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 24 12/2/1952 Spaghetti, Hockey, and Final Projects
Show Notes:
December 2nd, 1952 — Joyce is relieved to find a letter from Earl waiting for her at home and dives into another busy day of rewrites and responsibilities. She’s nearly finished redoing her composition, booked an appointment with Piernaut for Monday, and cleaned the apartment herself (minus one room Sandy swept). This week is stacked: finish her composition, complete a dramatics project, see a play at Phipps Auditorium, and play for a Pops course program on Sunday.
Despite the workload, there are bright spots: her Ed Soche report has impressed Dr. Shiri, she’s memorizing more piano pages, and she’s looking forward to the first two hockey games against the University of Toronto. There’s also humor — she jokes about taking her “roll” of film (not “role”) to the drug store, Johnny’s blunders at work, and her own coffee-urn mishap.
She weighs holiday travel plans, train tickets versus rides, and the thought of returning early to the dorm after Christmas. Financial worries loom, but she ends the letter with warmth and anticipation, asking Earl to check the Dean of Women’s office hours and promising hugs and kisses on Friday.
Topics Include:
- Rewriting her composition project
- Cleaning the apartment and juggling responsibilities
- Upcoming dramatics project and play at Phipps Auditorium
- Pops course program performance
- Ed Soche report praise from Dr. Shiri
- Memorizing more piano pages
- First hockey games vs. University of Toronto
- Taking her roll of film to the drug store
- Johnny’s mistakes and coffee urn mishap
- Weighing train tickets vs. rides for Christmas
- Dorm vs. off-campus living plans
- Checking Dean of Women’s office hours for Earl
December 2nd, 1952. My darling, when I got home, I found your letter and boy was I glad. Needless to say, your letters mean quite a bit. I've been pretty industrious so far today. I've about got my composition done over again and I made an appointment to Piernaut next Monday, provided he gets back in time and I've cleaned the whole apartment.
all by myself except for one room sandy swept. What a week this is going to be. I have to finish my comp and do a dramatics project Saturday is the play at and do a dramatics project. Saturday is the play at Phipps Auditorium and Sunday is a pops course program for some women's club. I want to get some more pages memorized in piano.
and do a little extra work in dramatics to be sure I pull a B. I just may get an A in Ed Soche. Our report has greatly pleased Dr. Shiri, and I keep bringing up things he said in criminology and connecting them with Ed Soche. He's sure proud of me right now, but our tests may not.
me off my pedestal of good graces. Like most of his tests, I've no idea what to study for. And I'll get a low B. The union had perfectly stinking food today. So I'm still hungry. You can sure tell I'm gaining weight. The more I eat the hungrier I am the next day. I'm going to buy some more spaghetti sauce and eat a bowl full of spaghetti tonight. Dan is going
not going home for Christmas as he has found a job here. He's putting in ad in the school paper for me and calling two other friends of his to see if they're going. The first two hockey games are this Wednesday and Thursday night. They play the same team twice, but I can't think of what team it is. I hope I'll be able to go. mama liked hockey.
I'm still going to work at four o'clock. So far, nobody much has asked about the $37.50 a month plan. Johnny is beginning to be as discouraged and pessimistic as May. For his sake, he should take off for greener pastures. His wife hasn't come yet either. I don't guess she wants to very bad. No wonder he's always running around.
I just saw that we are playing University of Toronto for the benefit of community chess, chess. It should be quite a game. That's not the Canadian team. had such a fight with last year though. Here it is Tuesday and we are all still feeling owling.
Owly. Connie went to the infirmary and will probably be there a day or so. George hasn't been around after genetics class. I guess it's because we always manage to get out early. Blondie in last night's paper was pretty cute. So I'll send it to you. I know just how Blondie felt. There's no comic in the letter, but it would have been fun to see.
I took the roll, please note I didn't say roll. So she said I took the roll, R-O-L-L, please note I didn't say roll, R-O-L-E, of film to the drug store. I can get it back Thursday, which will cost me about $1, I imagine. Come to think of it, maybe I'd better just take $40 to the bank and keep $5 for shampoo, soap,
film, etc. I still think the best thing to do is buy a train ticket and then turn it in if I find a ride. But I quite frankly don't care for riding that distance with fellows I don't know. They too often make it one long drinking party and dirty joke or a dirty joke contest. Financially, it shouldn't
I shouldn't go home at all, but my poor mother would just about die. I think if I came back early, I'd come back the 29th or 30th and stay at the dorm until the night of New Year's Eve. Then I can get all my junk from home unpacked and washed and put away and recuperate from the trip. All my, my aching back. I haven't written mother for about a week. Poor mother.
I won't get much written with final week coming up either. well. How do you little boys rate a sofa? Your two little rooms are getting awfully homey. All you need is a putty cat and your life would be complete. Today I had better go better at work than yesterday. Johnny got the
cards the orders wrong a couple of times and I put the coffee grounds in the urn rather than the strainer oops bother what a job that was getting it all out again we have our Xmas party Thursday night and Quincy wants me to play for a play her a for her
Quincy wants you to do what? Quincy wants me to play for her pieces. I hate to even go to the party since I can get quite a bit done up here studying. It's 3.25 and almost time to wash up for work. I hope I have time for a sandwich before the supper crowd comes rolling in because I'm mighty hungry. Yesterday she had a pretty good day for a change.
We still serving turkey in some form or another. If it's all game, I'll have to make new menus, which, if it's all gone, I'll have to make new menus, which I hate to do. Sweetheart, if it's not too much trouble, check and see what hours the Dean of Women's is in her office on Tuesdays. She is undoubtedly there all day, but check for me anyway if you have time.
Tell Ozzy hi for me and you two little boys stay out of trouble. The time is almost here for me to get to work. So I'll leave you now as much as I hate to say goodbye. I'll be waiting for Friday to come so I can hug and kiss you again, sweetheart. I'll try to write again tomorrow. So goodly. So goodbye till next time. All my love always Joyce PS.
I love you very much and miss you lots. All my love and thoughts are with you, my darling.
