The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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WASHINGTON, Monday—Why is it that no matter how far ahead one knows a date of departure from home, one never attends to details until the last day?

After lunch yesterday, my brother wanted to go over to look at a barn which the President is interested in changing into a house. As usual, the President thinks it can be done far more economically than than the rest of us do. I was glad to have my brother bear me out, but our combined arguments had no effect on the President, who said cheerfully: "Well, we will wait and see," with the calm conviction that he could perform miracles.

Back at the cottage, my brother and friends left and I set myself to winding up all the little tag ends which need to be done in a house at the end of the season. It was 7:00 o'clock before I was back at the big house and ready to leave for Washington.

We boarded the train at about 11:00 o'clock and we were all sorry to leave the country and the family. This morning we arrived in Washington to find it cool and beautiful here. The White House still looks more or less summery with the rugs taken up. There is one innovation, a little railing around the seal in the lobby. I approve of this change, for I have always disliked walking over that seal. They tell me that people now stop to look at it, instead of walking over it without even looking down.

It is nice to see all the familiar faces and to be greeted with such pleasure and warmth by all. I certainly am happy to see everyone here again.

I held a meeting this afternoon with Mrs. Dorothy McAllister and Mrs. May Thompson Evans, to talk over the program for the radio time on September sixteenth. This is the day when the Democratic Women are going to attempt to raise some funds of their own and I think it very important for women to do this regardless of the organization in which they are working. The President, who was to have spoken over the radio for the Democratic Women that night, feels that in the present crisis he must only speak as the President to all the people, and not as the representative of a particular party. The program will go on just the same, however, and I feel after talking it over with Mrs. McAllister and the other people who are to take part in it, that it will be very interesting.

Today is the beginning of National Air Progress Week and I was invited to do a little flying around the country in celebration of this event. Unfortunately, I am lecturing and therefore have my schedule all made out. This, however, will not prevent my watching with great interest everything which the air transport industry does to bring home to the public what developments in flying mean to both business and pleasure for us all.

E.R.

(COPYRIGHT, 1939, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, September 12, 1939

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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Digital edition published 2008, 2017 by
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project

Available under licence from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

Published with permission from the Estate of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt.

MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

TEI-P5 edition published on April 28, 2017.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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