December 1977 (Christmas card from Heffelfingers)

Hope this season finds you well.

We bought a new house in April.  Actually it's old -- 1897.  It's a block from the Capitol.  The previous owners had 5 kids so we have moire than enough room.  Never going to move again.  I'm told that when the original owners decided to install indoor plumbing, they dug a ditch just east of the kitchen & found enough gold nuggets to pay for the entire plumbing job.  Isn't that exciting?

Kathe LeSage &  her husband moved over here in September.  She resigned from the Day Care Center in June.  She plans to be a freelance photographer & Bill wants to remodel old homes.

Kerry is in a fabulous Day Care Center this year -- he's becoming so interesting -- every day a new discovery.  Have a nice Christmas.

December 1977 (Christmas Card from Dick Peel)

How's the winter!  I think of all my friends as I go for a swim.  Still busy exploring this area and loving the cultural advantages of the metro area.  Going back to Montana for several weeks of skiing and visiting in January.  Not sure my thin blood will cope.  I miss Helena.

Job goes well -- designing special projects and consultant on present ones.

How's your piano studies progressing?  Have heard some of the greats this year.

Got to DC & N.Y. this summer, combining please with business.  Been to Calif several times -- love the ocean and have friends with homes right on the cliffs overlooking the water.

In between have spent a lot of time on my silver work and reading near the pool (a necessity to be close by the pool in the summer).

My family is here again for the winter -- about 12 miles from me.

Saw Jim Estelle (former warden at MSP).  He's doing great things in Texas.

Many friends have visited or are planning a visit (but only in the winter)?  Never enough hours in any day.

Do keep in touch.  If you travel t his direction the welcome mat is always out.

August 20, 1997 (Note Card from Connie)

Well, I made it .  It's been frantic here lately and just now have gotten around to getting in touch with people.

Started out just after Labor Day weekend.  Stayed over in Yellowstone (ripoff of all time), and then in Helena.  You wouldn't believe Helena these days -- really neat.   They've extended the mall, and there's all kinds of cute shops and cafes.  Had dinner at Bert and Ernies with Kathy Brown and a few of the old-timers.  (Not many are still there -- really bad problems at the State Library these days.  As always.)  

Got into Seattle late Thursday.  didn't have much time to relax, because Sunday we got word that my Aunt Petrea in California had died.  So we all packed up and ran down to Eureka.

Our family being what it is, the whole thing was more like a wake or a family reunion than a funeral. A lot of pulling closer together, and very few tears.

In between my various travels, I've been job hunting, of course.  No luck so far, but then it's early yet.  Might be able to latch onto a few short-term consultant things, until the "real thing" comes along.  Will keep you posted on that.

In the meantime, I've been gadding about, seeing people and spending money as if I had it.  And trying very hard to put up with good ol' mom, and with the fact that all my stuff is packed away (including my books -- argh! -- my stationary -- everything!)

Will be taking a European history class in October, and I'm trying to get into a ceramics class -- so I can throw some pots, and make my Christmas presents this year.  Haven't seen any films lately, but my cousin Peter has shamed me into reading some good books -- like Dos Passos' U.S.A.  Will let you know about that one when I get into it.

For now, I'm relaxing, soaking up the rain, and enjoying all the good things of Seattle.  And there are so many!

December 19, 1976 (Letter from Sandy)

David Pugsley gave us your address this summer & I meant to drop you a line -- but true to fashion -- I've procrastinated.

You must have had a bit of trauma before you left Montana.  Trish Tavenner called me a few months after we left Helena and said that she figured we had offered you asylum becuase she knew I was planning to send you our address to offer our guest room if you were snowbound on one of your Helena trips.

Your stay in Montana must have given you plenty of material for short stories if nothing else.

We are really enjoying Helena.  I guess the percentage of people who pursue literature & theater is nigh because of the big government payroll.  A new bookstore called Another Roadside Attraction opened two months ago.  A movie theater showing only old & classical films opened last spring. After some of the movie the audience becomes a discussion group -- were presented with a lecture after Citizen Kane.  And a new repertory-type theater has just remodeled the old library which had once been a Unitarian Church in 1990 & has marvelous acoustics -- leaded glass -- much stonework.  The buildings here just blow my mind.

