Memo data type shows just 2 boxes in Report Print Preview

I have searched few quite a few posts but have yet to see this issue
addressed. I am befuddled as to how this happened b/c my report used
to work just fine. Anyway, here is my situation:

I am creating a report by selecting specific records from a combo box
in a form that is linked to a query. Everything works great, except
that one of my fields that is displayed on the report is showing just
2 boxes, or some other kind of giberish (chinese letters too) - but it
is always just 2 characters. When I changed this field from a memo
data type in the source table to just plain old text, the report
displays the information correctly. When the field is a memo data
type, nothing but 2 character gibberish.

I would use this solution of changing the field to a text data type
except that a lot of info has been entered into this particular field
and there could be a lot of data lost if I switched the field from a
memo to text data type.

Any ideas as to why the memo data type is showing up as 2 character
gibberish?

Thank you in advance!

(database was created with Access 2003 at home, but is run on Office
XP at work)