April 9, 1977 (Letter from Connie)

Part of a double-bill at UConn.  (Hope the print wasn't this bad.)


Are you still out there?  I haven't heard from you in a beastly long time. (But then it's probably me who hasn't written....)

March was kind of hysterical for me.  I don't know why really, and I do dread getting my phone bill.  So on an absolute whim, i decided on Wednesday at 10 pm to fly home that Friday night -- if, (I bargained with myself) I could get my filthy house cleaned up.  I can live in a filthy house, I just can't leave one.  (You never saw anyone more so fast!)  So I took a week off, charged the flight, and ran like hell, home.  Had to be there:  the daffodils and cherry trees were in bloom, and it was my birthday.  And I wanted to go home.

Had a very good time.  I"m always so sane there.  Here I'm just out of synch, out of step -- and almost mad.  There, I have quiet, silly, comfortable times with friends, or just easy times shopping, walking, or doing almost nothing.  A few days there charges up my batteries so I can face Wyoming.

Got my resume whipped into shape and sent out a dozen or so to likely Seattle places.  And I have friends keeping a watch out for me.  Talked to the Weyerhausen people when I was there, and I have a phone interview Monday with Batelli.  Love my job here, and they've been so good to me, and easy to work for that I hope I'll be able to come to a good stopping place before I go 0-- and give them enough notice to fill my spot, too.

Caught a beastly cold the instant I landed back in Denver on Monday a.m.  I'm just now starting to recover.

Aargh!  Got my hair cut in Seattle, too.  And shorter than I wanted.  Everybody likes it; I'm not sure.  Love my long mane, and I'm not sure about "the short perky look".

Did I tell you I always had a black thumb?  Seems it must have been neglect more than anything, because I'm having good luck with my new plants -- they're growing like crazy -- especially my coleus and variegated ivy.  What a surprise.

Still feebly pounding away on the old piano, and making horrid sounds.  But I also love it.  Will buy a piano when I move home.  Have to.  Did I tell you I want to buy a house and get a little dog and the whole bit.  I'm tired of virtually living out of a suitcase.

Went over to our beach place for a moment last week.  Sad to see the cabin all crumpled, but it's still a restful place.  Decided to build my house on the beach -- looks like the only halfway stable place left.

That emergency trip to Seattle was the smartest thing I've done in a long time.  I feel now as though I'm over the crest and on the downhill side -- that the rest of my time here will be quiet waiting to go home -- and not the hysteria I'd had before.

So pal, if you had any ideas of visiting me you'd better hurry.  I will be home by fall.

Take care of yourself, Paul.  And keep those cards and letters coming in.  Love getting furious and murderously jealous of you for all your fun in Boston and New York.  Boo!!!

So drop a line and let me know how you're doing!  And i you've in Seattle (God's country) we'll go see Tut!

2nd feature

September 19, 1976 (Letter from Bev)

Hi.  It was so good to see you again and I really enjoyed spending the day with you and Diane. Possibly you'll be coming down this way again soon?  Diane said that you might and I suggested that you come to New Castle.  She also mentioned going to Chadds Ford.  Have you ever been there to the Brandywine River Museum?  There's a very good Wyeth collection there.

It looks like I'll be at my same job for awhile.  The Wednesday after Labor Day I called the Hampton V.A. Hospital to see why they hadn't called me for an interview as they said they were going to.  Well, they hired someone else without even interviewing me!  What a bummer!  Then I called the Wilmington V.A. and they, too, hired another person.  It seems almost impossible to get into that system.  I was so disappointed that week and very depressed.  But, I guess that something will come along sooner or later.  I have just applied for 3 more positions.  One as Anglo-Germanic Bibliographer at the U. of Va. in Charlottesville.  I've received a reply already from them saying that I'll be hearing from them again in the coming weeks.  Another position as a reference librarian at George Mason Univ. at Fairfax, Va.  The third at Virginia Medical College in Richmond as a periodicals librarian.  All sound good.  I think that I would enjoy working in a university setting and plan on heading my job looking in that direction.  My hopes of getting a V.A. job are very low, but my application is still good until June 1977.  Who knows what will come up.

The day after Labor Day the nursing students came to the hospital and now business has picked up again.  Whenever any come into the library I have to stop what I'm doing and help them.  I do enjoy this and it's good practice for me.  I remember where to look for a lot of little things that often make explanations easier.  It's amazing, though, how helpless some of them are.  I just can't remember getting such help from my college librarians!

