26 January, 1 am<\/p>\r\n
Dear Grandparents<\/p>\r\n
Oh, how can it be? We have soooooo\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/u> many letters & communications from you, so many things to reply to, so many many questions & answers & responses & stimuli \u2013 never did get thoughts on the mouse book written down, but one very recent rejoinder to that is to refer to a book for kids called \u201cMoon Pony,\u201d by Charlotte Pomerantz (Young Scott Books, NY, 1967) (Jed is, like his parents, well indoctrinated into books, & we get as many library books for him as we do for Peter and Marcy combined) \u2013 another aspect of the reply to the mouses is that you might do well to consider making them rats instead \u2013 rats are familiar, they are smart<\/u>, they are very<\/u> much like humans in many of the aspects of their \u201ccivilization\u201d (e.g. omnivorous, scavenging, tough, incredibly resourceful, full surprise strengths \u2013 & weaknesses) \u2013 & perhaps a lot easier to identify with. Mice are so clean<\/u> & tiny & helpless in comparison, & not at all as worthy of a kind of intuitive respect. Besides, rat is an easier & more useful word in terms of phonics, and with enough love in the work no one can accuse you of comparing your kids to rats. \u2013 On the other side of the coin, read Miss Bianca<\/u>, also a kids\u2019 book, can\u2019t remember the author, but any childrens librarian can refer you to it & 1 or 2 others in the series.<\/p>\r\n
How is it that we never have any time? If wishes were horses, if turnips were watches, if sitting down & thinking<\/u> a letter could get it recorded\u2026\u2026 if Jed would sleep more so his mama could do something else besides nap & delivery exercises during his nap, if we didn\u2019t enjoy cooking & eating so much, if little boys were happy to play by themselves for hours & hours, if the first four years of life weren\u2019t so vital in terms of all kinds of stimulation, if there were nothing to read & no dishes nor laundry \u2013 \u2026\u2026 so then what would we have to write about? And as for Paul & Linda \u2014 each letter we write we know is shared with them \u2013 keep being about to write separately but then when the mood & possibility of letter writing is there at all, \u2019twere redundant to send them the same news \u2013 but we do keep trying.<\/p>\r\n
Most deeply appreciated at this point would be a treatise on wringer washing machines. We\u2019ve just acquired one, for $2500<\/u><\/sup> from Goodwill, Peter got it going, with siphons & suchlike rigs (we don\u2019t have stationery tubs) but on how to make it do laundry in the bestest way possible we have only memories & vague ideas. What about a cold water rinse? How long should wash & rinses be for optimum cleaning without scrubbing the dirt back in? What is there to know that most people don\u2019t? (about wringer washers, I mean) So far, we\u2019ve done one load & it seemed pretty good & got very clean, \u2019cept the wringer isn\u2019t very efficient\u2026<\/p>\r\n That last paragraph has large brownish-orangeish splots splattered across it. Handwritten in the margin is this note:<\/span> Orange juice & purple pen don\u2019t hit it off too well, do they!<\/p>\r\n We are engaged in a project called the Great Neighborhood Food Conspiracy. It\u2019s essentially a buying coop, but with good connections & lots of people wanting the same things, and no overhead, (virtually), & a very<\/u> loose organization, it is unbelievably cheap. Vegetables, all fresly bought at the S.F. Farmers Market at 6 am Saturday Morning, often at least<\/u> 5-10\u00a2\/lb cheaper than days-old in the stores, many organically grown (no insecticides, waxes, or other chemicals) and all of excellent quality. Leeks nearly 2 feet long, giant beets, carrots too big to fit in our juicer, celery root with leaves (the leaves are an oddity rather than a delicacy, alas) beautiful fruits, dandelion greens, and of course high quality in the more usual vegetables.