Arts & Architecture Magazine Case Study Houses

 The Case Study Houses were residential home designs sponsored by Arts & Architecture magazine during the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s.  They were intended to showcase inexpensive ideas for home designs during the housing boom after the end of World War II.

John Entenza from Arts and Architecture magazine led the effort which led to 36 designs that resulted in 25 constructed homes, mostly in Southern California.

[NOTE: Blogspot has a bug that causes videos to be displayed in unpredictable sizes on mobile devices.  This post is best viewed from a computer instead of a mobile device]

Case Study House 1 by JR Davidson

10152 Toluca Lake Avenue, Los Angeles

Article on Case Study House 1

Case Study House 2 by Sumner Spaulding and John Rex

857 Chapea Road, Pasadena

Article on Case Study House 2

Case Study House 3 by William Wurster and Theodore Bernardi

13187 Calon Road, Los Angeles  (no longer exists)

Article on Case Study House 3

Case Study House 4 "Greenbelt House" by Ralph Rapson

(never built)

Article on Case Study House 4

Drawings of Case Study House 4

Case Study House 5 "Loggia House" by Whitney R. Smith

(never built)

Article on Case Study House 5

Drawings of Case Study House 5

Case Study House 6 "Omega" by Richard Neutra

(never built)

Article on Case Study House 6

Drawings of Case Study House 6

Case Study House 7 by Thornton Abell

6236 N Deerfield Avenue, San Gabriel

Article on Case Study House 7

Case Study House 8 "Eames House" by Charles and Ray Eames

203 Chautauqua Way, Pacific Palisades

Article on Case Study House 8

Article on Case Study House 8 by Eames Foundation

Case Study House 9 "Entenza House" by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen

205 Chautauqua Way, Pacific Palisades

Article on Case Study House 9

Article on Case Study House 9 by Eames Foundation

Case Study House 10 by Kemper Nomland and Kemper Nomland Jr

711 San Rafael Avenue, Pasadena  (heavily modified)

Article on Case Study House 10

Article on Case Study House 10 after modifications

Case Study House 11 by JR Davidson

540 S Barrington Avenue, Los Angeles (no longer exists)

Article on Case Study House 11

Case Study House 12 "Lath House" by Whitney R. Smith

(never built)

Article on Case Study House 12

Drawings of Case Study House 12

Case Study House 13 "Alpha House" by Richard Neutra

(thought to have never been built, discovered in South Pasadena)

Article on Case Study House 13

Case Study House 13 for sale in Pasadena

Drawings of Case Study House 13

Case Study House 14

I can find no information on this house.

Case Study House 15 by JR Davidson

4755 Lasheart Drie, La Canada Flintridge

Case Study House 16 by Rodney Walker

10617 Encino Drive, Oak View, CA

9945 Beverly Grove Drive, Beverly Hills  (no longer exists)

Article on Case Study House 16 by Walker

Photos of Case Study House 16 by Walker

Case Study House 16 (duplicate number) "Salzman House" by Craig Ellwood

1811 Bel Air Road, Los Angeles

Photos of Case Study House 16 by Ellwood

Case Study House 16 by Ellwood for sale

Case Study House 16 by Ellwood application for Historic-Cultural Monument

Case Study House 17 by Rodney Walker

7861 Woodrow Wilson Drive, Hollywood

Article on Case Study House 17 by Walker

Case Study House 17 (duplicate number) by Craig Ellwood

9554 Hidden Valley Road, Beverly Hills  (heavily modified)

Article on Case Study House 17 by Ellwood

Photos on Case Study House 17 by Ellwood

Case Study House 18 "West House" by Rodney Walker

199 Chautauqua Way, Pacific Palisades

Case Study House 18 by Walker for sale

Case Study House 18 by Walker for sale

Case Study House 18 (duplicate number) "Fields House" by Craig Ellwood

1129 Miradero Road, Beverly Hills (no longer exists)

Article on Case Study House 18 by Ellwood

Case Study House 19 by Don Knorr

(never built)

Article on Case Study House 19

Case Study House 20 "Stuart Bailey House" by Richard Neutra

219 Chautauqua Boulevard, Pacific Palisades

Article on Case Study House 20 by Neutra

Second Article on Case Study House 20 by Neutra

Case Study House 20 (duplicate number) "Bass House" by C Buff, C Straub, D Hensman

