I read an article in Good Housekeeping today about a mother who's son, while in Junior High School, began to hang out with black kids. This was a bit disconcerting for her as they were white and though many blacks tried to act white, white boys don't usually try to act black. These friends were good kids, fortunately. They were, some of them, underpriviledged, and lived in some really poor project type neighborhoods. But they were good kids. As she got to know them and their parents, she came to see them as just kids in a difficult environment. It surprised her to find that their parents were as nervious about their kids being in an all white neighborhood as she was with the reverse.

It reminds me of a time that Bart and I were watching the Jessie Owens Story on TV. There is a scene in this movie in which the coach tells the Jewish members of the
U. S. Olympic Team that they cannot participated in the games in Nazi Germany. The lone protester to this action was Jessie Owens. He was promptly told to "Sit down, Boy!" and he did so. My Bart, who in Huntington Beach California, went to a pretty ethnically diverse school, he even had a black principal for a few years, asked my why Jessie just sat down and did not protest further. I had to explain to him how much courage it had taken for that man to say ANYTHING. Bart did not understand prejudice. Isn't that wonderful? Would that it could have stayed that way. I think he is pretty open to everybody, but he is certainly aware of prejudices now.

Tomorrow, I am going to take the two deer hides that the Carpenter boys gave me down to Hartland to be tanned. When I have enough, I will have a jacket made of them.

Today, we went grocery shopping and Dick got his blood tested. He has been within the boundries for 10 months now. Sue says he is getting boring.

We had the best dinner tonight. I had leftover pork tenderloin. I sliced it and warmed it, then put it on a hard roll with a slice of cheddar and mayonese (flavored if possible). Then I grilled it and served it with a dollop of cranberry relish on top of the pork. Wow was it good.


Have a nice Friday.

Mary