Gotta love dogs

 

June 25, 1964

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well Daddy, I sure am pokey about getting your Father's Day card sent.  Hope you had a happy day.
The kids got another book today.  They really get excited when a new one comes.  Everyday when Mary takes her nap I read one of them to her.  She has two favorite ones. Today I didn't have to read to her.  She went into the bathroom.  Later I didn't hear anything and when I went in there, there she was sitting on the toilet sound asleep.

We're really having some hot weather.  It hasn't even cooled off much at night the last couple of nights.  There hasn't been a bit of a breeze.  The house stays pretty cool in the morning, but along about this time (3 o'clock) it's getting pretty warm.  And about 5:30 on it really gets hot.

Dale is taking "swimming" lessons this week and next.  At one of the city pools they give free lessons to little kids.  They are supposed to learn to float and learn to stick their head underwater, etc.  He has always been so afraid about getting his face wet.  Hope he gets over his fear.  He has been going with one of the neighbors.  He's been pretty evasive about what they're doing.  I guess I'll have to go along one of these days and see if he has done what he is supposed to be doing.

Mary has been bad lately about biting Dale when she gets mad at him.  And we've been biting her back.  The other day they were in the dining room and she bit him again.  When he started yelling she ran out to the living room.  When Gary got up she laid down on the floor and started crying.  He went in to see Dale and then she ran into the bedroom and crawled under the covers.  When Gary came into the bedroom she covered up her head and said, "Go away."  She sure knew what was coming.  But Gary said he couldn't bite her, he got so tickled.

Last Friday night Gary brought home a puppy.  It is mostly cocker spaniel with some springer spaniel, too.  It sure is a cute little pup.  It is white and sort of a gold-tan.  The kids named him Spot.  Gary was suggesting some other names such as Elwood and Lyndon.  Dale said, "Well, Dad.  I can't remember names like that, but I can remember Spot."  

There have been a couple of new babies in the neighborhood.  Dale and another little boy were discussing the new brother and sister.  They decided that they didn't want any babies, but Dale said he would like a big brother or sister.

Mary is so disappointed that she can't go "wimmin."  Oh, do you know that Mary goes to "Dunny Scoot"?  That's what she calls Sunday School.

I got a birthday card from Bill.  He wrote on the card that he was going to Norway for a month.  Didn't say if he was on leave or if the Air Force was sending him.

Say when you come out, is there any way you could make room for my card table or is it too big?

Sure is something about Winside being on direct-dialing.  Thought it would be years before they got on that.

When I was at Aunt Helen's she said something about Jean taking care of three foster children.  Is she still doing that?

Thanks for the picture of Tom.  I still am amazed at how big my "little" brother is.  

Guess this is all for this time.

Love,
Gary, Greta, Dale and Mary

What a nice family I have.  This is the first I ever remember hearing that I was a biter.  I suppose the fact that I eventually outgrew it was probably to my benefit as far as future embarrassment.

I can't lay hands on a photo of Spot at the moment, so instead I will use a photo of our brand-new doggie, Muggsy.  She is a real sweetheart (so far) and a bit of a goof.  She snorts when she is awake and snores when she isn't.  Pretty much my canine equivalent.  This photo shows her "I know you have a treat" face.  Note the blurry tail.