This is the last letter I have from Marcy to her parents, handwritten a few weeks after the previous one.<\/p>\r\n
There are pineapple-juice stains on the paper, but I\u2019m not going to take a photo of those; I\u2019ll leave them to your imagination.<\/p>\r\n
One small interesting note: This is the only letter that starts out “Dear Parents.”<\/p>\r\n
This letter seems to imply that the trip out East they were talking about in the previous letter is still in the works, but I don\u2019t know whether that ever happened.<\/p>\r\n
And more generally, I\u2019m not sure what happened next after this. If you\u2019re looking for closure to various storylines from preceding letters, I\u2019m sorry to say you won't find it here.<\/p>\r\n
And I don\u2019t know whether Marcy wrote later letters that just haven\u2019t survived. She called Ethel once a week when I was a kid, every Sunday, but I don\u2019t remember her writing letters. Jack died in May of 1969, a year after this letter, at age 64; I wonder if that contributed to changing Marcy\u2019s communication with Ethel.<\/p>\r\n
So there\u2019s a lot about this letter sequence that\u2019s tantalizingly incomplete. But I\u2019m nonetheless very pleased to have the letters. I hope you\u2019ve enjoyed them too.<\/p>\r\n
<\/p>\r\n
\r\nSaturday 5\/25\/68<\/p>\r\n
Dear Parents<\/p>\r\n
Please forgive the longhand\u2014there\u2019s this baby sleeping in my arms and he\u2019s only 8 2\/7 weeks old & I can\u2019t bring myself to disturb him\u2014mainly \u2019cos he\u2019s a spoiled monster & wakes up every time I put him down. He only catnaps during the day, sleeps 4-5 hours & then in 2-hour shifts at night.<\/p>\r\n
Finally we did hear from Peter\u2019s parents\u2014they are much friendlier now that they have a grandson & Peter is going back to school\u2014and, incidently, you will be glad that Peter has shaved his beard & cut his hair\u2014still long by your standards, but to me he looks terribly shorn, tho still pretty good. He was trying to get a job at a lumber mill (didn\u2019t happen) and anyway it was time to cut off the ends & start anew, being a new season & summer coming & all...<\/p>\r\n
We\u2019re working on ending school (I\u2019m going in for about an hour a day) & plans for next year (it\u2019s going to continue, amazing) & plans for leaving & astrology\u2014do either of you know what<\/u> time<\/u> (as exact as possible) you were born?<\/p>\r\n
Glad to hear you\u2019ll be able to see so well, Daddy\u2014is that 20-20 vision in both<\/u> eyes? Do you have the glasses yet?<\/p>\r\n
Will you see if you can find out where in Philadelphia one can buy stone-ground<\/u> whole wheat flour, pure foods & grains (not boxed or full of preservatives) & such things\u2014so we can eat as we like, to the extent it\u2019s possible, and bake some really good bread for you, and such like.<\/p>\r\n
Have been invited by Mrs. Henderer (from Tucson, remember?) to visit her in Washington (D of C) when we\u2019re there, and to visit Cynthia in Cape Cod\u2014(she\u2019s married too) (Rhodes is in N.Y.C. vegetating or perhaps writing\u2014Mrs. H. wasn\u2019t too sure. Anyway, want to take a 1-day trip to Washington? It\u2019s not far\u2014Peter would drive\u2014& I really want him to meet Mrs. H.<\/p>\r\n
Jed wants my undivided attention & is making me spill my pineapple juice in retribution for ignoring him for 2 seconds\u2014have to go\u2014<\/p>\r\n
Love<\/p>\r\n
from<\/p>\r\n
Jed<\/p>\r\n
Peter<\/p>\r\n
Marcia<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n
Postmark: Mendocino, CA, May 25, 1968. Handwritten: “Rec\u2019d this 5\/28\/68” and “Ans this 6\/2\/68” and “(ck on where to buy flour mentioned in this).”<\/p>\r\n
And Marcy wrote on the outside of the envelope “Can you send some more Filibon vitamins?” and Ethel wrote on it “Sent Filibon on 5\/31\/68.”<\/p>\r\n
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