Six Postcards from Cindy/Cynthia

Preface

Cindy and I were best friends in middle school. We spent every morning and afternoon together because she lived outside the school district where her dad worked as a teacher. His school was across town so he dropped her at our house in the mornings and picked her up in the afternoons. We were really close -- but didn't always get along. By our sophomore year in high school she'd found a new crowd and we didn't see a lot of each other after that. She called me once out of the blue when we were in our late twenties and said she felt bad that she used to make me angry at lunch just to have other people laugh at me. She knew what buttons to push. I wish she had not told me that because I didn't know that is what she was doing and it ruined my memories of our friendship a little.

We live in the same state and have made a decision to make this year the year we finally get together again.

Florida: December 25, 1971

Hi Dona!! Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!!

I got your GREAT letter and was happy to hear from you!! I thought this card would warm you up!!! 

(2 hours later)

I just got done picking 6 bushels of grapefruit!! with my dad and grandma, and my mom carrying them, my dad and I were in the tree (sorry to disappoint you but grapefruits don't grow in bushes Dona), handing them down to my grandma!! Am having fun!! I have SOO much to tell you about Disney World, etc. That I MIGHT send a tape before I forget everything!! We also have slides too!! Till then say hi to Kevin and all. ☮

Love,

Cindy

P.S. You can read this to them

Notes

1. I was 15, Cindy was 14
2. I'd never been to Florida and it was not in my future. I wonder if I was jealous that Cindy went.
3. I don't remember thinking that grapefruit grew on trees or telling Cindy that's where I thought they grew

Texas: April 8, 1972

Hi! Sorry this is so late but have been so busy!!

We have gone swimming, sunning, sightseeing, buying, etc.!!

We all have good tans, and burns!! We have camped in a place with nothing but sand dunes and water!! That's the life!! We went to Mexico yesterday and splurged!! Scott a guitar, I got clothes, and mom got a beautiful knitted poncho!!

Quite a place!! Must do more sunning now so see ya soon, 

Cindy

Notes

1. I was 15, Cindy was 14
2. Her dad was a teacher, so this must have been spring break
3. I remember the days when skin cancer was not a thing we thought about

Texas: Eastertime 1973

¡Hola! 

¿Que pasa? Mucho aquí! No hablo mucho español todavía!

We have gone down to the beach a lot!! Walking and making sand castles and beachcombing. Don´t have much of a tan yet, Brett does, we are on an island, we took a Ferry boat over to here. We are going to [the] southern tip of Texas and Mexico tomorrow and stay there at a motel with a pool! till Saturday, then coming home. We stayed in motels all the way here and now we rented a mobile home for 3 days, about 2 blocks from the ocean! Sooo, so far been having fun. I hope you have a fun vacation. 

Happy Easter!

Su amiga,

Candida

Notes

1. I was 16, Cindy was 15
2. I don't remember the Jordans traveling so much. 
3. I don't know who Brett was
4. We took Spanish 101 together and her classroom name was Candida. Mine was Doña. (The next year I changed it to Sara)

Lubec, Maine: August 24, 1973

Hola Doña! ¿Como está usted?

I have written before letters and have not finished them for one reason or the other, so I figured that if I wrote a postcard I would finish it. I feel very guilty! Sorry! Thanks so much for your letters! I (we) enjoyed them. I will tell you all the best news! Brett has chicken pox. I have a cold. We are all very happy. I have met so many great people this summer that I hate to leave! This has been a special summer for me somehow! Nothing special, (in a way) has happened. I just feel happy. I have become a vegetarian. This time for good. Most of the people I have met are vegetarians. Hope your summer has been this great for you!! We have had two people here this summer. And now we have our very good friends who we haven't really seen in 9 years from Salt Lake City. We are really having fun! I promise to write soon. 

Love, Cynthia. 💮⛅💮⛅💮

PS I'm not getting an activity ticket
Say hi to your grandmother for me!

Notes

1. I had just turned 17, Cynthia was 15
2. I was spending the summer with my grandma after the death of my grandfather
3. I still do not remember Brett, but it seems he was Cynthia's boyfriend
4. I'd been invited to go to Lubec, where the Jordans spent every summer in their summer house but never went -- not even for Cynthia's wedding.

Lubec, Maine: August 8, 1974

Dear Sis!

How are things? Do you miss work yet? I'm so happy here that I don't ever want to budge! I've seen most of my friends already. Boy it was great to see everyone! We went on a picnic last night and are going on a bigger one tonight! The dentist said no cavities! The air is so clean, the sea is so clear! the sun is so bright and the moon is so full!!

Brett and I rode the minibike up to the lighthouse and Scott and Jeff rode the station wagon behind us yesterday. Scott and I taught Brett how to ride a bike today. He was having trouble till we told him to run over Jeff who was sitting where I am now, on the grass writing a letter. Brett started peddling and almost ran over Jeff and went to the edge of the grass toward the ocean!!

Jeff and Brett are beachcombing on our beach now and I think I'm gonna join them! 

Take it easy Dona and write soon, don't be like someone else I know!!

Love,

Cindy

Boy what a scattered collection of thoughts I've written.

Notes

1. I was 17, but almost 18, Cindy was 16
2. Now it seems that Brett is a child. I do remember Cindy talking about a friend's child -- maybe it was Brett? But who is Jeff?
3. Cindy had graduated from high school this year -- her parents were going on sabbatical to Spain and she wanted to go along.
4. This was the year of the British exchange. She didn't go to England, but hosted a student.
5. I'd only just gotten back from England.

Rabat, Morocco: March 23, 1975

Palm Sunday, 10:30 at hotel in Rabat, Morocco ★ capitol of Morocco -- Language is French

Dear Dona,

We took a ferry from Algeciras, Spain to Ceuta, N. Africa Friday morning we drove via Tetuán to Fez and spent the night there and then saw the medina (old market) the 4 parts of Fez, around to the 5 mosques in Fez where the Muslims pray 5 times a when the flag is flying. We saw this palace where the King Hassan stops when in town and we saw the tannery where the skins are dyed in huge clay vats with boys up their thighs in dye (phew!). We had couscous (vegetarian) with our friendly Moroccan guide. This is Morocco's famous wheat (like small rice) with vegetable sauce consisting mostly of carrots and turnips and maybe lamb and a hot sauce on top and kebobs eaten all with our hands (forming balls of couscous with one hand). We were very sanitary having our hands rinsed under hot water from a gold teapot into a gold bowl and then washed again with soap afte the meal.

Going to Casablanca tomorrow. We're now in Rabat, and we want to be in Málaga for the semana santa parades Thursday and Friday.

Thank you so much, Dona, for the book! You don't know how happy I was to open it!!

I will write again soon! My trip to England was so short and sweet. I am looking forward to traveling again maybe in May!

Miss you mucho sis! 

Love, 

Cindy

PS Hi from Morocco to everyone at school. Share this with a few, it's impossible to write to all. Hi, especially to family.

Notes

1. I don't remember receiving this postcard -- maybe because it was impossible to read or understand with out prior knowledge. 
2. I must have been somewhat important to her since she was writing to me and not some others