I am always pleased to receive a letter from you, and inasmuch as I was just back from visiting Leta yesterday, I thought I would answer today's letter from you the same day for once, and let you know how things are.

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After Bonnie had done a bit of shopping in downtown London I took her home to Windsor, and phoned Leta to tell her if she was free I was coming over to see her. Fortunately she was, so I arrived at 11 am Thurs. morning. She had phoned Ronald, Gerry, Arla, and Charlene, and arranged for them to come for dinner. Jerry's wife was along and Charlene's three youngest children. Henry was there also, and he stayed for supper as well. The rest went horne. It was nice to see them, but what a loud chatter at the table! Ronnie is plump and prosperous looking and probably earns about $350 a week inspecting tile work of the draftsmen in his firm. Jerry is thin and is a prodigious worker at fixing cars - has his own business, and is doing well. All the family appear to be getting along well now, though one would like to see them make some return to their mother for the periods they lived with her while they were acquiring new homes, etc. All told Leta has 17 grandchildren, including Clayton's one, Michael. Clayton died last Janurary. She has been reducing, and had quite a time getting over a bruised foot sustained in a fall. Her blood was low, and though she seems peppy enough now, her face is colourless and wrinkled, and it is hard to believe she is as well as she should be. Henry is now at home, walking with a cane, but requires one shoe built up an inch higher than the other since his pelvis didn't knit quite in its old position. But he is doing well and was over for both meals. In the afternoon he went back to his private quarters for a rest. We heard a gun go off, and he came back over with a beautiful cock pheasant which he had shot from his kitchen window. Not the first time either apparently. He has been offered a good sum for his 9 acres and Leta would like to sell hers too, but he hates to part with his property with its rustic jungle background. Leta says he is much more normal since his accident. I enjoyed visiting with them both and purchased from Leta beautiful Xmas wreath she had fashioned from plastic ribbon, etc.

Jessie and the family were over to visit her two weeks ago for several days. Leta said Jessie would like to come and live with her, and talking to Jessie just now over the pnone she said Leta would like her to come and live with her! So there you have it. Jessie whispers that Evelyn is pregnant again. Susan actually seems to be doing well in kindergarten.

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And I must mention another interest that takes up some of my time. I have started keeping company with Mrs. Lillian Coates, a teacher in the Retarded Children's Centre at the Beck San. I buried her husband 7 yrs ago. He died from cancer of the bladder. They were co-presidents of our Couples' Club while we were in Byron, and she did two years as president of the W.A. and a yr as president of the Home and School Club. Her husband had been an elder, one son - now in Montreal, was our Cub leader, another was our Hi-C president and is now a Mountie in Edmonton. Another, Bob, is just back on the staff of Victoria Hospital as a specialist in X-Ray and Radiation therapy after two years post-graduate study in England and Sweden. The youngest son, Paul, just turned 21, is at University. Lillian once taught Randy in Nursery School. He stayed with her before the funeral, and Gordon stayed a month with her while we were in Nfld 8 yrs ago. She is ten yrs younger than I am, is on the stout side, but has a very pleasing personality and is a good conversationalist. I like her and things have been progressing well between us in the short time we have been keeping company. I agree with your dictum that widowers can't afford to play the field and should be sincere in their courtships. If things go as we both hope they will, we are likely to marry next summer. But you will understand the tentative nature of things at this point. However I wanted you to know how the wind blows.

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