<\/p>\r\n New day, new pen \u2013 Tuesday 1\/27<\/p>\r\n Happy Birthday, Grandma \u2013<\/p>\r\n tho you\u2019ll have heard from<\/p>\r\n us by the time you get this<\/p>\r\n The other aspects of the Food Conspiracy are cheese (good quality, fresh, far cheaper than in stores, sources available for inspection & questioning if desired) and \u201cdry goods\u201d \u2013 grains \u2013 whole wheat flour, brown rice, and all such stuff, cooking oils, nuts, organic non-hydrogenated peanut butter, and on and on and on and on<\/u> \u2026 one really great thing is that it eliminates a great deal of shopping, which, with Jed, is always a big adventure \u2013 and when raw milk & fertile eggs are added, and possibly fresh fish once a week, it will be even more luxurious.<\/p>\r\n Recieved three lovely looking recipes from an Aunt I hadn\u2019t even known of before \u2013 Lura Dishno (what an interesting name! where does Lura come from?) but have not had time to try any yet \u2013 as all were for goodies and I spend so much time concocting sumptuous luxuries out of whole-grain foods and exquisite vegetables that I generally don\u2019t spend much on deserts. We tend to eat a lot<\/u> at meals and don\u2019t seem to be too hungry for goodies afterwards \u2013 besides, when there\u2019s sweets around we tend to eat them instead of other food, and they are more expensive to make. (Tho we\u2019ve tapped into a lovely source of honey \u2013 50\u00a2 for a 3-lb can of raw unfiltered uncooked organic honey, (a 5-lb can costs about $1.25 in stores, or 25\u00a2\/lb; this is ca. 16\u2154\u00a2) very rich and full of life-energy.) Christmas was a long lovely goodie-binge, but now we\u2019re back to breakfasts instead of cakes, and lunches instead of preserves, and much better for it. (hmm. so why do we all have the sniffles all of a sudden?) (incidentally, Jed gets a dose of liquid B-complex-plus-iron every day, making him as happy and sunny and tantrum-free as he is spoiled and insistent without \u2019em) (which is not very, anyway, but even those terrible moments seem to be virtually eliminated \u2013 he sleeps better, too. And his mama\u2019s 2 Tablespoons of Brewers Yeast in milk help her maintain the same \u2013 hurray for B-vitamins!)<\/p>\r\n My two new delights are The Soybean Cookbook<\/u> and International Vegetarian Cookery<\/u> \u2013 both are gems. With the former I hardly know where or how to start \u2013 so many beautiful lucious recipes for that joy of all meatless eaters, the soybean \u2013 sprouted, made into miso<\/u> (Japanese fermented soy bean paste, very salty & delectable), tamari<\/u> (organic soy sauce, also Japanese), or tofu<\/u> (Japanese bean-curd, bean cake, or soy cheese) or soy flour, or soy milk, or cooked & casseroled or deep-fried, or soy oil, or on and on and on and so forth, ad temptation. All are equally delicious and far superior to icky ol\u2019 plain boiled soybeans, which is how I\u2019ve always known them & refused to cook or eat them that way. The vegetable cookbook is so full of ideas and variations, cheeses and casseroles and grains, that since I\u2019ve had it ^^about three weeks^^ we haven\u2019t had even the same dish (let alone the same whole meal) twice.<\/p>\r\n Paul\u2019s Hors d\u2019Oeuvers<\/u> look lovely \u2013 we never have tunafish around long enough to toast, but next time we\u2019ll make a bunch and save some for Cheesy toasties.<\/p>\r\n Have sent two of the books to David \u2013 we\u2019re doing it one by one so that we can be sure each is recieved before we risk another. Sometimes several re-mailings are necessary.<\/p>\r\n We were very interested in the halfway house in Seattle that you mentioned some time ago. Have you had any more contact w\/ them? That sort of project must be incredibly difficult in a society that has virtually nothing to offer an individual who has already become so disillusioned that he has used drugs as an escape from the Incredible Culture. I simply cannot<\/u> see any hope or help on a group level for such people \u2013 there is no cure in our society for a \u201csocial\u201d disease. Rather, the change & the impetus and the rehabilitation must be individual<\/u> \u2013 when a human being has something that to<\/u> him<\/u> is real & worthwhile & worth working for, he will do so. Socially acceptable goals and aims, socially derived and acquired through indoctrination from age zero, or re-indoctrination at whatever age one decides to \u201cbecome re habilitated\u201d are just<\/u> externals<\/u>. If a person has some thing from inside himself as a source of strength, he will make