Mrs Holshouser l s Still Learning RALEIGH (AP) - After just

seven weeks as North Caro-linas First Lady Pat Holshou-ser is adjusting to her hectic new lifestyle

Ive rather enjoyed it so far Mrs Holshouser said in a recent interview I dont know if my attitude is the best one but I just do my best and if thats not good enough then too bad

Her outlook has helped her get used to the full schedule of a governors wife Mrs Hols-houser described a typical day as busy and said some days she had appointments sched-uled back-to-back every half hour

Extra Time

The day of the interview in the libiary of the governors Mansion Mrs Holshouser com-mented on the unusual circum-stance of being able to spend some extra time with her 9-year-old daughter Ginny who reluctantly stayed home from school with a sore throat

I feel my first obligation is to my husband and daughter she said Then I want to do whatever I can do after that obligation has been taken care of Im still learning my role as First Lady

Mrs Holshouser clearly does not feel her role includes speak-ing out publicly on state issues She said she and her husband often discuss state concerns but in private she said

I like him to use me as a sounding board But I dont speak for him Hes quite quali-fied to speak for himself she said

llany Invitations

Mrs Holshouser said she gets many invitations to address groups and does so if they still want me when they find out I just give a chatty little talk

She said she likes to entertain in the mamsion and hopes to find time to participate in civic activities iBut she said a small dilemma has arisen with civic clubs

A large number of groups want the First Lady as an hon-orary member My practice in the middot past has been to be an ac-tive member or not at all said Mrs Holshouser

I want to be sure what Im getting into what my joining will involve so I ask them be-fore I accept she said adding she diQiilt want to spread her-self too thin

I would be interested in

PAT HOLSHOUSER enjoyed it so far

finding out from my prede-cessors how they handled it she said shaking her head

Otherwise she said life in the executive mansion h a s been pretty much what I ex-pected Im not too surprised so far

She has discovered that her new status has changed rela-tionships with old friends My closest friends f~l they can t call or come in They feel they might be iin my way or Ill be too busy I often dOllt find out they were in town until after theyve left she said

On the other hand she said smiling a lot of people I dont know at all are quicker to come by

North Carolinas new First

Lady is a slim 33-year-old bru-nette whose life has always centered around her family One of her regrets since mov-ing into the governors man-sion Jan 5 is having no time to sew because she is used to making most of her and her daughters clothes

Mention of the 82-year-old mansion brings a gleam to Mrs Holshousers eye She said she finds living there fascinat-ing and is always discovering 111ew things about it

The first night we spent in the mansion was the night after the inauguration We came here after the reception at the legislative building and the house was well lighted she said

We started trying to turn off the lights but some of the switches dont seem to work anything she said Finally we were so middotexhausted that we went to bed and left some of the lights on because we couldnt find how to turn them off

New 111ansion The question of whether the

state should ibuild a new execu-tive mansion or renovate the existing one is now before a legislative committee Both the governor and his wife indicated during the campaign they would like to see the state pre-serve the old mansion

Mrs Holshouser said that he felt she had said enough ahout the matter but added it is still our preference to keep this mansion

A lot of people across the state dont realize it is Qpen to the public at scheduled times 10 am to noon Tuesday through Friday This was the schedule when we moved in she said

Approximately 200 people vis-it the mansion each morning she said I havent had a chance to check with the house-keeper to see if shes had to turn away any groups who wanted a tour

Change Possible But I have been thinking it

should be open a couple of hours in the afternoon I may make that change soon said Mrs Holshouser

On the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the US Con-situation Mrs Holshouser said she didnt feel properly edu-cated to voice an absolute opin-ion about it

But she said that based on what he knows about the pro-posed amendment which bars discrimination on the basis of sex she has strong reserva-tions about it

She disagreed with opponents of the ERA however who say it will force women to leave their homes and support them-selves

I dont think it will make any difference in careers This is the career I have chosen to be a wife and mother she said proudly Women can choose careers like men We are full-fledged members of society just like everyone else

I dont feel confined or held back as a woman at all and dont really need an equal rights amendment for myself said the state s First Lady If others need it then they should have the right to discuss it