November 16, 1976 (Letter from Mardi)

Thought I'd better sit down & wrote a note before the holiday "crunch" gets me!  Marti will be working at the Style Stop helping out next week  & if I'm to get anything done it will be in the late evening hours!  Sounds like everyone is tighting their belt this winter -- we've had one expense after the other-- small -- but they always seem to eat up a pay check!!  I was about to get ready to make some Christmas gifts but don't think I can even spare the extra money for materials!!!

November 22, Monday

Not doing well on this letter at all!!  Hope you have a pleasant Thanksgiving wherever you end up. Barb is going to Boston the weekend after Thanksgiving for a few days.  She & Patsy will be moving into a duplex on Conewango near Fifth some time around Dec. 1.  Guess she'll be here for winter?  Don't know what she's doing lately.  Marti met Rick last week & said he was a real TURKEY -- he was giving Barb a lot of shit Marti said.

Maybe it was a bad day for him?!!  I really don't know why she's so "attached" to him -- other than for a personal challenge of some sort or just personal satisfaction.  Can't figure her out this time.

Received a letter from Renee -- of course they were up for her grandfather's funeral, but were here & gone. Would love to stop & see them some time but can never foresee being in that area of Ohio for anything particular.

I have to update my Christmas card list.  I'm at least hoping to hear from a few people at the time!!

Right now we are having a mini-blizzard in Warren, Pa.  Really hasn't bothered me this year because I haven't got the hassle of the car like Marti does.  As long as I bundle up I'm OK.  Hope the Datsun "saves" -- you some money this winter w/ no extra needed garage bills.  If you don't take it to work remember to at least run it for awhile each day.  You know that though .  You may find sticking at home during winter really isn't so bad -- the weekend outings are costly -- I know! Glad to hear you'll be here at Christmas.  Hope we can all get together some evening for food & drinks.  You've got to make your spinach lasagna yet Nelson!!!  My kitchen is your kitchen -- any time!!.

If you hear from Renee, Tina or Mike let me know.  Yes, Mike's father has been going down hill for 2 yrs now.  He was in the psychiatric ward @ WGH at one time & I figured that would put him fairly straight but he was arrested for drunken driving a few months later -- can't figure it out.  I would think Mrs. Foster would give him support & try to help him w/ the drinking -- although she was not "tea tottler" herself!  It's good for Mike to be away from it!

Have you decided about your Christmas decorating?  I'm trying to organize a little each day.  Glad the holidays are coming up.  Don't know what the rest of '77 will bring though.  I would imagine seeing Harries to any great extent would be hard & it does help the relationship  -- probably the only thing to do now is let the relationship take its own course & relax.  I remember scraping up enough money -- 60 cents a day for transit fare to get me to work & back!!!  But as long as you're comfortable & have a few close friends it's not that bad.

Well, I must go -- probably forgot some things but I must get this in the mail.

Take care.

We are all fine.

Poopies are fine

Yolanda sends her love.

January 28, 1972 (Letter from Mardi)

It was good to hear from you yesterday!  I had just arrived home after an evening of "bowlerama".  I was going to write to you about three weeks ago and have been in a daze since then. School has me in a fog as usual.  But I actually look forward to classes to give my mind some mental exercise -- I really enjoy it all, which I've been trying to do for a long time.  Now whether I can pass or not will be another problem -- it's about this math class I have.

As usual, my Christmas trip back was uneventful!!!!?  Sure.  You definitely know the circumstances, that fateful Sun night.  I must say I'm sorry if I seemed upset but I was so fuckin pissed about the weather and how to get back I didn't give you a fond farewell.  After you left my mother and I managed to make a dozen phone calls and what I did was get a reservation from Jamestown to Buf and then from Buf to Mpls.   Then we got Tim Lucia to take me to Jamestown.  So just before I was ready to leave Mon afternoon the airport calls and says my flight will be half an hour late getting to Jamestown!  I'll still make my connection in Buf -- get to Jamestown and the flight is 50 min late -- so now I'm thinking "Shit, the planes are not going to make it!"  At 3:05 pm the plans lands -- I'm to be in Buf for my connection at 3:45 sharp -- I made it!  The flight from Buf to Msp was late getting in -- thank god!  Otherwise it would have been a mere five hour wait in the Buffalo airport!!!!  The flight from Buf took 2 hrs. because we were heading into such strong winds!  But I was home and had the ravioli heated by 6:30 pm.  It seems like 1 yr ago already!  I'm glad we got to see Tina and Rusty, that was about the only people I really wanted to see.  I would have like to have seen Mark but I don't have too much to say but hello, how ya doin?  I can't get to Joan, I'll never figure her out.  She seems to do everything backwards to get at her goal.  She doesn't want to go to school but she's going, she wants to settle down...  I'm glad she's going to finish anyway -- I hope.  I really didn't like old Freddy over Memorial Day -- he seemed very defensive towards me -- maybe it's my imagination but Freddy gave Barb the same thing.  I think everyone's "group" has dwindled down!  I don't' think any of us need as many people as we used to.  The few we have are close enough to love and "worry" about.  I'm one for intimate talks and walks, and stupid little tings.  But I like getting out as much as I can with the crowd, not among the crowd.  What am I babbling about?  I was thinking if I can get some money saved I could go out to Boston over Easter too.  It's just a thought though.  I want to get out there and see Barb and all the places.  It would be good a time as any I suppose!

Anderson quit his job!  Neat?  He's been "unemployed" for two weeks.  And boy is the money problem tight 00 just when we were coming out ahead -- he quits!  He was getting screwed on the job anyway.  Monday he finds out about a salesman's job at Grossman's Chevrolet.  IT really would be a nice job because he is so out-going and can really hand out the B.S.  He would have a car then too and other advantages -- like a paycheck!  He's been playing hockey about 4 night a week -- hockey hockey hockey.  He's had 1. a black eye, 2. a bashed up nose, 3. a stick across the mouth, 4. a puck in the arm, 5. a sprained thumb, 6. a cut forehead.  Every time he comes home I'm afraid to answer the door and find out what is broken. David lost 3 teeth last game and big goalie "Andy Anderson" got in a fight but Thank God the referee stopped it.  "He can flu......."  So, if that job doesn't come through it's taxi driving for awhile.  This spring we want to move and get a dog and all. But we are really going to have a bitch moving if we even find a reasonable place.  I want to stay in the same area though. I like the lakes and parks etc., which Bill could care less about!

Everything has been find though all in all!  The weather has been a bitch!  Could you believe -65 with the wind chill!  It had been that way on and off for the past two weeks.  I talked to my mother last week and she continues to talk of going to Florida.  If she does move down, which I am hoping, I am really considering the possibility of moving down there myself!  I love Mpls. and the city but------this weather!  The move wouldn't be for quite awhile yet.  I don't' think it would be a bad move!?

 Well I must close and get busy here.  Take care -- I love ya too honey.

Think we are going to see "Straw Dogs" tonight (or is it Dog?)  I don't want to see the ending.  Oh!  Finally read QBVII it was a good book, not as good as Exodus but good reading.  When it finally came out in paperback I had to read it.

September 9, 1971 (Letter from Barb Lucia)

Howdy -- you fucker!  What in the hell are you doing????  Don't you know that living at the beach is all a fantasy -- life that's only good for a little while -- believe me I know and don't I know that's why I'm the dud I am now!  So hep me Nelson, if you do what I did I'll kill you!  I feel like it's my kid or something...really, "what are you going to do?" -- GIANT QUOTES around that question.  When I first heard you were in California I was home -- in Warren Pa 16365 -- I went home for a week -- my mother had an operation -- she has cancer and they had to remove her breast -- it was really heavy for them, so I had to go home for the week.  So I casually call up your house to see where you're living in Buffalo -- I'm there -- California??  Then Mardi tells me you're staying there.  Well, what can I say?  Paul -- how can you, of all people, quit school?  You are the original enjoyer of school --I've never known anyone to enjoy it and get more out of it than you do -- when I quit I knew it would be a wasted  year for me to go on, but for you I don't see it that way.  Anyway, maybe I'm worrying all for naught -- why don't you write and tell me -- I'll only be here on the island till Sunday, then back to Boston and home for a few weeks to help my mother out.  So write to me at home -- OK?

