See my previous blog

There she was home in Belmont and she felt honor bound to return to Seattle. She travelled by train for the return journey. ( I am puzzled as to how she took her skis)

That aside, her arrangements for accomodation worked out very well. She had so much fun living with Mary Ann and Jody. (Mary Ann is still alive and well and living in a retirement community in downtown Seattle. Sadly Jody passed away some years ago) Her friend Rachel lived and taught 6th grade in West Seattle. It was relatively easy to get together.

But the job as Research Officer at Puget Planners proved to be problematic. She liked the job at first – and she liked the view of Mt. Rainier! For the first month she was assigned to conduct a survey of the retirement homes in the Seattle area. There were not very many! She can only remember a Lutheran Home. Possibly John Nordmark was thinking of an Investment opportunity. After a couple of months it became apparent that the firm was in some trouble. They were beginning to have trouble paying their employees. Come the New Year Janet started looking for another job. She was offered a position as a Design Progress Estimator in the Boeing Missile Division. At a higher salary and more surety of actually being paid. That worked out very well in that there was no problem in leaving in June to return to New England. It really was a HORRIBLE job. Rows on rows of desks occupied by people with nothing to do but trying to look busy. Commuting to the Boeing plant was no problem – she was in a car pool with 2 others. Reliable and convenient.

She knew that her friend was finishing her 2 year contract to teach 6th grade and would be leaving Seattle. It was easy to decide to leave at the same time. So Rachel and her parents and Janet set out from Seattle in June to return to New England.

  My brother Bob and our dog Duchess – late 1940’s?  At “camp” in Hillsboro New Hampshire

“Camp” was actually owned by Aunt Gladys and Uncle Don who built it.

A photograph of my cousin and me with our grandmother and great aunt.  From left to right: Auntie, Janet, Betsy, Grandma Friend – on the front steps of my grandparents home on Wildwood Street in Winchester Massachusetts.  Auntie was my grandfather’s sister.  The photograph dates from the early 1940’s.

It has been technically challenging to be blogging again, but I am enjoying it and making new links to friends, old and new.  Following the search for the missing mouse — it was found almost in plain sight.  It had slipped underneath a little pile of papers in the bookcase – not a logical place for said mouse but never mind – it has been found.  Thanks to my tech advisers who supplied a picture of the missing item.  At first I didn’t even know what I was looking for.  Ho ho aha – so that’s it.  Communication via iPhone’s camera.

A wise owl – the eyes have it.

Mouse No. 1 – the mouse that I am looking for in order to use my main computer

Mouse No. 2 – the live mouse that took up residence in our house last September

We finally realized the presence of number 2 mouse in January and with the help of a professional, James chased Mouse 2 upstairs and delivered a fatal blow.  Katerina was oblivious.  She prefers nocturnal hunts outside.

Pictures to follow.