Transcription of Document FFDoc-1274.pdf

Sunday 6-17-79, 11:30 PM

Mon frere:

Wrote out your check this AM then I wrote one for this month's church dues - but didn't get it into an envelope & guess the old urge to say "hello" was part of the delay.

As usual things have been on-again-off-again; in-again-out-again around here. Michele left bag & baggage, baby & husband 2 weekends ago - & that seemed like the end of an era - the last of the nestlings flying off on her own. But meantime Maureen had moved in belongings - up in the attic & all over the porch - against the day when she & kids mite have to follow! But she found a single-house rent in Waterboro and this weekend moved over there. Of course "27" was a pit stop used all weekend. So combining that with "father's day" we had a good gathering tonite for dinner - Jeanne/Frank, Reen & Ben & the kids, Charlie and Anita, and ME. Somehow, before dishes, we got into having Charlie identify some figures in old-old pictures that Leo had collected. He got enthused enuf to say he'd like to come down sometime & go over them all again. Besides that, Jeanne remembered she'd seen the Pelletier family history (in French!) in the attic & was able to put her hands on it immediately. Uncle Philip invested much time in tracing their genealogy & each family member had a copy in "My Family" booklets (you must have seen some of the blank ones!). But for years now, charlie & I have not been able to locate our copies. What we have in French is Philip's long, original draft - not just the items and pages limited to My Family format. Shrewdy Leo had zeroxed everything - & what a genealogy search - going back to 1620 origins. What's wrong with us Irish slug-a-beds?

Monday nite: and your check hasn't left yet!

The inanimates - & some animates - are after me again. My pre-Mass shower was aborted yesterday when I found water & garbage backed up in the tub - so went down cellar for the plunger, & noticed water all around the base of the furnace. The plunger didn't work any miracles so I poured into drain what Liquid Plummer I had - then went to kitchen to add L.P. to my list of needs & there were red ants all over the counter. I was ready to paint up a FOR SALE sign, optimist that I am! Then found another watery collection under the water meter.

At this writing things are under control - I RAID-ed all around the base of the house outdoors & hopefully the ants will avoid me for a few days. Several applications of L.P. cleared the tub drain so I HAVE showered and hope my luck will last.

The furnace is OK tonite after some long surgery - 2 men here today for about 6 hours but I won't have to have a new boiler. Am sure the labor bill will be staggering but less than replacement. That 26 yr old boiler has a plate, backed by a gasket & that has apparently been insidiously leaking for years - it rusted the plate so badly the major time involved was in trying to remove the heavily rusted bolts. So we have a rusty plate, new bolts & new gasket & so far, it's not leaking. If it starts over again when I shut the power off again tomorrow, I'll have a bird.

Water district also came today - that leak gave way to a simple washer replacement, so I didn't face a whole unit replacement that would have meant moving all those groceries & shelves next to it!

Pat & kiddos got to the Pongans this past Thursday (in Pa that is). They'll bring her to Rick's (minister) in Mass next Wed, the 27th, & Jeanne & I will go down & fetch her to ME on Thurs. Expect she'll be here till mid-August. 'Twill be good to have them but I expect some real "mad house" times when the rest of the crew arrives periodically during the summer. Leo may have been justified back in our '52 building days when he reneged on extra rooms 'cause he wasn't "building a house for your family" (visitors) I wish he were around to see how OUR family gets this place to bulging at the seams.

We all think we got a look at Skylab last nite - not that it added to our stature or our bank accounts, but THERE it was right on schedule when we were outdoors seeing Maureen off.

Haven't been on the T's boat yet but hope I can make it some day. They find it relaxing & it's moored only about 10 minutes away on Sebago so it's easily available even on evenings.

Heard tonite Md. is one state with "gas-lines" and going into an alternate day purchasing plan. Hope it won't scare Vee off. If she gets to NY & the Cape I presume she'll go for broke & come to ME.

I guess I gotta go. Sure wish I could have a month off all in one piece - I was wishing that long before Leo died and he said if I DID have it, things wouldn't be a bit different. Guess he was right. Both my family and my work-a-day life are so full of clutter and unfinished business that I've almost given up thinking I can ever get it all put together. If I had a month I'd use it purely to get away from it all.

And so to bed.

Remember us to your kiddos.

Did you ever get to Jay's commencement - did he get to Boston, or where?

Hypothetical questions - answers can wait.

Love, Dot

Hey! - Your book arrived the day after your call - and thank you. I got thro' a bit of it, but Reen's got it now.  D.