The summer here ended as suddenly as if someone shut it down for the season.   Labor Day was everyone's last day at work and boom -- everything closed and everyone went back to where they came from.  Now the roads are deserted and we are just wondering what to do with the days until we go.  It's like country time -- we have gone through changes in our house lately -- Woodstock II has arrived -- everyone wanting just a place to be and music to listen too -- our house is it.  I can't explain the latest hassles but I will when I see you.  Why in hell can't people get along -- even people that you like you can't get along with anymore.  People are such fucking assholes to each other -- our time here-- I mean on the island -- is so short -- why can't we be generous.  Shit.  Time anywhere is fucking short -- it always seems that it will last forever until all at once you're remembering it.  Mardi told me she was coming here and then I got a letter that she's not and guess why -- no $$$.  Now what the hell kind of fucking excuse is that but with Mardi and Bill it's true.  So I didn't answer to call -- so she called me last night and we talked about all this shit.  There were 10 million people here-- 5 million of whom no one in the house knew and I couldn't talk really freely on the phone -- it's so rare you get to talk freely now-a-days -- it used to be you did it very day of your life!  Everyone's grown up!  I'm also running out of paper -- what am I babbling about?  Hey, I got a letter from Joan today.  Her life is like a fucking soap opera -- she moved on on Freddy -- she said she got drunk and tried to kill him (?) -- but they're together now and all is well.  Did you get all that?  She is also going back to Clarion in January and the government is paying for it.  If that marriage makes it, it will be all Joan's doing -- I hope she can do it!  And Mardi and Bill are not making it together either -- God, the whole thing just sucks -- people are just determined to fuck everything up.  But Mardi's staying tho -- working and going to school at night again this year.  Where the hell does she have to go?  If I didn't go back to Boston where the hell would I go?  I was thinking today -- up on the top of the back field behind our house -- why can't we all be back where we were 2 or 3 years ago, only be what we are now -- just have our new selves there-- I had it all figured out anyway.  I went out in the field w/ Harry to get away from PEOPLE -- I swear I'm going to be a hermit in another year or so -- so I hope I see you before then so I can talk to you.

I saw Mike when he was home -- he's applying to the Peace Corps for next year -- duh!  And Tina and Mark are just about goners -- they're both hitched by now.  So what else is new -- no new lights in my horizon -- for once in 3 years -- everything seems planned out and all I have to do is follow it all through.  I'm going home for a while -- then back to Boston to old Calumet St. and the old job at Mass Mental.  And every fall I'm usually freaking out wondering what to do -- it all seems so dull this way -- maybe something will come up and fuck me up -- if I'm lucky.  You know my Boston address -- right?  It'll be me and Doreen and Nancy and -- get this -- Doreen and John are getting married -- that's too much in itself -- and planning to live with us in the same place when they do.  Shades of Apt 203, Lake Street!  Oh we are just so unconventional aren't we?  Now I am going to end all this -- just write soon.  Take care Paul -- I hate to say it, but I will (see you at Christmas) SHIT!

August 26, 1971 (Letter from Mardi)

I was really racking my brains out wondering where the fuck you'd end up!

Write and give me all the highlights of your trip out and "California dreamin'" adventures.  By what route did you do?  Shit, I'd never go back to Buffalo!  Will he stay or will he return?  My mother and Mike thought for sure you'd be in Boston, at least that's what Foster said?!  You should send him a "knock" postcard or something!  My mother had to fill out a Peace Corps questionaire for Mike.  She's there "duh".  I'm sure she wrote a decent letter to them though.  I heard on the news that the first Peace Corps volunteer was murdered!! That might scare him off.

Sue Smith has been out here this week and we've really had a good time just seeing old friends we both hadn't seen in awhile.

Well, Tina's getting married Sat.  Mark is getting married Sept 11!  Jodee Scalise I hear is engaged to Bill Andrews that dud!

Barb was home for about four hours -- sure I mean four days.  Her mother went in the hospital when she found a lump in her breast and they removed it and found that cancer had already spread so she's having cobalt treatments. They said it was the "slow spreading" kind.  It's really a shitty thing to have happen.  I'm planing on going out to Boston for a week and then Barb is moving home for a month or two.  I really don't know what's to happen.

Anyway I better get going.  Take care and write soon.

(8/30/71)  Hello again, Sept is almost here!  Have you made any major decisions lately?  I must get to work now, so write soon!

October 18, 1969 (Letter from Mike)

Sorry I haven't written but you know me.  I just hate to write letters anymore.

I'm sending you a card that one of my fraternity bros had the foresight to print up.  T hey come in quite handy and you feel better about losing a parking space if you can put one of these on the windshield.

Classes are going along quite well and the fraternity has kepi me really busy lately.  I was homecoming float chairman and that's all I did this past week -- work on the float.

Tina was here for homecoming -- (you missed Blood Sweat and Tears -- sorry) this weekend.  I think she had a good time.  BS&T were tremendous!  The agent said if they like the audience, they'll play for an hour.  They went for 1 hr and 45 min.  Everybody was going out of their minds.  If you haven't seen them in concert, make sure you catch them sometime.

I'm not going to be able to go to Boston.  No money!!  By the way, you owe me some money from vacation.  I'll take it anytime you can afford it.  I think I'll bring Flanagan with me for Thanksgiving.  Wish you could come home so we could goof around.

Must go now.  Sorry this is short, but I'm all talked out.  Sagars says hello.  Write and tell me what's up.

October 10, 1969 (Letter from Mardi)

Hi honey glad to hear from you!  I'm happy you got that initiative to write.

