October 16, 1964

Oct 16, 1964

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well yesterday’s game was marvelous! I’m sure St. Louis is really celebrating today! Wish we could be there to enjoy it.

Yesterday afternoon a lady came to the door. She starting talking in the Dialect and then switched to German. Then she said she spoke French and Italian, but we had no language in common. I figured out she mended umbrellas and I thought perhaps the lady of the house here had one to mend. At any rate later that evening a neighbor called – Mrs. Guenther – she spoke English very well and said she would like to introduce herself. It seems the umbrella lady had come by her house also and told her she and I couldn’t understand each other. Mrs. Guenther then offered to help me if I need anything and today she took me with her to store near by that deliveries groceries and also called the milk man for me last night to have him deliver the milk. After shopping she invited us (the kids and I) to her house for coffee and to meet her two daughters. The oldest one spoke English – the younger girl about 13 was home on vacation from “household school” as she called it. The Swiss send their daughters away for a year to learn French. It is a special school in a large house. The girls learn all the house making arts, cleaning, cooking, washing, sewing. She said it is a very strict school. No word of German can be spoken and if the housework is not perfect they must do it again. They were a very nice friendly family – the oldest daughter and the mother got a big kick out of Kenny because he speaks so fast. Naturally they speak very well, but you must speak very distinctly and slowly when you talk to them. They would both look at each other and laugh when Kenny spoke because as they said “the words shoot from his mouth.”

P. is very funny now. When the other kids yell for their allowance money – She says “Franc – mommy” And today she was looking at a picture that Kenny drew “Oh, Kenny made a boo boo, mommy.” She said showing me his picture.

I think putting B. in the third grade was the best thing that ever happened to her. She is enjoying being the best in the class – something she never dreamed of before. One person in the class had to write a Thank-you letter and the class picked her. She was so thrilled! Also she is winning in the spelling race and the table race. The teacher is letting her read from the fourth grade books so she is not bored either.

Today was a very clear but windy day. On our way to the store (about 3 blocks away) the view is unbelievable. You could see the Alps white and frosty and the sunlight streaming down on them. The mts and green hills and fields all around. Mrs. Guenther says it stays green all year and is especially green in the winter because there is so much rain. Some of the trees have begun to change colors and some leaves are falling but most of them are quite green and full.

Now it is raining and we are glad to have such a warm comfortable home. Our next project now that we are settled is to find a kindergarten for Kenny.

Hope you are both feeling well. Much love from the children,

Love
Jim and Dina