. Home about 9:30.
12/2/69 Worked on Coast Guard reports all day. I am peed off.
12/4/69 Harry took us to airport - a good gesture on his part. We were met in Minneapolis by Sally and Jim. As always, good to see them. Went shopping in p.m. Money, money, money. We saw it flowing like water, mostly via credit cards. The Christmas shopping madness not quite in full bloom yet.
12/5/69 The original plan called for us leaving Minneapolis at 5:30. We were told about 9:00 that the Andreases were to be at a dinner for H.H. Humphrey and we would not get away until 10:30. After dinner, we rode downtown with Sally and Jim who went to Guthrie. We wandered about window shopping and then to airport via cab. It was snowing lightly. John Ferguson said it was raining and freezing in Decatur. I didn’t like that. A great welcome from Mr. And Mrs. Andreas and off we went on time. We were supposed to talk NWI but all they wanted to talk about was all the people they had seen at the dinner who knew us. To their house for a drink, a ride in their chair lift and they took us to motel. We were treated royally.
12/6/69 To office at 8:00 where the Nissis gave us the grand tour. It would be impossible for me to describe what has been done there, most of it under Howard’s direction. Had meeting with the new crew we will work with at NWI. George Hanslick #1 with Terry Dare his first assistant. It won’t be the same as the Nissis. Hope it works out.
12/7/69 Up at 9:00 and after breakfast, Howard continued tour of city. Good Lord, what an affluent society we live near - not in. One home after another in $60,000 to $100,000 range. We saw plenty of “other side of tracks” homes too. No wonder there is unrest in the land. Best of all for me was seeing the hundreds of mallards along the lake shore.
12/8/69 Off to airport where we took off for Chicago at 9:00. John and Marsha Daniels on board and we had a good visit. No talk of NWI boats. A snowed in airport, left Daniels off and on to Minneapolis. Worse there. We circled for about 20 minutes while I visualized hundreds of others around us, all potential crasher inners. Sally & Jim to meet us. We were content to sit by fireside in evening. Saw Jim’s R.L. pictures - good! I clipped Jimmy when no one was watching. Think it did him some good. Sure it did me.
12/9/69 Still snowing but not bad. Sally and Jim took us to airport where we learned our flight an hour late. No trouble getting to Duluth, altho I thot they took a long time to come down. I am a fair weather flier for sure. Had lunch with Karen at Zelda Café, Layna to see Dr. Williams, and I to Coast Guard. Got much accomplished with Lt. Banen and Mr. Rosa. It looks like we will get our 3 extra buoys in Brule Narrows. A little foul up in our plans when we learned that Robin had to work overtime. Harry met us, took us to his place for drink and on home by 10:30. Thus ended a very, very interesting and pleasurable trip.
12/10/69 Spent most of day going over mail. Many Xmas cards already. Many newspapers. We agree we are too fat and altho this is a poor time of year to diet, we will try.
12/11/69 I went all out on Xmas cards today. I wrote practically a full page on 33 of them. An all time high for me.
12/14/69 On home by noon despite swirling snow. Layna had much news but nothing topped report that Howard had called and we will get new boats for next year.
12/15/69 181 X 40. Layna and I both know we are too fat, and the holiday season facing us. We decided to try the “Look Diet” that worked so well on us in 1955 and 1956. Here we go again.
12/16/69 To town, hoping to find something for Layna but I am helpless. Nuts. Had coffee with Harry and asked him out to dinner. He came, and I am sure he enjoyed it.
