Notes from Alexis: Well, I believe I will be posting the last letter from Mom. I moved closer to them and tended to visit more, so no more letters. It is truly a loss, to not have her thoughts on paper anymore. BUT – I have decided to start sharing her Quotes from her published books. I think you will find them delightful and intriguing. I have a feeling it will make you want to read her books. So this year begins a new year of blogging and sharing the thoughts of Gwen.
Looking forward to sharing with all of you in the future.
Alexis
July 1, 1993
Dearest Lex,
“I seat myself to write you this letter.” That is how the letters all started from Aunt Dolly, who sent me information from the Wootans. They were all written around 1900. I thought they were so neat.
I just gave myself a perm, and I’m all tuckered out, although it is the easiest I have ever given myself. Now about Grannie’s kitty. He has turned out to be the greatest feline hunter in Keno, maybe Oregon, maybe the world. The body count as far as we know is two squirrels, two birds, sixteen pocket gophers, who knows how many mice, and one small (very small) water snake. He brings all his kill’s home for Mom, so that’s how we know. He has just about caught all the game on the property and now goes roaming all over the neighborhood looking for more.
One of the pocket gophers he caught was big and heavy, and he was having a devil of a time dragging it home and getting it up the steps. He just about had it up on Mom’s porch when another cat came out from under her porch and snatched it away from him, and ran off with it. Mom was watching from inside her house, and she said he had the most surprised look on his face. Since then he runs all the other cats off the property.
If you don’t believe in fate you will after this next story. I offered to give J. my old computer after the hard drive went out because I couldn’t get anything for it. The man I bought my new one from would have given me $150 for it ,if the hard drive worked, but nothing without it.
J.said, “Does it have color? Does it have Windows?” I really got pissed and told him he didn’t even know how to use a computer, so what difference did it make whether it had color or Windows?
Sunday he called and asked if I still had the computer. I said yes, and it still didn’t have color or Windows. So he did a little backtracking and crawling. The thing is, J. & J. are using computers in school, and it suddenly dawned on him, he was the only one in the family who couldn’t use one.
So I decided to go in and try to set it up to use on the A drive and bypass the hard drive. I grabbed the Boot disk I thought I had used on the A drive and cranked it up.
Would you believe it – it loaded the hard drive? I just about fell over when I saw C:\ on the screen. I ran through the directories, loaded Wordstar and worked on it, and everything was fine. If I was the only one who thought it didn’t work, I wouldn’t say a word, but I took it into the shop, and they said it was gone, too. Of course, I wouldn’t have bought a new one if it had worked, so perhaps it was fate that J. got himself a computer. J. and Dad said it went on strike because I overworked it, and it wanted a rest.
I spent the day setting it up so J. could work on the hard drive as long as it works; then he can go to the A drive, when it quits again. I was still a little put out with J. and figured he would just play around with it, and all my hard work would be for naught, but he surprised me. He came over Monday night and was really impressed and eager to learn.
He has quit the J.C.’s, and I think he is bored. Even he can only watch so many cartoons. He left the computer here, and he and Je. are coming over tonight for another lesson. He was a little bowled over by how much there was to it. Of course, Je. has been using computers at the Herald & News for years, and believes she knows a lot. However, she is on a LAN system, and what she knows is only the one program. I seriously doubt that she knows DOS and Wordstar and Quattro. I think she has a rude awakening coming. I really hate teaching husbands and wives anything. They may prove the exception. I’ll get back to you on that one.
Well, Dad’s fountain is just beautiful–maybe the most beautiful fountain in the world. He has a small bit left to do; then he’ll start on the ledge and start building the waterfall. He is as nervous as can be, and has been from the start, and is very excited. I do believe it is the first time he has had a creative vision, and then executed it. That thrill we have gotten with all our projects, and which he could never understand, has now hit him. It’s a little late in life, but he has now joined the ranks. He just lives through the week so he can get to his fountain. He set up the screen tent over it so it wouldn’t dry too quickly. P. B. stopped by and asked if he was sleeping out there to keep anyone from stealing it. All the neighbors are dying of curiosity, but there isn’t much to see, as he keeps it all covered over, so it won’t dry too fast.
Well, got to run. This is my downtown library day. I’ve already lost half a week – what with computers, perms, and the house cleaning.
Take care and write when you have time.
Love, Mom
SoloPress II 