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 22 11/25/1952 Sex Education, Soapboxes, and Slow Days
Show Notes:
November 25th, 1952 — Joyce is once again writing from Dr. Shiri’s class, distracted by a student’s clumsy report on sex education, Puritan beliefs, and the meaning of love. Her pencil scrawls between reflections on the racy discussion and her daily life: slow hours at work, May threatening to sell her business and leave Denver, Johnny still waiting for his wife, and Joyce herself preparing for the Thanksgiving rush.
She dreams about a farm with Earl, gets lost in the sparkle of her cleaned ring between paragraphs, and debates whether she’ll continue piano at CU or go back to Oregon. She also grumbles about dorm mates unplugging her desk lamp for hair dryers and irons, and about not being able to come over Wednesday night due to project meetings and laundry.
Underneath the humor and complaints is a steady devotion — even as she writes from class, Joyce is thinking about seeing Earl, planning her moves, and framing her day-to-day frustrations with affection and anticipation.
Topics Include:
- Writing from Dr. Shiri’s class
- Awkward student reports on sex education and love
- Dreaming of life on a farm with Earl
- Cleaning and admiring her ring
- Considering CU piano vs. Oregon
- May’s talk of selling business and leaving Denver
- Slow workdays and Thanksgiving plans
- Project meetings disrupting travel
- Dorm mates unplugging her desk lamp
- Looking forward to seeing Earl Thursday
November 25th, 52, above the dear sweetheart, says, I love you very much. Dear sweetheart, this is Shiri's class again, dear. And as usual, I'm not paying much attention. Some little man is talking about sex education in the school. I am not sure what he's saying, but a while back, he said that somebody or other thought we were all born of sin.
because we were all born through sex. I think it was some of the Puritans that said that. I went to bed at 10, 15 last night. So I feel quite peppy this morning or will when I wake up. I dreamed about you last night again. We were going to move on a farm with some other people by shebance and they gave us so much to eat. We got fat. Then I woke up.
Last night I finished memorizing one and a half pages of MacDowell and one page of Bach. I don't know if I want to take piano at CU or not. I'd sure love to go back to Oregon. Before I apply for entrance to anything, I want to see their registrar and dean of music. before I forget,
Please excuse the pencil, but I don't have a pen.
with me in class. Work is still as slow as ever. She is going to be open Thanksgiving with turkey and ham dinners and steak, I guess. I want to call her early today to see if I have the same hours. May came in last night feeling pretty low. I heard her tell Johnny she wanted to sell business and home and leave.
Denver. she wanted to sell the business and her home and leave Denver, but I don't know what all happened or how serious she was. Johnny's wife has still not come to Denver. Did you get the letter I mailed Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning? I hope so when I mailed it and I hope you got this Wednesday. I hope you get this Wednesday. If not, you'll have a letter Monday morning or rather Sunday night when you get back.
I learned my ring, I cleaned my ring this morning and it really looks gorgeous. Between paragraphs, I sit and look at it. I'm writing this with the paper in the notebook and it's hard to write this close to the bottom.
Johnny was telling me what a miserable writer I am. My writing used to look worse than this, believe it or not. This is Pops course day. I paid $1 to have my picture taken with the group and I just better get the picture too. Most likely they'll take it next quarter when I'm not there. The little boy is still talking about sex.
So far he hasn't said about the education angle in the schools, which was his topic for report. This is Tuesday and if all goes well, I'll see you tomorrow. Otherwise, it'll be Thursday before I can come over bag and baggage. The post-report discussion is getting quite racy. One of the married men said that he thought intercourse with other than his wife was all right and asked if that was in keeping with the idea
of a man being meant for several wives. So far, no one has asked if women were meant to have several husbands. I just asked and they said, yes. I guess maybe the whole thing boils down to a definition of love, which so far we don't seem to have. Our project meeting will last till 10 or so Wednesday night, and I probably won't have time to pack up or get my laundry.
and ironing together. So I'm not likely, so I most likely won't be able to come over Wednesday night. I'll either call Laura tonight or Wednesday. It's 1245 and I'm home getting lunch. Diane invited me over to her house, but I decided to make it someday next week instead. Because of our project meeting, I had to cancel her lesson. She wasn't
She won't start now till second quarter, for which I am thankful. These blank underlined kids always unplug my desk lamp for irons, hair dryers, et cetera. About a week more and I'll move the furniture again the way I want it so that I can use my desk. Bye for now, sweetheart.
and I'll see you Thursday. hope all my love, I'll see you Thursday, I hope. All my love, always Joyce. P.S. I love you so very much.