I have a great job -- 9 educable kids ages ages 10 to 14 -- good administrative support!

Skip enjoys his job so much -- does not like all of the travel -- but hopefully he will work into a desk job as time goes by.

As you can see, we have a new addition.  His name is Ryan Hawks -- he is northern Cheyenne and we have had him for 6 months.  We hope to legalize things next month.

Kerry has adjusted to Ryan's presence although he went through the usual jealous stage and once said "Let's give him back to the ladies."   Now he thinks it's great to be a "big brother" as long as Ryan leaves Kerry's books alone.

It is such a delight to have both of them living with us -- we've certainly been lucky.

Peace, Sandy

November 6, 1976 (Letter from Connie)

How long has it been since I've written?  Ages, I'm sure.  I did write you after I got back ro Europe, didn't I?  I was bonkers for a long time after that, so I'm really not sure.  I'm much better now.

I'm going to Seattle for Thanksgiving, and of course I'm all excited about that.  Wrangled a couple of extra days off, so I'l have a whole week there!  I'll be frantically busy -- as always.  Seems an old high school pal is getting married, (which, knowing her, is a real shock!), and I'm going to a psychic in Victoria B.C.  The former will be a drag, and I'm really looking forward to the latter.  Pam had gone to see this woman, and she really helped her.  So a friend and I are going.  It's cheaper than a shrink, and maybe I'll find out whether there's any hope at all, or whether I should just snuff it and be done with it.

I know you've heard this one before, but I've decided to move back home.  Enough of this "seeing the world" jazz.  I've got rain in my very blood -- and sunshine just doesn't make it.  Right now I'm kind of targeting next Labor Day.  That would make three full years of Rocky Mountain winters and owing my soul to Ma Bell.  And that's enough.

Let me see now, what else have I been doing?  Ran to Nebraska to see some relatives over Labor Day. I'd always thought of them as being half a continent away -- and they are, from Seattle.  But from here it's only ten hours on the road.  I'd never been out there before, and it's fun, out on teh farm.  And how things change:  one cousin now has five kids (what a madhouse), another (Lorraine), has two kids, is divorced, and works as a welder, and then there's dear Little Allen. Last time I saw Allen he was a 12 year old nurd.  He's now 6'6" and gorgeous.  And he's my cousin -- BOO HOO!  Dammit.

I had some friends out from Seattle in October, so all has not been too bleak.

Oh!  News flash.  Talked to Lynne Stevenson in Helena.  She's now at Carroll College, and the State Library is as always, degenerating even further.  But the news is that Kathy and Ray Brown has split!!  Talk about a shock.  Got a card from Kathy sans Ray the other day -- just a "hi -- how are you" -- and I 'spose a note that they're still in the land of the living.  Geez -- out of all the couples in teh world I had them pegged to giggle and drink beers together for all eternity.

What did you think of the elections?  For the first time in my life I backed a winner!  And whatever else you say about the Georgian, he won't be dull.  I was a little worried though:  did you hear that a dictionary publisher somewhere, in preparing the new edition, had put an entry in for Carter as the 39th President.  Guess he did that when J.C. was 35 pts. ahead.  But when it got so close I started fearing for that edition -- but what a collector's item -- kind of like the Sinner's Bible -- you know the one that has:

"Thou shalt not kill
Thous shalt not steal
Thou shalt commit adultery"!

As for me, boredom prevails.  Been working some more on the piano.  Have now gone, on a scale of 1-10, from 0 to about 2.  Enjoying it enormously, though.

Did you see "Play It Again, Sam" on TV the other night?  Hadn't seen that one before.  Super film! So of course I've been going over my Casablance book for the last two days (its full script with all stills).  What a film!  And GWTW is coming to TV.  What a sacrilege!  I read that it will be split over two nights -- 5 hours of film and 78 minutes of commercials.  Saw it here in Cheyenne a couple of weeks ago -- how it holds up.  And Clark Gable has got everyone else in the world topped.  But on TV -- no.



