March 19, 1969 (Letter from Gail)

Boy, was my face red tonite!  Bonnie Freund and I were sitting in History tonite and we were talking while the teacher was lecturing.  Well he got a little pissed and told us to shut up and stop acting like high school girls!  He stood there and carried on like that for about 5 min -- giving us this big lecture on class behavior, how it's rude to talk while someone else is and blah-blah-blah.  I was so humiliated, I could have spit in his face.  Bon was really embarrassed, too.

Well, Mark came home last wk.  I've only seen him once, Fri night.  Sheryl and I took him over to our coffee house but before we walked in, I saw this guy I haven't seen in 13 months.  He just got home from the service, so I started talking to him.  Well, Sheryl got upset and went home and Mark got pissed and he took off and went to Y'ville with his sister.  He never did make it up there.  But really, I don't think he'd like it.  It's just not his type of place  So I'm not going to force him to come with us anymore when we go there.  I've talked to him once since Fri -- on Monday -- so I think he's up tight about me.  Enuf about Mark.  How's you?  How's all your campus protesting and sit-ins coming along?  Quarters are here on Fri so we should be getting our grades within a couple week.  I'm not really sure what any of them will be but I know that they'll be somewhere around average, as usual.

We were supposed to go see the 5th Dimension at the main campus tomorrow, but as usual our plans were screwed up and we won't be going.  Damn.  Count Basie will be at the high school pretty soon, so we'll probably see that.

Boy, has the weather ever been beautiful here the past 2 days.  Everybody was riding around with their convertibles down, guys were wearing shorts and playing baseball already. But tonight it got cold, so I don't know what it'll be like tomorrow.

Are you coming home for Easter?  Gee if you are, the whole gang, or those who made it home will have to get together and have another New Years party!  Right?  Except this time, there will be no whiskey, no "friends" of Joan's and NO throwing up or passing out till 5:30 in the morning.  If we eliminated these, it sounds like a hell of a boring time, no really, sounds like fun. We'll have to see what we can do about it.

 Well, Mr. Nelson, gotta hit the sack.  Take care and be careful.  See ya soon, right?  XOXOXO.

December 5, 1968 (Letter from Gail)

I figured since I had the old typewriter out I'd write you a letter on it.  I hope you don't mind and that you can read it cuz my typing is not too good.

Boy that was quite some envelope you sent your letter in.  When I got it, I could not figure out what it was.  Then when I turned it over and saw it was from you, then I knew.

I'm glad you had a nice Thanksgiving.  I did, too.  I saw Mark quite a few times.  The 1st night he was home we went to Jamestown to see "Gone with the Wind".  Then on Saturday night, Mark, Sheryl Larson and I went to the Gloves.  What a place!  I really like it there.  About 10:15 we left and went to the 4:00 Club, stayed there about 1/2 hour, then we went back to the Gloves until 11:30.  We gave Patti Suppa and Missi V. a ride home.  Patti was so drunk she didn't know what she was doing.   So we stopped at Shorty's on the way home to sober Patti up a little.  So I guess we sort of made the rounds that night.  Right?  Mark says your hair is really long.  I can't wait to see it.  What did you parents say about it?  Don't get it cut till after Xmas so I can see it.  OK?

How's school going for you?  We got quarter grades a couple weeks ago (really about a month ago now).  I got 2 B's, 2 C's, and an F in World Civ.  We had a W.C. test about 3 wks ago and I flunked it, too.  So I'm not doing too well in that class.  As long as I can keep my other grades up, I'll be satisfied.

Tomorrow night is EOC's dance at the Women's Club.  I got asked by this boy from Aliquippa, Pa.  We're really just good friends and he's a great kid, only one thing - he's just about my height.  And I just pray I won't be taller than him in my 1/2 inch heels.  I think we'll just sit out the slow dances.  We're doubling with Bonnie Freund and her date so we'll probably leave the dance around 10:00 and go to Shorty's.  See, it's a dinner-dance.  Din is at 6:30 and the dance is from 9 to 1.  It should be fun cuz all 4 of us are real good friends.

It finally snowed today.  This whole week it was really nice except it rained a lot.  The wind is really blowing hard and it's pretty cold out.

We got a new dog a couple weeks ago.  We had to put our other one away.  He was really sick and he could hardly walk.  We got the new one the same night we took Scamp away.  The new one's name is Timmy.  He's a beagle, 3 1/2 years old, and I love him to death.  When you come home you'll have to come down and see him.

I know typewritten letters aren't very personal, but the tw. was out and I do need practice.  I hope you don't mind.  I really missed seeing you over Thanksgiving but I'm sure we'll get together over Christmas.  Right?  Right!

Be good and take care of yourself.