2275 North Santa Rosa Avenue, Altadena

Article on Case Study House 20 by Buff, Straub, Hensman

Second Article on Case Study House 20 by Buff, Straub, Hensman

Photo of Case Study House 20 by Buff, Straub, Hensman

Case Study House 21 by Richard Neutra

(never built)

Case Study House 21 (duplicate number) "Walter Bailey House" by Pierre Koenig

9038 Wonderland Park Avenue, Los Angeles

Article on Case Study House 21 by Koenig

Case Study House 22 "Stahl House" by Pierre Koenig

1635 Woods Drive, Los Angeles

Article on Case Study House 22 by Koenig   this is the most famous Case Study House

Case Study House 23A"Triad" by Killingsworth, Brady, Smith & Associates

2342 Rue de Anne, La Jolla

Article on Case Study House 23A

Photo of Case Study House 23A

Case Study House 23B "Triad" by Killingsworth, Brady, Smith & Associates

2343 Rue de Anne, La Jolla  (heavily modified)

Article on Case Study House 23B

Case Study House 23C "Triad" by Killingsworth, Brady, Smith & Associates

2329 Rue de Anne, La Jolla

Article on Case Study House 23C

Note the following video discusses mostly 23C but covers all three Triad houses.  The initial view is of 23A.

Case Study House 24 "Eichler Homes" by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons

(never built)

Article on Case Study House 24 by Jones and Emmons

Photos of Case Study House 24 by Jones and Emmons

Case Study House 25 "Frank House" by Killingsworth, Brady, Smith & Associates

82 Rivo Alto Canal, Long Beach

Article on Case Study House 25 by Killingsworth, Brady, Smith & Associates

Case Study House 25 for sale

Case Study House 26 "Harrison House" by Beverly 'David" Thorne

177 San Marino Drive, San Rafael

Article on Case Study House 26 by Thorne

Article on Case Study House 26 by Thorne after modifications

Case Study House 27 by Campbell and Wong

(never built)

Case Study House 28 "Janss/Pacific Case Study House" by C Buff and D Hensman

489 Oak Creek Drive, Thousand Oaks

Article on Case Study House 28 by Buff and Hensman

Second Article on Case Study House 28 by Buff and Hensman

Case Study Apartment 1 by Alfred N Beadle and Alan A Daily

Phoenix, Arizona

Article on Case Study Apartment 1 by Beadle and Daily

Photos of Case Study Apartment 1 by Beadle and Daily

Case Study Apartment 2 "Whitmore Apartments" by Killingsworth, Brady, Smith and Associates

(never built)

Photos of Case Study Apartment 2

Case Study House 1950 by Raphael Soriano

1080 Ravoli Drive, Pacific Palisades (no longer exists)

Article on Case Study House 1950 by Soriano

Photos of Case Study House 1950 by Soriano

How Can We Tell if a Stock Market Correction or Bear Market is Near?

 With stock markets at or near all-time highs, it is natural to begin considering when the next significant downturn will happen. 

Here are some thoughts on the topic.   I don't agree with everything said, but there are some very good points in these videos.  Take from them what you want!

"Permabear" Jeremy Grantham on Why Wall Street Won't Tell You

Sasha on What's Goin' On Right Now

Jamie Dimon on the World Right Now

My favorite investors are Warren Buffet,  Charlie Munger and Jack Bogle.  As I run across great videos of them, I will include them below.

Changes to Index Fund Inclusion Rules

 In or around May 2026, some index funds have made significant changes to how they determine what stocks to include in their indexes.

I am not real thrilled with these rule changes and it will likely affect which index funds I invest in going forward.  

In case you haven't heard about these changes,  watch a few of the videos below so you can make up your own mind.

Space X IPO and the S&P 500

Who Changed Rules Right Before SpaceX IPO

If I come across videos with additional info, I will add them below.

Where To Park Cash

 Let's discuss relatively safe places to park money.  By "relatively safe", I mean with low to no risk of significant decline in value and accessible for withdrawal within just a few days (under a week in most cases).