Today I stayed home -- I've missed two days or work this week!  I think I've really got some "bug"!  Barney and Barb and I and some kids went up to Melody.  Barb and I hate to go there.  Well, we had a pretty good time and Peroski had about two six packs of Schlitz to drink with no supper.  I was almost there!  Good grief.  So this morning at 7:00 am Mardi was really hurting -- headache, wobbly legs, upset stomach, sick AS HELL! So I stayed in bed all day, out of commission!  I have to go to the doctor's tomorrow for a check up and blood test and all -- could I have mono?  Duh.  Mr. Sayles is down right now and we're going to have din-din in tonight.  I'll probably get sick.

Lately I haven't been doing much of anything.  Joan is at school heaven knows what (?) I'm scared to think of what she's up to!  Haven't heard from Mike yet -- no one has!  Tina is working at New Process -- overtime even Blah!  She's going down to Cleveland for BS&T the 16th or 17th for fall weekend -- she has a date with Phil.  Barb and I are here-- just here -- barely!!!!

I'm about to take off any day now for Minneapolis, or Denver or San Francisco!  If you go out West you've definitely got to hit Denver!  If I'm nowhere near Denver or the West next summer I'm hitching with you!  You'll happen to pick me up along the way -- who knows -- if I can make it to New Years round here I'll be lucky!

How are classes going?  My mother just told me to tell you to gain some weight!  How much do you weigh now anyway?  My mother wants you to eat meat and potatoes!  I'm there "Where do they get and who cooks meat and potatoes for them?"  Guys definitely hate or cannot or do not want to cook.

You should go to New York over Thanksgiving.  HEY, LOUSY CITY!  You'd have a hell of a time.  All of us kids are trying to get together in Chicago about the end of October.  I wanted to go there the 17th but I can't make it!

I'd love to come out November 14th or 15th for the concert and all.  The Who are supposed to be great.  Dutch saw them and said the thought they were really good.  We'll see what's up!  Nothing, I imagine.  I'll still be working.  Blah!

Barb is down now and we're both exhausted.  Must go!  Please take care.

October 1, 1969 (Letter from Mark)

Sitting here in an Art&Civ.  The professor sounds like a tape recorder.  My schedule is really going to be hard this quarter -- 33 hours of classes, plus I've got a 4 hr class on Saturday.  Taking painting & compositions, drawing 2-d, figure drawing, typography, photography, and then art&civ.  The Saturday class really ruins all my weekends so I got a job working in the cafeteria about 15 hours a week to earn some money.  Pay 1.75 an hr. if I save enough I'm going to buy a car and if not I think I'll save and go to Europe next summer.

Had a great summer and I only wish that it wasn't all over.  Had a bore in Warren.  Only saw Marti once, never even saw Tina, mostly ran around with Gayle and Leslie and the new boy who moved across the street from Beverly Hills.  Ended up going to Surf about every other nite and to the movies.  Was really terrible and I'm sort of glad to be back at school.  I got my own room, it's in another new dorm.  Not to bad, most of the other rooms are singles and it sure makes school a blot better when living alone.

So how have things been going with you?  You didn't say too much about what you've been up to.  That was really a close call almost getting busted.  I know how you must have felt.  Had a chance to smoke last week but I decided against it.  I have to take tranquilizers and smoking just didn't seem to me as the right thing to do.

Oh, this lecture is a bore!!!  What a bore this is.  Thank heavens it's only a one hour class.

Hope you get a chance to make it up sometime this quarter.  With you working and my working I guess it would be pretty hard.

Renee is engaged now.  She went around flashing her diamond to everyone.  Really glad for her though.  My address is the same as last year.

November 18, 1968 (Letter from Mardi)

It's really snowing today.  I can't believe you're home.  I think I'm going horny out here.  I know you'll have a good time at home.  Stop in and see my mother.  She'd love that.  Tell Joan her one and only letter was appreciated.  I finally heard form Tina.  I hear through the grapevine that the Pub has changed to 21.  You can't win.

Nancy and I are making all these plans today.  It seems so much like Christmas.  Right now it's 3:00 and it's so dark and hazy out.  They're decorating all of the city and should be done Thanksgiving.

This weekend went flying by so fast.  Friday night Mike had steak at his apt for us.  It was a surprise for Wendy and I.  We had a misunderstanding though and I'm afraid I probably won't be dating him again, unless we work things out.

You win some and ya lose some but most of the time you get rained out.

Sat night it started to snow and since Wendy and I were home w/ no dates for some reason, we cut up tons of magazines and we're doing the entire walls and ceiling into a collage.  Then we went out about 11:30 and made a huge snowman.  When we don't have anything to do we find out own fun.

