Summer Plans

From letter dated June 10, 1959

Early this spring I started repainting. This little cottage has been delightful in its location and its inherent charm. But it was pretty darned shabby. Unfortunately, while Bucher had spare time to help, we didn’t have the money to go ahead with our redecorating. As soon as we could afford it, Bucher was up to his ears in work so that I had to do it almost completely by myself. It has taken all spring long, but room by room I’ve finished it.

It still is a modest cottage, but it is bright and gay and clean instead of dark and stained with mildew and sulfur fumes. The children’s bedrooms, which were dark, mottled little caves are now bright, sunny, sweet and inviting. The porch, which was more bare wood than paint, is clean and white and fresh. I get a lift just walking through the house and seeing the change in it.

 

Spring in Florida means lots of guest and we have had some lovely visits.

My Dad was here for Easter.

My Uncle Walt and Aunt Lou Ella were in town for a while and we saw them a few times.

Patty and Kendall Price, our close friends from Atlanta, came down with their four children and rented the house behind ours for ten days. While the Prices were out in the boat, they found a young pelican tangled in fishing line, rescued it, and brought it back here. We were able to untangle the poor creature and are feeding and caring for it until it is strong enough to fly away.

 

Bucher’s sister Deezy stopped by with her new husband, Frank O’Neill, on their way to Nassau. (She just married for the first time at the age of 41.)

One of my dearest friends from college spent a day with me on a visit from California.

Pat Goodrich, who was one of my closest friends in Grand Rapids, and her husband spent about three weeks.

It was all so much fun. After our years out of the country it still is an unbelievable privilege to get to see friends and family once in a while.

 

The children are out of school now and are trying to settle down to enjoying themselves. Alex spends most of his time out in his boat with his new fishing tackle. Carli has a darling new friend whose family has rented the house behind ours for the summer.

The children and I will be going to Michigan some time this summer. We don’t know yet when it will be; it depends on Bucher’s plans. He won’t be able to be with us because he just has gone to work for the Kiekhaefer Corporation (Mercury outboard motors). Bucher used to be a distributor for them and has kept a close friendship with Carl Kiekhaefer. Bucher’s in charge of a fairly elaborate building program in central Florida and can’t possibly leave. However, we hope to plan things so that we’re away sometime when he would have to be out of town anyway.

 

Carli finally lost her first tooth last night. It has been loose for several weeks and she was pretty annoyed that it wouldn’t come out. She’s way behind most of her little friends at losing teeth, so it has been a serious issue with her.