Most investors consider options such as savings accounts, CDs, US Treasuries and bonds.

Savings accounts can be accessed the fastest in most cases, but often don't offer returns that keep pace with inflation.

CDs typically offer higher returns, but usually still don't keep up with inflation.

Short-term US treasuries, aka t-bills, keep up with inflation but don't do much more than that.

Longer-term US treasuries can return more than inflation, but also come with higher risk of loss in value if you sell them before maturity or hold them in an ETF type of environment.

Investment-grade bonds offer even better returns but also come with a high risk of significant loss in value in some time periods - especially when interest rates are rising.

Note all of the thoughts above are my opinions and are not meant as advice to you - study publicly available information and reach your own conclusions.

Below are some good videos on the topic.

What are bonds?

Options on where to park cash.

I will add more videos below as I run across them.

Spring Concert at Escondido Center for the Arts

 Performed by San Marcos Woodland Park Middle School musicians

Symphonic Band Wings of Wonder written by Tyler S. Grant

Thawing written by Kazuki Shimoda

How to Train Your Dragon written by John Powell

Heroes of the Marvel Universe

Jazz Band Mamacita by Chris Sharp

Night in Tunisia by Dizzy Gillespie

Un Poco Mas by Paul Baker (watch confetti fall onto musician's head at end of song!)

Blue Note Special written by Mike Tomaro

AI and the Future of Software Development

 There sure is a lot of hand-wringing about the future of various careers due to the arrival of AI.  Since I am a software developer, I thought I'd share a few videos that I think give a pretty accurate picture of how AI will affect software developers.  If you want the details, watch the videos below.  If you just want the bottom line:  software developers will still exist and AI will help them,  move them into more big picture work, and relieve them of some of the more monotonous tasks...just like prior advancements did such as object-oriented programming, new computer languages, and graphics libraries.   It may be a bumpy ride, but we'll make it through to the other side!

Using Zaino to Protect Car Finish

 

Many moons ago, auto enthusiasts enlightened me on what products to use to maintain my car's exterior using the best products in terms of protection, durability, and producing a show car shine.

This process is centered around the Zaino family of products.  In a 2014 post, I described how to properly wash a car in this post.  That post also quickly described using Zaino.

But it didn't describe how to get started with Zaino on a car that hadn't been Zaino-ized before so I'm creating a new post today.

A. Preparing A Car For First Zaino Treatment

If the car does not have Zaino on it from a prior application,  washing the car will involve an extra step.  Wash the car with liquid Dawn dishwashing soap.  This will remove all prior waxes and polishes to give a solid base to start using Zaino.

Then thoroughly wash it a second time using the process described here (never use an automatic car wash!!!).

If this is the car's first Zaino treatment, use a clay bar and with water from a hose to remove sap and other impurities that may still be sticking to the paint.  Use of a clay bar is described here in Step 5.  Key note: NEVER rub the clay bar on the paint without water - it may scratch the paint if water is not used as a lubricant between the clay and the paint.  And remember to glide the clay over the paint gently - do not press down!

A clay bar can also be used in the future should the existing Zaino coat become contaminated with sap and other impurities again -  just start from scratch by using a Dawn wash, a regular wash, and then a clay bar.

Note I normally use Zaino's clay bar but any clay bar from the automotive section of a store should work just as well - this is good to know in cases where you don't have time to wait for a Zaino delivery.

With the surface of the car perfectly clean and dry from the above steps, it is time to apply the first Zaino product layer.

This initial layer will be Zaino Z-AIO (All In One).  If there is any residue still on the paint surface, Z-AIO will lift and remove it.  It will also smooth out minor paint flaws, restore dull and oxidized paint, and provide a excellent bonding surface for the Zaino coats to come in the steps below.

Use a cotton applicator as shown below to apply Z-AIO and remove it with a blonde towel once it has dried.  A little Z-AIO goes a long way!  An entire vehicle only needs about 1 ounce of Z-AIO.

NOTE:  Application of Z-AIO should be done in a shady area that is not windy such as a garage.  Temperature should be 6o to 90 degrees F - cooler temperatures will make the process take longer, hotter temperatures may make the product dry too fast.

