All posts by Dona

Quarantine Release Cards

Things

Back before many childhood diseases could be prevented by vaccines, people were issued quarantine release cards when the disease was gone. Here are my mumps and chickenpox quarantine release cards.

My mom, ever the rule-follower, kept these cards as instructed.

It looks like we changed addresses (262 Hine and 240 Heine) but the house number changed after we became part of the city and the person who typed the first address misspelled it.

I remember both illnesses. The mumps prevented a shared family vacation with friends. The chicken pox just itched.

Ian and Denise

Memories, People

Back when I was visiting England a lot, I got to know Ian and Denise. Ian was in a band called Magpie, they had a yellow Citroen Deux Chevaux they called Big Bird, I think. They had a leather couch and once, after an argument in which a tea/coffee mug was broken one of them created art with the broken pieces. I think I liked them because they seemed like the perfect couple.

Here they are with Tobias Bear (their son) in front of a huge Christmas tree. December 9, 1978

Jeff

People
From Back: Jeff [last name] my love 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and beginning of 11th grade. Really “Just a friend.”

When I was in 6th grade (and beyond) I had a crush on a boy named Jeff. For years I wondered what happened to him and finally found him via his grandfather’s obituary. We emailed and texted a bit — our mutual friend, Carol, was much more excited to have found Jeff alive and well.

I remember his family was well-to-do, at least more-so than mine.

I’ve kept some photographs of him, and at least one thing he drew on a notebook of mine. I know he’s mentioned in my online journals too.

Jeff's drawing of Gollum
I wrote drawn "free hand" by Jeffry Young on the back

As I find more photos and things I will add them here.

Here’s one that I took of Jeff after a high school paper drive. It is in my living room. The dog is my brother’s dog, Franz. Pity about the ink stains on the photo.

Back: Jeff Y. after paper drive. (Parted hair in middle)