Nicholas Johnson and S.I. Hayakawa discussion on media and riots in Mill Valley, California, and Johnson family memories, 1967

Nick Johnson: This is a recording made at the Johnson house on Saturday August 26th, 1966. And daddy has just come back from the office. And we're waiting for mama to wake up from a nap so we can go play tennis. And meanwhile, little Gregory has come running out of mama's bedroom where he was napping and come down to see me. And he likes to play with the tape recorder. Gregory: Oh that's because we can do good stuff. Nick Johnson: What did you do when we went to the beach, Gregory? You don't need to shout into it. It'll pick you up just from right there. Gregory: I played and I did go and get a nap. Nick Johnson: Did you dig holes in the sand? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: What happened when you dig a hole in the sand? Then what happens? Gregory: Then a big crab going to clip me. Nick Johnson: You got a big crab? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: And what did the big crab do to you? Gregory: He's going to clip you. Nick Johnson: He clipped you? Gregory: No, he clipped you. Nick Johnson: No, he didn't get me. Gregory: Why? Nick Johnson: Maybe he got Gregory, but he didn't get dad. What'd you do when we went to the forest in West Virginia and stayed in that cabin out in the woods? Gregory: We played. Nick Johnson: Where'd you play? Gregory: Played [inaudible 00:01:56]. Nick Johnson: You played in the forest. Didn't you go exploring? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: Out behind our cabin? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: I saw you creeping around back in that little woods one day. I did. We played baseball didn't we? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yeah. Can you hit the ball? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: That's right. And you throw it? Who are your friends now who live in our neighborhood? Gregory: Kevin and Jenny. Nick Johnson: Jenny? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Where does Jenny live? Gregory. Gregory: She lives up the dirt road. Nick Johnson: Does she live near Kevin? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Is she Kevin's sister? Does she live in Kevin's house? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: No. Lives in another house. Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Is Kevin in the family that Julie is babysitting for? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Kevin's at the beach now with Julie? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Yeah. What do you and Kevin do when you play? Gregory: We play with the swings and play in the sandbox. Nick Johnson: The swings and the sandbox. You ever play make believe? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: What do you make believe when you play make believe? What do you pretend that you are? Gregory: I [inaudible 00:03:19]. Nick Johnson: Huh? Gregory: I do stuff [inaudible 00:03:19]. Nick Johnson: You pretend that you're a policeman or you ever pretend that you're a daddy? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: You don't. Gregory: I play [inaudible 00:03:38]. Nick Johnson: You're a giggler. You're a giggler, that's what you are. What do you like to do best in the basement? Gregory: I like to play and do [inaudible] stuff. Nick Johnson: What kinds of things do you have in the basement to play with, Gregory? Your blocks? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: You've been riding on that rocking horse, haven't you? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: You know that rocking horse that bounces up and down the springs? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: I saw you jumping on him the other day. You know Grandma Edna gave that to us, did you know that? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yeah she did. Yep. Gregory: Where was it in her house? Nick Johnson: What? Gregory: Where was it in her house? Nick Johnson: Well, it wasn't in her house, she bought it for a present for us. Gregory: Oh. Nick Johnson: It was nice of her, wasn't it? Gregory: Yep. Nick Johnson: Yep. Gregory: But then she at the clean house. She was going to go in the train and drive it away. Nick Johnson: Grandma went to the train? Gregory: Yeah, and take it, was fly away at our house. Nick Johnson: Oh, you're silly. You're really silly. Hey what do you do when you play in the sand pile? Gregory: I run up high and kick the sand, and the sand gets dirty. Nick Johnson: No. Do you have trucks in the sandbox? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: And do you pretend like you're building cities? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: And do you run the trucks around on little roads? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Does Kevin like to do that too? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Mm-hmm (affirmative). What kind of cities do you make? Do you make cities like you lived in or just pretend cities? Gregory: Yeah. That. Nick Johnson: What's Sherman doing now Gregory? Do you know? Gregory: He's watching the TV. Nick Johnson: But you know something? Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: He's sound asleep. Did you know that? Gregory: Yeah because he's sick. Nick Johnson: Yep. What's the matter with him? Gregory: He's sick. Nick Johnson: Well, what's he have? What do you mean he's sick? Does he have a headache? Is his stomach upset? Gregory: His stomach is upset. Nick Johnson: Yeah, I think so. Yeah he's all curled up there, down there on the couch. And he had the television set for the educational station, channel 26. Gregory: Yep. Nick Johnson: And then he curled up with a blanket and a little pillow on the davenport so he could lie down and watch it. And the next thing you knew, he fell asleep, didn't he? Did you take a nap today, Gregory? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Did you sleep? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Did you have dreams? Gregory? Gregory: [inaudible 00:06:41]. Nick Johnson: Well as it turned out, we are all a bunch of sleepyheads because Karen didn't wake up in time to play tennis and Sherman was sound asleep on the couch watching television. And the television was blaring about a tour through an art gallery and then to the nation's capital. And Sherman was sleeping soundly on the couch and I tried to work for a while. And then decided to give up and go to the basement, with a book and watch Gregory play after I'd sorted slides for our slideshow for this evening. And I scarcely succeeded in reading two paragraphs in Galbraith's book, The New Industrial State, before I too had fallen asleep. And finally we all woke up about 20 of eight or so. And we have just finished a marvelous dinner that Karen prepared of pork chops, and potato pancakes and salad with tomatoes from- Sherman: I wanted to tell grandma that I ate 100 pork chops. Nick Johnson: A 100 pork chops? Sherman: A 100 pork chops. Nick Johnson: You think grandma will believe that? Sherman: No, it's just a joke. Nick Johnson: It's a pretty funny joke, isn't it? But Sherman's feeling a lot better. He had a little fever, but his fever is pretty well gone now, I think. Yep. Julie: It was 8:30. Nick Johnson: Now Julie is back from her week at the beach. And she's telling us about what she did. And how they had rain, and about the fisherman who could predict the weather and how the boys would go surfing. Julie: We went every day after the lifeguards get off at 5:30, the guys would sit up there and they'd wait until, come 5:30 and then they'd all go charging into the water. And it was a whole lot of fun because then I'd go out there and I'd watch them surf. And they were really good, a lot of them. And I was out there and all the waves, you know, if you go real far out, really far out, it was still just about chest high, but when really big waves would come to the surfers, they'd knock you over because they were real strong. This