This step is optional but if the car has fine scratches or swirl marks, a coat of Zaino Z-5 is recommended.

This provides an even smoother surface for the upcoming polish for additional shine, depth and clarity!

If the car's paint surface has quite a few imperfections,  multiple coats of Zaino Z-5 may be applied.

NOTE:  Application of Z-5 should be done in a shady area that is not windy such as a garage.  Temperature should be 6o to 90 degrees F - cooler temperatures will make the process take longer, hotter temperatures may make the product dry too fast.

B.  Applying The Zaino Polish

It is time!  The paint surface has been properly prepared in Step A above and is ready for Zaino Z-2!

I find that one bottle of Z-2 can be used to apply 2-3 coats to at least one vehicle and if used on small enough vehicles it may be enough for two vehicles.

NOTE:  Application of Z-2 should be done in a shady area that is not windy such as a garage.  Temperature should be 6o to 90 degrees F - cooler temperatures will make the process take longer, hotter temperatures may make the product dry too fast.

Use a cotton applicator such as the one shown here to apply the Zaino Z-2.  After thoroughly shaking the Z-2, squeeze a small bead of it on the paint of the vehicle.  Use the cotton applicator to spread the Z-2 out using swirling motions to cover all of the paint with a thin layer.

Now we wait!

Note Zaino sells white cotton applicators that work great.  But any cotton applicator made for vehicles will work.

Depending on the temperature, Z-2 may dry in 30 minutes (warmer temps) to 4 hours (cooler temps).  If running a finger over the Z-2 on the paint yields a white powder on your finger, the Z-2 is ready to be removed.

The Zaino Blonde Borderfree towels are my choice by far!  I keep many in my cabinet ready at all times - they are washable so they can be reused. 

Lightly run the towel over the Z-2 and remove all of the Z-2 residue - the paint should look fabulous after it is removed!  

I normally apply three coats of Z-2 to my cars to give very thorough protection to my paint.

If the car is garaged, these Z-2 layers should last at least 6 months and many times may last a complete year.  Cars that are kept outdoors overnight and during the day may require another coat in 3 to 6 months, depending on the severity of the outdoor conditions.

Now let's seal everything with Zaino Z-CS Clear Seal!  This final layer is applied and that's it - no buffing, no removal with a blonde towel, nothing!  Apply it and it's done!

Use a SEPERATE, DIFFERENT cotton applicator to lightly cover the entire painted surface with Z-CS and discard the applicator afterward.

A quarter-ounce of this product covers the entire car so use it sparingly!

Use of Z-CS will yield an incredible shine and increase the amount of time the Z-2 coats will last, ensuring maximum time elapses before the next time the car needs paint protection applied.

Highly recommended!

NOTE:  Application of Z-CS should be done in a shady area that is not windy such as a garage.  Temperature should be 6o to 90 degrees F.

And finally,  after allowing the Z-2 and Z-CS to dry for a few hours, use the Z-8 Grand Finale Spray Seal to enhance the shine and protect the other Zaino layers are providing.

This will keep the paint displaying an incredible deep, rich shine that is ultra-slick to the touch and ensures the paint is protected as long as possible.

Spray it on and immediately wipe it off with a cotton cloth.  That's all that is required!  And it smells great too!

If the Z-8 dries on the paint before it is wiped off, simply apply another coat of Z-8 and wipe it off quickly.

NOTE:  Application of Z-8 should be done in a shady area that is not windy such as a garage.  Temperature should be 6o to 90 degrees F, the cooler side is better than the warmer side with Z-8.

C. Maintaining that Zaino Shine and Protection.

Use Z-8 after each car wash to maintain that fabulous Zaino shine!

Every 6 months (if car is kept outside) or one year (if the car is garaged) repeat Step B.   If the car paint becomes contaminated with sap or other debris, go all the way back to Step A.  Typically, I only need to go back to Step A every 3-5 years on my garaged vehicles and every 1-2 years on my outdoor vehicles.

My 1970 Journal - Introduction

 

In 1970, I was given an assignment to write a journal / diary for 30 days.  I don't recall if the assignment was given to me in my fourth grade class or in cub scouts.

