SC0103_Lesnett_1944-09-08

September 8, 1944

Dear Mother and Daddy,

You will just die when I tell you what I am doing. I am sitting here watching Annette get dressed. She came up to see some relatives in Oakland and is stopping on the way to visit me on the week-end. She came on the 5:44 train and is going to stay until Sunday. Her coming was all very sudden and you can't imagine how glad I was to see her. I got a special delivery letter last Tuesday saying she was going to be here so I immediately phoned her and arranged to see her and so forth. I was so glad to see her at the train and I was happy that I nearly took off. I'm afraid that I won't get to see much of her though because

there is a soldier up here who is just crazy about her and seems to think that she came up to see him, which isn't the case at all. He wants to take her out all tommorrow and I wanted her to go with me, so I am a little disappointed, but I couldn't tactfully get out of it. I am going with Bob Roartree, Sally and Jim Whitely to another medical school affair tomorrow and I wanted so much to have her go with me, we could have gotten her a wonderful date with one of Roartree's friends and she would have had a super time with us. Maybe we can another time when so many of her obstinate beaux are not around. The medical school party is at the Circus Club which is the big country club of Palo Alto, weare going to play tennis and go swimming, and we should have an awfully nice time; it

would be wonderful if only Annette could be with me.

I had my second music lesson today and I can see where I am in for a lot of hard work. My lessons consist mostly of scales and I am supposed to practice them an hour every day. Mrs. Belenky is just wonderful, the absolute opposite of Miss Dudley (not meant for a slam on Miss Dudley). Today we had a thorough discussion of the "whys and wherefores" of technique, or rather I should say a lecture on it. She even makes scale practising fun.

I have been doing better work in Western Civ. for which I am certainly thankful. The last two tests I have gotten B's on where most of the class is much lower. I am certainly going to try

and not go below the B again. If I study very hard and get a good grade on the final I might get a B out of the course, anyway I am going to try hard for it. The other classes are fairly good except English, I haven't been able to do anything above C work in there. It's hard to tell about Phys. Science too, but I do know that I have been doing better work than the class average.

There were two things I was going to ask you to do for me but I can only think of telling you to have my red suit cleaned and anything else that needs it. I'll probably think of a million more things to tell you but I'll just have to write you again.

I am so glad you had a nice time in Phoenix, but then I knew you would. I certainly wish that I could have been with you.

Love to all, Mary