Standley_Correspondence_1956-04-26

Thurs. 4-26-56

Dear Mother,

This letter should prove unpleasantly surprising. If you are currently seated on the lofty heights of a barstool, I suggest the floor as a safer seat, for this particular moment.

Yesterday, before I went to a baby-sitting job which paid $2.50, I went to the Clothes Closet & burned a large black hole in your bank account. It occurred to me that the only hats I own that I am really fond of are the black velvet beret with the rhinestones & that beige one which goes with the beige & alive outfit. I have others, I know, but when you get right down to it, I wear them when I have to wear hats, mainly because they aren't awful, not because I really like them. Sorry to take such a willful attitude, but as far as a wardrobe goes, I don't want a lot of stuff, just a minimum of versatile things that I like. This doesn't mean that anything goes to waste. You like most of the stuff I have because you picked it out. The [bottleneck?] occurs in the fact that I manage to accumulate more of it than I should up here. I am trying to remedy that. Now that you are thoroughly confused, I will tell you what I did yesterday. Do not try to understand my attitude all at once. That would entail your jumping to a lot of conclusions, something you don't do too accurately. Keep an open mind & it will come to you in time.

Yesterday, I went shopping for a white summer hat, as after 2 years I am getting a little tired of that pique job with the gold tassels. I

do rather like the straw with the interchangeable hands, but that is off-white. I found a perfect hat. Excellent quality, in extreme good taste, lots of style, a chalk white straw. The only trouble with it is that it's a Schiaparelli & cost $20.00. For me, & to me, that's an awful lot of loot, but this was THE hate, & will last a while, also I notice that sometimes you pay that much. I hope you understand -- if not I suppose that I can return it. Aha! but that isn't all. Stay on the floor & I will tell you. For $1.00 I bought a pair of very simple pearl & rhinestone earrings that kind of go well with the hat, also a lot of other stuff. For $5.00 I bought a small white leather purse that goes with everything & is washable. Then I went to another dept & bought a pink taffeta crinolin of a type that I don't have & have noticed a need for, since I think the Fashion Board across the hall is getting tired of my borrowing. That cost $5.95. Then I bought a bra, since I can't wear those whirlpools with light cottons & t-shirts as the ends have a tendency to corrugate which really gives me an unusual shape. After consulting Caroline, I got an all-lace Maidenform for $3.00 which will probably do the job. Also, I weigh a little less than before, & what I have lost in fat I have gained in muscle, but not in the bra dept., so now I wear a B cup. About the muscle business, I do not buldge -- I am _firm_ & have yet to hear any male objections, & I know some pretty frank males.

Kevin has his acceptance to Stanford, I

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thought. I phone him every Fri afternoon from my sitting job, & I suppose we will get together when divergent schedules permit.

Last week I had a baby-sitting job that the lady negotiated throught the Sitter Service. We got to talking & I asked her what her husband does. He's a broker with Dean Witter & Co. He covers the S.F. to San Jose area. Whaddaya know about that? Well-behaved children, too. Name: James E. Ryan.

Thanks for sending that travel list. I know quite a few of the girls in it. About your "home sweet home" appendage. Don't you know that birds leave the nest, & usually at their own discretion? You never seem to understand that you can't keep your children by keeping them at home. You can lose them that way, though. At the moment I have no desire to go to Europe, & that goes for the immediate future. I have too many things to do. Eventually, I suppose I'll get there, but it will have to be under my own steam. At one time, I really did want to spend this last year going to school in Spain. The whole deal, including boat fare, is cheaper than a year at Stanford, & you spend your vacations touring Europe. I sounded you out about it, & then didn't waste my time pursuing it any further. I don't suppose you remember, as there wasn't much said. Anyway, now I'm just as glad I stayed right here.

Fitch is probably someplace around Estes Park, Colo. A lot of her contemporaries retired to there, & she loved it & used to spend her summers there. If you can, would you please get me her address.

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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.