it. (whether this is a drive to help others, or an inspiration from family or babies or lovers or \u201creligious\u201d conversion, or whatever) It must be a great help to be with others with similar besetting situations, but I can imagine that the others could be a slowing-down mechanism, at times. If I were myself recovering from such an emotional-spiritual miasma, I would betake myself to the farthest woods and stay there till my universe was hanging together again, then come in just a little way, and build a home and live in it, staying far away from city stresses and pollutions. But of course parole officers and offices prevent such action, forcing one to return to the scene of the crime and re-live all the stresses and strains that originally caused the breaking. ___________________________________________ I don\u2019t know why that long underline is there.<\/span> I guess it\u2019s like how do you get better in a mental hospital surrounded by sick people? I don\u2019t know, but some people still do it, because or in spite of. (Somewhere here I think I lost what I was trying to say, and went 3 rings around the center without indicating where it was.) (or being sure myself).<\/p>\r\n By the way, there\u2019s not much chance of a trip to Lompoc for us either. Our dear ol\u2019 VW Bus tries waffle hard, but can\u2019t seem to make it around the corner without a new grunt or grind or loss of transmission oil. We\u2019re getting it in good enough shape to sell, hoping to recoup our original investment and maybe get a good bug (VW) or wait till electric cars come out a bit cheaper. Saw one today \u2013 it was totally beautiful. completely noiseless (at 100 paces, anyway) and tiny and compact and not polluting the atmosphere. (What does it do to the Earth\u2019s aura, I wonder?) (One\u2019s aura is tied up with the electromagnetic spectrum; the Earth\u2019s is most intimately so). at this point, anyway, it\u2019s too late for me to travel \u2013 your second grandchild will arrive in 2-4 weeks. End of February at the very latest. That baby is nearly out anyway, right through the skin. I am not only ready to pop but amazed it hasn\u2019t happened yet, with the strength of those tiny muscles. Jed got bopped on the ear tonight and was astounded! He\u2019s felt with his hand before, and knows about \u201cbaby inside\u201d but this was much closer to home, and a surprize as well. Won\u2019t he be amazed when all we\u2019ve been telling him comes true!<\/p>\r\n On baby needs \u2013 we\u2019d welcome anything at all, but most especially anything that was used by the Hartman brothers. The flannel material was lovely \u2013 have a borrowed sewing machine for its conversion to either blankets or soakers or something. The thing I liked best for Jed was those little sleeper suits, or jump-suits, we called them, with snaps down the body & legs. Never have enough of them. And the least desired are those little Olive Oyl gowns, the nightgown with drawstring or umpty-trillion buttons, that always ended up under Jed\u2019s arms instead of down at his feet (<\/p>\r\n ) I was unable to save anything but the precious heirlooms of what I had for Jed, due to all the moving around, and slowly am re-accumulating baby clothes, blankets, etc. But the time is coming for direct action, there will be a live and squirmy baby in the house very<\/u> soon, & that baby will need clothes. Also, bunting bags (1 or 2 at most) are nice, and blankets and soakers<\/u>, oh especially soakers, this one will not<\/u> be subjected to rubber pants except for direst extreme cases, till 2 or 3 months old.<\/p>\r\n Goodness, what a long letter. Next month, when you get finished decipering it, we\u2019ll begin to expect a reply. Meanwhile, happy unbirthday \u2013 hope the telegram came in time \u2013 we\u2019ll call you when the baby comes out. Love to Paul & Linda, too \u2013 Oh, a terrible tragedy has happened to the back of p. 1 of this letter \u2013 butter and orange juice! Oh, alas and alack!<\/p>\r\n love to all from<\/p>\r\n Peter, Marcy & Jed<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n Some notes:<\/p>\r\n![\"Decorative](\"http:\/\/www.kith.org\/pmjj\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/1970\/01\/spirals-300x50.jpg\")
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