2270 South Vine
Come with me as I meet my Mother through this series of letters, she died when I was 6 months old and this is my very first real glimpse into her world, who she was, who she wanted to be and how she loved my Father.
A collection of 36 letters hand written by my Mother Joyce at University of Denver and sent to my Father Earl at University of Colorado Boulder when they were first engaged in 1952. The letters span from September 1952 - January 1953. My Mother died from Breast Cancer in 1971 at the age of 40. The original language of the letters is read intact to maintain the integrity of the authenticity of her words, 1952 is a very different time culturally and economically.
2270 South Vine
Letter 17 11/11/1952 Tape Measures, Socio-Dramas, and Counting the Days
Show Notes:
November 11th, 1952 — Joyce writes in pencil after her bath, determined to avoid another inky mess. It’s been an “ordinary day” full of work rushes, sore feet, and a compliment from Johnny on how she handles the pressure. She reflects on how she hasn’t done anything for herself since school started — no recitals, no swims, no symphonies — but feels grateful to at least keep up with her studies, laundry, and letters.
She’s happy to see her old friend Ray Powell on campus and recounts his financial struggles supporting a wife and new baby without her help. Dorm life remains chaotic: missing dollars, borrowed toiletries, a pilfered tape measure, and Winnie’s habit of flinging windows wide open. Joyce debates whether she can afford to continue at Denver or transfer to Colorado University for cheaper tuition, but for now she keeps knitting, planning a socio-drama for her values report, and hoping for a letter from Earl.
Underneath it all is a pulse of longing: she can’t stop thinking about him, imagines sneaking into his room one day, and aches at the thought of spending her first Thanksgiving away from home. She closes the letter with her usual tender goodnight, clinging to his picture and counting the days until Friday.
Topics Include:
- Avoiding ink spills and writing in pencil
- Handling rushes at work and sore feet
- Seeing Ray Powell and discussing his financial struggles
- Dorm frustrations: borrowed items, missing dollars, open windows
- Planning a socio-drama for the values report
- Considering a transfer to Colorado University
- Hoping for a letter from Earl
- First Thanksgiving away from home
- Missing Earl and imagining sneaking into his room
- Knitting before bed and keeping his picture close
November 11th, 1952. My darling, please excuse the pencil, but I've already bathed and I don't want to get inky again. This has been just an ordinary day, I guess. We were swamped at work, but it went smoothly enough. Johnny complimented me on the way I handle rushes. So feel better about my sore feet. I saw a mother raper on the
in the window today, so if she went to the hospital, she's back now. Really, I haven't sat down and talked to her since school started. Actually, I haven't done anything since school started, like hearing the recitals or the symphony or swim or visit the kids in another apartment or read any books. But I'm lucky in that I've managed to keep up my schoolwork, laundry,
letters to you and mother and gotten quite a bit of sleep. I met Ray Powell on the campus
today. I sure was glad to see him. We had quite a chat about school, finances, his family, you and our plans, etc. Of all of the fellows in music school, I think I've enjoyed Ray the most with Mike and Frankie.
running close second with Mike and Frankie running close second. Ray and I used to talk by the hour at least one day a week. His wife Nancy is a doll too. And sometimes I hope to see this baby daughter, but poor Ray really has troubles. Nancy has never worked and simply refuses to even or part time, even a part time job.
even when the parents have said they'd take care of the little girl. is in school full-time and working full-time, and yet a wife and a baby are a little beyond him. The baby was born in September, I think, and Ray's debts are about $560 right now, with some tuition yet to pay and insurance and I don't know what all. I'm so surprised at Nancy.
Working might be a little hard, but it would help pay the big bills now, and Ray wouldn't expect her to work for very long.
Bob Bishop just called me. I met him at Aspen and asked me to call some married woman and ask her if to call him. Her husband doesn't want her to work, especially with men, and Bob wanted her to do some typing for him or something. After I called her, we decided the next time the phone
rings we were going to say home records ink which home record do you want i sure hope no lady i sure hope nobody like the house mother calls about now i'm beginning to wonder if one of my roommates was broke
There's a few dollars I can't seem to locate. At any rate, I think I'll find another hiding place. These kids are very irresponsible. They use, borrow in parentheses, anything they can find, even in drawers and never think to return it. Especially deodorant, toothpaste, stamps, glue, scotch tape and Kleenex. All of my things are hidden amongst my lingerie. Every now and then I can't...
find anything myself. Which reminds me, Connie took my tape measure and now I can't find it. And somebody took the pencil out of my purse. Boy, that makes me mad. My piano lessons should go pretty fair tomorrow unless my hands are cold or I am nervous. Today was a holiday. I discovered and I sure hope your letter was picked up in time to make it to Boulder Wednesday morning.
In our values report, we are thinking about starting out with a socio drama. They tell me a socio drama resembles a skit with the idea of getting some social change or idea across to the audience. Miss Cutler said, I didn't have to take an exam. I won't have time before next week to go in and see Piernaud, but when I go, I hope to have enough and he has time enough to really discuss it with him.
Last night he was so busy he just said maybe I should consider a loan. He'd keep his fingers crossed and here's an application. I didn't see George to talk to him yesterday or today either one. Sometimes when I realize how much these next two quarters will cost for me for tuition, $400. I'm very tempted to quit and finish at Colorado University next year. Even if I had to go a whole
year the tuition would be $140 but I'd run into a dozen snags trying to do it so I guess I'll go one more quarter here at least and then start praying. I just noticed my tape measure so I'll quit cussing now. Winnie just came in and opened all the windows wide. These people who come in with coat and gloves and complain it's hot. I ran into Barb this morning. They are
Two old ladies who have...spoken for the cheaper apartment, but if they don't want it or if they take the basement apartment, then Cecil and Barb are going to try to get it. I sure hope they do. $20 over the period of a year is a neat little sum. All day long, $20 a rent in month for an apartment. Goodness gracious. Okay. All day long, I've been sitting and thinking of you, my honey. So help me.
One day my power is going to weaken and you'll find me parked in your room when you come back from the sink. Thursday is getting to be as long as Monday for some reason. I guess it's because after working only three hours on Wednesday, Thursday seems like a long day. I hope I have a letter from you tomorrow or I'll be tempted to sit down and cry. I saw Dan, but not long enough to ask him if he was going home.
I don't want to be away from you for three weeks.
with him. Last time he was so busy, he just said, maybe I should, wait, I don't want to be away for three weeks. Gotta get on the right page. But I've always been home for Christmas. This will be the first year my mother has only seen me twice. This will be my first Thanksgiving away from home too. I think I'll stop talking about home. I'm beginning to feel sad. You should see the look on my mother's face when one of
us kids comes home, especially if we are all three there at once. So it seldom happens. I hope my big sister gets Christmas day off and I hope Cleone stays with us and not at the Cobors. Mother would be crushed if she went to the Cobors unless she went up in the evening. May still can't make up her mind whether to open Thanksgiving or not. She probably won't though.
Sweetheart, it's 1030 and I want to knit a couple more rows and then I'll go to bed. Can I take your picture with me again? For some reason, I'm lonelier this week than usual. The first thing I see when I came in the door is your picture and I can't take my eyes off it now that I'm here at the desk. My darling, I'll say goodnight and sweet dreams and I love you so much that if Friday doesn't hurry up and get here,
and this is only Tuesday, how will I ever be able to wait? All my love, always Joyce. I love you much and miss you loads. I love you, sweetheart, and all my thoughts are with you. Tell Friday goodbye and I love you so much.