The photo to the right was taken within a month or two of my writing the journal.  The photo appears to be from a photo booth that were commonly found in downtown areas at the time.  They are kind of extinct now with the advent of cell phones.

In early 1970 when I wrote my journal, my family was living on Grand Forks Air Force Base (GFAFB) in North Dakota.  We lived there from mid-1966 to mid-1970.  I lived with my father, mother and sister who was two years younger than me.  I was 9 years old in early 1970 and attending fourth grade.

The following posts show each page of the journal and give a glimpse as to what each entry meant.   Some days were rather boring, but hang with it as there is some good info in some of the posts!  If you just read one day, read February 7th.

Enjoy.

January 24, 1970 - Puppets, Bear Book, and Belts

 

"To town" meant traveling from GFAFB where we lived to the city of Grand Forks about 15 miles away.  Among the stores we shopped at in Grand Forks were Sears and K-Mart.

I have no recollection of a "Bear Book" or a Charlie Brown puppet.

The blue text was written by my mother.  My handwriting starts with the word "Work", also in blue text.

January 25, 1970 - Scout Book

 

Mom worked at the Family Store (Building 211) on GFAFB.  This is where I bought most of the plastic car model kits I assembled as a kid and where I was introduced to CARtoons magazine which I regularly purchased.

"Dad's shop" referred to the repair shop (Building 622) for the AGM-28 Hound Dog missile that my father managed.  The shop had extensive test consoles and a huge bay that could hold several missiles at the same time.  He managed a staff of between 5 and 10 people as I recall.

(my handwriting)

January 26, 1970 - Hockey and Library

 

In PE during fourth grade, we played hockey indoors in the school gymnasium which I enjoyed greatly.  One of the first real-event stories I would tell as a young boy was about the day two players hit the puck from opposite directions, sending the puck sailing skyward and hitting the ceiling of the gym.   My 9 year old brain saw that as an exciting story.  It was only after telling the story a few times did I realize that no one else found it exciting.  It gave me a data point as to what makes a great story.

I'm not sure if "went to the library" referred to the GFAFB library (Building 201) or the Twining school library.  It was likely the Twining library as we only went to Building 201 a few times in four years.  At the Twining library, I checked out books on Henry Ford, Walter Chrysler, and Thomas Edison.

(my handwriting)

January 27, 1970 - Hockey and Math

 

My handwriting.

January 28, 1970 - Social Studies and Art

 

My handwriting.

January 29, 1970 - Patrick and Freddie

 

I wrote the first part of this journal entry, my mother wrote everything else starting with "Patrick".

Patrick and Freddie Rios lived almost directly across the street from us on GFAFB.  Patrick was my age and Freddie was a couple of years younger.  We played together regularly and had sleepovers sometimes.  

The first time I saw a Spirograph toy was at their house.  One evening when I ate dinner with them, their mother made me a heaping plate of food - about ten times the amount I normally ate.  I could only eat a small fraction of it - she was disappointed.

The family had a gray 1967 Ford Falcon with an electric cord sticking out the grill.  It was common in North Dakota to have engine warmers to keep the motor from freezing overnight.

January 30, 1970 - 30 Degrees

 

My mother's handwriting on this entry.

January 31, 1970 - New Lamp

 

This was a lamp with a dark wood base and tan lamp shade that had a rather large American Eagle in metal on the riser.  We bought it at K-Mart on South Washington Street and it resided on my nightstand from 1970 until at least the early 1980s.  I kept it in storage for an additional 20 or 30 years before discarding it not too long ago.

(my handwriting)

February 1, 1970 - Sunday Eggs

 

My handwriting.

February 2, 1970 - A Mad Day

 

Maybe it was the hockey that set me off, but apparently I was not having a good day.

(my handwriting)

February 3, 1970 - Mrs. Pappas

 

My fourth grade classroom was a double classroom with a foldable wall that could be closed to create two separate classrooms.  The classroom(s) were on the second floor of the two-story section of Twining Elementary towards the back of the building at the edge of GFAFB.  The teachers were Mrs. Willis and Mrs. Leake.  Most of the time the foldable wall was open and it was one large classroom with two teachers.  One of the teachers took us on a field trip to her farm which was located south of GFAFB. 

