Dec. 18 – Jan. 2 –
A miserable bout with asthma “day fever”? which is best left undescribed.
The children gladdened our hearts with their remembrances. Mary Alice + Bob sent us a beautiful ceramic coffee pot with stand + candle; Martha + Hank gave me a book (Three Tickets to Adventure by Durrell) and a tie, and Bertha a nightgown – Sally + Red – Pen + envelope opener desk set and B sheets and pillow cases (yellow) plus a pepper mill for us both – Catherine + Ken a beautiful afghan or “throw” which Cathie had crocheted, and Art + Vi, a record for me (Church Windows/Roman Festivals by Respighi) and for B a lovely chiffon shawl with white embroidered flowers on black and also a pepper mill for both of us.
Bertha gave me the complete opera “Boris Godunov” (which we played through once – a magnificent performance + recording – glorious music, with never a “dead” passage as so many operas have) – I gave her two pieces of luggage, and she also gave me a “two-suiter” case.
Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, December 18, 1956 – January 2, 1957