On Thursday, Sept. 16, I was at my job for 2 years.  It sure went fast and I think I've learned a lot. I just don't think I can learn much more in this job and do want something better.  I am thankful, though, that I have a decent position.   Last week I had a letter from Ruth Taylor.  Remember her?  She hasn't found a job yet and isn't working anywhere! She said that she soon would have to find something, even work as a clerk.  After reading her letter, I decided not to complain so much anymore.

Last Sunday Diane came down and we went to the Brandywine Arts Festival, the largest art show in Delaware.  There were 200 craftsmen and 250 artists participating.  It was really a nice show and I saw many things that I wanted. I bought a hand-made framed mirror with a planter at its base.  It's quite unique and made a nice addition to my apartment.  This Saturday is Art-on-the-Green in New Castle and Diane is coming down for this, too.  It's much smaller than the Brandywine Arts Festival, but nevertheless it'll be a good showing.

On Saturday, October 2d, the Philadelphia Regional Group of the M.L.A is having their fall meeting in Wilmington at the Academy of Medicine.  Usually the meetings are in Philly, but the program committee chairperson is from Wilmington, so she got her way this time.  The speaker is the copyright specialist from the Library of Congress.  It should be an interesting program.  I'm not too clear on the new law, so this meeting should be quite explanatory.

This Tuesday I'm starting an adult education class at the local high school.  I'm taking beginning Italian.  Why?  Because it was the only language course being offered and since I don't know any Italian I figured that it won't hurt to learn some.  I was the 9th person to sign up for it, so we should have a nice-sized class.  All the names on the list were typical, 3 & $ syllabus Italian names and here I am with my very un-Italian last name.  I'm looking forward to it and I"m sure it'll be more fun than work.

This week is the 1st of the Ford vs. Carter debates.  Things still aren't settled about the telecast and it seems to me that the League of Women Voters is being too picky about the whole matter.  I hope it gets televised. If not, I wonder if it'll be on the radio?  I'm really not too interested in politics, but for some reason this presidential campaign has me intrigued.  I'm most sure that Carter will be the next president and I only hope that he's as sincere as he seems to be.  All at the hospital are hoping for more money for mental health.  Maybe then some real treatment for the patients will be a reality.  Tomorrow the continuing education lecture at the hospital will be about treating the alcoholic.  Although the alcoholism unit is a separate entity from the mental hospital, the staff is sometimes interchanged.  The staff from alcoholic services use the library an awful lot.  Maybe they have more time than the psychiatrists have.

Did you plant the coleus that I gave you?  I hope they grow for you.  I just transplanted my coffee plant.  What a time I had!  I really should have had some help. It's getting very tall and is supposed to grow to 6 feet!  I hope not!  Some of my other plants need repotting soon.  It seems that they doubled in size over the summer.  Some of them will soon take over my apartment!

I hope that all's well with you and that I'll be seeing you again soon.

July 7, 1976 (Letter from Kathy)

Glad to hear from you.  We were beginning to really wonder what happened to you.  Meet any neat gals this summer yet?  Your new job sounds great -- still think so?

My brother went to college in Springfield.  (little trivia for you)

I'm waiting for Gary to get home.  He's applied for several jobs here and in Boise in hopes that he'll come up with something that'll have a future.  He was hoping to hear from the Ford place today. Think things would be perfect if he'd get a job that pays for the hard worker he is.  He finally realized that he wasn't going to get anywhere at the cycle shop.  Tried this spring to buy in -- even thought about buying a business here and eventually convert it to a cycle shop -- hopefully on the good name he's built up, but everything led to a dead end.  I try to keep my big mouth shut.  We went to Colorado in March to see about job prospects there in the bike business -- nothing.  If this job at Ford doesn't come through, maybe an electrical job in Boise will.  H ate to move, but yet wouldn't mind if Gary could find himself.

I had the day off.  Spent the entire morning mowing our lawn and the neighbors (8:30 - 1:30).  Don't care if I see a green lawn again.  It's been so hot (in the 100s) that the lawn grew really fast as it was twice as hard and time consuming.  Used the afternoon for general housecleaning and defrosting refrigerator.

I recently quit the office you were in to work the other office 4 days a week.  Dr. Reynolds really does provide better working conditions, better benefits, and better salary. Just really got disgusted with the disorganization.  Was waiting it out until Dr. Reynolds felt he could use me more time.

The winter was hard for us financially, things are starting to look up a little, but the cycle business has never really started to boom yet.  (Bad is just no fun money!)

We kinda "fell into" a 1967 Corvette -- 36,000 miles on it in beautiful or "cherry" condition as Gary would say.  Trying to sell our truck.  Haven't had any bites yet.

