314 N. Fremont Street River Falls, Wis. 54022 December 11, 1971
Warm and friendly greetings from Fremont Street. News and notes from wonderful white Wisconsin.
This year many friends from previous happy times have dropped by and it was so good to see you-do it again. What can equal the abiding quality of friendship?
Merry and Jon are still in Tempe. Erik is quite a boy, Mr.Independence, except when he loses his mama in the store. Doug and Rosemary are still in Milwaukee, though at a new address where they have a communal living arrangement with friends. Doug has turned out to be a master carpenter and fixer-upper. Bruce has moved back to River Falls and together we keep the home fire glowing. We have two students from Nigeria in our rented room and they make things interesting. Many foreign students cross our threshold these days. The Harrisses and Webbs were all together in August when Lee webb was married to Sandy Anderson. Erik made the event memorable with his original interpretation of the role of ring bearer. Jon was best man sporting crutches and a broken leg. Doug, Rosie and Merry were in the party, and our house was a meeting place for many of the visiting relatives. A beautiful and festive occasion.
The next day, early in the morning, I left the clan assembled to attend another reunion. Bob and family were here from Oregon and their daughter entertained at Barrington, Ill. for all the McCains who could get there - which turned out to be quite a few. None of us could remember when all the McCain kids had last been together. Dad and Willa came with Allison and Mary. Lee and Lynn drove from Youngstown, O. I wore my brunette wig and caused a mild sensation (I have had a lot of fun with this). I flew down and back the same day from Minneapolis and:
The NEXT DAY school started at Prescott. I was there physically.
If you are thinking of spending July or August in the Phoenix area, don’t - unless of course you have an excellent reason like mine. It takes a special kind of creative thinking to spend winter in Wisconsin and summer in Arizona. I am going to try it again at Christmas. Aesthetic highlight of the year was a fibers workshop at the U. here. I did some far-out weaving and met some far-out people. A great experience.
Educational highlight was and is participation in an advisory council at UW-RF, as it is now known, representing Prescott in a venture to upgrade instruction in the secondary education area.
My teaching this year in the H.S is more fun with specialized courses one semester long instead of the more general Art 1, 2, 3, etc. Frustration as usual however in trying to be Jr. Hi. and Elem. Art teacher as well, teaching at all three levels every day.
So much for looking back. What’s ahead? If we could but know!
I know I wish for all of you the Love of God in your hearts, whatever you do.
As ever. Betty Jon and Merry Webb, 1310 E. Orange St. Tempe, Ariz. 85281
Doug and Rosemary Harris, 2130 S. 14th Street, Milwaukee, Wis. 53215