Lunch time, so I’ll try to get a note off before the mail man comes. I hear Carol, so a little will depend on how insistent she is. She shouldn’t need attention yet. She is back to normal now – at least waking up to know she is fed and stay awake a little while. Monday she scarcely opened her eyes even during feeding.
Last night Danny put his coat and hat on (backwards, of course) and announced that he was going to Chicago to see you. It was bedtime and he wanted to sleep with you. He has no idea how far you are. Just down the road, according to him. David told him you were really West and he had a fit. NO! You went the other way! We all get so tickled at his antics. He stays good natured even when determined that he must see you.
Mended and altered clothes all day yesterday. Doesn’t seem that I get much done when I do that. It takes a lot of time and not much to show for it.
David got a $4.00 check from Grandma Stover to divide with Danny for their birthdays. David has tossed around all the ideas of what he wants for his birthday and I guess that it will be shoes for the gym. Tonight he is going to stay and play the last football game.
My heart still skips beats; it’s a queer sensation. It hasn’t happened as often as it did on Sunday a.m. and there are no other aches and pains, so I’ll let it ride until my check up.
Margaret got her permanent last night. Was she tickled about that! It was really curly this morning and I hope that it does not come out this time. Her hair doesn’t take a permanent very easily.
The service man is here now to look at the machine. Something slipped, he said, and I hope he can fix it. Well, I will close now and try to get a note off to Mom yet. All my love to bestest husband and sweetheart in the world.
Johnny expressed my sentiments this morning: “I sure wish Daddy could be here every day.” When I suggested that perhaps we had better pray for a house near school [the college where my Dad was teaching], he agreed, adding, “Only one thing is wrong, it is awfully hard to go to new schools.” Which I heartily agree. I changed once in the 5th grade and for weeks I actually felt ill and begged to stay home in the mornings.
A sharp turn of events in our laundry this morning … and after all our rejoicing over it last night. The first load went fine and was in the dryer. I went down to check the second load (diapers) to give a second deep rinse. Water was running all over the floor. I don’t know what happened, but the water did not seem to shut off after filling the deep rinse. That or it kept draining out the suds saver hose as fast as filling up. Anyhow the suds saver tub and washing machine tub were both overflowing. I pulled plugs and drained what I could. No, later I did that. Carol was crying for food so I went upstairs to her and to decide what to do. I also had found that the dryer wasn’t working. Pilot switch wouldn’t go on. “He that thinketh everything is perfect — take heed.”
After Carol was cared for I went down again to analyze the situation. Behold, the dryer started working. “Thank you, Lord,” I said. So I turned to the washer. It is a strange noise and the water all pumps out the suds saver hose. The hole in the floor won’t hold it, so I had to stop experimenting to locate the trouble and wrote to Kendallville [a town in eastern Indiana]. The diapers are done, so I can wait to do more washing until after Wednesday.
Cheer up ………………..!
Carol is sleeping all the time and not eating so much. Her cold may have something to do with that. No new aches for me – but I am going on a fat-free diet, for general principle’s sake. Will close to meet mail man.
Tonight when Danny was going to bed he was sobbing on the bed in the living room. I’ve never heard him sound so broken-hearted. I gathered him up and he told me, “I want my Daddy” over and over again. He is feeling so punk and has been my little shadow for a couple of days, but tonight it was just too much. I would have spent the money on a phone call if I was sure it would have helped just to let him hear you. With some loving from me and Carol he settled off to sleep. He is not so sick, but enough to be miserable, hardly enough to keep him down.
Marian Bunce was just here. She brought out some ice cream, books for the children and cough syrup — and some news. All of the Dillons are down with flu, Gladys Lindeman is down, so is Mr. Kribs. Only a handful at prayer meeting last night. At the school the peak seems to have been reached, but still plenty of it.
Carol [about one month old] has been good but wanting to eat about every three hours, and hardly staying awake long enough to eat; on a chance that perhaps she wasn’t getting enough I tried giving her some formula tonight, but she would hardly take any. She may have a light case of the flu now.
Tomorrow morning I go to the dentist. I will have to leave the children here alone while I go. They should get along all right, if they’ll behave.
The service man was here to check the washer yesterday — it worked O.K. for him. He said we must have lost the “prime” somehow and showed me what to do when that happens. He also said that on this model the sudsy water does not get pumped out the drain, but has to go down the drain from the tub we save the suds in, which may cause trouble in the basement with only a hole in the floor. I may be able to get five loads washed before the water is too cool, but more likely only four loads. Did I tell you the new gyrator works fine?