Got 5 3/5  tons of alfalfa (hay) off our 2 acres -- made $200 this month on that.

Garden not doing too well unless you really like peas.  We had a hard frost June 28th. Unbelievable!!

Gary's been riding mountain trails now and raced through the winter.  Has also been neat to though.  He helps me more than ever with the daily chores and gets me out now and then.

May take a trip to Pa. in Sept. if we can both take 2 weeks.  Otherwise we'll probably take just a few days and visit my aunt in Victoria, Brit. Columbia.  We'd take in the Oregon and Washington coast on our way.

We did take a trip to Oklahoma City to visit Jeff Tuller & family for Christmas.  Jeff was getting around on his leg pretty well by then.  (He crushed it between 2 of his cars while jumping the batteries.)  Couldn't remember when in Sept. it happened -- whether you had been and gone or not.  Gary's parents did stay here on night as a result of flying to Oklahoma for Jeff -- they took a little side trip here.

Know a really neat gal -- teaches grade school.  Used to live here -- now in Grays Lake, Illinois. You're everything she'd like in a guy.  Don't know your likes in "women".  Too bad we can't get a match going.  She's almost as wonderful as me!!!

We got the rests of our lawn in this spring.  Gary and I laugh about it now but it we didn't divorce each other thru that we never will!!!  We do not work well in the yard together cuz Gary hates it. (My hand is sweating so that is why the writing is worse than ever!!)

Have a really neat neighbor that's been helping me with interior decorating.  Her 11 and 13 year old girls sure are great kids.  I kidnap them somedays all day to keep me company   (I'd like to start getting some money stashed away for a baby.)  Think I could convince Gary if he was happy with himself.  Time will tell.

Sounds like you're getting pretty good at taking care of yourself.  By the time you marry she won't have to break you in like I had to do with Gary!!  Paul -- take care.

Let us know how life treats you.  Maybe we'll see you for our 10 y ear class reunion or maybe you'll honeymoon out west!!

What do you hear from anyone?  Did you spend the winter in Warren?

June 26, 1972 (Letter from Gail)

I was really surprised to hear from you but very pleased.  It's been a long time.  Friends shouldn't let that happen.  But sometimes, I suppose it's impossible to stop it.  From your letter you sound like you're really enjoying your life and things are going good for you.  I'm happy for you.  I wish I could say the same about me.  I graduated from Edinboro State Coll. on May 21st, 1972, over 1 month ago.  Now it's June 26th and I am still sitting on my ass.  I am unemployed!  It was fine for about the first 2 weeks -- I really enjoyed the vacation and the care-free attitude I had.  Well, now things have changed.  I've changed and I need work.  I want to settle in Erie for awhile.  I've applied at some places, but no luck.  I took a Pa civil service test last week, but it will be 6 wks before I get my scores back.  I've applied all over Warren, but got the same story.  I want to work in a social service agency.  I grad w/ a B.A. in Psychology.  Get this pisser -- I was politely turned down by New Process today because I had a degree.  They felt that I would only be there temporarily and they want lifers!  I really don't know where to turn.  I want to go to Erie because of the guy I'm dating lives there, but I suppose if things don't gel there, I'll have to go someplace else.  I am going crazy being idle.  I am turning into some sort of vegetable who eats 3 meals a day and watches TV.  My life has changed so much, I really didn't want the year 1972 to start because I knew what it held for me -- Nothing!  Paul, if this sounds very depressed, despondent, and apathetic, please excuse, but those 3 words describe my present feelings.  I get these days where I sit and fight to hold back the tears.  It's one of those days today.  Well enough of that shit.

Last Fri nite Barb Check, Carol Gustafson, and I went up to Oakview and it was like our class reunion up there.   Dave Blair, Harry Spackman, Rick Brewster came over and sat with us.  What a group.  Mary Sandblade and Bob Thompson got married -- finally.  Oh Carol G. says hi.  I haven't seen Foster yet.  I would like to though.  Leslie Stein is home for the summer w/o a job.   Did you hear about Mark V. V.'s divorce?  I haven't seen him.  I was waiting to hear from him 1st, but so far nothing.

It finally stopped raining in Warren.  We were getting so much rain from Agnes.  But we didn't get flooded out.  Thank god.  Did you hear the rumor about the crack in the dam?  It's not true.  Christ, rumors travel faster than facts.

I guess that's all the depressing news I have right now.  Paul, the next time you're around Warren, Pa. get in touch w/ me I'll probably be here.  I'm so glad things are going well w/ you.  Take care and please write again.