1970 Catherine's Letter -Dec.18

 

December 18, 1970

Dear Mom, Dad, Roberta, Serena, John and Mary,

Hi!  It was quite a surprise to get the card from you in the Bahamas.  I hope you had a good time and have been able to readjust to the Ohio country winter-type weather.

We moved out here last Thursday and started working "full time" (that is 8 to 4:30 with a half-hour lunch break) on Friday.  In the afternoons we both work on inventory -- checking the shelf list with the books on the shelves.  In the morning I work at the desk and fill up the spare corners of time (which I usually have trouble finding) by typing cards for all the missing books and looking in all the other assorted places the books could possibly be besides on the shelf.

It is really neat living out here -- I hope you all can come see sometime.  There is country and fields all around and it is nice to go out wandering.  Of course it is a little old-hat for Dick who has seen these same fields ever since . . . so I try to see it as he must -- places where he used to hunt and play around as a kid.  I think it is equally hard for him to see it as I do -- new territory to be explored.  Las week-end Bruce came down from Morris, Illinois to visit and we must have spent a total of six hours outside walking around in the snowy fields in about two hour stretches.  I seem to wake up earlier than most other people so I like to go out walking early in the morning too on the weekends but that is like impossible during the week -- I'm lucky to have time to eat some cereal before going to work!  Soon it will be getting light earlier in the morning though and then it might be more feasible.

I have done a little work on my SIP.  Before I start translating I want to type the whole thing up with about four spaces between lines so I can translate line for line. I'm about ⅓ way through the first play with the typing.

I was going to make some cookies to take to our friends for Christmas but the oven quit working so I made fudge instead.  I'm not sure how it turned since I'm no great fudge judge but it looks OK.  A little later this evening we're going over to the Johnson's.  Dr. Johnson is the vice-president of Upjohn and his son was Dick's best friend in those before college days.  I'm sure you've heard one of us mention them.

If you were wondering how my doctor's appointment turned out, it hasn't yet since it was rescheduled for this coming Tuesday.  Next week while I'm thinking about it is the week which contains the day on which I am planning to journey towards New Vienna, probably Thursday.  Wow, it is amazing how the structure of the sentence can be changed by goofing up a few words and not wanting to xxxxx them out and start over.  I was hoping to find a Santa Claus suit to come home in but I haven't been able to get ahold of one yet.

I could ramble on and on and on and off and on again about my general good feelings but I think I will leave off with an "I'll see you Thursday".  I'll let you know about the when and where and how when I know myself.

Love, Catherine

1980 Catherine's Letter -Feb.4

Monday, February 4, 1980

Dear Mother, Dad, and Mary,

Hi!  We are having a beautiful day today with the temperature around 60º and lots of sunshine.  Yesterday was similar with the high around 55.  Maybe spring is here - the ground hog didn't see his shadow anyway.

We had a short weekend since Gerry had to work on Saturday and I had a UMW executive meeting on Saturday morning.  Yesterday I was worship leader at church and Perry got the flu and wasn't able to be there so I had to do even more than usual.  Someone else gave the sermon and I did all the other stuff.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Smith Rocks which is about 4 miles east of Terrebonne and went hiking.  It is really beautiful there.  We hiked along the river (Crooked River - the same one that has such a big gorge that the highway crosses between Madras and Redmond) and the cliffs rise just a few feet away.  One section of cliff is called the Red Wall as all the rocks are a real deep red color.  It's a place we'll have to be sure and go to when you are here next.  Wendy hiked along pretty well.  We didn't have to carry her as much as I thought we might.  Nearby is a country store called Juniper Junction which is a combination Book Store and ice cream parlor.  We bought a book called "60 Hiking Trails in Central Oregon Cascades".  Hopefully we will have a chance to check a few of them out this summer.  That is one reason we would like to be out of these apartments by summer time so we could have more time to ourselves.

This evening I'm going out to collect money for the March of Dimes.  Patty, the dentist's wife who lives just down the street is going with me and we have the neighborhood adjoined this one so we won't have to go too far away from home.

Right now I am fixing some of Mother's famous vegetable soup for our supper.  I just put the meat and bones on to boil about ½ hour ago.

Wendy is talking more every day.  She says quite a few words that neither Gerry or I can figure out.  She keeps right on saying them so maybe we'll catch on sooner or later.  One of the sentences she came out with lat week when she went into a dark room was "It's dark on me."  She usually manages to make here feelings known one way or the other.

I need to get back out to the parking lot and do some more sweeping so I better close.  One of our tenants just told me that the Almanac says we are supposed to get two bad storms in February so I better work while the weather is good.

Love,

Catherine, Gerry & Wendy

walking the golf course

Not this very moment, but we just got back and while out this gentleman rode by with his cute dog, and I said "Max" and sure enough it was the Max that you have been helping Serena. He was quite surprised......too! Then we had another golf cart go by us and he had a big OHIO STATE flag, or rather a small one but it seemed big.......and sure enough he knew New Vienna! He used to go to Wilmington a lot on business. I am most curious to see your new camera Serena. In the meantime I am happy to see pictures of it. How do I scan a picture into my computer?

night. Might that make a statement? More later, I have to be up and going at 6 something Next topic, food.....we had an unusual dish tonight, started out to be beans and rice, then added the famous Costco chicken to it, then some left over vegetables, and what all and it turned out to be good. I am glad of that since we have plenty left over......um, Sid mentioned about eating out tomorrow. This opening up is getting to me. TGIF....almost!

Walk route for August 3rd

Catherine and I are back from the walk. I took a 3x5 card and wrote down the route so that I could put it on the Google Maps pedometer. The link is here. It really was much hotter leaving at the leisurely hour of 6:10 rather than 5ish, plus we were more out on main streets this time so less shade.

Joe Horton

We haven't left for walk yet as Catherine is working this afternoon only (tomorrow she works morning only - I think), so we'll taking a late morning. Although 7 a.m. is the latest we'll leave.





Anyway, added another link on the right side of the page and decided to post a picture of one of Joe's paintings that I particularly like.

If anyone else wants a link to something posted, let me know and I'll put it in the template. We could even include some subject links - like restaurants we've been to or want to go to or maps or . . .