Until July 2010, when her eyesight deteriorated, my mother wrote 1000s of chatty letters during her lifetime - to her parents, in-laws, sisters, children, friends. Tho she started to write to me on a regular basis in Sept '68 when I began my freshman year at SUNY-Buffalo, it wasn't until 10 years later that I decided to hold onto them. (Very inconsistently at first, to which the big gaps between dates attest.) These are the letters transcribed, annotated, and otherwise highlighted here.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Sunday, November 27, 2005
This A.M. I was musing should I go to church. My back is bothering me & tomorrow I'll have to call the chiropractor for an appt. Getting up out of a chair hurts. But the decision was made for me. Marie Mathis called & said there is no heat at church. It is a pretty new furnace so it shouldn't act up but it does. So I'm sitting with the heating pad on my back.
Your packages -- 2 -- are about ready to send to you. They'll come UPS.
We didn't go to the Mall on Black Fri. but we went on Sat. & we didn't have to wait in line to pay for our purchases. Only in K Mart did we wait. All 4 or 5 registers were opened with waiting customers.
All Barb's gifts are wrapped but not mine. I'll get busy when my back feels better. Think I was lazy & carried in more groceries than I should have. After that my back started in.
Both Barb & I sent cards to Pete & Sylvia Yosten. Barb also wrote a letter. She read it to me & got emotional reading it. She & Max were good friends in high school but drifted apart as they went their separate ways. Max is the reason Barb joined the Navy. One nite Max & some girls were going to Jamestown & Max told Barb there wasn't room for her. The next day she went & joined up. And after that Max decided to join the Army. Barb told me that.
Tues. evening
Dale put the tree up on Sun. Mon. Barb brought the decorations from the attic & I started to decorate the tree. Barb put on the finishing touches & we have a lovely looking tree. Barb's pkg are under the tree. I still have to wrap my gifts. We've also put decorations around the house. Next I'll start in on Christmas cards -- glad my list gets smaller each year.
I'll enclose a check. The boys want money for the Xbox so there will be 75.00 for each of you -- 1 $300.00 check. As long as I'm able each one gets 100.00 spent on them.
Called Lar & Kim late this aft. to see how Torey is doing. It was a long Mon. for them & Torey is doing fine. Has a covering on the ear that he doesn't like & Lar & Kim didn't get much sleep last nite. Torey does have an enlarged heart.
Dale saw the Dr. in Erie today. We had a lot of rain & he said the Blazer drove really well.
Enjoyed reading your letter. I'm so glad I'm not having babies today. Suppose because of being sued so much goes on today. IV's, tracking the heart, etc. When Lar was born it was only the Dr. & me. No nurse & afterwards he wheeled me to call Dad & tell him he had another son. I was very lucky -- my deliveries were fast.
You could "read" when you were very young. You could tell the name of each record & we never knew how you recognized them. We expected a lot form you. We didn't see it in high school. But moving to Wi. was the right move & you have fulfilled your capabilities. Better late than never.
I think First. Eng. in Gt. Falls bought the houses nearly the church. Seems like I heard that.
Had a greeting from the pastor & wife who followed us in G.F. He became a prof. at Augustana. Now retired they lived in Arizona. They decided to relocate to Seattle area as they have a son there. They sold their home in 1 day. Now living in an apt. on Bainbridge Island. Dad's classmate Gordon Loren was pastor in Bainbridge Island. We saw a lot of them when we were In Auburn.
Gene & Gladys Hasselquist were good friends. They ended up in Minnesota. Now retired. Gladys died a couple of years ago. Also their son died. Gene is still active & winters in Texas. He could be a great grandpa by now.
Fri A.M. Dec. 2
It is snowing & adding up. We were going to the Mall after I got my hair done but changed our minds. Will go Sat. A.M.
Torey is OK, but Kim is a concerned "Mom". Torey has taken to sleeping with them again & Kim gets squeezed out of bed. Wed. nite she needed up on the floor.
I have to make 2 pies for church. Finally decided to make a butterscotch meringue pie & maybe a strawberry pie. Or a graham cracker pie with a vanilla filling meringue on top.
Yesterday I made Spritz & a sugar cooky. I'll freeze some so they won't get stale. If I want a cooky to go with coffee, I take one or 2 our of the freezer & put in the microwave & they are good. I still haven to make rolls for Dale but only 2 batches. If they have it on Fri baking them will be a problem as I can't miss my hair appt. That always comes first. I'll just have to get up early.
Barb & Lynn must be "sounding boards" for each other. Lynn will tell Barb something & say "don't tell anyone!" But Barb tells me as she can't keep it a secret. And who would I tell so the secret is safe.
I didn't go to the Dr. for my back & I'm paying the price. It is better but not healed. Maybe I'll end up going next week. It doesn't bother my sleeping. Mostly getting up & down to sit.
Sheila knows the people who bo't Frank's house. They've painted all the walls & woodwork, as they were maroon & blue. Even the kitchen cupboards. They would have had to do all of it twice. The husband is anxious to move in as they are living with her parents. It will be tough to move in the snow. It will be nice to see lights there.
Dale is working on the outside Christmas lights. Some are out & he had trouble finding the bad ones. He finally worked out a system, bot' more lights & will soon have it ready to go.
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