Letter, February 18, 1977

Dear Mom, Dad & all,

If you want warm weather you’re going to get it when you come down here. The days are already very warm, and it never rains. March they tell me is the hottest month of the year here so you can leave your long undies home! However, in Santo Domingo, where I’m now living, it is quite cool & windy in the evenings. I wear a sweater or overall jacket, generally.

I want you to bring me down a couple things when you come.

First, I need 4 rolls of film for the girl who’s going to take pictures at the wedding. She needs KODACOLOR 2 for a 35-mm. camera (the film has a number, but she didn’t know it, but with the type & camera type you should be able to get it). The rolls are 36 picture ones, for prints, and she wants 4, OK? I think I’ll send the film back with you to get it developed too since they don’t do a good job of developing color shots here.

Second, I need to get a statement from the bank in Adams which gives my total interest earnings for 1976 (that would include the Golden Passbook account & 2 C.D.’s {certificates of deposit}). It looks like my income for 1976 may just squeak over the minimum for paying Federal tax. It depends on how much of my Peace Corps allowance is taxable. They raised our readjustment allowance, plus I got special pay for home leave & that may do it. So if you can get a statement of my interest, I have the W-2 from Peace Corps & am getting the other info. I need.

Don’t bring down any wedding gifts please. If we get some stuff from people here that we won’t use right away we may send it back with you. Things like china that would surely break if sent back by freight. <If you want to bring some little gifts for Sofia’s family or the family I lived with in training, that’s OK.> The cheese and sausage I brought went over well. They’ve never seen cottage cheese, and the U.S. produced liquor is much more expensive here than there (just ideas).

Wedding arrangements are coming along. Today we go to see the priest, with Jaime & Pilar as witnesses, to get the preliminary paperwork taken care of. <I’ve got my suit, & Sofia’s dress is about done.> My biggest problem right now is groomsmen, since I know so few Volunteers in Costa Rica, and most of my male friends here in general are married. Not too grave.

I really want to know what time you’ll be arriving so I can meet you at the airport. I’ll probably take that day (March 4) off from work to run errands anyway, & may rent a car if I can afford it. <That night some local musicians are going to come and serenade Sofia.> You’ll want to see that.

Take care,

Dean