Sunday, May 4, 1947

May 4, 1947

1317 Shattuck

Berkeley, Calif

Dear Father, Mother and the rest of the folks at home,

I was very sorry to hear that your side was troubling you so mother. Perhaps you should go to the doctor and find out what’s wrong; even if it isn’t much you’ll know that it is that and not something to be concerned about. Anyway I hope it gets better quickly. As you mentioned in your last letter, Clarice is also probably having a difficult time keeping her household running. Will her knee get better with a little rest so that she can get along if she is careful or will it require more than that? I believe you mentioned something about an operation; it would be hard for her, & them, if that were the case.

Today has been a very nice day, as was also yesterday. Both were fairly cool but nice and sunshiny after being cloudy for awhile in the morning. Yesterday afternoon I got in my two hours of sitting in the sun in the park and this time it really looks like I was out in it a little. I thought when I left after 2 hours that I might have stayed out a little longer but I am glad now that I didn’t. May 1 was a record warm day here in San Francisco, both for all of the May 1’s on record and for this year. I didn’t mind it as much tho as the other warm spell. May 2 started out hot but cooled off suddenly about 10 or 11 and it has been cool since.

I didn’t get around to writing Thursday evening which makes it twice recently that I have missed the usual mid-week letter. I’ll endeavour to do better hereafter. Monday night I worked on the distillation problem; Tuesday I went to the class. As I expected I didn’t do very good in the test; however, a lot of other people didn’t either so I ended up slightly above the average. The longer I attend the less enthusiastic I get about the class. last Tuesday’s lecture was very dull and I almost went to sleep. This week three problems were assigned and altho I have spent considerable time on them they still aren’t complete, requiring at least two hours more work. Whether it’s me or the class I don’t know.

Last night, or rather Friday night, we had dinner at a place called the Ritz Cafe or something like that. This one was located very conveniently in downtown S.F. This makes the second in a row that was a very good place. I had a broiled salmon steak and it was really good; much better than the one I had at Fisherman’s Wharf. Afterward we went to see Blackstone the magician. I wasn’t very keen on going but the others wanted to so I went along. It was interesting enough but whether it was worth the price of admission or not I don’t know.

Yesterday morning I got my laundry and a suit from the cleaners, had breakfast and worked on the distillation assignment till noon, completing 2 of the problems. Then I went downtown, completed some errands, came back, went to the park, afterward read & practiced till suppertime. I went to bed early after the usual Saturday night bath since I was still sleepy from the night before, despite the fact that I didn’t get up till 7:30. Today I got up about seven and working on my scrapbooks till 9:30 when I got dressed and went down to breakfast & to church. This afternoon, till Fred Allen came on, I spent again on the distillation assignment, get about 2/3+ of the way thru the last problem. Fred Allen wasn’t very good this afternoon. I went downtown for a little supper, came back and practice for awhile but didn;t feel in the mood for it so stopped pretty soon. After I get this finished I guess I’ll go to bed & listen to the Ford Sunday Evening Hour or whatever program it is that has the music on it and comes on about 8:30.

As I wrote to you awhile ago I was very undecided what to do about my church membership. Well, this morning I thought I might as well transfer it here even if the church didn’t seem too desirable. However, by the time the service was over I was certainly not in the mood again, so I didn’t do anything about it. I don’t know what’s wrong but practically all the time recently I feel when I come out of church that I have been gypped. I get up in the morning feeling nice and peaceful and after breakfast take a nice little walk to church and see the nice day and the cute flowers in people’s yards, all the time feeling like I’m glad it’s Sunday & I am going to church. Then, boom!. as soon as I get in there and the service stats I feel like a big wet blanket has been thrown over my nice happy state of mind and I wish I were anyplace but there. This is the case for almost any church service, not only the one I usually go to, so your suggestion about visiting some others isn’t too useful. Anyway, it leaves the whole situation up in the air.

Roughly the possible alternatives are, as far as I came make out: a) I can leave my membership indefinitely in San Pedro. This I refuse to do absolutely. b) Transfer it to come church here. This also I refuse absolutely to do. My experience so far with any of them and an examination of the rest of them convinces me that I certainly do not desire to be affiliated with them. c) Transfer it back to Gowrie. This is acceptable to me, since altho I have no illusions about Pastor Walfrid, nevertheless it is at a safe enough distance so that it can’t make me unhappy. If you have any other suggestions to offer I would be glad to hear them.

Since I have come to S.F., I have in general been happier, than I have been at almost any previous time in my life, except perhaps when I was going to Jr. College at Ft. Dodge. There have been times when I haven’t liked it so well like the time I got all wet walking home from the distillation class but mostly I have liked it. I like the work I am doing, the place I stay, and the things I do. I am most certainly not going to allow any generally unsatisfactory church affiliation like I had in San Pedro mar the possibility of such a state of mind & being continuing. Perhaps I am wrong but that is certainly the way I feel.

With love

C.P.