Christmas 1965
Post date: Aug 12, 2014 10:24:57 PM
20 December 1965
My Christmas greetings have been postponed by work and play. As soon as we returned from Berlin we went off to Detmold to finish that organ—and we’re still working on it.
I’m going to Frankfurt to spend Christmas with the organist I met in Blaubeuren, his wife [a conductor who had to miss the Fulbright experience] and new baby, so I’ll take the presents with me to fill up under their tree. I did my last (I hope) shopping this evening. I’m living off my savings (including toys) and saving the pay I get from Herrn Kleuker. I take enough business trips with the car (at ten cents a mile) to pay car expenses! I have all my money together (from Peace Corps and Nigeria) in one bank here in Bielefeld and my pay is automatically deposited. I’m now earning $50 a month so that’s too little to tax.
Joanne and Jack's new baby, Catherine
New Year’s Eve 1965
I came down with a cold the day after returning from Frankfurt, where I had a lot of fun over Christmas.
On the way down I stopped in Göttingen to see a family I met while in Blaubeuren. Christmas Eve and Day I sang in the Episcopal choir. Xmas dinner was with a family and I played my Blockflöte with the kids. We didn’t open presents until that night, as everything was so busy.
The factory is being inventoried, so I’ve had a good rest. Spent two days building a model house and most of my money on train parts. Needless to say I still haven’t written all my Xmas letters or caught up on my reading.
Dave Dahl wrote to say that the organ repairman in Seattle has moved away and the new man is a “boob”. So it looks like I’ll at least have some work between organ installations. I may still write and ask about a substitute teaching job.
New Year’s Day 1966
Ha! The Germans have fireworks for New Years! And since everything is allowed, the city has no display as we do. Anyway it is too cold to sit outside and watch.
Did I ever tell you how absent-minded my landlord is? If he is turning off a light when someone speaks to him, either he doesn’t hear or he doesn’t get the light off and his hand stays on the switch. He often eats a slice of bread with only butter because someone interrupts him and he forgets to put jam on it.
We had no snow for Christmas, but not much rain, either. Funny winter here.