DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1975-1982 | 1982-06-08 May Tangen to John and Joetta Stanley Page 1

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May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1975-1982

1982-06-08 May Tangen to John and Joetta Stanley Page 1

East Friendship Haven
Blessed Thursday in my favorite month
That was May 6 and now is June 7!

Dear Jo, John, and Youngens!
   Thursday is blessed because then I have no commitments until 3:00 and that is Eve Scheideman's Reading Hour. 
   But right now I'm evicting myself from my room while SHE cleans it, glad not to have to watch her, because she owns the place and me too, and I disapprove of her and she, I'm sure, disapproves of me. 
   So I'm here in the library three doors down the hall, glad of a chance to sit here awhile. It's not for long, as she comes here next and I'll be in her way. I'm writing this in long had to type for an answer to you all that I've neglected through Christmas and the new year (so old now that it's not capitalized any more). But I have taken time to check in a book and shelved it. On the desk too were two books which had no pockets and so no card. This means that they have been out since early 1981 when we took inventory and made cards for every book. Before that folks took out books and we never knew who had them. Lost some and perhaps still do, as they can take books with cards and pockets as easily as they can unmarked books. This room cannot be closed as its only a sunparlor and has no doors. Bad business? No. It's our home, so it's okay. Lost books give us no monetary loss, as they are all given to the library so as to relieve their owner. 
   Another job I took time to do before I began writing was to take back to 2nd Floor Sunparlor a record of Jimmy Dean -- because it wasn't J D but Norman Luboff's Choir (which was better anyway) in Jimmy Dean's cover. I thought I'd better set it right while I remembered. I've been having a gala time playing my own whole store of records, when all of Ruth Goodrich's, and now have started the 2nd floor collection (records left by residents, supposedly not wanted any longer). They are mostly hymns. This morning I heard a Lawrence Welk record and yesterday Billy Graham's group while dressing. That is, I was dressing, not B.G.'s group.
   I can go back to my room now, as SHE'S gone on her break. But before I leave here I must lay out again where people can find it, the book of wild flowers. People are always trying to identify. There are many wildflowers out now. Pictures of dog tooth violets are scarce and we haven't found a white one like the one Mae M picked somewhere and brought here to identify. D.t. violets are found under trout lily, but we haven't found whether they are white.
   11 a.m. Back in my room, back to normal, which is also sleepy and hungry. I ate a rye crisp and drank water to hold me till dinner at 12. The sleepiness I'm not giving into now, as on blessed Thursdays I have afternoon hours for a good nap before Mrs. Scheideman comes. Hurrah! 
   Tonight we play Spite and Malice at Ann's place. Our games are always a welcome break - just once a week, except that I go to the Health Center and play with Minnie Watts Friday afternoons. So happy she can enjoy it again, as in December all she could do was to lie in bed, her arms and legs trembling. Wonderful she's regained her steadiness! She plays very well at 90. It just depends on luck -- plus spite and malice of your opponent who keeps you from scoring if she can. I beat two of three games last Friday, she won both games the time before. 
   Looking forward to next week, as I called my sister Minnie and Invited myself to come and spend a couple days with her next weekend. It's halfway between my birthday and hers and is a good time to visit. I'm taking my anagrams game along to play with her, as she is confused by Spite and Malice, and our rounds of Kings in the Corner can get monotonous. 
  Spring is progressing beautifully on our cmapus. Even my wretched strip has little ground phlox blooming. I hope to add to them and get some pink and while sweet alyssum and purple violas to keep them company.

Love to you! 
May

Saving...

East Friendship Haven Blessed Thursday in my favorite month That was May 6 and now is June 7! Dear Jo, John, and Youngens! Thursday is blessed because then I have no commitments until 3:00 and that is Eve Scheideman's Reading Hour. But right now I'm evicting myself from my room while SHE cleans it, glad not to have to watch her, because she owns the place and me too, and I disapprove of her and she, I'm sure, disapproves of me. So I'm here in the library three doors down the hall, glad of a chance to sit here awhile. It's not for long, as she comes here next and I'll be in her way. I'm writing this in long had to type for an answer to you all that I've neglected through Christmas and the new year (so old now that it's not capitalized any more). But I have taken time to check in a book and shelved it. On the desk too were two books which had no pockets and so no card. This means that they have been out since early 1981 when we took inventory and made cards for every book. Before that folks took out books and we never knew who had them. Lost some and perhaps still do, as they can take books with cards and pockets as easily as they can unmarked books. This room cannot be closed as its only a sunparlor and has no doors. Bad business? No. It's our home, so it's okay. Lost books give us no monetary loss, as they are all given to the library so as to relieve their owner. Another job I took time to do before I began writing was to take back to 2nd Floor Sunparlor a record of Jimmy Dean -- because it wasn't J D but Norman Luboff's Choir (which was better anyway) in Jimmy Dean's cover. I thought I'd better set it right while I remembered. I've been having a gala time playing my own whole store of records, when all of Ruth Goodrich's, and now have started the 2nd floor collection (records left by residents, supposedly not wanted any longer). They are mostly hymns. This morning I heard a Lawrence Welk record and yesterday Billy Graham's group while dressing. That is, I was dressing, not B.G.'s group. I can go back to my room now, as SHE'S gone on her break. But before I leave here I must lay out again where people can find it, the book of wild flowers. People are always trying to identify. There are many wildflowers out now. Pictures of dog tooth violets are scarce and we haven't found a white one like the one Mae M picked somewhere and brought here to identify. D.t. violets are found under trout lily, but we haven't found whether they are white. 11 a.m. Back in my room, back to normal, which is also sleepy and hungry. I ate a rye crisp and drank water to hold me till dinner at 12. The sleepiness I'm not giving into now, as on blessed Thursdays I have afternoon hours for a good nap before Mrs. Scheideman comes. Hurrah! Tonight we play Spite and Malice at Ann's place. Our games are always a welcome break - just once a week, except that I go to the Health Center and play with Minnie Watts Friday afternoons. So happy she can enjoy it again, as in December all she could do was to lie in bed, her arms and legs trembling. Wonderful she's regained her steadiness! She plays very well at 90. It just depends on luck -- plus spite and malice of your opponent who keeps you from scoring if she can. I beat two of three games last Friday, she won both games the time before. Looking forward to next week, as I called my sister Minnie and Invited myself to come and spend a couple days with her next weekend. It's halfway between my birthday and hers and is a good time to visit. I'm taking my anagrams game along to play with her, as she is confused by Spite and Malice, and our rounds of Kings in the Corner can get monotonous. Spring is progressing beautifully on our cmapus. Even my wretched strip has little ground phlox blooming. I hope to add to them and get some pink and while sweet alyssum and purple violas to keep them company. Love to you! May