July 9, 1975 (Letter from Barb N)

Hello how are you?  I hope your job is going better for you.  Is it still tense in the prison?

I am taking leave starting the 20th of July and ending the 11th of August.  Now that I decided to go home I am anxious to get home.  Mom said we will go to Mass on Monday the 21st.  I haven't seen the relatives in such a long time that it will e good to visit them again.  I think we are going to visit Cape Cod also.

I have decided to go overseas.  My career counselor went to D. C. and he talked to my OS detailer.  I had a choice of going to Damnek, which is a small base 20 miles from Norfolk.  If I stayed in this area I would move off base and since I don't have a car it would be harder to rely on another person for a rid.e  I also would not be able to go overseas if I transferred to Damnek.  So I called my detailer and he told me they had 1 billet for Italy, and a few for Iceland, Puerto Rico, and Cuba.

McZiemba changed my mind about Iceland.  He told me to pick Italy.  I would be able to tour Europe more easily.  I don't know if I will get Italy.  I will probably find out after I get back off of leave.

Have you read the book "A World Beyond" by Ruth Montgomery?  It talks of life after death.  I now believe in reincarnation.  I have also gotten any books I can find concerning Edgar Cayce.  I don't know how Mom and Dad will react.  I want them to read this book and think about what it does say.

Paul I wish I would see you again.  I am almost positive that I will be going overseas.  It will mean that I won't see you for another year and a half.  But I am thinking what I will do once I get back. Wherever you are at I will take leave and fly out to see you.  I don't like to lose contact with friends I care for.  Even though you are my brother I also consider you a friend.  I believe that you love from not seeing a person.  Of course, you can always get reacquainted with each other.

I feel at this point in my life I need to get out and receive experience from daily living.  I am happy about the position I am in.  I look at others I know and I'm so glad I didn't get into a rut of being married.  (I guess the Nelson's are hard to get a hold of at the altar.)  But there is so much that I have to learn through patience and experience.  That is another reason I choose to go overseas. To travel was one of my reasons in joining the Navy.

I feel an inner calm that I am acquiring.  I know how I stand with God now.  It was hard to find him with the background we had.  We could follow him as a religious philosophy and never come to peace with him or truly open our hearts and minds to what he is.  To me denying there is a God is denying the existence of yourself.  I believe the church wants you to be afraid of him like a shadow. He lurks and knows all you do.  The only person who knows all you do and will judge justly is your soul.  I never understood but now I do.  It's part of my inner peace.

I couldn't accept Christians who lived to save their necks by trying to "save their souls".  For me I couldn't accept my feelings of a God, but I could not deny them. I want to be a better person to mankind and not to fool people throughout my life.  This is what I have to do next.  I have to accept people as they are.

I was told by some English sailors never to trust anybody and they meant it.  I don't believe that because trust means a lot to me.  Sure you can't have someone to totally rely on if you can live by your own means, but you need trust between each other.

People can fool me by lying to me, but I will never fool a person by lying especially if I would harm a person.  There are too many people being lied to and one more lie does make a difference.

From reading the prophecies to Edgar Cayce, there is going to be a lot of changes from now until 1998. I think daily living matters more.  You have to find peace within yourself.

I am almost done with another working day so I'll close now.  I want to write more to you.

10 July -- Good morning.  It's another day.  What else can I say about it?  So far it doesn't look too promising, but I'll have to change that.  (I don't seem to be functioning this morning.)

Did I tell you I am considering going to school after I get out of the Navy?  That is after Larry and I go to Sweden.  I can't really say what I will do.  I would like to travel a bit when I get out.

I have a lot of friends who want to live in Australia.  I don't see what the big kick is about living there.

We went camping last weekend in Nags Head, North Carolina.  I slept in the car with the windows down and the mosquitoes got me for a feast.  Nothing I put on the bites have discouraged the itching.  I want to sick call and they gave me Benadril.  Just what I need.  If you were a pill freak you could keep a good supply from sick call.

We did have a good time in Nags Head.  We had a raft and rode it on the waves.  (You could fit four bodies side by side.)  When the waves would break we'd get thrown over.  The waves were pretty decent on Friday.  The only thing that would bother me was at night I would close my eyes and see the waves breaking.  I like water and I'm not afraid of it, but I have to respect the ocean.

Have you been hiking?  Do you like Montana, now that it is summertime?

I better go to work now.

August 11, 1972 (Letter from Mardi)

I certainly hope you got your raise and have had time not to ponder on the moves to be made.  How's that for advice?  I know actually what you're experiencing.  It's the old "what are you going to do now" syndrome.  When people begin to ask you that and you have a variety of four or five answers, you're in trouble.  Unfortunately, there is no cure but time and good nerves.  You've got to concentrate on one step at t time -- which is impossible because they are usually all related.  If I were you (good and easy for me to say), I'd put my efforts into getting to Buffalo and finishing school and getting a little money in the meantime -- if you can! Then after that, it's POW decision time.  There will be a number of ways to go but which will you take.  (I sound like an announcer for a soap opera.)  The lady or the tiger type of deal.  It's a royal bummer no matter what.  Maybe if Laguna had been a disappointment the very first time, things would have taken a turn, but such is not the case.  All you do is work toward something that seems to be the answer every time and when you've got it all, it is no challenge.  (Simple as that!??)  It goes like that continually.  If you got your fully equipped van, the ideas and drives you had along with your van may have changed.   You just can't win.  I can't see doing anything for a long period of time and being content with it.  Anyway, I wish you good luck and don't worry about your change of heart concerning your present lifestyle.  You do have to push yourself, I know, especially if you want to write.  You'll have to discipline yourself and your habits.  Cheer up.  That's better.
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Boston was a good time last week.  I had to keep telling myself when I got to Buffalo to changes planes that I wasn't going to Jamestown or Pgh, but Boston!  I got to downtown Bos and to Harvard Square a couple of times.  Rick clued me in on the ins and outs of good healthy grass growing.  He even gave me a book so I can get started "properly".  Barb rented a car on Tuesday and we finally left for the Cape Wednesday, after it was doubtful on getting a tent.  Anyway we got to a camp ground in Brewster near Hyannis and set up our little home.  The tent was great, big, roomy and warm.  We fixed a fantastic meal and then at 9 or so we drove to the ocean, came back, smoked and drank.  Rick and I played cards and we were really enjoying the great outdoors.  Then the next morning as we were fixing breakfast Rick was cutting a piece of board with an ax and a hammer.  Next thing rick is spurting blood from the artery in his arm.  A piece of the hammer had flown off and hit his arm and lodged there.  So we immediately took him to a doctor who gave him a shot and wrapped the arm and sent us to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis where we spent the remainder of the day.  They took x-rays, but him in emergency and then took him up to surgery to repair the artery and vein.  The doctor had said it was very serious and was lucky that the surgery went OK.  Naturally, we had to wait during each procedure.  The doctors and nurses at the hospital were great though. So we said goodnight to Rick about 10:30 pm and went to see Linda and Kinky at Petrillo's where we had a couple of drinks and found out Linda was pregnant.  Such excitement in one day was too much.  Anyway when we finally got settled in our tent it started to rain.  We kept our fingers crossed and thankfully we stayed warm and dry all night.  Friday Barb left me at the beach all afternoon where I had a ball.  How can you get tired of the ocean?  YOU FOOL!   Just kidding!!!  One day is hardly a comparison to one month.  We left the Cape Friday around 6 or 7, and got back to Boston around 9.  Took Rick home and he has sworn he will never venture out of Boston again.  He's really getting paranoid about any travel at all.

So Barb and I stayed up all night Friday just about and we were rudely awoken at 12:30 by my mother -- who else?  So Sat we did the laundry and spent the day at the park.  The three of us went out to dinner and just mellonized at this fantastic inexpensive Italian restrained.  It would have been so much nicer without Rick's accident.  I got back Sunday and have been working around the house.  Larry, the owner downstairs, is pretty sure he can get Bill into his construction company, which would be nice.  Bill has been helping him build his new house and then I think we get a reduction in rent.  Larry and his wife are really nice.  They are always up drinking with us.  Anderson has applied at NSP and NWB -- electric and telephone, but they won't be able to let him know for awhile.  I know if he gets a good job he'll be better off -- not to mention how better off my state of mind would be!

I must close and get busy here.  Take care and I hope we'll see you after Labor Day?

August 9, 1972 (Letter from Mardi)

Just a brief note to say that I went to Boston and back in one piece.  Naturally everytime I go somewhere something happens like a major tragedy.  This time was no different.  As we were camping on beautiful Cape Cod the very first morning,  Rick cut his arm by a piece off of a hammer.  We spent the entire day in the Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis.  The piece cut his artery and vein and he had to have surgery!  Barb was freaking out.  Everything went well, though.  So we came back to Boston Friday night.  At least I did manage to spend two days on the beach.  Barb and Rick never got their toes wet. Rick has taken a solemn vow not to leave Boston ever again!  We had absolutely no trouble with the camping at all. The campground looked like tent city but you got used to it.  There were about 12 bikers staying right behind us.  They were pretty nice though and helped Barb and I when Rick was in the hospital   Saturday we finally splurged and went down to Harvard Square and ate at this fantastic Italian restaurant.  Cheap and great food and atmosphere.   We got drunk and stayed up all night!  It's the first time in ages I've been out to dinner and didn't have to pay.  I flew back Sunday and now I'm ready for the work-school routine.  It won't be long.  When will we be seeing you again?

We are getting settled again in our house.  We are happy with the place even though it was so dirty.

I must close an be off.  Take care.