“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

I felt a small sense of shock. My eyes leapt to Rob’s — I could see he felt the same way. Then Peg told us that Wednesday evening, though earlier than (Rob’s and my) discussion, she’d asked someone to check the signature, and saw that they were indeed Rob’s.

Around 1:00 P.M., as Rob and I finished lunch in the kitchen and waited for the mailman, a fan turned up. A young lad who usually showed up once a year. He was the one I described in The God of Jane who felt himself to be a woman trapped in a man’s body. He has some suicidal tendencies, and I’ve worried about that. But here he was, all grins this time … alive and several pounds more substantial.

Rob had to go to the bank, so he excused himself and left just after the mailman arrived. I read the mail over. This year’s cool August air blew through the house, and I tightened my sweater. One letter in particular caught my eyes because it was from an old friend, Ed, the man who had introduced Rob and I to begin with; a man who we had lost touch with until two years ago when he’d suddenly written from Alaska.

Larry was telling me that he had a new job, running the cash register at a convenient grocery store, and I nodded but the (shivery) feeling persisted till the next moment when I checked my predictions.

Some now made perfect sense. I circled numbers 1, 5 and 8 (see prediction listing) which read: “Snow ball machine, snowshoes, detective.” Surely they all applied to Ed’s letter in which he mentioned his Alaskan ski trip, and friends he had when he and Rob did the detective comic strip.

My eyes scanned the list. Could 3 and 7 — egg carton and milk man — apply to Larry’s grocery store job? These I just marked evocative. Then I thought of another connection with “milk man” — our young fan, Larry, once would only drink milk, he was on a natural food diet — or had been. In fact, I had offered him milk as I went over my predictions … I suddenly remembered something else. That morning before beginning work, I sat at my desk unaccountably thinking about the way Rob and I had met. I had the impulse, for no particular reason, to write about the meeting today instead of writing on this book (The Magical Approach) and spent a good ten minutes thinking about the entire affair. In memory’s quick vivid images I saw the very first meeting:

*Anyhow — after 20 years we heard from him in 1978 — from Alaska — skiing from Alaska Back Country — he mentions Alaska skiing today. When we knew Ed Robinson — over 20 years ago — he was doing Mike Hammer comic strip for Micky Spillane. Rob joined him and that’s what he was doing when I met him (Rob).

3, 7: Just note. Evocative but not definite enough. A fan (Larry), here from Pennsylvania, says he has a new 2nd job — in grocery chain convenient market (that sells basics — nothing fancy; eggs, milk, beer, etc.). Larry drinks only milk (at one time).

2. Note: Monday, August 24. “Floyd” said he’d be here this afternoon. After not appearing on job for days. About 12:30 he calls, can’t make it — again — supposedly will come tomorrow.

And, in a way it was. The stove we bought this week was delivered. One of the delivery men from Sears recognized Rob and I at once as a couple he had known briefly in the sixties, when we often visited with the Maples (old friends who — again — we haven’t heard from in 20 years) who he had lived downstairs from.

*6 Not bad. The man who delivered our new stove from Sears turns out (today) to know us from 20 years ago. He says he lived downstairs from our old friends, Atalie and Lydia Maple who moved away in the mid-1960’s.

*6 Another old friend visits August 27th, Thursday. He shows slides of a trip. Mentions they all chimed in to sing Auld Lang Syne! (New Year’s last.)

“… One morning last weekend (Saturday) Ruburt [Jane] found himself suddenly and vividly thinking about some married friends. They lived out of town, separated in time by a drive of approximately (half an hour). Ruburt found himself wishing that the friends lived closer, and he was suddenly filled with a desire to see them. He imagined the couple at the house, and surprised himself by thinking that he might indeed call them later in the day and invite them down for the evening, even though she and Joseph [Rob] had both decided against guests that weekend.

Furthermore, Ruburt did not like the idea of making an invitation on such short notice. Then he became aware that those particular thoughts were intrusive, completely out of context with his immediately previous ones, for only a moment or so earlier he had been congratulating himself precisely because he had made no plans for the day or evening at all … about fifteen minutes later he found the same ideas returning, this time more insistently.

They lasted perhaps five minutes. Ruburt noticed them and forgot them once again. This time, however, he decided not to call his friends, and he went about his business. In about a half hour the same mental activity returned, and finding himself struck by this, he mentioned the episode to Joseph and again cast it from his mind.

… It would be simple enough, of course, to ascribe Ruburt’s thoughts and feelings to mere coincidence. He remembered the vividness of his feelings at the time, however. It looked as if Peter and Polly were indeed going to arrive almost as if Ruburt had in fact called and invited them. That evening the visit did take place. Actually, some work had prevented the couple from leaving when they intended. Instead, they called later from their home to say that they were just beginning their trip, and would stop on their way.