First mate's log:

February 24, 1972

Mary Ann says she's going to have a surprise for me on Leap Day, an old tradition. I asked Mrs. Howell about it, since she usually knows things like that and she knows Mary Ann pretty well.

She clutched my hand and whispered, "My Dear Boy, she must be going to propose to you!"

"This is so sudden!"

She explained to me that it's an old European tradition for women to propose to men on Leap Day.

I don't know what I'll say if Mary Ann asks me. I mean, I love her and I want to marry her, but I kind of feel like it's my job to propose. And she told me no last year, although she might feel different now that we've been dating so long.

On the other hand, she is kind of a liberated woman, even though she's old-fashioned in some ways. I mean, she does run her own restaurant. So maybe she could ask me. But I could also see her waiting another four years. I guess I'll deal with it when and if it happens.

Carol Brady's diary:

February 26, 1972

Even though we've only been in this house three and a half years, a lot of stuff has piled up in the attic, which is why Greg couldn't move up there when he wanted his own "pad" at the start of high school. So we've started clearing out some of the junk. No, Greg isn't moving in after all, especially since we won't be taking everything out. We cleared out what we could a few days ago and will do more when we have a chance.

Most of it is going to the same thrift store we used the time we donated books and Cindy accidentally added Marcia's diary with her crush on Desi Arnaz, Jr. (I don't know if Marcia still keeps a diary. Obviously, I don't talk to her about mine.) So far, there's more trash than treasure, but we did salvage a few things. Mike found an old gramophone he thinks he can restore.

And there were some old family photos, including of my great-grandmother in the Gay Nineties bathing-beauty suit she got arrested in, for showing her knees! This was my mother's grandmother, Caroline. She had a wild streak that she passed on to my Grandmother Connie. My mother is mild-mannered, but her sister Jenny has always been an eccentric world-traveler, a bit like Auntie Mame.

There was a picture of Jenny, when she was just about Jan's age and living on the farm in Kentucky. The resemblance to Jan is remarkable, especially when Jan has her hair in braids. I haven't looked at this picture in years, so I never realized. Jan is understandably curious about what Jenny looks like forty years later, so I encouraged her to write to Jenny. (My aunt does own an apartment in Manhattan, even though she's seldom home.)

I warned Jan it might be weeks or even months before she hears back, but Jan hopes to get a letter or maybe a telegram soon.

Greg hasn't been helping much with this project, and not just because he won't get a room out of it. He's been locking himself in the boys' room a lot, writing something but apparently not for school. He says he'll tell us the details soon.

February 28, 1972

Greg Brady took the ferry over to Blenford on Saturday. He's written a song that he thinks is a guaranteed hit. He went to the recording studio that Davy Jones used when he was in the area. The owner, Mr. Dimsdale, told him that it would take $150 for just one recording session! Greg has about $40 saved up for his new boat, some of it from working as Sam's delivery boy, but he doesn't know where he's going to raise more dough.

"What happened to the $50 you got from the Skipper for your old boat?"

"I spent some of it on chicks. So that's why I've got only $40 left."

I'm lucky I only date one girl I guess. I wonder if I should get her a Leap Day present. Well, I'll see if she proposes. Would I buy the engagement ring, or would she? Both? This is very confusing. I'm glad it happens only once every four years.

March 1, 1972

Greg has written a rock song that he wants to record! It's "soft rock" and actually has a lovely message about respecting nature. I suppose growing up on this island has made him more aware of that, although apparently "ecology" is very trendy these days on the mainland.

However, an appointment at the recording studio on Blenford costs $150. So Peter suggested that instead of doing a solo recording, Greg could form a group with all the siblings, who would all chip in. So that's what they've done, but Greg has also gotten Mike to let them all have advances on their allowances.

It's a good song, but I worry that they might be throwing their money away. After all, even if they record it, how will they release and promote it? That would cost more money. I suppose Greg could donate a copy to the Blenford pop music station and hope that they'd play it, and then it might be picked up from there. But we live in the middle of the Pacific. I suppose Greg could ask Ginger to promote it to her show-biz contacts, or Marcia could send a copy to Davy Jones, but even that might not get them anywhere.

Despite my doubts, I did help the kids rehearse yesterday. They mostly sounded good together. Peter hit some flat notes, although he was once in the glee club when Bobby wasn't. But I think they all just need more practice.

March 3, 1972

Well, Mary Ann's Leap Day surprise turned out to be food. I'm not even sure how traditional it was, except maybe in France. She made frogs' legs! You know, leaping. And I couldn't help thinking of Froggy. He's the one who showed me where to find fresh water seven years ago when we had a shortage.

I got real upset so then she cried. We made up, but obviously neither of us felt like proposing that night.

I talked to Jan Brady yesterday. She said that she, Greg, and all their brothers and sisters have formed a family band to record Greg's song. They all chipped in their savings, and got advances on their allowances.

"Wow, I hope it works out."

"Thanks, Gilligan, but that's not really what I wanted to talk to you about." Then she told me about her Aunt Jenny, or I guess it's her Great-Aunt Jenny, since it's her mom's aunt. She found an old picture from when Jenny was Jan's age and she looked just like Jan. So Jan wrote to Jenny, enclosing a picture of herself and telling Jenny about her life. She also asked Jenny to send a picture of what she looks like now.

"Did she?"

Jan looked like she was going to cry. Then she showed me Jenny's recent picture. I saw an average-looking older lady. Not as pretty as Mrs. Howell but OK. Jan seems to think Jenny is ugly, although she didn't use those words, just "And I'll probably grow up to look like her!"

I was confused. "She's not that close a relative. And even if she was your grandmother, instead of your grandmother's sister, that doesn't mean you'd look like her."

So she explained to me what her dad told her about genes, the kind you inherit, not the kind you wear. He said that you have them when you're born and you inherit them from your parents and other relatives. They decide lots of things about you, including what you look like.

"I asked him if two people looked alike when they were young, if that means they'll grow up to look alike when they're older."

"What did he say?"

"He said there are no guarantees, but it's likely."

I thought of how me, Mr. Howell, and Ginger all had lookalikes. I wonder if we looked alike as kids. But I wasn't going to ask Jan, since she was pretty upset about maybe growing up to look like Jenny. So I just said maybe Jenny's grownup looks will skip another generation, but then Jan worried about having a daughter who'll look like Jenny, so that didn't really help.

March 5, 1972

I don't think Jan has heard back from Jenny yet, but like I said, that may take awhile. Mike is still tinkering with the gramophone. He got it to work for a little while, with one of the old 78 records from the attic, until it started skipping in the middle of the song.

Speaking of records, the kids are still getting ready to record Greg's song, probably sometime this month. They're practicing as much as they can, which is tricky with all their hobbies.