November 5, 1977

I'm not unpacked yet, but I've almost given up caring.  I don't' want to move again (at least not with this much stuff) for a long time!!!  Of course, that's what I said last y ear, but in August I said to Brook -- "OK, where are we going now?"

Both of our parents are delighted, of course.  I kept imagining I'd see mine on the doorstep when we got here, heh, heh.  Actually, I really want to see them, but I'm not sure when they'll be up. Thanksgiving may not be a good idea, because then Brook's parents may feel hurt if they can't be here, too, but I think having them both would be too much.  We did that 2 years ago & it was a nice holiday but I wouldn't want to make a tradition of it.

I did have some bad news this week from home.  My "grandfather" died of a heart attack.  I really loved him.  He wasn't my real grandfather -- my grandmother married him 25 years ago, though & he always was awfully good to me & a lot of fun to be with.  I'll miss knowing he's there.  He was 90, though & he lived a very happy life, so I guess I'm not really "mourning".  I just feel sorry for my grandmother.  It must be awfully lone for he.  Oh well.  I'll get off this subject now...and get to a more pleasant one.

When would you like to visit?  I'm anxious to see you & hope we'll see you often!  Of course, I realize it's a long drive & I don't expect you to give up all your time -- just as much as you can. You know what a demanding wretch I am!

We haven't sold our house yet -- although we have a family interested, but there's a big different between interest and a check in the desired amount.  So we're still paying the mortgage there & the rent here, which isn't too great, but I guess I can give up a few luxuries!  I applied at Rochester Public Library but no jobs right now, naturally.  I also applied at Xerox, but don't really expect much.  I asked at Waldenbooks, but they don't anyone.  I hate looking for jobs!  I really despite "selling" myself to the interviewer.  I just get so lazy, too, when I don't get the first few jobs I apply for.  I know that's a very spoiled brat-type of an attitude but I certainly do feel that way.  I guess maybe I will be a waitress. There's a Lum's down the road -- I can always go there as a last resort, huh.  Also it's good exercise to waitress.  I have a sinking feeling that I will never be a librarian again, and also I'm not sure I ever even want to be one again!  The more I think about it, the more I wonder why I ever went to Pitt?  I must have had some motive -- probably because I was too unsure of myself to get a PhD in philosophy and teach it.  Of course, I chose the "practical" way out & now I can't get a job doing that, either .  Well, I won't torture you with anymore of these reflections.  I just feel like such a failure!

Well, this isn't going to be a very long letter, is it?  Please do write & let me know when you'd like to visit.  We actually have a guest room here -- no more couches for you, Tweety!

Saturday, August 6, 1977 (Letter from Connie)

Well, well.  Thought I'd take a little break from packing to drop you a line.  Maybe my last from Cheyenne Wyoming, magic city of the plains.  Boo hoo.  Actually I'm just in the clearing-out stage, going through papers and junk.  I have this spare bureau, and I've been tossing letters and cancelled checks and papers and all kinds of assorted folderol in there for a year.  Good think I have to sort through it.  From 4 drawers, I have it narrowed to one fat box and one overstuffed garbage sack.  Can't bear to throw away letters of Christmas cards.  They're kind of nice to trip across -- cheesy letters, sorry-to-hear-you-re-down letters, newsy letters.  It's nice!

Really torn about leaving, and am in a quandary about what route to take home.  I really love the job, and I could hardly be lucky enough to find something as good again.  But I picked a date out of the air, and I'm going to stick to it.  Some cousins from Nebraska came through on their way home from California.  Had a nice visit.  They kept saying they really really wanted to come visit them on my way home.  Problem is it's 1000 miles and at least 4 days out of my way.  And I'll probably be so anxious to get home I may make the whole trip in 24 hours!  (I don't have your easy-going ability to just take my time.)  Or then I could go up through Yellowstone to Helena for a day or so.  Have to stay here until 5 pm Aug. 31.  Knowing me, I may leave at 5:05!

Oh -- I disagree totally with you about Star Wars.  Don't know when I've enjoyed a film more -- it's just pure fun.  A whole cult has grown up around it -- and we who've seen it have deep intellectual discussions about Artoo, Threep.o., and light sabers. It's terrific!

Got an easy book of classical stuff.  Been valiantly working on them with minor success.  I'm really going to miss my piano when I go back.  Some friends have pianos, so I may be able to mooch off them for awhile.

I've been so busy the last couple of weeks -- a radical change from the total boredom here:  two sets of company on both weekends, three going away parties, a barbecue, and visiting cousins. Monday I run to Denver for a two-day conference -- even get a state car and per dium!

Oh -- it was so neat!  Was talking to one of my 5 bosses (there are truly more chiefs than Indians here).  He's leaving, transferring to Chicago (!) Friday.  But he offered to call the state planning office in Olympia to try to get me a job there!  What a nice thing to do . The job market is so tight there -- and it's awkward for me to walk up to these people and say -- You really need a librarian -- and here I am -- and you only have to pay me 15 thou.  Good ol' Shermie!

Well -- should go back to packing.  Ah gee.

Oh -- my Seattle address.  For the moment probably have to route through my mom --- (have no idea whree I'll really be)

             316 Richmond Beach Road #5

Seattle (yeah!) 98177

January 16, 1977 (Letter from Bev)

Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford

Sunday, January 16

Happy New Year!  Hope you enjoyed your holidays and your vacation from work.  I'm really sorry that you couldn't come in December, but the Brandywine River Museum and Longwood are still her and can be visited when you can some.

I don't remember how much I told you about my new job, so forgive me if I repeat myself.  I started working with Wyeth on Dec. 6th and so far, am quite pleased with the position.  I have a clerical assistant who is invaluable.  I don't think I'll ever take a job again where I don't' have some help. This library is smaller than my former library, but is used much, much more.  There's always someone in doing research or just reading the journals.  The big problem is space and I hope to alleviate that a bit by weeding the collection.  I just got some new stacks and this will help crowded conditions somewhat.  It's going to be a real challenge to get the place in shape and have it running my way!  My predecessor was not a trained librarian and had run the library for 25 years using some very strange methods.  You should see the card catalog!  I was so confused the first time I looked up something.  The filing was really screwed up and the cards are arranged in a most unconnected way.  Some don't even look like catalog cards!

The Wyeth plant where I work employs over 1,000 people and most of these work in the plant on the line.  Since such workers have to run on a very regimented schedule, the rest of the employees, office workers, etc., are also subject to the same rules and regulations as are the plant workers.  I didn't like the regimentation at first, but have adjusted now.  I have to take my break at 9:30 & 2:30 and lunch at 12:30.  Where I worked before, I went for coffee and brought it back to the library whenever I wanted to.  I guess I was truly spoiled.  Now I'm not even allowed to eat at my desk, which really is reasonable.  I go to the lunchroom now for breaks and lunch and do enjoy getting out of the library and talking to other people who don't drop into the library.  The food in the cafeteria is all subsidized by Wyeth and is dirt cheap.  Everyday you have your choice of a platter or casserole or 2 different kinds of soups, sandwiches made-to-order, various salads and desserts.  Platters, which consist of meat, 2 vegetables, roll & butter, cost $.70.  Not only is the food cheap, but it's good.  If they're serving something that I really like, I eat my big meal for the day there and just have a salad at home for dinner.  It really saves money.

The whole plant shut down for the week following Christmas and fortunately for me I was able to move then.  I moved here on Dec. 28th and am so glad to be living so close (2 mi. away) to my job. Moving was no fun!  I never realized that I had so much stuff.  I had boxes and boxes and boxes of odds-and-ends and made countless trips up and down the stairs.  It really tired me out and I'm so glad that I had the entire week off to get moved and settled.   Two of my friends from the hospital used a U-Haul trailer to move my furniture.  They didn't have a difficult job and in less than 3 hours I was all moved in here in West Chester.  My apartment is so much bigger than my former one.  I have a nice sized living room,k dining area, kitchen, bath, bedroom, and 3 huge walk-in closets. I'm on the 1st floor and also have a small patio.  I have room outside to plant flowers around the apartment and am looking forward to the spring.  Luckily for all my plants, I still get a lot of sun and didn't have to get rid of them for lack of sunlight.  The only problem with them is space.  I used to have very wide windowsills, but now I had to buy a little parson's table to accommodate the plants. My father is also making me another table so I can get the remaining plants off the floor.  I hung two plants by finding the beams in the ceiling.  That was an education in itself!  The only problem is that the beams re not in too ideal of a location for sunshine.  When the builder constructed this apartment he did not have plant lovers in mind!

Diane is coming to visit next Sunday, if it doesn't snow.  We have had a very bad week weather-wise with a lot of snow and unusually cold temperatures.  I guess you've had your share of now, too.  I'm quite ready for spring and I know that I haven't even seen the worst of winter yet.

My parents gave me money for Christmas and I'm planning on buying a bicycle.  Then when the weather gets nice I can ride it to work. The exercise will be good for me and will be a change from jumping into the car and driving off.  I might even try walking it some Sunday to see how long it will take me to walk 2 miles.  That would be great exercise!

I'm sure that I'll like living in the West Chester area, once I learn my way round.  Chester County is full of historic spots and I'm still quite close to Philadelphia.  I hope you can come sometime in the near future.  Let Diane or me know when a good time would be.  It might be best to wait awhile since the snow is so unpredictable.  Give it some thought, okay?

I hope you're getting along okay and are braving the winter.  Keep in touch.

June 24, 1976 (Letter from Grayce)

I'm just sitting here, listening to the rain, trying to rest for a while.  I've had a very busy morning. I've been working almost every day trying to finish everything I've started at work.  Tomorrow, my last day, approacheth, AT LAST, as even a lustfully awaited day will eventually do.  Today was my first day off (and at home) for 2 weeks -- so I had a lot to do, you know, the mundane -- cleaning, baking (which I haven't started yet), laundry (which I'm "doing" now), etc.  My last day at Seton Hill is not coming a minute too soon, because I've really started to rattle my cage for the past few weeks -- I suppose because an end was in sight I was even more impatient with things than usual. Sister seems to be doing her best not to have me regret leaving at all.  She tries to hard to give me really boring assignments to fill my last fays.  I try not to get around to them, because I want to finish up classifying a batch of pamphlets.  I decided that I'd ask for a letter of recommendation (I just felt presumptuous one day) and to my great shock, she said she'd be happy to recommend me. I decided not to send this letter out without seeing it (a good idea, since I've seen some letters she's written for other people!) so I went up to GSLIS to read it.  It was very nice (maybe she was afraid I'd not be able to get a job anywhere else & come back to haunt her?)  I saw Wray there & he began to badger me about "When was I going to get another Masters?"  Well yech! to that.  I told him the only thing I was really interested in right now was maybe an art program (he thought I should try Art History, which I'll admit might be more in tune with getting a job! -- but I don't really want to do it.  I would like very much to see what I can do.  (Not learn.)  I have a problem similar to y \ours -- "nothing is good enough" -- which is why I didn't go to art school in the first place.  I was so afraid I wouldn't be perfect.  My father tried to convince me that I was being foolish, but to no avail.  This doesn't mean philosophy was no good.  It really helped me in so many ways & was just what I needed at the time.  It probably did for me something like art would have done -- only not so much a therapy -- do you see what I'm getting at?  I realize it's being presented as clearly as mud!  Anyway, enough of that.

It looks as though it will be westward ho! for us come August 10th.  I'm fairly excited about it, but I do fear having my roots transplanted.  Maybe if I do it often enough, I'll get over this?  I will miss this house so much.  It really is exactly the way I wanted it now (except for 2 rooms we didn't do -- bedroom & spare room).  I wish you could see it.  I was so sorry everything was such a mess when you came in October.  It wasn't even a clean mess   You must have thought it was terrible! Maybe I can send you a few picture of the finished product.

My mother is very upset that we're going.  When we were home for Tommy's graduation, she made it very clear by crying for about 1/3 of the time we were there.  I've tried to make it exciting for her, too, by telling her how nice it will be for her to come out there & visit us & how'll we'll look forward to her visits, etc, but she doesn't want to play.  I was a nervous wreck by the time we were ready to go home.  The news of the flood that weekend did not help matters any, either.  I think she should really find  something that interests her, because now that she's home alone a lot, she gets very depressed.  She said she was going to look for a job.  I hope she can find one she likes.  It would really be good for her.

When I was at home, I saw my grandmother & she said the blood of that saint is not supposed to liquify until September.  She really believes in it because she's seen it happen.

I think my parents are going to come here before we go out west, so I guess we won't be going to Phila.  Of course, that could always change, because my father has a job that he can't really get away from too easily.  If we do come to Philly, I'd love to see you.  (Brook may not come; I may just fly in by myself -- see Mickey can fly!)  We might as well not make any plans yet, though, since I don't know what is going on.

Diane & Bev are coming for a visit for the weekend of July 18th.  (They are staying over til Monday, too.)  I don't suppose you'd like to come for a reunion then?  I was considering asking Bill Louden if he'd like to come too.  I know it would be a nuisance for you to do all that driving, so I won't press you, ok?  I'm sorry I'm such a pest, but I do like to see you & we may not see each other for at least 3 years after this.  (That sounds so terrible!!!)  (We're going to visit Fallingwater.  Does that tempt you at all?)

Our big decision for the month is whether to have me come along on our house-hunting trip to Idaho. Westinghouse will pay for Brook to go, but it will really be a business trip & he will have to show up at work every day.  (It will probably last a week.)  If I went, I could visit the real estate agents and do all that kind of thing during the day.  Unfortunately, the air fare is almost $300 and we'd have to pay for my meals, etc. also.  I'm not sure if it's worth it.  But maybe it would be. We're not sure whether we want an apt. or a house.  (We may not be able to get either because of the flood!) But we'd like a house, if we can afford one we like.  Housing will be at a premium now that so many were water-damaged, so I suppose we'll just have to wait & see.

We have to start looking for someone to buy this one, now.  I hope we make a profit after all the work we've put into it.  I know we'll never find another house as solidly built as this one is.  I'm definitely taking the stained glass.  I just can't part with it.  It would kill me to come back in a few years & see it broken or anything.  You didn't see the window on the 3rd floor.  It's blue & really pretty.  It's also LARGE -- so I don't know what I'll do with it, but hopefully it can just go over another window wherever we live next.

I just can't even think about packing, etc. yet.  I'm not looking forward to that part of moving at all!

I'm sending  you this carrot cake recipe becausae it uses honey.  (Didn't the other I gave you use sugar?)  I never tired either of them, but I think I'm going to bake this honey one tonight.  It sounds pretty good.

Take care

P.S. If you do read any Lessing, read The Four-Gated City instead of Golden Notebook because it is more explicit about her ideas, I think.  (It's the fifth book of a 5-book series, but it can be read without the others, I guess.

July 26, 1974 (Letter from Kathy and Gary)

Please excuse my long overdue letter.  We've been planning on moving in just a few weeks since June 1st and I've been waiting to give you our new address, but the other day when I noticed the postmark was from March I thought I better sit down today and respond.  Things keep getting delayed and we may not move until Sept or Oct now.  It'll be the same town, just new house.  Will let you know new address when we get ready to move.  It's rural (2 1/2 acres) and I'm not sure of address yet.  Guess yo might as well wait until you know where your job will be before you write.

Dody's parents were in Boise to visit Jim (recruiting for the Army there) and came down here for a short evening visit.  Dody's grandfather was with them also.  Jim and his family did not come.

Gary is now FREE!  He says he feels alive.  He's out of the A.F., doing what he loves -- working on motorcycles.  Our plans for our own business got delayed a year but hopefully next year-- please pray for us!

I'm still working -- 4 days a week for the different dentists in town.  I'm the only hygienist in town and it really keeps me busy with all my other interests (girl scouts, gardening, bread making and housework -- there's always that).  Thank goodness I'm done ironing those awful uniforms from the Air Force.  That saves many hours a month.  The summer is so busy anyway with yards and such.  Need a vacation of fresh corn, tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers, squash, etc.?  The garden is ripening quickly.

My sister from Colorado is coming in 2 weeks for a week.  Looking forward to company.

It's been a crazy summer -- extremes of wet and dry and hot and cold, but very enjoyable just the same. All sunshine!  How we love the sunshine.

We tired of neighbors and have decided to put a house on 2 1/2 acres 3 miles out of town.  Next year I plan on a really big garden and maybe the next spring chickens.  Maybe even a horse and/or goat someday.  The ground is my therapy -- vans and bikes Gary's.

He works 9:00am - 7:00pm one week then noon til 8pm the next.  He used to have every 3rd Saturday off, but now it's every other Wed, which is my day off.

Have you found or decided on your job?  Really glad for you that you're getting the education you want.  Know what you must mean when you are tired of school.  I was tired after 14 years and there you are after 18!  (Well, didn't you take a year off?)

Well, gotta scoot.  Gary comes home for dinner at 2:00 this week and it's seldom that we get our big meal in at that time.  Need to get my hair trimmed today also before he gets home and it's almost 1:00.

Just wanted to let you know I really hadn't deserted you and glad I got this to you before you moved.

Take care.  Thanks a bunch for keeping in touch.  You're a unique man.

March 6, 1973 (Letter from Renee)

Many thanks for your delightful and informative letter.  It sure was nice to be greeted by a letter rather than bills, bills, and more bills.

Morrey and I have moved our place of residence to a beautiful half-double with a real honest to goodness basement and garage.

Our new place is 5 minutes from where I teach.  I used to have to travel 30-40 minutes to get home at night.  We're really pleased with our new place -- it's very private and residential -- and, as usual, we're very happy.  We've been extremely busy lately and between moving and teaching I don't know which end is up, to tell the truth.  On March 16th I'll start a 1week spring vacation and I can hardly wait.  I'm not planning on coming to Warren cause I've got loads to do here -- like clean toilets and all that shit -- ha ha!

Life has been so hectic lately that I haven't had any chance to just sit back and reflect.  Haven't sat down to read a good book in ages.

My parents are coming out this weekend to visit.  They sold the building they're in and they'll be moving out of it by the 1st of August.  Things are rather indefinite with them now but they'll definitely stay in Warren although my dad will be retired.

Please feel free to come out and visit us anytime you have a few days to spare.  We're got plenty of room and you're always welcome.  Sorry this letter is so short -- but I'm in the middle of 15 different things -- as usual.  Will try to write again soon.  Please write to us.  Be well and take care.