Mrs. Pappas was a substitute teacher who lived two down to the right of us.  My parents and I had been to their house several times - it was the same floor plan as ours.  The Pappas had no children and their living room was lined with saltwater fish tanks - I had never been to a home with fish tanks before.

Mr. and Mrs. Pappas went on a day trip with my family to the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota, somewhere around Lake Itaska or just north of there - I cannot pinpoint the exact location now.  This was the first time I saw cattails (Typha) growing naturally.  Dried cattails were quite popular at the time as decoration in living rooms.

During that trip we also saw huge statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe.  My recollection is that these statues were at the Mississippi River headwaters but researching it right now it appears the only huge statues are in nearby towns such as Bemidji so perhaps that is where we saw them.

George Pappas drove their purple 1969 Pontiac Catalina two-door on the trip.  It had two black rubber strips that hung from the back bumper and touched the ground.  While not common, these black strips were seen from time to time on cars from that era.  The theory is they would discharge static electricity - it is still debated as to whether this actually worked or was a placebo.

(journal entry handwriting is mine)

February 4, 1970 - Mrs. Willis

 

My handwriting.

February 5, 1970 - A Good Day

 

My handwriting.

February 6, 1970: Roller Hockey

 

Didn't remember that we played hockey on skates, but here it is.  And I can't skate!  Perhaps I just wore street shoes?

(my handwriting)

February 7, 1970 - The Bronze Boot and Zap, North Dakota

 

The Bronze Boot was a restaurant located at 1804 North Washington Street in Grand Forks.  It was one of the nicest steakhouses in Grand Forks.  While it it has been closed since May 2012, I found this  real story about it online:

On May 8, 1959 when Grand Forks Air Force Base family housing was being constructed, Hal B. Hayes came to town to inspect the progress.  He owned Progressive Contractors which was doing the construction and brought his girlfriend, Zsa Zsa Gabor, along with him to Grand Forks.  That night they ate at the Bronze Boot.  During the evening, Ms Gabor used the ladies room.  The next night, behind the bar hung a toilet seat with the sign 'Zsa Zsa sat here'.   

I cannot vouch for the Bronze Boot part of the visit, but Zsa Zsa and Hal were indeed in Grand Forks on that date according to old newspapers.

Bob and Fay refers to Bob and Fay White.  Bob worked with my father in the missile shop.  He was from Louisiana and spent holidays with us since he was a single airman far from home.  After one trip to Louisiana, he brought my sister and me pieces of raw sugar cane which we treasured and eagerly ate as best we could.

In 1968 or 1969, Bob married Fay during one of his trips back to Louisiana and brought her back to live on GFAFB. Bob's mom had picked out a blue and white 1968 Dodge Coronet for him to purchase - he was very proud of that car and it was a beauty.   Bob and Fay had a baby girl and moved into family housing there on base.

One evening my family was visiting the Whites at their new home when the news came on television.  It talked about hippies taking over the town of Zap, North Dakota which upset the citizens in that part of the state.   That memory has been buried deep in my brain all of these years so I've decided to research it right now.

Reading about this in 2026, the news must have been covering the "Zip to Zap" riot on May 9-11, 1969.  Originally intended as a Spring Break destination, North Dakota State University student Chuck Stroup organized a gathering of college students and it was covered by the campus newspaper The Spectrum.  The Spectrum wrote about the "Zip to Zap: a Grand Festival of Light and Love" and discussed the bars and cafes in Zap as well as the scenic beauty of the surrounding Knife River Valley.  The article further stated "in addition to these events, a full program of orgies, brawls, freakouts, and arrests are being planned.  Do you dare miss it?"

This article was picked up by the Associated Press and printed in student newspapers across the country.  The only two bars in Zap got wind of the impending invasion and heavily stocked up on beer and other supplies.  Wham-O even launched a toy called the "Zip-Zap" to leverage the event popularity.

About 3000 people began arriving in Zap on May 9th, overwhelming the town whose normal population was about 200.  Bar owners quickly realized they would run out of beer so they doubled the price.  This angered the crowds but the bars ran out of beer towards the evening anyway.  When temperatures dropped significantly that evening, the crowds scavenged scrap wood from a nearby building that had been demolished and built a huge bonfire in the street in the middle of town.