one came and I didn't know whether to swim towards it, stand there and pray, or else dive through it. And I so I said, "Well, I'll just stand there and pray." And I stood there, but the wave was so strong. And you know, they hardly ever knock me over, but I just went down and I was scared to death and I came up and I looked all over and all these guys were up on their surfboards going and having a great time, and they're drenched. Nick Johnson: Julie, you know while you were gone, we all learned to play some instruments together. And Sherman plays a trumpet and mama plays a saxophone, and you can pick up the piano, if you want. Let's try it. Greg you pick up the drums and I'll play clarinet, all right? One, two, three, four. What do you think of that Julie, and I'm sure it'll pick up a lot and get a lot better with practice. Julie: Yes, Sherman that's really good the way you picked that up real fast. I was surprised about that. Nick Johnson: Yeah I never really know whether he's going to get that high note or not. And then he always comes through and pulls it out. Julie: Yeah. Nick Johnson: It's marvelous. Julie: Sorry I was stumbling a little bit on the piano there, but you know I didn't know what [crosstalk] he was going to play. Nick Johnson: Well he's done a lot better, but he was trying to play around with algebra this summer too. Sherman: I don't like it. Nick Johnson: Well, Sherman, I think it's very good for the amount of practice that you've had. Sherman: No, I don't like the way you're talking about me- Julie: I know Sherman, I'm sorry, but you aren't quite good yet and you'll get a lot better though. It just, you know, it takes practice. Really it does, Sherman. Turn that off. Quit hitting me. Oh no, that hurts my sunburn. Daddy tell him to stop, it hurts, I got a sunburn. Nick Johnson: No Sherman, don't do that. Sherman. Sherman, don't. Karen you know, sometimes I think we have too many children. What do you think? Speaker 5: We can't do it on a [inaudible 00:12:38], you can't control the [inaudible] on the basis on national policy. Nick Johnson: Well as long as you can talk like that, we can control fertility as matter of national policy. Now it's dinner time. Sunday evening, 7:10. It's been raining all week. Raining all day. Very humid this noon. Karen and I went out and played tennis and about dropped dead in the heat and humidity. And yet this evening because the boys hadn't been out for a while, we all went for a little walk. We walked down the street to Julie's school and we went through the big parking lot down little [Paul's] Church way. We watched some boys playing football down there, didn't we? Sherman: And then it started to rain. So one of us said, "It's starting to rain, we better go pretty soon." Well, maybe I think you said that, maybe not. Nick Johnson: I think you're right. You remember that first play- Sherman: No. You didn't say, "I think we better go. It's raining, I think we better go." I thought he just said that it was raining. Nick Johnson: Do you remember that first play when the man threw the ball at that little tiny boy? And there were 12 men playing, mom. And this little boy caught the ball and ran for a touchdown, didn't he? It was very exciting. Sherman: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Did you like the football game, Sherman, uh, Gregory? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Where did we walk? Gregory: We walked out to Julie's school. Nick Johnson: Did we go in the woods? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: What'd you do in the woods? Gregory: I- Nick Johnson: Did you pull yourself up on the chinning bar? Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: Did you pull yourself up on the chinning bar? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yes, you did. Gregory: Uh-uh (negative). Nick Johnson: Yes you did. You silly boy. And you walked through all the wet little plants. Gregory: [inaudible 00:14:41]. Nick Johnson: What's the matter, Greg? Gregory: Look. Nick Johnson: Got a little bone in your meat? Just put it on your plate. Put it on the edge of your plate. Julie why don't you tell grandmother and tell us about catching your fish and about- Julie: I didn't catch the fish. Nick Johnson: Cooking your fish. Well, tell about the fish. Julie: I know, but I didn't catch the fish though. Sherman: Come one, tell us about the fish. Julie: Okay, I'll tell you what happened. You're all ready for this now. It's a long story, you asked for it. The man who lived upstairs was a fisherman. And he'd fish, but he'd always throw back the fish he caught. And then I didn't get the idea of cooking the fish, until after he'd caught this great big king fish. It was about 12 or 13 inches long. It was just beautiful. And then I kind of decided that I had to cook them. Well then, he never caught another one. But he said he would for me, he'd save it for me. So anyway, every man who was fishing along the beach, I'd go up to and I'd ask him, "If you catch a big fish, can I have it?" And they'd say, "Yeah." And I had this one man, this morning who went fishing for me. But all he caught was one small fish and so I didn't have any more. But I was planning on bringing as many home as I had. But I only had one. So I'll tell you about how I cooked it now. Nick Johnson: How'd you freeze it? That's what I want to know. Julie: I just put it in the refrigerator. We didn't have any flour at the beach, so I had to wrap it up in aluminum foil and I put it in the freezer. And then I put it in a bag of ice when I brought it home. Because they had too much food in their freezer all ready. And Mrs. [Shen] didn't want me to put it in the freezer anyway. It'd thaw their other food. How I cooked it was, I put it in flour. Nick Johnson: You cooked it here at our house after you got home. Julie: Yeah. Because I didn't have any flour down at the beach. I put it in flour and salt and pepper. And you cook it on eight minutes on each side. Oh wasn't it good, dad? Everybody said it was good. Nick Johnson: Yeah, it was very good. Oh man, boy what fish. Julie: No I thought it was good. It was very tender and everything. Nick Johnson: I haven't had a bellyache like that since I ate green apples as a boy. Julie: Tell your mother about that story, would you? Nick Johnson: No, it was very good fish Julie. And you're a good cooker. Julie: Yeah. The man down at the beach asked me if I was a good cook. He said, "I won't give you my fish if you're not a good cook." And I said, "Well, I think I'm a good cook." And he said, "Well, that's good enough for me then, " or something. He was real nice. Nick Johnson: How did you know to cook it eight minutes on a side? Julie: Because the lady upstairs told me about that. I won't go into the lady upstairs. She was really funny. She said she always used to cook it for longer time, and then it just tasted like paper. That's my story about the fish. Nick Johnson: It's a good story. Julie: Oh man. Nick Johnson: What's going down, Gregory? Gregory: The sunflowers. Nick Johnson: What, Greggy? Gregory: The sunflowers are going down. Nick Johnson: The sunflowers are going down. Tell grandma about your sunflowers, Julie. Julie: Well I'm leaving right now. I grew these sunflowers out in the backyard. They're a lot taller than I am, but when I got back from the beach- Nick Johnson: They're about 10 feet tall, aren't they. Julie: Oh, I'd say at least. They're a lot taller than you are, aren't they? Nick Johnson: Yeah. Julie: [inaudible] when I got back from the beach, we had so much rain around here, that they're all kind of droopy, putting it mildly. Half of them are on the ground. But I've got about three or four really big ones and they're still up. Nick Johnson: The flowers are what? About 10 inches across. Julie: Oh, I'd say at least. Man that one on the left is really big. Sherman: I see one that you don't see. Julie: That's about a foot across, wouldn't you say? And the one that's growing over here. Sherman: I see a flower that you can't see, right