August 4, 1980
Dear John and Carol,
Hi! How are you two doing? sorry, I have been so slow in answering your last letter. We have been keeping pretty busy this summer, it seems like there is always something to be done around the house when I do have some spare time. DeeDee has been here since about the middle of June also. She will be leaving the 16th while Mom & Dad are here. We are going to meet them in Portland that day and spend the night at Motel 6.
So what is the news on your house buying plans? It seems like I recall that you had found one to buy. Is it final yet? Have you signed the papers? When will you move? Are you getting it on a contract or financing it through the bank? At least you have an in with the bank!
We sure like our house. We are beginning to get it decorated a little which gives it more of the feeling of being ours instead of just an apartment. Gerry put up a clothesline for me which is something I've always wanted. The yard is pretty small but it is fenced on 3 sides and we have quite a bit of privacy. And it sits up and back from the street which gives us more privacy inside too. Plus the fact there are no houses on the other side of the street. Some of our roof slopes to the south which will be a plus for putting in a solar hot water system. That will probably be a few years off but we are thinking about it fairly seriously. The sun shines here an average of 300 days/year which is a real good average! Do you now much about solar heating systems? The Oregon Dept. of Energy sent me quite a bit of information and I'm on their mailing list now so that should help us keep up to date. Last week I saw an 800 phone number for the Solar Energy number in Washington, D.C. so I might be able to get some more info from them.
My job is going OK although I was disappointed I didn't get a raise I had more or less been promised. I got promoted to a job which the previous person (a man) had been making $1000/month. I was hired at $600/month and now with my raise I will get $650. Big deal, huh? After 6 months I will get another 5% but at the same time they will take out 5% for a retirement fund so that is a net gain of zilch. If I can become a certified appraiser they will have to pay me $1100/month but the catch is that the trainee program (which I am enrolled in) is for two years and also involves taking a two week course which is offered only in San Francisco or Seattle and costs a bunch of money. I am trying to see if I can't get at least the latter of those requirements waived and ideally both of them and go ahead and see if I can pass the test to be certified. Time will tell but I don't have much to lose by trying.
Wendy is doing real well. It is hard to believe she will be 3 next month. She is getting to be very independent (the ribbon on the typewriter just ran out). She likes to order us around. Her favorite thing is to go -- she's not real particular about where!
Have a Happy Anniversary in case I don't get a card off to you. And I hope you are more prompt in answering your letters than I have been.
Love,
Catherine, Gerry & Wendy
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