From 325 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, to 191 Frederick Street, Peekskill, New York

Dearest Beloved,

Today, Christmas Day, Wednesday, 2013, the music of Christmas playing on my radio and remembering our first Christmas so long ago. We didn't have a Christmas Tree, but Christmasy boughs displayed like pictures on the living room walls holding very small dainty ornaments, some frosty blue and others silver colored, just the right size for the boughs. We were renting a very pretty house in Peekskill, New York, furnished to rent to summer people wanting to get away from their Bronx apartment.  Everything charmingly simple and casual and with a lovely wood burning fireplace, logs for burning from a birch tree at the far end of the yard.

Back and forth between Peekskill, NY and Manhattan meant taking the train just an hour ride - the station in Peekskill was a long walk up Frederick Street to the city bus stop and a short ride to the train station - for visits with Story Parade Managing Editor, Lockie Parker, Staff Associate Jane Werner and others, delivering illustrations and new assignments.

One of the two bedrooms upstairs was converted into a very nice studio for you so art work at home was great.