up there. Julie: I had a lot of fun doing them, and I've got carrots too. And I think they ought to be ready pretty soon. They're really good. I ate one when it was a little baby and it was really good. Nick Johnson: We've already started eating a lot of those tomatoes. Julie: They're good too. I haven't tasted one, but they look good. I can't eat those on my diet. Nick Johnson: When do you start the school, Julie? Next week? The week after? Julie: Week after I start the 5th September. Day after Labor Day. Nick Johnson: That's Tuesday [crosstalk 00:19:15]. Julie: Yes. Karen: You go from 8:40 til 2:20. Julie: I do? Sherman: Mother? Julie: How do you know? Sherman: Do you want a tomato tonight? Karen: [crosstalk 00:19:23]. Sherman: [inaudible 00:19:24]. Julie: 8:20 to what? Karen: 3:20. Julie: Do you realize what that means? Karen: You're starting 20 minutes earlier and getting out 10 minutes earlier. Julie: Right. Nick Johnson: I think you're spending more time in school then. [inaudible 00:19:40]. Julie: Yeah 8:40. Do you know what time I'll have to get up in the morning? Karen: That's another 50 minutes a week. That's neat. Julie: Do you realize I have to get up, Sherman please don't do that. You've done that to all the tomatoes and they'll get bad that way, sweetie. Sherman: How? Julie: The top of them will get rotten. Dread. I'll have to get up at 7:00 in the morning. Nick Johnson: It'll be good for you. Julie: Are you kidding? Nick Johnson: No, just, you know, don't wake up everybody. Julie: If I wake up, everybody will. Nick Johnson: When Julie sleeps, everybody sleeps. Sherman: When I wake up- Nick Johnson: If Julie's awake, everybody's awake. Julie: That's right. Nick Johnson: Carrots are a what, Sherman? Sherman: A root. Nick Johnson: A root. Sherman: Somebody told me they're a root. Nick Johnson: We'll try it, if you're right. Julie: Who did? Sherman: I don't know who. Nick Johnson: I think maybe I did. Julie: I don't think so. Nick Johnson: I mean, you can eat the root, right? Sherman: Yes. Julie: Because you eat roots of all plants? Sherman: No. Julie: Yeah that's right. My God [inaudible 00:20:44]. Sherman: Can't eat roots of trees. You can't even pick up the tree. Julie: You know at the beach, you can't buy your property? All you can do is buy the house. And so if your house [crosstalk 00:20:58]- Sherman: You know what Gregory did, daddy? He spit out his milk. Julie: Isn't that terrible? Nick Johnson: Yep. Julie: I didn't know that. Nick Johnson: We're now in the family room after dinner, simultaneously watching Karen's slides from India. And any tea show on jazz that the New York Museum of Modern Art, while Julie and I play checkers. And since Julie takes a little long between moves, here's what I do. Haven't you moved yet, Julie? Julie do you watch television a lot? Speaker 7: [crosstalk 00:22:02]. Nick Johnson: [inaudible] in our home. Speaker 8: In other parts of the country [inaudible 00:22:40]. Nick Johnson: Julie why don't you sing for us? Meanwhile, back at the checkers table, you'll be interested to know that a week locked up in a cottage with a checker board has brought her proficiency to such levels that she got me in a position in the first game, where I was fully prepared to declare her the winner. And forced to call the second game a draw. Now it is Monday evening at 8:00. Karen and I are sitting at the dinner table, having just finished about 40 minutes of tennis. Karen is looking at me now, through the hair hanging down over her eyes, a woebegone look about her, munching on her food. Wondering whether or not I'm going to tell you the outcome of the game, but I'm not. Julie: Can't look that one from here to here. Sherman: Dad look how much Greg's jumped. Julie: He jumped here, that's enough. Gregory: I said- Sherman: No, not the tape recorder again. Okay, Greg, your move. Gregory: Okay. Sherman: No, you can't move that one. It's okay where it is. Gregory: Turn that on. Sherman: You can move this one, or this one, or this one, or this one. Gregory: I'm going to move this one. Sherman: Okay. Nick Johnson: No kings still have to move on the black squares. Sherman: Can you go like that? Gregory: I can't- Nick Johnson: No they can just move one space on the black squares, but they can move forward or backward. Sherman: Okay. Gregory: [inaudible 00:25:42]. Sherman: Okay. It's my move. No it's Gregory's move. Greg, your move. You can't move those. No you can't move back. Oh yeah, you can move back. Which one? You want to move that? Gregory: Yeah. Sherman: Okay, my move. Oh no, you'll do something to me if I do that. Hey. Nick Johnson: The sounds you just heard where those of Sherman and Gregory playing checkers. We were all down in the family room and we looked up and there they were sitting on either side of the old maple bench in the living room with the checker board on top of it and Sherman sitting on the davenport, and Gregory's sitting on the rocking chair. Now I'm out in the kitchen and Karen's putting away the dishes. Well, it's now Saturday morning, September 2nd, and I'm in the car with Gregory and Sherman. And mom and Julie are going to be coming shortly and we're going to go for a walk in an area known as Carderock Park, which is a new park that's been developed between the C & O Canal and the Potomac River. And actually only about a 10 minute ride from our house. And as you can probably guess, that little rascal who's making those whoo sounds. That's little Sherman who's training his brother. Nick Johnson: And we hope to have a good walk in the woods. Because this is really the second nice day we've had for the last three weeks. When it's been almost all the time raining and very hot. And yesterday and today, the sky has been clear, the temperature's been in the 60's and low 70's. The spirit of fall is in the air. And here comes Karen with her bright orange slacks and sweatshirts for the boys. And we're about ready to go. Julie: That's dangerous. Nick Johnson: What's dangerous? Julie: He has [crosstalk 00:28:07]. Sherman: Hey dad, I want to have this recorded. Nick Johnson: You want to have this recorded? Sherman: No the stuff about whoo, whoo. Nick Johnson: You do, or don't? Sherman: I do. Nick Johnson: Okay, well it is. It's recorded. Sherman: You know what? I wanted to hear it over. Nick Johnson: Looks like we're going to take Pierre. Here Pierre. Sherman: I want to hear it over on me. Nick Johnson: That's a boy. Pierre. Sherman: I want to hear that whoo, whoo over on me. Nick Johnson: Pierre would you like to say something to grandmother? Sherman: Speak! Nick Johnson: Hey Pierre. Julie: (Singing). Sherman: Pierre, speak. Nick Johnson: Pierre. Pierre's tied up in the cord. Let's be careful. Let's be careful. Julie: Another day with the Johnson family. Nick Johnson: Please assist me in untangling the dog. Sherman: Hey that's my dog. Nick Johnson: Okay, we're off. Julie: You couldn't move over? Nick Johnson: Now this should- Julie: You know dad, Pierre would make- Nick Johnson: Why? Why? Julie: Because he can find you. I'll tell you what, let's do, dad. Dad? Nick Johnson: What? What Julie? Julie: I'll play a little game with him, okay. You all stay here all right? You all go on. Nick Johnson: Yeah. Julie: And I'll stay here. And then when you get far enough away, I'll just say, "Okay go find daddy." And he can find you. Karen: Where is it we're going to walk? Julie: Don't let him see though. Nick Johnson: We're going to walk this way, Karen. Karen: Okay. Nick Johnson: And we're going to go up around the right to avoid the mud. No Julie, I didn't do that. Julie: Why? Nick Johnson: Well because you don't want to let him off the leash. Julie: I'm not going to. Nick Johnson: Oh, you're just going to follow him, okay. Julie: Yeah. [crosstalk 00:30:03]. Gregory: But I like the moss. Karen: Because it's soft and green? Gregory: Yeah. I like to sit and jump on the rocks. What is that? Karen: Oh that's a [goopy] puddle isn't it? Nick Johnson: That's a little swamp isn't it, Sherman. Gregory: [inaudible 