October 22, 1964

Oct 22, 1964

Dear Mom and Dad,

Today we received your letter and the newsletter that Don sent out. Also the dividend check and deposit slips. I’m glad you called Mr. Laux again. I think it helps to keep after them. Of course if the house isn’t rented by next month Jim will try a different agency because I’m quite sure that house can be rented. Here our neighbor Mrs. B was so sorry our house in the States wasn’t rented. She said she had relatives in America with 3 children looking for a house to rent. After we interpreted back and forth with the help of Mrs. G. – it turned out the relatives lived in San Francisco.

Here the campaign seems almost unbelievable! Of course the Europeans are convinced that Goldwater can’t win but they don’t know how many nuts we have in America. Here the fall of Mr. K., as interpreted by my neighbor Mrs. G., means that the U.S. A. lost valuable time by not doing more for peace when he was in. They think it means the Chinese have won out.

Also B. received another note today from you with another $1.00 so both of them got through. Thanks too for the $5.00 check for Kenny. I think I will take him with me shopping on Sat. and let him pick out something he wants and also I will buy him a long sleeve knitted shirt. Somehow the ones I bought him before I left were all short sleeve and he hates to wear a sweater over them. Jim’s mom sent him a nice long sleeve one for his birthday that got here about a week ago and he has been wearing it ever since. Also in my letter to Mildred yesterday I forgot to tell her thank you for the housecoat she gave me before I left. I don’t know what I would have done without it. Here everyone wears a sweater and skirt. So over that I slip on the duster to work and can be ready to go out in a second. It doesn’t show the dirt and is so comfortable! And it washes so nice.

Our house is just beautiful. I hope Jim will get some pictures of it so we can send you some. I promised the Spanish girls I would go get them some evening to visit us. We are about a 10 minute ride by car from the Silvahof. Jim drives the kids back and forth to school. The only day I keep the car is Tues. afternoon because Kenny goes in to Religion Class but this way I can do some shopping and visiting on Tues.

Today I went to visit the Kdg. teacher here in Bolligen. She is a very sweet girl about 19 or 20 yrs old. The natural beauty – no makeup with rosy cheeks and honey colored hair. The kind of person you picture as “Heidi” grown up. She said she would try Kenny a few days a week in the Kdg. and see if it was not too disrupting. The Kdg’s are conducted in the Dialect but she speaks English very well. Boy the people here really make you feel very dumb. They are all so good with languages. She said the Kdg is very crowded (17 children) so she really shouldn’t take any. Kenny went with me and his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the beautiful picture and puzzles and lovely room. I hope he can stay. At first he didn’t want to go if it wasn’t in English but he took one look and he was ready to change his mind.

Today B and Jimmy came home quite happy from their first day of ice skating. B said she only fell once and several people asked her if she had gone skating before. Apparently she caught on very well. She wants to go again on Sat. while I do my shopping. It is very reasonable for them to go – ½ Franc which is about 12 ½ cents in Am money. Jimmy said he fell “several times” but he liked it also and wants to go again on Sat.

Today I read the Review and Sun Visitor you enclosed. Thanks a lot. It really felt good to catch up on all the latest from home.

Right now Jim is trying out our new piano. It arrived today. Very nice one – practically new. We are all pretty rusty so I guess we’ll start tomorrow with the scales and exercises.

We will be looking forward to the magazines you mailed us. I didn’t think the newspaper took long getting here. If we receive any checks you can just send them on as we are still using our checking account at Southwest Bank. I’m glad you didn’t try to mail a package for Kenny. Jim’s mother paid as much to mail his shirt as the shirt cost. By the time you get this only a few short days will remain for you at the Mercantile. I’m sure it will seem strange not to go there after 45 years of habitual routine. I just hope you both continue to enjoy your extraordinary good health – You are certainly luckier than most people your age. I’ll bet you don’t use a bottle of aspirin in a year.

I sure hope that Neva gets to feeling better soon. She probably still has many hard months ahead.

Give my best to family and friends. Thanks for the additional addresses. I also need Anita Felon’s please.

Love
Jim and Dina