512 South Barkley

Just after we moved into The Apartment, we found a better place to live. An elderly woman named Sophie was heading north for the summer, and wanted to rent her furnished house while she was gone. We struck a deal and moved in probably about May or so.

The house was located at 512 S. Barkley in Mesa, and it was small and pleasant, with a soft clover lawn. The dryer hook-up didn't work for our dryer, so I hung the laundry on the clothesline. (You will be interested to know that line-dried towels are as stiff and non-fluffy as cardboard.) I also learned some things I do not like in housing. (1) Red carpet is the devil. It shows both dirt like a light carpet and lint like a dark carpet. (2) Knick-knacks are also the devil. Unless they are in enclosed shelving. Otherwise, you can go from 4 months pregnant to 9 months pregnant without accomplishing anything more than dusting the tabletops (and vacuuming the red carpet).

We lived there until after Gordon was born, but not more than a month or two. Because around October, our moved and renovated house was ready to move into.