Maybe I did get some of the January '62 "overseas" letters away in '62, but there is quite a pile of them yet in my file drawers, as well as addressed envelopes for them to be put into. It is really necessary that I stop holding up these letters until I can add a personal note to each, because then the advantage of duplicating is lost.

The Shop

Herewith the '63 'edition' of my 'overseas' letter, which must of necessity be much condensed. From the '62 letter even I note with interest the stages of progress my various programes had reached. There I see that my Jeep was still tied up with its hoist cable to raise the big shop door. The electric winch that I was only contemplating then, was an accomplished fact long before the cement floor was poured over the network of tiles and two big 12" pipes of the air duct system. That 60 ton slab of six inch thick concrete was laid in July last, and though I've still not properly "dust proofed" the surface as planned, the boon it was and is, has become a 'taken-for-granted-thing'. But though the furnace materials are all to hand it hasn't reached the finished state yet. Following last Christmas there was a clear few days run of work at it, but before and since then, it was the 'most' interrupted job in the place. However, it reached the stage where it could be used by just plugging in the electric cord, and the burner would spring to life, with its 300,000 BTU odd, heating the firepot and heat exchanger minus any blower or thermostat control. It has yet to be connected to the floor air duct system, or I may use this one for an automatic heating unit for the house, and build another for the shop, on a different principle based an the absolute smokeless nature of the flame these electric motor driven oil burners, produce. Thus the whole of the combustion gases and the whole or the heat they carry can be drawn through the floor air ducts, since there is no danger of fouling from smoke etc.

Time for a new paragraph, in which future projects on the shop can be noted. There's the second big door waiting for oak tracks and the second aircraft engine electric starter motor, to be built into a second winch for the door lifting cable. That makes two such wonderful little motors I'll have used. They are gear down to about 150 to I ratio and make really excellent winch operators. The third one that I bought will be used for a shop "lift", in the form of an arch built of welded pipe and mounted on four automobile wheels and tires set tandem style to allow the hoist unit to be towed or moved anywhere in the shop or parking lot. It will be high enough to straddle any car or small truck. Reading about the projects not yet done in my '62 letter, I wonder if these or other projects will be done in time for my '64 letter???

The Bush House

The bush house itself remained pretty well untouched since early in '62 until only last week when my good carpenter-farmer neighbour Eddie, came over for a couple of rainy days work, and the gyproc (plaster board) was put up to finish covering the living room walls and the bathroom also. The bathroom sliding door had to come down for that and just because I took the double sliding door down from my "office-bed-room" too, that wall "had" to be gyproc covered too before putting the doors back up. These handsome Japanese mahogany doors will not be enclosed when slid back, but remain exposed against the wall. Finally I will cut a groove in their lower edges to take a guide pin or roller. The track at the top will be enclosed in neat box of plywood, to which clothes hangers could be fixed, so the doors would neatly slip behind clothes, for instance or other furniture etc. The first steps in the final heating circulation system were taken too last week, with preparation of air registers or vents the length of the two long picture windows in the living widows. This 24 feet length of "perforation" through the floor in a narrow strip below these windows, will be repeated under all the windows in the outer walls, and will allow heat from the furnace blown toward the four walls of the basement, to rise across the cool areas before the window glass, to the ceiling and return to the cold air suction register of the furnace blower. Then in the heat of the Summer cool air from the basement can be circulated similarly.

Social Credit

As ever it is so hard for me to "condense" what is to be said, yet the above is but a smatering from the years activities, and strictly on the utilitarian line too. Otherwise we did have an election back in May this year, as well as one in June of '62. In both, I acted as the candidates' "Official Agent", as well as continuing as the Social Credit Ass'n secretary for the local group. The June '62 candidate who was a restauranteur, fell upon hard times just about the time of that election, and closed shop abruptly leaving me with the "official duties" that have always to be tieded up after any election by all candidates, losers and winner alike. This year we have a fairly close knit group of fellows, a neucleus finally of a strong Movement in this County. We are only six or seven, with only three "always" active, but its something I've been working for since '57. Thus slowly is a righteous movement born in any locality. Our programe is a simple one too, being merely to mail copies of FOCUS our national S Cr paper to a mailing list of 100 to begin with, and eventually we hope to every household in the county, (which is an electoral riding), that will be some 10,000. Naturally growth to that figure will depend on new "blood" being attracted to the local group. It costs some $5.00 per 100 to mail out that many, when we buy them in bulk from the Ottawa headquarters of the Movement. Each month we hope to hold a "work" meeting where the papers will be folded, addressed and stamped for mailing. Here finally my little addresser machine has come in essentially, since I can "stamp" the addresses of any number of any names typed once on a master tape, with it, saving the endless address writing. Also the duplicator, is necessary to prepare a news sheet for local news of the movement for insertion in each paper. The eight page FOCUS is better written now than ever before with a new approach to publishing being used.