Zap Mayor Fuchs asked the crowd to disperse and some did, but not all.  Issues that normally arise with overly intoxicated people caused panic in the city and the town appealed to North Dakota Governor William Guy who sent 500 North Dakota Army National Guard troops to the city.  The troops arrived at 6:30 AM the following morning.  They awoke the sleeping students with bayonets and ordered them to leave town - which they did.

This marked the only time in North Dakota history that the National Guard was used to quell a "riot".  This holds true to this day.

After my family left North Dakota in 1970, we did not see Bob and Fay again until 1978 when they visited our home in Oklahoma.  They drove up in their 1968 Coronet.

As for my parents seeing "Midnight Cowboy" and me writing about it in my journal, I bet my mom was just thrilled to read that: Midnight Cowboy was rated X.

Movies I saw in Grand Forks during our four years there included "Dr. Doolittle", "Willard", "Herbie the Love Bug", "Planet of the Apes", and a movie about a boy living in the wilderness - the name escapes me.  For the Herbie movie, the theater had a VW Beetle in the lobby filled with balloons or balls.  They held a contest to see who could guess closest as to the number of balls in the car.  A few weeks later, I was notified that I had won the contest.  My prize: free tickets to a future movie at the theater.

February 8, 1970 - Amway

 

This journal entry was made in my mother's handwriting.

"Daddy's shop" refers to the missile shop my father led on base.

Sometime in 1969, my parents becme Amway distributors and "rode to Amway dealer" appears to refer to a trip to our supplier in Mekinoch, a tiny town of 2000 people just north of GFAFB.  Our supplier was a farmer who lived near Mekinoch.  I sat at the kitchen table and stared at the model tractor they kept on the top of their refrigerator.

When we moved to California in the summer of 1970, my parents ended their association with Amway.  I think their involvement had not gone well.

February 9, 1970 - Made Valentines

 

This first line "Made Valentines" was written by my mother.  I later added the words "was sleepy".

February 10, 1970 - Family Store

 

The Family Store (Building 211) on GFAFB was where my mother worked.  I liked visiting the store due to its great toy section.  The store had a huge mirror on one wall and once my mom started working there I found out it was a 1-way mirror window that employees used to watch customers from the break room.

I saw a Ford Mustang in the parking lot one day with a houndstooth vinyl top and interior.  I don't think I ever saw another one like it.

This journal entry is in my mother's handwriting.  Note she calls it "supper" and not "dinner".   From what I've gathered, "dinner" is most commonly used in the west and northeast parts of the US, while "supper" is very common in North Dakota and the surround states.

February 11, 1970 - Mrs. Hogan

 

Patrick refers to Patrick Rios discuss previously.  I do not recall who Clint was.

This entry is interesting because it explains something else that happened:  in fourth grade, we were assigned to make a clay object that could be fired in a kiln.

In my infinite wisdom, I designed an ashtray with a tooth brush holder in the middle of it.   It sounds so absurd now but back in the 1960s everyone smoked so there were ashtrays everywhere!

So the "lava dish with a volcano in the middle which was an ashtray"  may have been my inspiration for a combination toothbrush holder / ashtray.

I bet my teachers and parents got a great laugh out of my submission.

(my handwriting)

February 12, 1970 - A Dull Day

 

Reading back through these entries 50+ years later, I wonder what my mother thought when she read these?  And I can assure you she read my entries.

Did she concur with my thoughts?  Find me more activities because she thought I was bored?  What was the impact of my comments on her thoughts and actions? 

(my handwriting)

February 13, 1970 - Valentines Party

 

This party was almost certainly held during class time.  I don't remember anything about it.

(my handwriting)

February 14, 1970 - Find Out

 

This is a reference to Sheldon Rohde who lived nearby on New Jersey Street and was in my fourth grade class I believe.  

Why did I want to know what Sheldon's valentine looked like?  Did he give one to a female I liked and I had found out she was thrilled with it?  I do not know!

I don't recall Sheldon and I hanging out after school at any point so this note was likely spawned by something said in class.

(my handwriting)