March 15, 1977 (Letter from Grayce)

Part of a double bill, "Cornbread, Earl & Me" being the other feature, at a West Springfield second-run theater.


These pass 2 weeks have been incredibly good ones for me!  My horoscope (a very accurate one which I sent away for) said March would be very active & it certainly has been, so far!  It all started with a premonition 2 Sundays ago.  I have to call it a premonition, because I felt a positive PUSH to go out that day & buy a newspaper -- something I only very rarely do!  Brook was working & I went to get a paper & I opened it up & the first thing I saw was an ad for a display assistant at Seat her in the Mall.  It sounded like it was something I'd like.  So on Monday, I casually walked into Sears, asked about the job, was interviewed & an hour later, they called me & told me I had the job.  I was amazed, since there were so many applicants!  Actually, the girl who interviewed me is my boss & we just got along very well & seemed to have some things in common.  Anyway -- I started yesterday & it's going to be a d day per week thing (although I'll have t work a full week once in awhile, but my hours are very flexible, which is always nice.  I can start as early as I want, after I know what I'm doing more.  I do all signs for display & also help make up the displays & I'm also responsible for the printmaking for sales, ads, etc.   So far, I've just been making signs, which has been interesting & they really keep me busy -- which I like!  Part of my job will also be to make sure the different department keep their displays neat & their decorations in order, etc.  I'm not sure I'll like doing that, but I suppose after I know people better, I can adjust.  I'm just happy to have a job that is consuming, right -- now.  I'll still have time for crafts.  (Although no sewing 'cause a part on my machine coked out & the man says it'll take 6 months [no one hurries here] to get it replaced.  There goes my new summer wardrobe!)  I guess it doesn't matter too much.  I can wear anything I like here most of the time (& most of the time, that's jeans of course!) because I get so dirty.  Yesterday I came home looking like a person who might have been trapped in a coal mine!!!  It does feel good to get right into something with your hands, though, instead of sitting somewhere doing the same stuff all day -- every day.  And the atmosphere in the display room is great -- free & open & I feel at home there already.  (Odd, since It usually takes me longer than 2 days to get used to new physical surroundings.)  Well, enough about the job....

Brook bought me an aquarium & some fish to keep me company.  A dog would be a responsibility I'm not prepared to accept right now.  Maybe later on.

The fish are really beautiful & I just love watching then.  I can just sit there forever!!  I've even begun  to discern separate personalities among them.  Their traits are most noticeable when they are fed -- especially their aggressive & survival instincts.  I'd like to get some angelfish soon -- maybe in a month.  But, they may be difficult to care for.  I'll have to find out more about them.  They don't go for walks, but....

Last Saturday night, I had some of Brooks' chums over for dinner.  Most of them are single & eat dinner every night at the site cafeteria (where 2 have gotten ptomaine poisoning!), so they were really appreciative of a "home-cooked" meal.  We all had a good time.  I really liked all of them. (I've always been wary of engineers, for some reason -- some of the ones I know at V.U. were such zombies! & seemed to have no soul!)  They were all so different, and interesting.  Brook had told a few that I had Tarot cards & they all wanted their cards read (which was fine with me, since you can find out so much about a person that way.)  They weren't too skeptical, either, as I had suspected they would be.  Anyway, it was fun.  John Taggart told me he might be coming home with Brook a lot in the next few months.  I told him, in that case, I'd have to starting taking a few lessons from the "ptomaine kings" at the site.

Well, that's about all this time.

P.S.  I've got you beat.  I have $1.78 in my piggy bank.

September 29, 1976 (Letter from Grayce)

I had the strangest dream last night -- actually, it was so vivid, I went around to check that it hadn't really happened!  I walked into our house (in the dream) & on every window someone had put these curtain  -- hand-embroidered with teddy bears!  I can't remember who made them, but I remember that I was "afraid" of them -- (maybe fear is too strong -- just apprehensive about them) -- I remember not liking them there, but I couldn't give them back to the person because it would be an insult.  It was very upsetting because the person (I wish I could remember who it was) would be to see me fairly often and I couldn't no have them up.

Well -- nothing like a strange beginning to a letter from a strange person.  Teddy bears!  A sure sign of senility -- I'm reverting to my childhood which I actually never did leave!

Today was a full day!  In between watering our "lawn" (I hope, I hope) so the grass seedlings will know I care about them & won't let them die of thirst, I went to the market (more about that later) by MYSELF in the car!  (After driving Brook to the bus station, of course.)  I felt quite independent, but nervous.  ( bargained with God to please let me arrive safely -- we do that a lot, He & I -- we've made some really strong commitments in certain areas.  Also, I got rejected (snif, snif -- violins, softly) by Allied Chemical who said I did not (no kidding?!?) have the proper background to be given a job there.  I also received the good news:

(1)  The site where Brook works does not hire relatives of present employees....

(2)  Aerojet (the other company where it was possible for me to get a job -- even though no science degree) is moving to another state.

Do you think there are degrees of unemployment (not to be confused with DEGREED unemployment -- which there definitely is -- and it seem to settle near me very decidedly -- no?)

I'm not really upset about all this -- actually, being the laaazzzzy person that I am, I'm content to wallow in nothingness for awhile.  I mean, if I get desperate, there's always Taco Bell!  (Actually, the only fast food place of which I slightly approve -- I fell that their food is the most wholesome -- & at least they offer non-meat things, you know?)

Back to the market (are you dizzy?).  I'm sorry.  I found this really neat supermarket -- it's called Waremart.  You go in & pick what you want & put it in a box on this large push cart & mark the price yourself (so they don't have to hire someone else to do it & you save about 15-20%.)  Also, they have a nice selection of "natural" foods & they are sold out of large bins (like at a co-op) & you weight everything yourself & mark & bag it.  I was able to get bulgar wheat (which was hard to find in Pgh.) and cheap wheat germ (which I use as a substitute for any recipe that needs bread crumbs) and nice brown rice.  They have a great selection of dried beans & also different flours. I'm going to try Rye Bread this winter.  I'm also going to try whole wheat manicotti (with bulgar wheat thrown into the dough.)  Poor Brook -- he gets to digest all my experiments. Actually, he's been pretty patient with my meatless concoctions -- for someone who was used to meat & potatoes & peas for 24 years before I started to be the cook.  He actually ate some broccoli the other night & said it wasn't bad.  (He was pretty hungry when he came home & that was the first thing I'd let him eat.)  He also now consents to raw cauliflower in the salad -- a big step for mankind!

My friend Eleanor (my yoga buddy) is going to begin raising bees (is that what it's called?) -- that should be a good experience, huh?

This seems to be a food letter -- I'm making myself hungry!

(I made chicken with sesame seeds & P. cheese -- it was very good.  Thank you.)

Maybe I'll be able to change the subject now.  (Paul says, "Thank god!")

I heard something pretty interesting.  (At least, I thought it's interesting.)  Sugar City, Idaho may be able to get all their energy by geo-thermal means.  At the site where Brook works (ERDA) they do searcher in this area, also  & they think it's possible in certain parts of Idaho (but not many). Anyway -- isn't that somewhat encouraging?  It's already being done in Boise, but on a very small, experimental scale.  It isn't likely to be THE energy source, but it can contribute a lot if gov't has the sense to put some money into it.  It won't be a substitute for what Brook was involved in -- energy for ships -- they will probably have to stay with breeder-reactors on board, but they are very safe & pose none of the problems to the environment that land-core reactors might -- also they use up & recycle their own pellet fuel products, which not many others can do.  Anyway, ti's something to think about !  It would be nice if we didn't have to unearth all the coal available -- it will make such a mess of the land-- one big mine -- yech!

I just read my cards a few hours ago -- and I hadn't read them for months.  I don't like to read my own because when you're too close to a situation, it's sometimes difficult to sort things out correctly -- but as a final outcome today, I got #XXI (the world).  The description of that card is: "Fulfillment of all desires.  Reward; assured success.  Freedom to move ahead in all undertakings.  The ability to make others happy.  Change of home or means of livelihood (not too soon, I hope).; travel.  *Arrival at a state of cosmic consciousness (hopefully thru yoga?)  The path of liberation."

It's kind of difficult to misinterpret such good news, I think.  anyway -- it made my day!  Also, I still keep getting the Hermit & the Magician & the Hanged Man. (All predict the ability to prophesy to some degree.)  I seem to get them in the fear position pretty often, though -- or else they cover the Queen of Pentacles (my card).  Today, the Hermit was in the near past and the Hanged Man covered my card.  Interesting.

I have a new friend -- our mailman.  He comes by at 4:30 everyday & one day he asked me if he could take a drink of water from our hose.  I said he certainly could not (in a stern tone) & he looked quite surprised.  Then I told him to wait til I could get him some lemonade.  He was really funny.  I think he recently graduated from ISU & is looking for a job, & this is only temporary . Anyway, it's nice to see a friendly face.

I haven't met many people yet.  Our neighborhood is new & there's no one living on one side of us & the people on the other side just moved in 2 days ago, and I didn't want to bother them now. They are an older couple (in their 50's) & seem very nice. Also, there is a couple (also in their 50's) across the street form us who we've become friendly with -- the Hunters.  These neighbors seem like a real change from our newsy Wilkinsburg neighbors (except for our upstairs neighbors the Michauxs and our one next door neighbor, the Guys.)

Well, I guess I've babbled on enought now about trivia, and will let you rest.

Take care & please be careful driving.

P.S.  Brook says to say "hello".

P.P.S  Have Diane take you to "Bank Street 5" next time you're in Philly.  It's a hole in the wall, but very good Italian food & you gete delicious sauteed mushrooms free as an appetizer -- I think you'd like it.