1970
Summer

School had ended,  I was glad that I could sleep late, no more getting up at six in the morning to go to school.  I was still working part time at the University’s computing center on weekday afternoons but, being a student position, I was limited to working only 20 hours a week which I did not mind that much because it gave me the mornings free.  My sister Brenda who was going to Santa Fe Junior College had the summer off and was away working the summer as a counselor at Girl Scout camp.   Mom and Dad would leave to go to work around 7:30 in the morning so with me sleeping later, I often would not see them until they got home in the evening.

Carrie, Vandy, Dana, David, Beth in center.
Dick in blue shorts.
At Mount Vernon Virginia

In mid-June, Mom, Dad, David and Beth on a two week trip to visit mom’s sister Aunt Carole who lived in Fairfax, Virginia.  It was the first time that Brenda and I didn’t go on vacation with the family. Aunt Carole was married to her second husband Dick, and they had three kids from Carole’s first marriage, my cousins, Danah, Vandy, and Carrie.  With Mom, Dad, David and Beth in Virginia and Brenda at Girl Scout camp, I was alone at home which was fine with me.

In July mom’s Grandma Schwander died and Mom decided to go to the funeral in Michigan. Grandma and Grandpa Junior were at their cabin in North Carolina at the time and since Grandma Schwander was Grandma Junior’s mother, she of course wanted to go to the funeral, so Dad, Mom and Beth drove up to North Carolina to pick up her up.  Grandpa Junior said he wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to go to the funeral, so Mom and Dad left Beth with Grandpa Junior while they went.  Mom said she was worried that Grandpa couldn't take care of Beth, but when they got back Grandpa and Beth said they had a ball and got along really well.