19 Sept 1985

Dear Mom & Dad,

It has been a while since I've written. Getting off on a new Fall routine has kept us busy. Angelique comes bouncing home from school. She really enjoys it. Steven would go to Pony Palace every day if I'd let him. He thinks he rules the roost at school. It is so nice that it is just two blocks away from our house. Now that the weather is nice we really enjoy the walk. This winter when it is cold and rainy, we may wish we didn't have to walk.

Steven made a paper for you a few weeks ago. It says, "I like my shoes." He was putting on his yellow sandals one day and told me he sure liked those shoes. I reminded him that you sent them. He decided to write you a letter and tell you. [You'll find it enclosed.] He doesn't write this well unless someone is right beside him telling him where to put the letters.

I went back to Positano, the town that Diane and I loved with all the linen and cotton clothes. I picked up a couple of jumpsuits. I went with two other gals. We had a good time.

Michael's parents should be on a plane coming over to Frankfort, Germany, today. They should be at our house in a few weeks.

I'm enjoying my voice lessons every Friday. Charlotte Lantry is a good teacher and she really likes my voice. That makes a lot of difference. I wish I had started with her two years ago. She is encouraging.

The man who makes the duty assignments for all the Navy's Family Practice doctors told Michael that we should be in Memphis next. He has Michael's name penciled in for a slot there. However, he is not sure he can get a replacement for Michael here until July '86. We are scheduled to rotate in April. So we may not get to leave here as soon as we expected. We'll know more about that later.

How are Rex and Barbara doing? I wanted to write them, but couldn't think of anything appropriate to say. I'm not sure if sympathy is appropriate or encouraging words or what.

I'm sure I will get use to your new address. I learned the other one right off, but if you are going to be switching every year -- well, I just can't keep up! And you haven't even moved this time!

It's hard to believe we were getting ready to come to the States for a visit at this time last year. That seems like a long time ago. We are planning a trip to Germany the last week in November to go to a Church of Christ lectureship at a U.S. military retreat center near Munich. We hope to take an extra week at that time to spend some time in Munich, Salzburg, Venice and whatever else we can find to do in that area.

The Kris Kringle Market will be in Munich while we are there. That's where I went last year on a shopping trip with the Navy Wives. The kids will enjoy the market - even though it will be very cold. They have the most beautiful Christmas ornaments there. Plus there are two McDonald's restaurants within walking distance of the market. You know the kids will enjoy that. They both want to see Venice, too, and ride in a gondola on the Grand Canal. We should be able to see a Nazi concentration camp in Germany. This may be our final big trip here in Europe. It should be a good one though.

Hey, don't we owe some taxes on our land in Searcy? (We have been trying to find out all year. I suspect you probably paid them. We are very much opposed to this. PLEASE, how much do we owe??? --Michael wrote that.)

Keep me posted on Rex, Lanney, and Kem. They don't write. Kem and Brenda used to write before Jeremy was born, but I haven't heard a word since. Lanney has written once in the last 2½ years.

Did you all receive the package of things from Scotland? I don't remember you mentioning it. I need to put a tracer on the package or get my insurance back on it if you didn't get it.

Gotta run.

Love,

Jeannie