Presidential references from my doomsday diaries

Journals

Oct 10

Written By Heather Rogers, America's Preeminent Presidential Doodler

Part 1: Days 1 - 100

For the first 500 days of the pandemic, I kept covid journal. Every day, I documented what we were going through. Tiny wins. Current events. Fun stuff we did together. Things that brought me joy. And, of course, a plethora of POTUS references.

Here are a few of them.

Day 1

I finished my first book about Grover Cleveland!

I seriously dorked out when I saw Martin Van Buren at Latte Larry’s on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

HBD, 22/24!

Wore George Washington socks in honor of starting the only biography of him written by a woman since I’ve been alive — Alexis Coe’s You Never Forget Your First.

Two-fer

Flaunting my George Washington mug AND my presidential doodles. (The doodle shows FDR, Bill Clinton, George Washington, and Barack Obama. Know what they all have in common? They were raised by single moms.)

I ran out of books! Had to read about W. because it was the ONLY unread biography on my shelf for a POTUS still on my list at the time … and the libraries weren’t open!

PS I think I spotted a mistake! Herbert Hoover had a pet owl. I’m not sure that Calvin Coolidge did. In any case, I’m sure this wouldn’t sway my daughter.

I LOVE coincidences!

On Day 15, I read TWO references to Washington crossing the Delaware. One in a biography, so no big surprises there. But the other one was in The Phantom Tollbooth.

SIDE NOTE: If you haven’t listened to Slow Burn: Watergate, I highly recommend it.

Jimmy Carter shot his sister in the butt

With a BB gun. After she hit him with a wrench. (My son said he should have shot her twice. Yikes.)

Kid Presidents

Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents (by David Stabler and illustrations by Doogie Horner) is so fun.

"This most dangerous enemy."

- George Washington, on the smallpox epidemic

Click here for the spinach and mushroom quesadilla recipe referenced in the bottom left corner.

Hmph.

I see from the top right corner that I didn’t yet know Millard Fillmore was trash.

Nutty.

Peanut fragments and skins poured out of so many pages from W’s autobiography, Decision Points. It would have been far funnier if that happened when I read about Jimmy Carter.

"Think of a word that lifts you up."

“Teddy Roosevelt.”
-my daughter

Have you read any of these books?

Comment below. I want to know. In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson, is particularly apropos these days.

Hmmm....

I’m not convinced “calm” describes Theodore Roosevelt in the least. But the bust is cool!

Yeah, but...

For years, I thought it was a weird move for FDR not to bring Harry S Truman up-to-speed, knowing what was going on in the world. Particularly since FDR very ill. BUT! Truman was only in the VP post for 82 days when FDR died. (Plenty of time to start looping him in, but still.)

Keep scrolling…

… for more.

Featured

Mar 25, 2023

The last of the presidential references from my doomsday diaries

Mar 25, 2023

Part 5: Days 401-500+

Mar 25, 2023

Jan 14, 2023

Still more presidential references from my doomsday diaries

Jan 14, 2023

Part 4: Days 301 - 400

Jan 14, 2023

Nov 10, 2022

Even more presidential references from my doomsday diaries

Nov 10, 2022

Part 3: Days 201 - 300

Nov 10, 2022

Oct 21, 2022

More presidential references from my doomsday diaries

Oct 21, 2022

Part 2: Days 101 - 200

Oct 21, 2022

Oct 10, 2022

Presidential references from my doomsday diaries

Oct 10, 2022

Part 1: Days 1 - 100

Oct 10, 2022

Heather Rogers, America's Preeminent Presidential Doodler

Heather isn’t a historian, an academic, or an impartial storyteller… but she has read more than one book about every U.S. president. Out of spite. She was dubbed America’s Preeminent Presidential Doodler by one of her favorite authors and she’s been repeating it ever since. When she’s not reading or doodling history books, she’s a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.

Presidential references from my doomsday diaries

Part 1: Days 1 - 100

Day 1

HBD, 22/24!

Two-fer

I LOVE coincidences!

Jimmy Carter shot his sister in the butt

Kid Presidents

"This most dangerous enemy."

Hmph.

Nutty.

"Think of a word that lifts you up."

Have you read any of these books?

Hmmm....

Yeah, but...

Keep scrolling…

Hyde Park visit

Eleanor Roosevelt gets the stamp of approval

Twice the fun? Or twice as confusing?