October 24, 1973 (Letter from Leslie)

Happy birthday -- season's greetings!

I got your letter today and since I was going to send the card, I thought I would write a few lines to go along with i.

First a recipe for peanut butter:  I got it from The Old Farmer's Almanac in an article entitled "Peanut Butter and Jelly Recipes (and bread, too)".  So -- peanut butter:  to make 2 cups you will need 2 1/2 cups roasted (in or out of the shell), shelled peanuts.  If you shell them yourself, you will have to blanch them before use:  Blanch the nuts by placing them for a minute or so in boiling water, which will  loosen the skins for easy removal.  This step, of course, is not necessary if you use salted party peanuts, or dry roasted peanuts.  Grind the nuts to a meal in a grinder or electric blender.  If you use a blender, use grate speed first, then the "chop" speed.  Keep the cover on tightly, and do not grind more than 3/4 cups nuts at once or you will clog the blades.  Place the nut meal in a bowl and beat in 1/4 cup of water and 4-5 tablespoons peanut oil until the butter is smooth.  Salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons).  store in a closed jar in the refrigerator.

Now onto your letter.  I think the pictures on the folded blue paper are classy and have no comment on the trademark.  Thanks for the goodies on Blue Oyster Cult -- I'd love to see them again as I would appreciate them so much more now.

It does sound interesting about the para-professionals.  That's been a big point all along in librarianship -- is it really a profession?  What kind of status does it have?  What should we strive for?  Today the feeling of being an undergraduate swept over me -- that is school is bullshit and maybe I will learn something on the job.  Of course Albany's scope is supposedly theoretical so that we will have the background and will apply it to actual problems.   Yesterday I took the midterm to my Info Processing course -- ugh -- thought some of the questions were picky and how 'bout "What are two important facts about the following/"  Nobody in the two classes that have taken it are very happy.  At least there were no T/F question -- ID were brief answer questions.

Now onto records:  I bought Isley Brothers 3+3 and it's iffy -- the pressing is bad and I had to take one record back (something I hate doing) and that was annoying.  There are a few good numbers -- after "That Lady" I like "If You Were There" the best.  Also bought 3 records for 1 cent each - yeah.  I couldn't believe it.  One Ambergris has a huge chicken head in color on it and it stinks.  Another Soulful Strut by Young-Holt Unlimited is very uninspired -- at least the 1st side is -- hold on while I turn it over.  Well the other side is not much better.  The third album -- Rasputin's Stash is a nice surprise and the overall quality is better than that of the Isley's.



Tonight I went to K-mart to buy a soap container and saw 1 3/$1,00 pile and bought 4 records.  One -- Crazy World of Arthur Brown I have but bought for Mom.  Another Lacewing I've never heard of it but it reminded me a little of early Jefferson Airplane.  A likable album that will be played occasionally.  Another one by Fusion called Bordertown which I just put on which the 1st song sounded like country-rock.  So does the 2nd -- seems to move along.  Lots of slide guitar.  The other album is a group called Black Pearl -- I've seen the album before, but know nothing about it.

I've only heard LaBelle backing up Laura Nyro on It's Gonna Take a Miracle and thought they were classy.  I'm sorry your thought Blackbyrd was that bad.  Of course I heard it when I was stoned, which always colors music positive, but even so I did not think it was that bad.  The draggiest # was the 2nd song on the 1st side (I think, it's a real long song) but the rest of it had me rocking in my chair.  As for liner notes -- I haven't seen any album for quite awhile that had anything that passed for a liner note, so I'm dismissing that comment.  Anyway a difference in likes/dislikes is to be expected at least once in awhile.



I'd like to hear Pet Sounds sometimes.  The 2nd side of Fusion 2nd song, "Time of the Ostrick Head" is moving right along jazzy with a solo sax.  The last song 2nd side, "Ereous" is jazzy, too with lots of solo sax.  Will describe the other album later.

Funny about that liver.  I liked the peanut better and jelly so much on the sprouted wheat bread (love the bread) that I'm eating it quite a bit at home.  The steamed vegetables sound good.  I used to make my own spaghetti sauce in Buffalo from scratch -- it's quite easy -- and it does taste great -- everybody who makes it, makes theirs a little different than somebody else's.  Loved making a big batch and then cooking fresh spaghetti to go along with the sauce each time I ate.

Back to records for a minute -- my parastatic record preener has been acting up and instead or removing static it is making my records snap, crackle, and pop.

Well sweetie, tomorrow I'm going to Atlantic City and have to be in Albany at 6am which means 4am here so I have time to get myself together and I have to get my stuff together tonight.  I bought a pair of plaid corduroy baggies and black highheeled rubber soled clunkies to go with them. Even so they were so long, Nana had to shorten them for me.  Glad to hear the beard is doing well, I just love to run my fingers through your hair (all over your body ha ha).  Take care of yourself.