Repair Work

There's not much use of detailing the progress of my business, it is not the chief end in my life actually, even though I do gain endless satisfaction from building, whether it be a shop, or a house, a machine, a project, and not the least, a good repair job. In fact such is my absorption in a repair operation, that the hours still fly by as fast as they ever did, and only when I find my head some- what groggy, do I notice the time, and I wander into the house when the job is done somewhat in a daze, to brew me some coffee and prepare a snack or something, to wake myself up enough to complete the "end-of-the-day" household chores and drop into bed. Every so often that is more nearly a matter of minutes before the dawn as not. Last night for instance, when the last job went out about 10.00 pm, I reflected that each year so far I've always let the yard grass get far too long (anything up to 3 ft.) before I would get it out. Then of course it is a major job, almost literally haymowing. The little "Merry Mower" (a Merry Manufacturing Company name) has been getting older by the year, 'till last year it used almost as much oil as it did gasoline, and the spark plug fouled up and had to be burnt clean every hour of use. I've had piston rings and gaskets for it for nearly two years, but no time. So I took time, (by the forelock of course) and dismantled the little engine, put in the new rings, and got the thing all purring as nicely as ever, maybe I'll be inspired to cut some grass sooner in the season therfore. The mower uses a reciprocating cutter bar like a big farm mower, but cuts only three feet wide, no I guess it may be only 30" swath that it cuts. So it was a 3 a.m. bedtime for me Sunday morning. (today)

Church

Our Church has changed to its Summer Service time, being Sunday School at 11 am and church at 12 noon. So since I always want to get the tape recorder set up ahead of time to take the service, and yet didn't want to have to drive home again between S S and Church for Father, since he doesn't or hasn't been attending S School ----I skipped my S S attendance, and walked in on the adult class after setting up the tape recorder just before the S S broke up. There were the usual exclamations of welcome, then the kidding about why couldn't I wake up in time etc. "Why", I said, "I was up at 3.00 am today". Then after the expressions of sympathy at the lot of one who had to serve people at all hours, one dear old lady (the adult class is mostly older women) asked why didn't I go to bed again.!!! ---and I didn't say that that was when I did retire, having been up since the previous 9 am. But next week I may take Father in with me to S School, for although he won't hear anything (consecutively) still it may do him good to be in the thick of things again, in this case the swarm nf youngsters.

Marriage

But that's how I spend my days (nights mostly) finishing up work broken down during the customer's days, at night, so he is able to continue with less lost time the following day. It is a habit or a policy of years with me, and quite apart from whether it is good for my health, it does sometimes interrupt my plans for attending some evening function. Increasingly since late '61 maybe '60, I've become aware that with out definite steps ip the contrary, I would indeed remain single all my life. Strange as it seems to say it now, still I can say, "in my youth" logically enough, since some of my customers my age are grandfathers already,--- anyway, "in my youth" people would always joke about marriage, and say it was something in which one would "fall" if one didn't watch out,--and generally carry on as though nothing need be done about it except to be careful one didn't "fall" too hard.

But that is exactly where they were wrong, especially in my case or anyone like me. Since childhood when I continually pestered my Mother asking, "What can I do Mother, what can I do????", I increasingly found out that there was a world of things to do, and none of them had anything to do with girls or women. So absorbed (as I now see it) was I in finding what next to do, and finding I could actually do most anything I wished to try, it may have been that my school girl acquaintances without the same versatility, had nothing to attract me with. When I became aware of sex, Mother answered all my questions without any reservations, (she was no mid- Victorian prude,)----understanding the physical aspects of sex, whenever a girl's sex attracted me, her lack of versatile intellect or ability, repelled me. The "way to my heart" certainly was not through "my stomach", nor through any other "woman's work" which traditionally man "cannot" do for himself. I played with dolls with my sisters and with my boats, swords, guns, and mechano, art crayons and needle and thread. It was all fun, and in time it was just as much fun to sew up one's own shirt and trousers, as to rebuild a motorcycle, to cook, doctor, barber, dress, and housekeep as of themselves equally demanding of skill and interest, as to ride, race, climb, build, repair, engage in business, philosophize, or enter politics.

In fact I believe that actually there is no such thing as "woman's" as distinct from "man's" work, except the actual Fathering and Mothering of children.

But I had no need of a mate except biologially, until it became apparent that the responsibility of my Father's last years would be mine. It hadn't really occurred to me that while I grew to full maturity & Father was declining, that he would be unable to hold up his own end of the housekeeping, at first at least. But what he does, setting and washing dishes, is 'make work activity' for his own benefits since i had no dishes to "set" or to "wash" virtually in my own housekeeping. I still wash the cooking utensils, to be sure they are sterile, anyway, as part of the cooking procedure. Housecleaning itself can be a full time job, especially with three dogs racing in and out (two boarded for the winter and one of Father's) which I have to almost totally ignore, and besides twice the groceries shopping and cooking etc., (at regular but inconvenient to business times). Father gives me nearly three times the laundry I have for myseIf. How on earth he does it I can't quite figure out for he never gets his hands dirty, at pottering about the house and yard, reading and writing and snoozing. My job is the really dirty one, grease and dirt and dust from head to toe. Of course I wear coveralls and mechanics cap, which along with certain experience in keeping tidy under such conditions, I don't get very dirty except hands and face. Overalls like boots are not to be washed too frequently under the use I give them, and shortly let very little grime through them.

I seem to be "detailing" excessively again, yet details are the warp & woof of life too. No doubt my position is somewhat similar to a spinster daughter stuck at home to care for her parent, yet mine is different, since this house was built to accomodate Father at my place of business and livelihood. Maybe my situation is like a working widowed mother of children, yet there the children can grow to help at home and to leave home, but Father can only leave for his final Home. But in any case I should not have to wait till Father dies before looking for a wife. I did begin by writing to numerous marriage bureaux with repulsive responses (to me) Their attitude was excessively pornographic or commercialistic. But when a contemporary small businessman friend in Port Rowan found a wife through one of these Bureaux it was a personal contact, and I applied to them.

That was last Feb '62. The first client introduced was 'way back about Easter time in '62, and in about a month it became clear that there was no future in the case, for the girl, while entirely admirable for her intellect, and scholastic achievement, was a polio victim with use of only one arm. It was wonderful how she had overcome this handicap and become a highly paid high school teacher, yet how could she leave her independance based on more money income than I ever intended to earn, and then be unable to be much more than a handicapped dependant on me, whose independance is based on manual dexterity with intellectual ability. In August the 2nd introduction was made, and that fizzled out in a month too since the lady was such a "city girl" that she was horrified no end at the idea that I wouldn't move into town with her or at least maintain a town apartment for her.!!!

Since then silence, except for an increasingly heated exchange of letters between myself and the Bureau. Their agreement called for as many introductions as needed with no time limit. However I want them to definitely limit the time between introductions. My Port Rovian friend had three introductions in three months, so I question the Bureau's judgement in "not finding" among the many they claim they have. Most recent letters from the Bureau staff were most unfriendly (mine of course were hardly blarney like) so I wrote to the Bureau Director who is accompanying her husband "around Europe" on business no doubt. She advised me to send a letter to my future wife as it were, for the Bureau Staff to "circulate" among the ladies "who have asked for someone like me". Now you pen pals of mine know how I write, and I've written screeds of self descriptive writing to the bureau already, from which the Bureau staff have claimed they felt they knew me "rather well". Yet in their judgement they've apparently found no ladies who want someone like me. That same judgement sent me as a rural garage man, first a cripple girl, then a city loving girl, so natura1ly I don't think much of their judgement. So I want them to send me a list of descriptions only, no names, of ladies passing the rudimentary selection, health creed mental normality (& occupation), so that I can ask for more information about one and then another of them. The bureau keeps talking about the need to keep trying, and how the "man must ask" though the lady may refuse etc., yet they haven't sent anymore introductions from whom I could ask etc. I sent this last to the gallivanting Bureau Director via her Bureau office for forwarding, to Europe, and she may choose to ignore it, feeling that perhaps I was being too uncooperative in not writing that "brief and kindly" letter she suggested I write to "my future"---or no I guess she put it, "to the woman I hope to marry".

But "blow", I cannot write a brief letter, it would take me days and weeks to prepare. It may then be so condensed as to hardly be kindly. Rather it might be unkindly frustrating for what it leaves out. I'm to emphasize what I have to "offer" too, and of course that might be a form of Winston Churchill's blood sweat & tears, an opportunity, a responsibility, a shared life. I could offer blood maybe oftener than most, like the time I nearly cut off my left forefinger last Summer, and of course five weeks later when it had barely closed, and the customer trod on it acidentally of course, breaking the already mangled bone, then dear wife to be would have had a demonstration of sweat that really is sweat. Then a set of fingers thawing out after being nearly frozen will bring on tears as certainly as anyway I can think of. Yet these were all in a days work. Kindly? What is a kindly letter, one written by a kindly writer no doubt, yet he might not write kindly, or the reader might not take kindly to even his most kindly suggestions.

In more practical vein, my house is finished enough for me, but it awaits your influence for the finishing of its interior decor etc., even cupboards and window trim, not to mention landscaping the surrounding "forest" of towering silver maples, poplar, elm, hickory, oak, and bushes, four acres of it, plus the irregular acre for the house and shop and parking lot. Of course there's hydro, phone, intercom, radio, T V (now) phono, and tape recorder, piano, frig. water pressure, and conveniences, and a house full of furniture that my Father brought when his house was sold. In fact everything for a rural family home except a Wife and Mother. I offer you "these things", if you will seek first with me a Christian Family Home,---"----for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Yours truly;     Wesley W Leonard