Marcia Kirwan Standley Papers

Sat 4-7-56

Dear Mother,

Thank you very much for sending the check so promptly. I am duly registered + my books are purchased. I realize that things are no doubt tight financially, so don't worry about sending me money. I do quite well.

Your flu bug has receeded I hope. I'm sorry you felt so badly + that the quip in my letters bothered you much, but the way I feel is that no matter how badly you're hurt, one way or another, or how badly you feel, you're still living if you can find something in yourself to laugh about. It's just another slip on my part, not being as considerate as I should of the terrific difference between us. I hope you feel much better now.

Your Easter sounded like you had a wonderful time. I'm glad you all went to church together especially Daddy. I hope that it will contribute to a great deal more happiness + less tension for all of you. I had a terrific Easter, too. I went to mass at St. Thomas and then to a big old fashioned family dinner.

I had thought that I might be able to graduate this June, but in the process of

It lasts until 10:45 and then I walk a couple of blocks to 11:00 mass at St. Ann's. A very convenient 5 bucks. My buddy who got me the bill-collecting job got this one for me.

Pam is just about ready to be censured. I'm sitting with the Tues. afternoon Terrors, Pam and Peter. I let her play with the hose, and after changing their already dirty clothes once, things were wet but peaceful until she decided to give the living-room the once-over wetly. I am now even more thoroughly convinced that cork tile is ideal. Anyway, the backyard will be nice and green. The drapes will dry too. These Eichler homes can really take it. At the moment, they're polishing off the last quart of milk.

Are you still having attacks of [Meniere's?] disease? I assume not, if you are able to fall off bar stools again, and come up laughing. If it's recurrent, as it says in the article, I assume that you don't do a great deal of driving. It's a shame that they don't have nice bars down there like they have up here. Of course, there's only one Rudy's. Liz hadn't been off her cane for a week when her two bartenders went out and got themselves hospitalized in a motorcycle accident. They moved one of the fellows from San Jose to the Pally hospital last Fri. The road from Rudy's to that hospital looks to be a well worn one. He'll be there for months.

I'm glad you're feeling well enough to send me cartoon and napkins from the Chi-Chi. My love to Daddy, Grandmother, Cookie and Destiny. Love, Marcia

4

I'll try to get up to see Sr. L., or at least drop her a line. This quarter there is so much, all of it academically crucial, I can't afford to stray very far, at least right now.

Thank you for the Chi-chi napkins. Glad to see that you can cut loose when you want to. Are you sure that you're really doing what you want to do. That is important now, but especially for the future. I've been trying to think of something that you could do in a stationary position while dizzy, & the only thing I can think of is throw darts. It will improve your perception & you won't have to worry about a moving target. The most important thing is to be able to laught at yourself. Things don't hurt so much that way, & its a much easier way of accepting something inconvenient &/or painful than being tragic about it. I hope you don't mind my saying that, but you probably do. I think that I look at things in an altogether different way than you do. Not wrong, just different.

Now be sure & don't send me anything else except B12, the pink cotton dress, the blue linen shirt & blouse, my white heels, & my white flats. That's all I need. Anything else would take up space unnecessarily. I have made 3 cotton skirts & am in the process of a blouse to match the third. I am still sending you that package.

The #3's got here intact. Thank you very much.

Love,

Marcia

Love to Daddy, Grandmother, Cookie, & Destiny.

39 N.E. Stanton Portland, Ore.

Kevin mentioned that he would be up here the 19th or 20th. Are you coming up with him? If you do, you could stay here. That is the date that Jane and Jean may be moving out and that Paula may be coming back to move in. Everybody is indefinite about everything right now, except me. I just know that I'll be here. Don't worry about that though. This place has been grand central station for anyone who needs a place to stay in Pally, all summer. We have three beds and a couch and I have a sleeping bag. One of the beds is mine to use, rent, or give away, so plan on staying here. By the time the date gets close I'll have a better idea of what's coming off anyway. Right now all I know is that on the 20th I have as good a chance to have the place all to myself as I do to be one of 4. Repeat: we have lots of room.

Tell Daddy that I am in the process of writing him a letter also. As soon as I get a little more settled I will write more frequently. Life is complicated by capital investments & the process of getting organized.

Let me know what your own plans are & when you plan on coming up next.

Love, Marcia

Kevin hasn't been around all week. I guess he got a little upset last Sat. night, because I bawled him out. He doesn't really care much about anybody but Kevin. That's okay with me, as long as he doesn't use me or anyone else to his advantage. But he only comes around when he has that on his mind.

Tonite I put a new rear tire & a lower gear on my motorcycle to make it more effective, i.e., safer in the mud & rain. I'm not teasing you, just giving you a little material to me in fostering an objective attitude.

Give my love to Daddy. Grandmother, Cookie & Destiny, & please bring Cookie with you when you come up next.

Joan & Vince never showed, I didn' remember whether you said they were going to, or not.

Is the diaper lift still going on?

Love Marcia

P.S. If you can, could you send me some Miltowns. Food for going to sleep. I'm still unwinding