October 24, 1964

Oct 24, 1964

Dear Mom and Dad,

I am writing rather hurriedly as I want to mail it on my way downtown. I received your long letter yesterday and I also received one from Mary and Chic. Also Kenny received his card and $1.00 from Mildred. It is so nice to get mail because after you read the letter you actually feel as though that person had dropped by to visit you. I’m surprised the letters get so bunched up as I mail one every day. I guess it depends on the time and post office etc. I’m glad Maria Maxima asked you to help her. I know she tries to not bother anyone and she probably wouldn’t have said anything to you if we were still there.

I can’t tell you how sad I was to hear that Beatriz has had such a horrible ordeal. I keep picturing her as she looked that night they came to say goodbye – she looked so pretty and sweet and she was feeling so badly for me because she knew how homesick I would be. Thank God she didn’t know what was ahead for her. These doctors and their routine operations! I hope and pray she gets well soon.

From that and other incidents of deaths that you wrote I hope will make you and Daddy not delay too long before making a visit over here. Mary wrote that Chic is still suffering a lot so when sickness comes it makes no difference how many years before you were well. The one priest at the Sp. Service gives very good sermons and one of his was on that subject - we pride ourselves on our position, wealth, family or health and we haven’t got one iota of control over any of these things.

Yesterday Kenny had a very happy day his first day of Swiss Kdg. The children all sang “Happy Birthday” to him in English. Jim said as they rounded the curve in the car they could see him waiting for them to pick him up jumping up and down waving his paper pin wheel that he made at school.

Last night we went out for the first time. The children were very happy with their new baby sitter. We went to Jim’s present boss’s apt. His wife is English so that made everything very easy. He is from Holland but lived in England and the U.S. for years so he also speaks English very well.

This morning Kenny was up at the crack of dawn to see what is birthday gift was. He was so thrilled with his new scooter he doesn’t even want to go downtown with me to pick out another birthday gift with the money you sent. He wants to stay home and ride. B and MB will go with me as B wants to ice skate while I take MB to have her hair trimmed. Then I have to pick up some things for tomorrow as I invited some of Lawrence children over to celebrate Kenny’s birthday.

Well, they are all pestering me and whining to go so I’ll give up on this! Will write more tomorrow.

Love,
Jim and Dina