00:30:28]. Karen: No [inaudible] you're going to stay right with me because you would sit. Gregory: [inaudible 00:30:34]. Karen: No you're not going to even get to come along and go walking. Gregory: Why? Karen: Because you would [inaudible] if you were feeling better today, you could sit up in bed. That's what he said. Gregory: [inaudible 00:31:24]? Nick Johnson: Now Karen, you're going to have to bear with me because we have [inaudible 00:31:24]. We just came in about this far in the back, but I think there's a trail that goes on up that way. Karen: Okay. Nick Johnson: The water is really high over here, isn't it? Sherman: Hey dad, come here. Gregory: And you might just have to go down here. Daddy? Nick Johnson: Side two. And therefore you should've started on the other side and the continuation of our hike in Carderock Park. What is that Greggy? Gregory: A rock. Sherman: I know how you catch squirrels. Nick Johnson: How do you catch squirrels? Sherman: Get acorns. Nick Johnson: Get acorns? Sherman: What else? Get acorns and put them in a cage. Nick Johnson: Yeah? Sherman: Yeah. Yeah. Nick Johnson: Oh Greggy, you're patting it like it was a little doggie. You like the moss? Do you like the moss, Greg? Gregory: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Sherman: [inaudible 00:32:38]. Mama. Nick Johnson: Do you think it's like fur Greggy? Gregory: Yeah. I do think it's like fur. Sherman: I took the little bit off it. Like a door knob. Only a little bit. Gregory: If you go, you get all of it. Taking off it. Right, daddy? Nick Johnson: Yeah. Sherman: Hey there's a lot of acorns around here. Gregory: Why? Sherman: You know what? I know where I can get some acorns when we get home. Gregory: Acorns. Nick Johnson: You found an acorn. Gregory: Acorns. Nick Johnson: Don't eat it though, Greg. Nope. Sherman: Our dad. Nick Johnson: Squirrels like them, but we don't like particularly well. Sherman: We don't like them, but I like this. Dad come here! Nick Johnson: What have you got? Gregory: Top of acorns, you know. Nick Johnson: Acorn top. Sherman: See I can move this thing because it's not even [inaudible 00:33:43]. And also it's hot out here. Hey dad. Gregory: That's the rain, daddy. Where's it going to rain? Nick Johnson: You got rained? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Well it sounds like thunder, but you know what it is? Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: It's an airplane. Sherman: [crosstalk 00:34:23]. Gregory: Hey! Sherman: It's a plane, daddy. Gregory: Plane, dad. Nick Johnson: It sounds like thunder, Greggy, but it's a jet plane isn't it? Huh? Gregory: [inaudible 00:34:53]. Nick Johnson: Better hang on dad's hand here, Greg, because there are rocks. Gregory: Yeah, rocks. Sherman: I got a real big piece of it. Nick Johnson: Of what Sherm? Sherman: Moss. Nick Johnson: Good. Gregory: Hey. Sherman: Look there's more moss, oh that's something else huh? That's something else, huh, Greg? Gregory: And this something else too. I like this stuff. I take one out. Julie: Who is that there? Who is that? Sic them. Sic them. Nick Johnson: Hi Pierre. Gregory: Hi Pierre. Julie: Chronic cougher. Sherman: Watch out, I'm going to jump. Nick Johnson: Smoker's cough. You know where we're going, Greggy? Gregory: Where? Nick Johnson: No I don't know, I though maybe you knew. Gregory: Hey you're walking. Walking. Acorns. Sherman: Hey dad, all I did was picked up the acorn and then another [inaudible 00:36:29], dad. Nick Johnson: Yeah? Sherman: I think this is silly. Gregory: I got two acorns. Sherman: You know, I played a game on people. You know those ... what's red and round? Nick Johnson: Red and round? Sherman: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Well- Sherman: A apple. A apple. Nick Johnson: Apple, yeah. Sherman: I got [inaudible 00:36:56]. Okay. Thanks. Apples, over at Bobby's house. Well I picked those and then I squeezed off the part of it off. The part of the stem off that hangs- Nick Johnson: Uh-huh (affirmative). Sherman: And then there's a little part down below and then I pinched on to it and then I said, "Here's an apple for you." And then I let it drop. Nick Johnson: Oh Sherman. You are a trickster. You are a- Sherman: I'm sure somebody did that, but it really happened. It didn't shook because I was watching them. They just picked one, said, "Here's an apple." And then [boing 00:37:47]. And they were holding way up at the top where you aren't supposed to hold them and it went down. But it doesn't do those with the other ones. Nick Johnson: Isn't this a pretty little land in here. Sherman: Yes, it is. Nick Johnson: Come to daddy and I'll take your hand Greg. Other hand. Other hand, yeah. We're going downhill aren't we? You better not run. We'll trip right up. Hey Greggy? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Let's get a picture of mom. Hey Gregory? It's nice to love the flowers, but you want to be careful that you don't love any that are poison ivy. Because that'll make itches on you. Gregory: Is that one the [inaudible 00:38:57]. Sherman: No. [crosstalk 00:39:00]. Nick Johnson: Look at the muddy river, Greggy. Gregory: That river's muddy, river? Nick Johnson: That's the muddy river. Gregory: I don't [inaudible] nothing there, you can. Karen: You can. Gregory: Yeah. Karen: I don't think so. Gregory: I want to go- Karen: Poison ivy. Sherman: Where? Karen: Right beside you. Keep walking straight. Come on, come on. Nick Johnson: What do you want to do, Greg? Gregory: That's poison ivy? Karen: No that's a rock. Come here. Because some of them are poison ivy. Gregory: Some are poison ivy, guys. [inaudible 00:40:21]. Karen: I don't know what you want. Gregory: [Block you tay 00:40:28]. Block you tay. Nick Johnson: Block you tay, to be interpreted. That's the phrase used when they put their arms up to prevent your passage on the path. Tay is a form that Sherman and [Marsha] have developed among themselves, that's been picked up by Gregory. We're now going by what is called Little Falls. Gregory: Look at, mom. Karen: Mm-hmm (affirmative)- Nick Johnson: I would guess from the sound, and you may be able to hear the sound of the falls from the river to the right. We're back on the trail, this business of [inaudible] the poison ivy. Gregory goes and puts his arms around and cuddles up to plants of all kinds. He [inaudible] some flowers and poison ivy. It's a charming gesture, but one we feel must be said back to [crosstalk 00:41:54]. Karen: Let go of him right now. Nick Johnson: We've now found this overlook. I guess the sound we heard was not really falls so much as just the high water going over the rocks and the river. What are you doing, Greggy? Gregory: I'm taking all these off. Nick Johnson: You're taking all those off? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: All these are bark on a tree. Gregory: Why they have they bark? What bark means? Nick Johnson: Bark's what you're holding in your hand. Bark is what covers up the tree and protects it from animals and little boys. Gregory: Oh. Nick Johnson: Except it doesn't protect very well from you, does it? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: That's kind of rotten bark there isn't it? Gregory: Yeah. Sherman: Hey let me pick off some. Hey that was a big piece [inaudible] up on ours. You can even do it with your pinky finger, I think. Wait let me find- Nick Johnson: Sometimes animals do that in the winter time and then they eat the bark, or they eat what's under the bark to help them live in the winter when they can't get food. Did you know that, Greggy? Sherman: Yeah, well it hurts the tree in the winter. Nick Johnson: That's right it hurts the tree in September too, Sherman. You shouldn't pick anymore than what's dead. Sherman: Come on Greg. Nick Johnson: Here we go. Karen: Here's a place where there's a lot of moisture. Sherman: It will grow more bark- Karen: Mm-hmm (affirmative)- Sherman: And will get bigger? Karen: Mm-hmm (affirmative)- Sherman: In our house? Oh goody. Gregory: Stupid. Sherman: Would you do that for me? Julie: Don't call your mama stupid, Greg. Nick Johnson: Would you like to have a moss farm, Sherman? Sherman: What do you mean a moss farm? Nick Johnson: Where you grow moss. Sherman: You mean moss all over? Nick Johnson: Sure, moss all over. We'd have moss all over in the living room floor instead of a rug, and we'd have moss around instead of grass. And moss all over in the bathroom floor and moss all over the kitchen walls. Sherman: Hey. Hey, that's neat. Hey, yeah, dad. You're right. We could. Nick Johnson: Yeah. Sherman: We could grow some inside. Nick Johnson: Don't know where we- Sherman: We could put dirt all around. Nick Johnson: (Singing). Can you sing that Greggy? (Singing). Gregory: (Singing). Karen: See where the squirrly's been trying to get inside? Gregory: But are they out? Karen: No there's a shell on it. Nick Johnson: [inaudible 00:45:12]. Oh there's a kid. Gregory: It's a bing. Where are they in the tree? Karen: They're there. Up in the tree. Sherman: [crosstalk] in the hill down, we saw way over the- Karen: They have to be where there's shade and moisture. Sherman: Oh, I see. Karen: It would take it a long time, but it might. Sherman: It would take a long time. Karen: Maybe if we planted it like behind the backdoor. Under where that old red maple is, back behind the tomatoes by the back door. Sherman: Okay. I thought you went [inaudible 00:46:03]. Karen: Go on Pierre. Sherman: Now [inaudible] can go down because we [inaudible 00:46:24]. Karen: Over there. Sherman: No we don't go over, we just stay. Karen: Yeah let's stay down there and then we go up that hill. Nick Johnson: We have come back to the pictogram, haven't we? Karen: Yes. Sherman: Dad? Nick Johnson: Yeah be careful it's awfully muddy. Speaker 9: Back in the water, I had to step in the water to keep him from getting away. Julie: Well it sure is a nice bass anyway. Speaker 9: Sure is. I took him on a fly road. Nick Johnson: Oh my golly. [crosstalk 00:47:40]. Julie: Stay over here, Sherman. Nick Johnson: How much you guess he weighs? Julie: Stay back Sherman. Speaker 9: Pound and half, two pounds. Karen: Stay back here baby. Julie: Yeah that's a beautiful one, isn't it? Here's where we can come with Sherman's fishing rod, dad. Nick Johnson: Sure. You remember when you were down here before Sherman? Remember in the picnic? The day of the picnic? The water was really high, isn't it Julie? Remember? Julie: [inaudible 00:48:14]. Nick Johnson: Remember we were here before? Julie: Yeah. Well wouldn't that be a nice [crosstalk 00:48:21]. Nick Johnson: It's really good to know about that trail isn't it? Julie: Yeah. I want to see the fish. I want to go fishing. Sherman: Do you remember those things that they use on that mask that you put on when there's tanks with oil? Nick Johnson: Yes. Sherman: Could we use that because that's really [inaudible 00:48:50]. Nick Johnson: When they go diving in the water? Sherman: No just to push off in the water with that air in the back of you. Karen: In tanks? Sherman: Hey dad, there's something by you. Nick Johnson: What's by me? Sherman: A hornet. Nick Johnson: A hornet? Sherman: A hornet. Nick Johnson: A bee. Karen: A bee. Nick Johnson: A honey bee, I hope I don't get stung. Sherman: Oh he's not stinging you. Karen: If [inaudible] I think it would. Nick Johnson: Did he go away? Sherman: No. He's behind you, but he can't do anything. Karen: Greg's behind. Nick Johnson: Well, we were down at the riverbank for a while, watching a man who just caught a big carp. And we caught some of that on the tape. Sat and watched the water go by until Gregory finally started throwing rocks in the river again. And we're now backing up to the hill, to the main picnic ground. We'll then walk back down the road to our car. A walk that ... trek perhaps a half hour to 40 minutes with the boys. Sherman, you going to take that moss home? Sherman: Yes. I like to. Nick Johnson: Where can we put it? Sherman: My [inaudible] going to plant it, but I don't know. Somewhere by the back step. Nick Johnson: Sherm were those cowboy boots good for hiking in? Sherman: Yes. Nick Johnson: You think that they are more comfortable, or tennis shoes are more comfortable? Sherman: I think they're more good and comfortable. They're like skis. Nick Johnson: They're like skis? Sherman: Not really. But it's the head that goes, it goes up. I like it. Nick Johnson: The toe goes up? Sherman: Yeah. Karen: Sunday school teacher, you can talk about the day of the picnic. Gregory: Hey! Nick Johnson: Did you remember [crosstalk 00:50:58]. Gregory did you remember that this is where we had our church picnic? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Did your teacher show you some things here? Gregory: Yeah. Karen: No we just said hello to her. Gregory: And look at that wood. I want to walk on the log. [crosstalk 00:51:10]. Nick Johnson: Gregory, I'll hold your hand. Okay? Sherman: I'll get wet. Gregory: Way back here. Walky, walky, walky. Nick Johnson: Gregory's walking along some telephone poles laid sideways along the side of the road like a little border. He's walking right along holding on to daddy's hand. Sherman: Yeah you did. Gregory: What about my teacher go? Nick Johnson: Where'd your teacher go? Gregory: Mm-hmm (affirmative)- Nick Johnson: What? Gregory: That car down there? Nick Johnson: Yeah. Gregory: Okay. Nick Johnson: Gregory has run off chasing his Jetta. Now he's taken off his sweatshirt and put it over his head. He's crying batman as he runs down the road. Sherman: He dropped his walking stick and he reached in to what? Nick Johnson: He reached into a bush to pick up his walking stick, [inaudible 00:52:19]. Sherman: Uh-huh (affirmative). Nick Johnson: And there was a hornet. A nest of hornets in there. Sherman: Wow. Nick Johnson: Just like you were when you were just poking that flower into the other flower where there was a nest- Sherman: Oh boy, and he got stung. Nick Johnson: By three hornets at once. Can you imagine how bad one hornet sting is, you can imagine how bad three hornet stings would be. Sherman: Gosh. Get him ice cubes. Nick Johnson: Well I don't even know if he used ice cubes. Sherman look at real pretty bright red flower here, see it? Sherman: Yes. Nick Johnson: See how bright red it is? Sherman: Yes. Can we go pick it? Nick Johnson: I don't think so. Sherman: Why. Nick Johnson: Well we'd have to walk through all those weeds. But isn't that about the brightest red flower you've ever seen? Sherman: Yes. Nick Johnson: And the Indians would take those berries and they'd put them in the rock and they'd pulverize it with another rock. They'd hit on the berries, one rock on another rock. And then they'd take all the stems out and they'd have a purple juice left in the rock. Sherman: Uh-huh (affirmative). Nick Johnson: And then they'd take a feather, or they'd take an old weed, or they'd take something to soak it up with and write with and they could write on their leather teepees. And they could paint on them. Paint pictures. Sherman: I like to ... maybe we could do that? Nick Johnson: Would you like to make a dye out of that and paint on a picture? Sherman: Yes. Nick Johnson: Why don't we take it home and we'll do that. Sherman: Okay. [inaudible] and teepees and [inaudible 00:53:54]. Nick Johnson: Yep. Sherman: Four hornets and three bumblebees at once. Nick Johnson: How many? Sherman: Four hornets and three bumblebees at once. Nick Johnson: What do you think would happen? Sherman: I don't know, would you cry? Nick Johnson: Well would Mr. [Deesin] cry? Sherman: Yeah. I think that from the four hornets and three bumblebees and one regular bee. Nick Johnson: Well I don't know if he'd cry, but he sure would be sad and sore, wouldn't he? Sherman: What would he do? What would he say? Nick Johnson: He might even say some bad words. Sherman: What? Nick Johnson: What. He'd say, "Oh those horrible hornets. Those darn hornets!" I suppose he'd say that. Why do you think that's so funny, Sherman? Sherman: Because. Nick Johnson: Yeah. Julie: Eat lunch and go look at the museums and everything? Nick Johnson: Would you like to do that Sherman? Gregory: I like [crosstalk 00:55:11]. Sherman: [crosstalk] I'm not thinking about museums, I'm thinking about something else. Gregory: You're too late. Sherman: That I do every day. Nick Johnson: Aren't these [inaudible] pretty? Sherman: I don't what to tell other people. Julie: That's okay, but- Sherman: It's a secret. Julie: You could do some ... do you mean go down to the dock? Sherman: No I don't mean that. Julie: Or you could do whatever you want to do when we get back. We'll be back like around three or four. Any then you could go do that when we get back. Sherman: We're going to be full and then I'll miss that hour of Camp town Carnival. Julie: No because we can't walk that much. And it'll be fun to take a bus down with daddy and then come back on the bus, don't you think? Sherman: But daddy's looking to stay with us. Julie: No, he's got to go to work, but we can go up and say hi to everybody in his office and then we can go. Sherman: That's even badder. Julie: Why? Sherman: Because I don't like to go and talk to [inaudible 00:56:21]. Julie: Then maybe I'll take somebody else. You have to be a big boy to be able to go downtown on a bus and eat lunch and walk around downtown. Little boys can't do it and last year I didn't think you were old enough, but I thought maybe this year you'd be all right to take. Sherman: Well I am, but I don't want to go now. Nick Johnson: The aftermath, you'll be interested in when we arrived home, although I'd stepped on the berries that I'd placed in the front seat, there were still a substantial number left. We took them out and put them in a jar and squished them with a spoon. And then planted the seeds in the backyard at Sherman's suggestion. And there was then enough juice, a spoonful perhaps, for him to paint a picture and that's what he's now doing in the basement. We found a watercolor brush for him to use and he said, "But what did the Indians do for brushes daddy?" And then remembered, "Oh, yes you told me. They used weeds and feathers." As a matter of fact, I don't know that they did use weeds and feathers, but it was the most reasonable thing that occurred to me. Now we're in the kitchen and- Karen: The [inaudible] might be getting home. Nick Johnson: Yeah. We're feeding Gregory at his luncheon. The sound you hear is that of Gregory eating a potato chip. Sound of daddy eating a potato chip. The sound of the whole family doing a television commercial on potato chips. Pierre say something to grandma. The sound you hear is Pierre sniffing at the microphone. Sniff at the microphone Pierre. Pierre wondered if it was a bone, but found it wasn't and lost interest. Gregory: I want some more apple juice mommy. Nick Johnson: There you go. Gregory, how do you get juice out of an apple? Gregory: From an orange. Nick Johnson: From an orange? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Where do you get orange juice? Gregory: From apples. Nick Johnson: That's pretty cute. How do you get the juice out of an apple? Gregory: From orange. Nick Johnson: How do you get it out? Gregory: From peanut butter. Nick Johnson: Peanut butter? Oh you are silly. You are silly, Greggy. How about squeezing them? Do you think if you were to take an apple and press down on it real hard, that maybe some juice would come out? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Well that's how they make it. Did you know that? You can take apples and you can cut them into pieces. We used to have an apple press when I was a boy at home. And grandma would take the apples and take them inside and we'd wash all the spray off. And then we'd cut them up into pieces and we put the apples in the cider press. And cider's another name for apple juice. And you'd put all the pieces of apple, Gregory, inside this round barrel, and it had a lid on top that pushed down real, real hard. And screwed around this thing on top. And it'd push it down farther and farther and farther and farther. And the juice would start coming out the bottom and it's go into little bottles. And we'd have apple cider to drink. And that's where your apple juice came from, was from a press like that. You think that's right? On here. Gregory: Turn it off. Nick Johnson: In here? Yeah, it stopped working for a while. And I wondered why it stopped running. I thought maybe this wire had something to do with it, when I was pushing on that. Seems to work all right. What would you like to say to grandmother, Greggy? Karen: Go ahead. Gregory: I want grandma to come around my house afternoon. Nick Johnson: You want grandma to come around your house this afternoon. That'd be fun, wouldn't it? Yeah, maybe. Yeah we're just about to the end of our tape. And Greggy's just about to the end of his lunch. And we hope you enjoyed this little visit with us. Some of it kind of silly, but that's what we are. We're kind of silly, sometimes. Aren't we Greggy? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yep. And this has been a good productive week at the office. I've been working some of the communications task force staff and trying to get a paper ready that I'm going to present at a communications conference center in Mornington Virginia called Airlie House. And the next piece after that will be in Austin, Texas to the Texas broadcasters and Marsha's working on that. And then a speech on cable television in Philadelphia and Sy Lazarus should be working on that pretty soon. This weekend I'm trying to put together an issues paper listing all the communications problems. As you can imagine that's a big undertaking. Julie and Sherman have taken off for downtown by themselves on the bus to go walking around and visiting this afternoon. And I'll go down in a little while to start work at the office and then Karen will stop by later and pick me up and we'll go over to Lyons this evening for dinner. Gregory: Funny stuff. Nick Johnson: You want to hear the funny stuff, Greggy? Mother we sure hope you keep making tapes for us because we love to hear from you. And we all send you our love and hope that you are well. Good-bye for now from the Washington- Gregory: Going around dad because there's tape in it. There's tape in it, daddy. Nick Johnson: And so we begin another letter to mother on Saturday evening September 16th, 1967. It's been a sleepy afternoon. We've all been tired. I took a nap and Gregory took a nap. And Gregory just came into my room just as I've been waking up about 6:00. Gregory was just waking up about 6:00 and he said, "Daddy, I want to talk about things." And I said, "Gregory I want you to talk about things. Tell me about what things you're thinking about." Did you have a dream Greggy? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: What did you dream about? Gregory: I dreamed about grams. Nick Johnson: About grandma? What'd you dream about grandma? Gregory: She messed up my ... and throw the lamps on me. Nick Johnson: She threw lamps on you? What kind of lamps? You mean lamps off the floor, or the table, or the wall? Gregory: The table. Nick Johnson: I think you're silly. Gregory: Now turn it off. Paper. Nick Johnson: Paper what? Gregory: Paper on a wall. Nick Johnson: What kind of paper on the wall? You know on mommy's mirror? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: You know what that is? Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: Isn't that some artwork that you did or Sherman did. Gregory: Sherman did. Nick Johnson: How'd he make it? Gregory: He came on and put crayon and that still and [inaudible 01:06:03]. Nick Johnson: Gregory. Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: I think you're being silly. I think you're a silly Billy. I think you had too good a nap. Gregory: Grandma came off the street and take the house away and then she take [inaudible] the whole house. Nick Johnson: Oh Gregory, you are a silly Billy. Gregory did you know, that today we had a really big wind storm, or we could have a really big wind storm, but we haven't yet. Because there's a hurricane not far away on the Atlantic Ocean that went into a little city called Ocean Beach, or Ocean City ... Ocean City, Maryland. And we were supposed to get winds and rains this afternoon. Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Winds of 30 or 40 miles an hour and six inches of rain. But it never did really happen very much. It's just been blowing sometimes. Gregory: [inaudible 01:07:19]. Nick Johnson: You heard that on the telephone. Mama was talking to [Adida] on the telephone. We had a lot of children call today. You know Billy Adkins, Gregory? Huh? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Billy Adkins called to talk to Sherman. And Sherman was over playing with Christopher. Christopher [Beza 01:07:43], Christopher's mama came over in the car and picked up Sherman and took him over to the house. And then mama and Julie went shopping and you went to a napping. And pretty soon, I feel asleep. I bought a book on chess. Did you know that, Gregory? A book on how to play chess because I played chess with Julie last night and she beat me. So I decided I better get a book to learn how to play better. Yep. And I didn't read very much of the book before I got pretty dozy and fell asleep. Gregory: Where's the game? Nick Johnson: Where's the game? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: I'm using a little plastic game. Gregory: But where is it? Nick Johnson: It's right over here on top of the dresser with the little men poked in the board. A girl called for Julie and just now little Adida from across the street called. You want to see the chess game, Gregory? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: There is it. Karen: (Singing). You see what I have to do, tell daddy. [inaudible] you know what it does to me sometimes? That's what it does to me. [inaudible 01:09:07]. Come here, it's over there. You know how I get it? Now watch. Sometimes when I really want him, he does that too. Nick Johnson: Are you by now, confused? Bewildered? You don't know what the sound is all about? We caught a little extemporaneous bit of Karen chasing Gregory around the bed. Gregory goes from one side of the bed to the other as Karen runs around the bed. And the sounds they both make during this process, you can clearly discern. Now we're in the basement and we're going to be shortly hearing a concert from Julie before she has to run to go babysitting. Julie: Oh wait, oh wait. Nick Johnson: This is called the Jasmine Flower. Obviously Japanese or Chinese in origin and Julie wants all to know that she hasn't been playing the piano for months and hasn't had a chance to rehearse this item. Julie: I'm just waiting to get the last ... the ending. Karen: C and D. Nick Johnson: That's beautiful Julie. Julie: You [inaudible] at it? Nick Johnson: Sure. Now that I can see what it's like when you practice your piano. Julie: [inaudible 01:14:48]. Nick Johnson: Okay. Julie: You didn't really [inaudible 01:14:52]. Nick Johnson: Sure. Julie: I think the first one was better than this one. Karen: Okay. I'm going to go get it. Nick Johnson: Okay. Thank you Julie we all enjoyed that. Now mother this is the first day back to Sunday school. And as you might suspect, we're running a little late. 9:25 for a 9:30 service. I'm walking out to the car and then after the service we can get some comment from the kids on what they did today. Here's some Unitarian church music they're playing now, it's a very liberal congregation. We're trying to find some old hymns with lyrics that can be sung to this, but so far we haven't come up with anything. It's a very swinging group. We don't know what the kids do in Sunday school class. But we'll find out when they come out. Now here comes the minister, toe tapping out on to the stage. Sermon over here comes the choir. Karen: Come around right. Nick Johnson: Okay, right over here? Well here we are. We'll leave this for a while and give you a report after the service. Well now we're back out of church and it's 11:00. The service starts at 9:30. And we saw June [Sienna] whose husband Jim, I used to work with at Covington and Burling. She's now taken over the class in decision- Karen: Annie [Reicken] as well. Nick Johnson: Yeah Annie Reicken is in the class and Frannie was sitting right behind us in church today, and I talked with [Iler Ravenholt 01:19:13] who's on the vice president staff about maritime policy and met a Garth McCormick who works for Research Analysis Cooperation. Which is the system's analysis arm of the Army as Rand is for the Air Force and the center for Naval analysis for the Navy. Julie what did you do in your session this morning? How many kids were there, there? Julie: There were eight there and there's supposed to be nine or 10. Nick Johnson: What did you talk about? Julie: About other churches and how Christianity started. We're going to go visit all different churches of Christianity. We aren't going to go visit like Jewish churches and stuff like that. We're going to go visit Presbyterian and we're going to visit a Unitarian church too. We're going to go to ours and then one or two Sundays we talk about what they believe and what their history is. And then the next Sunday we go visit the church. Nick Johnson: Sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun. That's a new program this year that's different from last year's isn't it? Julie: It's been going for five years. Nick Johnson: But I mean you weren't in it last year. Julie: No. Nick Johnson: What did you do in your class today Sherman? [crosstalk 01:20:37]. Sherman: Oh boy. Well, let's see. We put this [inaudible] up to different colored sand in a picnic place and then we made pictures and then we took a magnifying glass and looked at them. And also- Nick Johnson: You took a magnifying glass and looked at sand pictures? Sherman: Yeah. Nick Johnson: What did you see through the magnifying glass? Sherman: Real pretty pictures, real pretty things [inaudible 01:21:16]. Nick Johnson: What did you do in your class Gregory? Gregory: I had fire engines and hats. Sherman: And we also went outside in our school. Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Did you go outside too, Gregory? Gregory: Yeah. Karen: And what's this you have in your hand? What's this? Gregory: It's a house. Karen: What'd you do to the house? Gregory: [inaudible 01:21:52]. Karen: Did you color on it? Gregory: Yeah. Karen: Yeah? Do you know what this is right here? Gregory: What? Karen: It's the chimney. Gregory: Yeah. Karen: And what are those? Gregory: Those are windows. Karen: And what's that there? Gregory: A door. Karen: That's right. Sherman: Hey you know what? You'll tape this on the bottom and somebody can go in the door. Karen: That's right. That house sure does look run down, doesn't it? That one on the corner. Sherman: Which one? Karen: That one right there. Nick Johnson: See that flower that guy had on his car was all psychedelic flower. Karen: [inaudible 01:22:41]. Sherman: I know. Nick Johnson: Gregory how many kids were there in your class? Gregory: All of the kids. Nick Johnson: How many? Sherman: Like were there four, or five, or six, or seven, or nine, or ten, or eleven, or something? Gregory: Stop talking. There was all of them. And then they [inaudible 01:23:09]. Nick Johnson: Was there anyone there you knew Gregory? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: Was there anyone you knew in your class, Sherman? Sherman: I think it's Richard. Julie: Oh did you know Richard? Sherman: Yeah. Remember that boy I went to his house? Karen: Oh yeah, was Richard there? Sherman: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Nick Johnson: Okay, now we're home. Gregory: Dad turn that off. Dad turn that on. Nick Johnson: Okay. How do you make it play, Greggy? Do you know? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Huh? Gregory: This. Nick Johnson: You push that. Okay. We're right about at 48 now, huh? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Okay. Hi Greggy. Gregory: What are you doing? Nick Johnson: Well, I thought maybe we'd talk to grandma some more. Because this is Monday night now. The last time we recorded was Sunday. This is Monday night, mom and dad have been out to play tennis, haven't we? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Yeah. And dad's putting the racks back on the tennis rackets and Gregory's getting ready to eat. And today we're having the low of the low 60's to about the middle and high 80's during the day. It was a good tennis evening. But it's about 7:20 and it's about time for us to eat dinner isn't it? Gregory why don't you tell me about your nursery school today? Gregory: We had tractors day. Nick Johnson: Tractors. Gregory: And sand. Nick Johnson: Played in the sand? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yeah. Gregory: And we had water and we didn't have sugar. Nick Johnson: You didn't have sugar, but you had sand? Don't you have sand- Karen: They didn't have that salt thing. Nick Johnson: I mean salt thing, they don't have that, huh? Did you get to paint textures? Gregory: No. I have boats there. Nick Johnson: Boats? What model boats? Gregory: No a real boat. Nick Johnson: And you played with them in the water? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Was the- Gregory: And there's a broom and we had those shovels to dig. Nick Johnson: I think that's nice. Did you get to play outdoors too? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: On a tricycle? Gregory: Yeah and we go on the tractor. Nick Johnson: Did you have a tractor? Yeah. You know what your teacher did this summer? Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: She got new tires put on your tractor. Did your tractors have new tires on it today? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yeah. You know it's just like a real tractor when the tires get worn down you have to take it to the garage and have new tractor tires put on, did you know that? Yep. It's what they do. Gregory: Why don't they fix them? Nick Johnson: They do. They fix them. They put new tires on them. Gregory: Why? Nick Johnson: So the boys and girls can play with them the next year. Gregory: Do they have to play next year? Nick Johnson: Well don't you like to play with them? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Huh? Gregory: I do. Nick Johnson: Sure. Gregory: Turn that on. Nick Johnson: No. Tell me about the boys and girls in your class. Are there girls in your school? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: Just boys? Really? You sure there are no girls? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: I'm surprised. Gregory: You want to see at my pretty school? Nick Johnson: I'd like to see at your pretty school. Do you know I went to your pretty school a couple weeks ago at night. And I looked at where you were going to play. Gregory: Did you see the tractors too? Nick Johnson: No I didn't see the tractors. Because the tractors weren't back from the garage yet. Gregory: Why? Nick Johnson: They had to fix them. A long time, it takes to fix them. Gregory: Why? Nick Johnson: Could I come to see your school some time? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: And watch you play? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Would you like that? Yep. I think you're funny. Your teacher's name is Ms. Hutchinson. Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Mrs. Hutchinson. Is she a nice teacher? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Is she good to you? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yeah. Gregory: She lets me go outside and she has toilets there and kleenex there. Karen: And what? Toilets and what else? Nick Johnson: And kleenex? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: So you can go to the toilet if you wanted? That's good. Does she help you go, if you have to go? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Yeah, she's a nice lady, I think. I liked her. Mama and I met her in the springtime. Gregory: When? Nick Johnson: When we went to see the school and we saw Mrs. Hutchinson. Gregory: Did you see my tractors when you met Mrs. Hutchinson? Nick Johnson: No, I haven't seen your tractors yet, I want to see your tractors. Gregory: Like my tractors? Nick Johnson: They weren't there. No. Does Mrs. Hutchinson ever read you stories? Gregory: She does. Nick Johnson: What stories does she read? Gregory: She reads me [inaudible] kinds and cow kinds, and dog kinds and tree kinds. Nick Johnson: That's good. You know when we were there the other night, they had a lot of books out. You know that round table with the little chairs around it? You know what I mean in your playroom? In your school room? There's a round table and it has chairs around it for you to sit on. Well on that table they had books all laid out. And books that I thought maybe she was going to read some of those to you. Gregory: Is she going to read some again? Nick Johnson: I'll bet she is. Gregory: Why? Nick Johnson: Because I think she loves the boys and girls in your class. And I think she likes to read them stories because they like stories. I think they do. Gregory: I like stories. Nick Johnson: Sure. Do you play with blocks? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: But you don't paint pictures? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: You haven't painted picture yet. They have a picture painting place in your school room. Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yeah they do. Gregory: Don't have plants there. Nick Johnson: Don't have plants? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: No. Think maybe in the winter time they'll have plants? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Be fun. Gregory: I go to an airplane school too. Nick Johnson: You go to another preschool? Gregory: No. Karen: No, an airplane school. Nick Johnson: An airplane school? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: What are you telling me? You going to an airplane school. Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Where's an airplane school? Gregory: It's down at the street. Nick Johnson: Oh you're being silly again. How many boys are there in your class? Gregory: All of the boys. Nick Johnson: All of the boys? Do you know the names of any of them? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: What? Gregory: I do. Nick Johnson: Tell me the names of- Gregory: What are these? Nick Johnson: Tell me the name of one of the boys in your class. Greggy. Those are tennis rackets, those are to hold the tennis rackets tight. Tell me the name of one of the boys in your class. Is there a Billy? Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: Is there a boy named Billy in your class? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: Is there a boy named John? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: Is there a boy named Al? Gregory: No. Nick Johnson: Or Pete? Gregory: Yes. Nick Johnson: Is there a boy named Pete? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Wow, I hit on one. Gregory: What? Nick Johnson: I got one right didn't I? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: Yeah. I got one right. Hey do you want to sing Somewhere again? Gregory: No. Karen: He can sing A Spoonful of Sugar. Nick Johnson: Oh, let's sing A Spoonful of Sugar, okay? (Singing). Gregory: (Singing). Nick Johnson: Oh, that's cute Greggy. Gregory: Yeah turn that on. Nick Johnson: Oh you'd like to hear yourself sing, huh? Gregory: Yeah. Nick Johnson: What other songs does Greg know, mom? Gregory: On Top of Old Smoky. Nick Johnson: Can you think of anything else, mother, besides On Top of Old Smoky? Karen? (Singing). Gregory: (Singing). What grief means? Nick Johnson: Grief means sadness. Gregory: That means when something goes alone. Nick Johnson: Yeah, that's right. (Singing). Gregory: (Singing). Turn on that. Turn on that. Turn on that, daddy. Turn on that. Nick Johnson: When it's over we will. (Singing). Gregory: (Singing).