Tuesday afternoon
December 5, 1978
Dear Mom, Dad, and Mary Virginia,Hi! We got your last week's letter on Thursday so appreciate the fast service. Thanks for the clippings. We'll be interested in seeing the Portland airport now. I thought you might be interested in the budget for the church here which came in this month's Messenger. There are quite a few things going on at the church this week, or rather this month, so we are keeping busy. This past Sunday after the sermon they had a lady play sort of a Christmas medley on the piano while several other people hung Christmas decorations around the church. They also have a special table with the advent candles on it which is suspended from the ceiling in the front of the church and looks very impressive. It can be lowered or raised by means of a pulley off to the side. The idea was that we (the whole congregation) could take part in the decorating of the church. This coming Sunday at 8:30 they are going to have a breakfast with Santa – the whole church is invited, not just little kids and parents – we thought we would take Wendy. Last Sunday she sat fine through the service and then we let her walk around and explore while the music and decoration part was going on. She gets a real thrill out of walking now and thinks that makes her a regular little person. She certainly entertained the people who were sitting around us.
We got the brakes on the truck fixed as they hadn't been grabbing as well as they should. Gerry was afraid it was going to cost around $150 but he got the service manager at work to do it for him and it only ended up costing us $28. So now we feel like we have a little additional money to spend on Christmas. Most of the things we are getting for DeeDee and Wendy are coming through either Sears or Montgomery Wards. We had thought of going into a shopping center in Portland but we can't get excited about going that far and then having to fight the crowds. We want to get DeeDee a couple of records and there is a small record and tape store here in town (in the basement of the drug store) but I haven't checked it out yet. They don't have an elevator and I usually have the stroller with me. I wish there was a book store here. The grocery store sells adult type paperbacks and the Ben Franklin has a few of the cheap variety of children's books but not much variety.
How do you Ohioans feel about losing Pete Rose to Philadelphia? And Sparky Anderson has been replaced by McNamara who used to be manager in San Diego when we first moved there. Things are changing for the Reds, that is for sure.
Wendy's understanding of words is increasing rapidly. She tries to say them after me sometimes but they aren't too clear yet. She knows what I'm talking about though if I say ball, ballon, truck, spoon, etc. She thinks it is a big deal to stand up on a chair at the counter and help me fix dinner or lunch. And she loves to scribble. I try to limit that to when she is in her high chair or on my lap though so she won't have the whole house marked up with her artistic endeavors. We are anxious to see her and DeeDee together since Wendy has really changed in the four months since we last saw DeeDee. Plus DeeDee will be able to be here for Gerry's birthday also.
We are going to get a Christmas tree this weekend from a National Forest near Sisters. We are going with some other people from the Co-op. I think we have to pay $2.00 or so for a permit to chop down a tree. That is better than last year when we paid $16 at a tree farm to chop down our own tree. I think we will wait until DeeDee gets here to decorate it though.
John wrote us a letter last week and says that he will probably be here but he is not sure when or by what means he will arrive. I wrote him a letter back to Lake Worth, which I mailed on Sunday, so hope he gets it before he leaves. If not, told him that anytime is fine with us. And we have room for both him and his friend.
Well, I want to get this out in the mail todays so I better close.
I did want to mention though that I mailed you a package yesterday, Mother. I hope it gets there in time for your birthday. We wish you a happy one and we will be thinking about you. Eat a piece of cake and ice cream for us.
Love,
Catherine, Gerry
& Wendy
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