DREAMS, GOALS, ETC.

He compensated for the frugality of his daily life:  listening to his radio gave him all the food he needed.  --Ramon Gomez De La Serna, from his short story KILL THE MORSE! 
Paloma wrote on a unique ATHENA postcard and included a few photos that I loved.  Jonathan is growing-up so fast.   While reading her letter I listened to music.  I can’t let go of my 80s groove.  CRASH by The Primitives is playing now.  Dear Michael,  Thank you for the jeans.  We finally got them, they arrived on October 26th and you sent them in September 5th, so it took almost 2-months like the last time.  That’s really worth waiting for.  They are so cheap in the States, I don’t understand why they are so expensive here.  Thanks again.  That’s really nice of you to bother sending them to me.  I really appreciate.   
I think that if we get along so well it’s probably because some where we are very similar, aren’t we?  We pretty much like the same things and feel the same way.  It’s really too bad we are now so far away but I’m really happy we are still friends after all of these years.  I would really miss writing to you. 
DId I tell you that my Aunt (my dad’s sister) died about 10 days ago?  She is the one who used to live in Cuernavaca (Mexico).  I’m very sad about that but we were expecting it.  She had been in the hospital for a year.  Now she’s somewhere better.  I’d rather die than stay all day long in a bed, suffering and knowing that it’s just going to get worse every day. 
Well, this card is just to let you know that I got the jeans.  
I took Jonathan to the movies to see BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (La Belle Et La Bete). That was great, we loved it.    Miss you- Love you-, Paloma 
Barbara Reynolds wrote again, also, using a artists’ image of a parrot from Santa Fe, NM.   The artist is Zefi McGrath who has traveled extensively in Europe and Africa and now makes her home in Santa Fe.  
8 Nov 93 Dear Michael, A day off today—I would like to take your path and retire from here.  Looking at the ocean, sitting in the garden on the hill above the BIG SUR INN...a couple of nights away from Berkeley.  My room has a book called DREAM TRAINS by Charlotte Vale Allen.  It’s about a woman photographer.  The part I am reading now she is in London, so I thought, yes, it is time to get a message off to Michael. Yesterday, I was visiting the Henry Miller Memorial Library and saw a new book (can’t remember the name) but I guess it is for children to teach them about writing in journals...their dreams, goals, etc. 
So, today my exercise will be walking as it is more and more needed lately.  I really LOVE walking.  Yesterday, I was at PFEIFFER BEACH and it was windy with the tide coming in.  I enjoyed climbing about all of the rocks.  Now I see a sailboat moving slowly up the coast.  I just had a delicious breakfast.  Food time...guess you survived all of the fires.  I know that’s why I hesitated writing some thoughts and feelings do overwhelm me.    
But CHANGE...now that is a word I wish I could remember more often.  Alas, time is time and we go along making those choices.  This house hunting experience has made me so aware of choice.  Yes, I’m still on the hunt...and still hopeful.  I do need to use my journal to help create that perfect place for me.  Yes, I’ll do it now that I’ve finished this note to you and dropped it here at this post-office.   What are your flight dates?  Sorry for the messy scribbling (too much coffee).  I am seeing lots of paintings here.  Would like to see yours. Love,  Barbara Reynolds  
Mom arrived today (November 8th).   We have fun plans.  Alan is leaving for Boston for a few days, so I’ll have some fun alone time with mom.  We will see the REMAINS OF THE DAY movie tonight.  I want to take her to see CARLITO’s WAY and THE PIANO before she departs back to Alameda on November 14th.  I’m sure it will be easy to squeeze the films in to our itinerary.  She’s open.  She may do a little Christmas shopping for the girls—but that’s it.  I know she misses dad a lot.  She doesn’t say it much but I can tell.  I miss him, too.  It’s been since August 1987 but it’s still so hard to believe. 
Only when I knew I would never see him again did I realize how well he had known me and how much he loved me. --Jerzy Kosinski, THE PAINTED BIRD