1976—Mobility!

The girls shared the southwest bedroom on the second floor; you can get an idea of the décor that Valerie installed, early in our time there.

We’d obtained that chest of drawers by the good offices of the Dover Country Store. Never did look into their possible value as antiques, but the very stylish finish that Valerie applied to this one was called “antiquing.” Don’t know that anybody still antiques anything.

By this time, our congenitally jolly and irrepressible Debbie had already earned her durable sobriquet: “Dynamite Debbie the Doodlebug.”

Among Valerie’s favorite stories: Returning from the garden, Mommy remarked that a rabbit must have been in our garden: all the parsley plants she had put there just yesterday had vanished overnight. Responds Debbie: “Oh, you mean those little trees? I like them! I eat them all!”

You understand about the “dynamite” part. As for “Doodle,” I used to sing an old pop ditty to the kids at bedtime: