Tuesday, March 13, 2012

First Day of Job Hunting...

The story of my summer in Estes Park continues..
I concluded my last "chapter" with these words:
But a new day meant that job search must begin.  Somehow we got dressed and headed back toward town with plans to find a job.  


Our hopes were high...
Our hopes were high.  We were eager to get started as we felt sure there would be a job somewhere in that bustling tourist town.

One of the first things we wanted to do that day, however, was to find the Post Office.  We had not yet any way to inform our parents of our progress so far.  We had not made any calls to them since we left home about a week earlier. 

Mom had told us that she would write to us and send the letter to:  
  • Linda & Kathy Groves
  • General Delivery  Estes Park, CO

    We were very anxious to find the Post Office to see if there was a letter waiting for us there.  We would also explore the possibility of renting a Post Office Box so that we would have an address for those who would write us during the summer.

    Note:  I have just taken a break from writing in order to check a box with files I've had in storage for years.  The files contain the letters I wrote home to my parents since the time I left home and started college.  I have never reread these letters though I searched one time to find some information I was needing.

    I decided to see if there were my letters home from Estes Park and I am delighted to say that they are in the file and 
    I wrote often and in lengthy detail. 

    At some point I will share quotes from these letters but right now it is late and I will conclude with a few items which clarify things I've already shared.

    My memory has been very accurate for the most part.  My letters state that my sister and I paid  $.50 / night to stay in the bunkhouse.  Mom Manford was 90 years old and very spry.

    We began our job search immediately going in and out of businesses with everyone saying the same thing:  
    "We  have all the employees we need right now"
    Some people suggested we return in a few days or told us of another establishment that might need a worker.

    I do not know when we received our first letter from home.  I saved those letters also but I have not gotten those located yet.  Mom was very faithful - in writing and in praying.

    I will continue this story but I'm not sure how much more I will write this week.  I am leaving for Europe very early Saturday morning so there are things I'm working on this week to be ready for that trip.  I will be traveling with one of my sons, his wife and their 20 month old son as they do a concert tour in Europe.

    I hope to be able to blog about our tour.  The Estes Park stories may wait until later.  I'll return to the states on April 17th.

    Please leave a comment if you are reading these blogs.  It is fun to know if there's an interest in keeping this story going.

1 comment:

Marge B. said...

Yes, yes....'keep this story going'!! I, too, have much to attend to this morning, as Bob & I are headed down to St.Louis today to spend several days with our boys. But reading your story about the summer of 1964, is captivating! I would have been 13 years old that summer and caught up with 'life on the farm'...unaware of all you were facing in this new adventure. I don't know if you ever heard from me in letters that summer, but now I wish I would have written often. I'm sure a letter from home would have made your day.

I'm sure you must have been sensing God's presence, amidst all your uncertainies. But looking back on that summer, I'm sure you sense even more how God was with you & provided for your needs. I'm grateful He gave you a trusting heart of confidence in Him...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your way acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5,6) That's what He did for you! And He's this same trustworthy God today.

Looking forward to more of the summer of '64 when you've returned from Europe.

Love,
Marge