1986=.docx

2900 Dakin St.
Bellingham,WA.9826
December, 1986

 

Dear Friends:

We are not in Mexico for Christmas this year. Since George is no longer teaching he is able to arrange his schedule so we can go to Mexico for the whole month of January. Besides going to our usual place on the coast we plan to visit Oaxaca and places near there.

In March George took off for Japan and the People’s Republic of China for a three-week trip. Over 35 years ago George had studied Chinese at the Monterey Language School but this was the first time he’d been to China. The trip was very successful and a number of school exchange programs came out of it.

For the rest of us our international travel consisted in going to Expo-86 in Vancouver, BC which is about an hour drive from the house. We also took a couple of short trips to other parts of British Columbia but, for the most part, the year was one of work, work and more work in the nursery.

We had an art show in the nursery and have had attention given to the nursery and the sculpture show by local and regional media. But it is proving expensive to maintain the business. So we have decided to restructure the business.

We plan to create a non-profit organization to be called the Northwest Center for Horticultural Therapy and give the nursery to that organization. We will lease them the land and sell them the inventory. Already we have a good manager who will run the business but what is needed is more help in the area of therapy programs for the handicapped. As a non-profit organization they will be able to bring in more volunteer help to work directly with the handicapped and engage in forms of fund raising that we were not able to.

David will still work in the nursery and, I am sure, we will also pitch in and help when needed but for the most part George and I will have more time for our own garden, spinning and other activities. Todd, by the way, is still working in Seattle…in a firm that is installing irrigating systems! He and Becky, his girlfriend, will join us for Christmas dinner. We are looking forward to it.

May Peace be with you: