All is well at 547 Los Padres
August 27, 1966
Dearest Patricia:
In reading the latest issue of “The Platformer” which I presume you have received you will note on page 3 an “Important Notice” in a box that calls attention to a current requirement (that I have not previously noted) for an “Affiliation Fee” of $3.00 each annually. I have already sent the fee in for both you and me so you need note concerned with it. Such fees are standard in professional organizations with regional groups such as I.P.A. Western Division. They serve to pay for postage and secretarial services in keeping the national and regional offices informed on what is going on in each – also, possibly for their occasional minor expenses.
I have your accumulated “magazine mail” which apparently has not been taken care of by whomever is checking on your mail. At least, when I find magazines in your box in mid- afternoon or later, as I have on a couple of occasions, I have assumed that they are not being taken care of by you other helper. Why don’t you hereafter just let me take care of your mail as I have on occasion before? I would be pleased to do so and it will be no inconvenience to me at all. I really would like to perform such small services for you.
My book on the history of “Western Civilizations” was at the ranch as I suspected. I had loaned it to Lindy to help her with a course similar to the one in which you used the book. We found it in her bookcase a couple of nights ago.
Incidentally, I was in error in thinking that U.C. was going to fly its students all the way to Europe for the year at Gottingen Germany. They were flown only to New York. Then they were put aboard a small steamer – one that requires 9 days to cross the Atlantic. So Lindy arrives today Saturday and will take another day and a half to get to Gottingen by way of Paris where a stopover is included. The year in Germany will be [page 2] worth worlds to her.
Lindy will marry her tall fiancée, Mark Dawson, September 1, 1967 when she returns from Germany. The two have been pretty canny in making their plans. They have spent next to nothing on themselves (I think really they have cut down too much), but the result is they have saved & put $4000.00 in the bank so they will have at least that much to start on when she gets home. By then Mark will have his S.B. (?) and will seek some kind of employment.
I presume your plans for the coming week are unchanged. Mrs. Shepard at the sewing machine company will expect to help you get a acquainted with your machine so we can then bring it home. If you haven’t planned otherwise, could this be in the afternoon and could we have dinner afterward as we did a week ago? We wouldn’t need to be so leisurely & take the rest of the evening as we did before, though that would be as enjoyable as before. The whole thing is a matter of your choosing so that you can accomplish whatever you have planned for the two days. I’m just engaging in wishful thinking as the week of your absence has obviously been a whole week to me. I’ve been quite happy thinking of the good time you’ve been having with Vince and Leon but I’ll be glad to see you again. Hope Vince wasn’t too disturbed over the forest fire that burned to within a mile of Paradise!
Your plant is watered and healthy.
I met Franz Judas whom Reggie & Carol Molong(?) recommended as someone to take care of the termite problem at “Lobata(?) Lodge” (the “little house” in Menlo) and will get a detailed estimate of costs in a few days. It may cost much less than I thought – especially if he finds only subterranean termites – the only species that I know is in the house. We looked the house over together superficially. He’ll go over it in detail.
Well – two sheets of paper should be enough for now. There are more things to talk about & tell you – especially my marked improvement in general health & walking ability but they’ll wait till I see you.
Love as always – Carl.
Dr. Carl Duncan and Patricia Whiting Collection (SJSU)
