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Topic: Lake Tahoe cabin?

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Last Reply: Mar 15, 2015 3:00 PM
Joined: Jun, 2008
Location: Grand Terrace, CA
Occupation: teacher
Nov 01, 2014, 4:08 PM
Many years ago my mother owned a used book store in the town of Fair Oaks, near Sacramento, CA. It think it was around 1982 when a man came into her store with a box of old books,including some artist sketch books. He claimed that they came out of the attic of his family's cabin in Lake Tahoe and thatone of the former owners of the cabin had been Betty MacDonald. He said that these books and drawings had belonged to Betty and were left in the house after it was sold. My mother purchased the box but decided that the sketches and books probably did not belong to Betty and tossed them out. To my regret, I never got to see these items, as I was away at college at the time. I recall that my mother said some of the sketches included frogs. I've always wondered if possibly Betty and Don did, for a time, own a cabin in Lake Tahoe and could these items possibly have belonged to her? Anyone have any thoughts on this? I've been a Betty fan since discovering a copy of The Egg and I in my middle school library.
Joined: Dec, 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
Nov 02, 2014, 3:19 PM
Hmmm. I wonder. Betty had some artistic talent. She may have spent time trying to develop it. But her mother, Sydney, was extremely talented and sketched a lot. I wonder if some of those sketchpads might have been hers?
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Dec 08, 2014, 7:02 PM
lynnele & Sue, Betty may have vacationed at Lake Taho. Betty was an avid letter writter and, I may have a letter from Betty regarding a possible LT vacation. Give me a few days and I will let you know what I find.
Joined: Dec, 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
Dec 09, 2014, 12:50 PM
John, wonderful!
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
Mar 14, 2015, 8:00 PM
Suz & Lynnele,

I have looked through all my letters regarding Betty. They had traveled to Texas during a book tour. There was NO mention of their Visiting Lake Taho but, that's not to say they didn't go. By the way: I am working on a new newsletter after a hiatus of several years due to ill health. so if you anyone hasn't gotten their email address to me now is the time to do so. Please sent me an email with Betty newsletter in the subject to, johnc@bettymacdonald.net
Joined: Dec, 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
Mar 15, 2015, 3:00 PM
Thank you, John. I imagine Betty could have gone Tahoe at some point; she seems to have enjoyed California and in the forties and fifties, Tahoe was a big deal. On the other hand, I bet those book tours wore her out, and maybe she just wanted to stay home, garden, and be with family in her time off. Anyway, thanks for looking. S.
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