Friday Morning
7:30 A.M.
[9/28/79]
Dear Family,This last week has sure been a busy one . . . it's almost hard to believe that its Friday already, tho I sure don't mind the weekend coming up.
Did the first of my visits yesterday for the activities class. Went to the Scottsdale Senior Center which is right downtown . . . the old part of Scottsdale, near the Civic Center. It is really something. So different than the Senior Center here in Mesa . . . which is more like a Day Care center . . . for those who might other wise be in a nursing home.
Anyway Scottsdale Center was full of people, it is housed in three new buildings. In one area there was a dance going on, some 100 people there. In another room a bridge group, also another card game going on in another area. Most of the people were just socializing in a large room. They -- in general -- looked like a very healthy bunch. Most of the people there -- or that go there -- are from Scottsdale, but no rule that you must be, you can be a citizen of Tempe, Mesa, wherever. She (the director) who showed me around was very good, took alot of time etc. She said that once the winter visitors get there it is really a busy place. Under one roof they have all sort of services for the seniors. Like Doctor's Clinic, Personnel 60+, Money Management, etc. . . .
There were alot of Cadillacs and other big gas eaters in the parking lot, as a whole these people in Scottsdale are sure not poor people, maybe affected by inflation like the rest of us . . . . I went to Scottsdale on the bike and it made quite a hit with four older people who were getting out of their cars in the parking lot. One man wanted to drive it, and I was just as glad when his wife wouldn't let him.
After visiting the center, I looked at the map (which I had with me) and decided I would take the time to go over and see Dr. Matthews. When I got there he and a Mr. Tripplet were fixing their closets. It was a matter of having too many clothes on one rod and the thing that hold up the rod broke. This Mr. Triplet, sure knew both Grandma and Addy. He said how he used to live in New Vienna, across the street from Grandma, and how Grandma would always take his mother with her to Athens when Grandma went to visit Aunt Mary in School. Guess his mothers sister or aunt or something lived in Athens. . . . Dr. Matthews seemed to appreciate my coming by. I asked him about his trip to Ohio, and he said he just wasn't sure if he would go, hated to hurt his pride and have to use a wheelchair in the airports. Yesterday he seemed to have trouble just talking. Had to keep spraying some stuff in his mouth. Thelma and Mrs. Tripplet were out shopping when I was there. The Tripplets were driving are just here for about five days. Had a trip through the Northwest getting here.
Time for me to run . . . will add more later.
Saturday Morning . . . thanks for your long letter yesterday. I also had a nice letter form Carol earlier in the week. Need to drop them a note, at this point I'll just send it in a birthday card for John.
Seems I sure have the school work to do. For one class I need to make up an agency, give it a name, and then what is called the four P's. Philosophy, Principles, Policies, and Procedures. For the same class we are in groups of four, and we have to put on an "inservice" type deal for people working with older people. You could pick your age group, as to the group you signed up with.
Next Friday I'll have my first two tests. And for both of them (these are the classes I have the same prof. for) he has given us a test question which will be half of the grade. Both of the questions are about urban planning . . . as far as parks and recreation go . . . which is HIS big interest.
I was sure sorry to hear about Miss Wendy's fall. I lost their address, more details about that later. But did get a card sent off to her late as to her birthday. Just last year Aunt Mary, Grandma, and I were there . . . along with Mother to help with the celebrations. Sure glad that Catherine and Miss Wendy made it to the wedding, the chances of me getting there for Thanksgiving are slim. Do yo think Miss Wendy will make a good doctor??????
Now, as far as Christmas goes, I will be out of classes from about the 19th of December to the 17th of January. That's a nice vacation, huh???? I checked a couple of weeks ago as far as getting one of these super saver flights. They were all gone, I could fly at night, and it would still be close to $300 . . . big bucks.
What I feel like would be good for me is to get some experience here as -- to get 400 hours of volunteer (which can be paid or volunteer) work before they do their internship. I have been excused from all this, but keep hearing . . . especially in my special topics class how the experience is just as important as the class grades. Oh, in that class we have to make up a Resume for ourselves. Oh, something else that I haven't mentioned is that Scottsdale has a neat program that they call Vista Nueva (which you would learn if you were in Spanish . . . to mean New Horizons. It is a program for the isolated and institutionalized FRAIL adults. (frail is a big word used alot) This place has an office at the Scottsdale Center where I visited, and they bring the people there twice a week for activities . . . crafts, movies, etc. I talked to the woman in charge, and she asked me if I would be interested in doing some volunteer work with them. Which would be good experience, tho I would rather have something closer to here. I feel sure that it would be no problem to get volunteer work here in Mesa. Paid employment, esp. for such a short time would be hard to get, I'm sure.
What I might do is try to get a supersaver for like the week before the 17th of January. Or do you think that you people will be coming out. If I wait until June to come and visit, the weather might be more to my liking.
Can't seem to get the [typewriter] keys in order today. Seems maybe I need to get a word processor machine. Sure have been using the typewriter for school. Tho, when I type for school, I give up some of my speed for accuracy. Dad, are you getting the word processor typewriter??? Is Phyllis on the computer yet???
What type of work is Serena doing in Chicago now?? Same thing. She must like the area, if she plans to stay. That would be far too cold for me. Did Dad take her and how much stuff back to Chicago??
Have you all been back to the square dancing? Remember the visiting school lady (now retired) the one that always wears her hair pulled up on her head, that asked me about what I thought about O. Harner square dancing, and what my father thought about it. You should have asked her to go. HA!!!
Marion is busy making wreaths. Plans to sell them, both here and in Denver. Tho I am not sure at all as to how to get them to Denver. A wealthy church in Denver has an annual one day bazaar . . . last weekend in October. She plans to go to Denver that weekend. Will make a long weekend of it, by taking two personal leave days. She is so much pleased with the situation at her school this year. All three administrators are new, and very strict. The smoking area is no-more which pleases her VERY MUCH. Also order in the halls, etc. As to the wreaths, she is now on the third one.
Can collecting is sure doing good. We have some $40 extra in the gas money jar. We have been averaging about $20-$25 a week, tho I (in fact we) are both cutting down in our collecting. I still walk around school with a bag always, but finding myself needing more time for studying, etc.
Fred is still not very good. He . . .YOUR TELEPHONE CALL JUST RECEIVED . . . THANKS . . . .
Oh, the last week and a half have not been very good as far as losing things. First off, one day at school after walking to the bike from the library realized that my small, zippered compartment on my backpack was unzippered, lost my favorite pen, also a hot liner, which is much like a flair, except you use it instead of underlying. That night, I went to look for my address book . . . which I keep there in the small zippered compartment, and it too was gone. Luckily enough I had been using my new red one more and more and alot of addresses already copied in it. Checked the lost and found at school but no one had turned it in. Then a few days later I was studying on the couch and the back of my ear-ring fell off . .. . I had just been emptying trash so went there to look but no luck We really went over the area here, but also no show. So now I am wearing my old brown small round ones.
Then on Wednesday at school I was on my way to class and bent down to put something in the trash can, and the chain on my cross necklace caught, popped the chain, and I quickly fished around . . . found the chain, but not the cross. Rushed off to class, after two classes came back and the trash can had been emptied. So . . . . It was the necklace that the Wigets had given me the year we went to Africa. Still feels funny not having it on.
Then on Wednesday at the beginning of my last class the prof said he needed to see me after class. I went up afterwards and was told that my file folder (which I have never seen or touched) has been lost . . . or rather could not be found and that I needed to check it out. This would include all my transcripts, test scores, etc. . . all the stuff I needed to get together to admitted, it wasn't there . . . where it should be. So they gave me a list of places to go . . . new admissions, graduate school, College of Liberal Arts, etc. NOW, WHY SHOULD IT BE MY JOB TO LOCATE THIS . . . THAT I NEVER HAD. The Graduate School had a record of it being together and sent to the Rec. Dept. as of last April. So yesterday I went back to the Rec. Dept., and the secretary said that perhaps my advisor had it. Of course he was out, so I have to check it back out on Monday. I STILL CAN'T SEE HOW IT IS MY JOB TO LOCATE WHAT I NEVER LOST!!!!!
Better get going. Thanks again for calling, for the letter, and the enclosures. Good articles . . . and otherwise . . . .
Love,
Roberta
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