1969 Catherine's Letter -Aug.4

August 4, 1969

Dear Mother, Dad, Roberta, Serena, John, and Mary,

Hi!  Now, I don't want you all to think I am sick because you are getting a letter from me.  But I guess I have been rather negligent in keeping up my end of the correspondence.  I don't want all of you to get out of practice writing to me because I am going to want lots of mail while I am in Germany.

I got your letter today and I'm glad Serena liked camp so well Roberta and Grandma got along OK, and the rest of you had a nice trip.  And t think I was stuck in this place.  Ugh!

I doubt if you will miss much (except me, of course!) by not coming to the orientation.  It's just important that you remember that this is a completely new experience for me and I will be suffering from culture shock and all sorts of other dreaded diseases, I will be homesick for my bike and I will need lots of reassuring letters from you so I won't get overly depressed, give up, and come home.

I hope you have gotten a hold of Dr. Morand by now as I am about to go blind.  I have almost adjusted to wearing my glasses.  That is, I can wear them fine, but I can't see.  The whole world is out of focus.  No, I don't have the extra left one.  I used it when I dropped the one of the elvator at Fields and it got cracked before I found it.

My odometer isn't quite keeping pace with yours but it has now reached 596.  And the only thing I have done to it since I've had it here is fill the tires with air a couple times.

Saturday I went to Gerti's house for the day.  I helped her wash windows in the morning and then studied in the afternoon.  It was kind of nice getting away from here for awhile.  It was her father's birthday so I even got some of the birthday dinner.

I have to get to dinner or I won't get anything to eat.

I've been talking to some other kids about going (or meeting) in New York a day or two earlier than the ship leaves to spend some time there.  I'll try to keep you posted on developments.  Do you have any plans?  And will you be coming after me at the end of this quarter?  My last exam is Wednesday afternoon, September 10.

I have filled out the registration for next spring.  I'm taking somer really thrilling courses like Western Civ, US History I, and Religions of the Modern World.  I've got to get to PE now so I'll mail this on my way to the football field where we have archery.

Love,

Catherine

P.S. Is Priscilla Walker's birthday Aug. 18?