October 2, 1977 (Letter from Barb N)

Hello.  How are you?

Mom wrote me and said that in January you were going to have a roommate.  Sounds like it is a good idea to help you live a bit easier.   Do you plan to move into a bigger apartment or stay at the same location?  I'm wondering if you still think it's a good idea to visit with you in January.  Will this move cause a lot of rearranging, etc. and would I be in the way.  I am looking forward to visiting you.  So if you can put up with me, I certainly am very flexible; especially after adjusting to work over these past two years.

I had two wisdom teeth pulled out last Wednesday.  By the morning of the 30th my mouth was the size of a golf ball.  It wouldn't' have been too bad if I didn't have to work two mid watches.  I have a hard enough time staying awake all night without trying to recover from oral surgery.  Tomorrow I go back to the dentist to get my stitches out.

I've been dreaming quite feverently for the past month.  I try to write my dreams on paper but a lot of time I wait until a later period and then I never remember details.  I have been experiencing a flow of emotions now that my security is slowing tearing away.  I don't want to make any added changes in my life as of yet.  I have been looking at my dreams and what they mean and at incidents with people in my life and I am trying to look at myself in the light.  For the moment I feel that I should stay alert.  I read a very good book recently on reaching people.  I want to reread the book because I feel I need to retain more thoughts from this book.

I have a lot of thoughts going through my head now.  I am trying to stay neutral to any activity these last few weeks.  Once I leave here and travel through Europe I am going to piece together these thoughts.  Maybe I can even envision a path for my life.  But I won't force it.

I bought a Marantz receive amp, 2250B for $300.00  I decided to get music for myself.  I want Dale to make me a pair of speakers.  I might buy myself a turntable over here before I leave but that depends on my finances.

I sold my car for $700.00  It only took me from the time I put the sign on the bulletin board until the time I turned around.  I was real pleased to get a buyer that quick.  He told me the day before yesterday that the loan came through and he had an appointment set up to transfer ownership.

Now all I have to do is finish sewing my sleeping bag.  I am 95% down with this project.  I will be on my three days off starting tonight so I will finish this project before I go back to work on Thursday.  It has turned out to my approval.

I'm reading an interesting book by Kathryn Watterson Urkhart called "Women in Prison".  It is a very good book depicting the lifestyle of women inmates.  Prison reminds me of boot camp.

Not much else to say.

Hope life is pleasant for you.