Sunday Nancy and Peggy and I went downtown and clonked around and ended up sitting in a restaurant eating.  I have to stop eating because when I get home, I'm going to stuff myself.

Right now I'm waiting for you to call me.  That's another thing I'm going to do is call people on the phone all day and just say hi!  Then the luxury of a car.  Shit!  I want to come home and see everybody.  Everybody is getting their suitcases and packing.  Blaaa!

Take care honey!  29 days!

September 28, 1968 (Letter from Mardi)

Guess what I was doing when I got your letter - reading Psych!  Talking about incomprehensible.  Nancy and I went downtown at 12:30 and spent the whole day there.  I love it.  You really don't realize how dead Warren is!  You're so true.  Nancy and I could never go back, it was so trivial.  I do look forward to going home at Christmas and all, but I could never live there again!  This place is no palace.  Glad you're having a hell of a good time and settled.  Poor Mark is having trouble.  It's really bad when you can't get adjusted, it's so important.  You have to give it a little time.  It took me a good whole three days to get settled and know just what I wanted to do for sure.  Some kids had to leave because they just couldn't make it.  But what in God's name can going home do unless you definitely know you're in the wrong place!

I've heard from just about everyone except Joan.  Mike likes it I guess.  He sent me a telegram the second day I was here -- raining and lonely in Bemus Point, Love, Twenty-seven!  Got a letter from Renee yesterday.  She loves it!  Tina left for school Friday.  Mom said she and Tina had a nice talk at work.  My mother is so sweet.

This week went so fast.  Last night we were going to a dance and all but Nancy and I didn't make it.  We spent the whole night over town.  I love it, I love it, I love it.  We met these really cool guys from the university and we to Luigi's for pizza.  Pace's does have better pizza. though.  We had a good time.  I've got tickets for Bill Cosby at the University Sat.  I'm going to the Minn Vikings vs. Detroit Lions game Sat. too  Donovan is coming!  I can't stand it.  I was meant to be born rich!  Today I bought a furry hat for winter in Dayton's.  It's one of those helmet jobs, it's so cute!  (I bet you're thrilled!)  I shouldn't spend my money, but you should see the shops.  Tomorrow afternoon, Nancy and I are going to spend our time at the Art Institute.  It's right around the block.  All the students sit in the park across the street and paint and study, most of the guys are odd looking types.  We're in a good section of town money wise, huge mansions all over w/ tons of parks.  It's not safe at night though.  We can't go out late w/ less than 5 or 6.  Last Friday night I got caught in a mob after a stabbing.  I was shaking all night, the whole thing was so ugly.  Some girl was just killed in a park too.  I've already ran into some great characters.  Geez!

One bad, bad, bad, bad, bad thing!  I'm going dry!  How about sending a "Bud"! or a few pints of rum!  Huh?  Huh?  Will ya huh?  It's bad here.  If you get caught at a party drinking, you're as good as dead! - criminal record, fine, jail -- the whole bit.  I can't take the chance.  I could get some stuff, being arrested once was enough and that was nothing compared to what they do to you here!  Glad to hear you're boozin it up lush!  Blaaa! to you!  Geez at Christmas I'll get tanked on half a beer probably.  Are you going to go home for Thanksgiving?  There's always a jet leaving for Minneapolis you know!  Hint, hint.  I'd love to have you come out, I don't know if you could go too long without a drink though.

I have got to go finish my psych, I have Eng comp to do yet too!

Listen, if you see Jimi Hendrix w/out me, I'll kill you!!!!  He's really popular out here.  Have your heard "Watchtower" yet?  Minneapolis is good on soul!  "Let me stand next to your fire..."  If you see Janis Joplin, I'll kill you too.  And the Chambers Brothers. 

Take care and study hard and pass!

I think you should pledge to a frat -- good idea.  When do I get to come to your frat party!!  Guess what!  I've just about stopped smoking!  Watch me though in about two weeks.  It really bothers me sometime.

I must go now!  I have to read Lady Chatterly's Lover yet too. 

September 20, 1968 (Letter from Mike)

This is my 8th letter tonite so if it looks like shit - tough.  I'm so tired and I have so much to do.  (Oh god is this letter going to be short.)

Got a letter from Mardi today and she really seems to like it.  I must go down and see Mrs. P tomorrow.  I sure am going to miss that house.

I spent the evening with Tina and we had a nice time.  We listened to records and she sewed nametags on all of her things.  A really brutal evening.

Hey, I know this is short, but I'm dead.  I'll write Sun. night or Monday and fill you in!