Finally saw "M" -- it was on PBS a couple of weeks ago.  Blessedly it was in German with subtitles.  (Don't have enuf German to follow it -- but I really dislike dubbing.)  Powerful flick -- and a fearful omen (in 1931) of German fear and mobishness.

"Read any good books, lately?"  I haven't.  Been reading Ceram's "Gods, Graves and Scholars" -- would you believe I hadn't read it before?  And just finished my annual fall read of the Stewart Merline books (Crystal Cave, Hollow Hills).  And in a few weeks, when the world is all bleak and it feels as though winter will never end, I get to re-read the Chronicles of Narnia (for 5th graders) and then the Tolkien trilogy.

Gotta go -- getting writer's cramp.  But I'm surviving.  Sort of.

Take care, and keep in touch.

November 5, 1975 (Letter from Connie)

Uh, well, you see, it's like this -- I'm not in Montana anymore.  Got back there in September, gave my notice, packed my bags, and split.  I was scared -- I had no idea what I was getting into -- but it turned out to be really terrific -- about the smartest thing I've ever done!

I don't know if I told you about it in Seattle, although I didn't know much about it then.  Anyway, here I am in Cheyenne, setting up a library for the Department of Economic Planning and Development.  So far, I am back in my cubbyhole cataloging all day long -- and loving it!  It's all technical reports and government documents, just the kind of stuff I really like to work with.  I tell ya, this special library bit is really terrific.  Would you believe this is the first time I've not worked in a library per se, and that really is one of hte best things about it.  I'm the only librarian in sight, I don't get flack from anyone -- just pure cooperation and a lot of good vibes.  I'm totally my own boss, at least I made (essentially) all the decision about the library.  And when I need policy decisions I get them -- quick, clear, consistent, and livable.  The contract with the state library is really unbelievable   I've been here 3 weeks but it seems like I've always been here, and that' whole thing back in Helena just a bad dream.

It wasn't all bad -- I made some good friends there, and it was hard to leave them.  (But good news -- Lynne is driving down this weekend.  We're going to goof around in Denver.)  And then I miss my gorgeous apartment.  I'm in a one-bedroom basement -- yech -- small and gloomy.  But it's decent, unlike others I've seen here, and cheap.  And at least I have someplace to stay while I'm looking for the "dream place".

But on the other hand, I shouldn't be too anxious to move -- I really don't know how long I'll be there.  I'm here on a WICHE internship, and only have 3 months I'm sure of.  I might be extended for another 3 months, and they make noises about wanting a full-time librarian (and I make noises about wanting the job) but no promises as yet.  So I might be back in Seattle in January or I might be here forever.  And of course, as an intern, I'm not paid much, but I'm enjoying it so I don't care. I really thrive on independence -- and that's what I have here.  My boss is a doll, and there are such good vibes (a.k.a. "high morale") here.

Back in Montana I really wondered if I'd ever enjoy working again, if the lib. business was all a big mistake.  Well, Montana was the mistake -- 

As for Montana State Library news -- Dick is leaving at Thanksgiving as you know.  But did you know that LaVern has gone on leave!  From Oct 15 to Jan 1 (irony of ironies -- this was announced after I'd gotten the WICHE offer).  But decided to leave anyway.  No one knows for sure if she will be back.  And then that whole scene was so tense -- so LaVern or no I split.

Lynne is in charge of general services now and doing beautifully of course.

You mentioned the bad weather in Montana -- Montana maybe, but not here -- it's been gorgeous!

And then I finally am able to get channel Z from Denver (and most of the Denver stations).  I've seen a lot of dogs -- but also the fist two Johnny Weissmuller Tarzans.

Cheyenne is really all right -- a nice enough town, friendly people, and close to Denver and Ft. Collins -- what more could you ask?  Well, sail boats, and sea gulls, mist and fog and all that soft greenness -- well, I'm going back there at Christmas, and I rather think I'll live there again some day.  But hopefully not right away.  I like being away.

Well, that's about it -- life goes on, and for me, for now, marvelously.

Take care, keep in touch -- Something will turn up for you, relax till then!