We have had another rat and two mice die since you left. And by the noises we still have some more around.
A lot of wind last night. I’d forgotten how drafty the house is.
Been reading A. Whyte [Alexander Whyte, a Scottish author]. Also some of E. Stanley Jones. Must say that I find Whyte much the more stimulating. “Mastery” may be good – but I don’t always get the point. His magazine [an Intervarsity magazine for college students] just came. You’ll enjoy it this month — the inside cover — article by Ken Pike and two articles about non-professional missionaries that I enjoyed.
Must close for now. I do love you and like Danny I often would like to give up because “I want you.” But because of you, I take heart and strive to do a good job here. Take care of yourself and hurry home next weekend.
The baby is sleeping past her feeding time, so I’ll grab these few minutes to write a note to you. I felt better after calling you last night, as I didn’t want you wondering what had happened to us. Danny is running a temp today, and has the bad throat and stuffy nose that the others have had with this. But he doesn’t complain of a headache, muscles aching, or chills like they did. Jimmy hasn’t complained about that either, though they both have had pretty good temps.
They have had some rare dreams during this siege. Johnny asked me one morning, “Why did that man give us all that money last night?” A dream. Last night I dreamed (with no temp) that you had gone to Litchfield and they were so happy to see you they were in tears and raised a special flag to let everyone know you were back!
This morning I gave the youngsters baths and clean clothes and am washing up the other pajamas. And I’m also making some cinnamon rolls for lunch.
When Dale was out the other evening to look at the washer, Danny grabbed him and took him in to see the baby.
Well, I had better sign off – lots of things I could chatter about, but time is at a premium these days. I am letting some things go and getting to bed with the children so that the calls during the night aren’t too much for me. So far I feel fine and am thankful for that. Keep praying for us, but don’t worry if you don’t hear much. I’ll call if any trouble develops, but as things are now I believe that we’ll get along all right.
Right now the older ones are not too sick, but sick enough to be touchy and quarrelsome. I’m keeping them in separate beds and rooms upstairs most of the time with different things to do, which eliminates most of the fussing. Glad the weather is mild enough that I can do that.
Love you sweetheart, and it will be so good to have you home for a whole weekend again.
Again I am racing to get this done before the mail carrier comes. I should have started sooner, but I was listening to Paul Harvey and this slipped my mind. I did get your grade book in an envelope and out to the mail box so you would get it pronto.
How did you manage to get through yesterday? I slept spasmodically after you left. I guess it was on my mind that you were traveling. The baby slept until about 5:00 and after that I didn’t sleep. Danny comes down each night and finishes the night out with me. Monday he kept chuckling and telling me about all the records that you had played for him – both sides!
David went to the dentist yesterday. I guess that they only x-rayed his teeth and I’ll have to call in and see what has to be done more, if anything. David also played football after school and his team won.
We dug two rows of the late potatoes last night and not nearly a full bushel – mostly good sized ones, too. But I spoke too soon about the ones near the top of the garden. we not only couldn’t find them, but we couldn’t get the shovel in the hard soil to hunt for them. We did get the sweet potatoes dug and they are lovely this year. Found a few tomatoes but they are about gone for good.
I should have gotten the check cashed yesterday, but I neglected that, so will send you the money when I get it done.
Now I had better close and race this out to the door. Enjoyed the speakers this morning. Tozer gets down where it hurts, but what I need. I hope you can get to hear some of the conference. This afternoon I am going to try to do a washing. First time I’ve tried it. Still no parts for the washer, but I don’t know if I’ll know how to use it when they do come.
We are using the automatic, but we can’t get the suds to return to the machine, so we are lifting it with buckets and it is a high lift. Dorothy just suggested that we may have the hose too near the bottom. An idea and we’ll check at the end of the load. I have a letter ready to mail to Sears if that proves wrong. We are using the new gyrator and it works perfectly so far. And what we have washed dries in half the time it did with the wringer. When we get caught up and organized it is certainly going to make wash day easier.
Margaret was so tearful this morning that it finally dawned on my to check her temp and it was over 101°. By that time she told me she was cold. The house was cool because the wind is blowing, but she was definitely chilling. So I guess she is down with the bug. But you know kids. Wanting to play games while down.
If we have the flu, Mother better not come here and get exposed. With sickness we couldn’t can [we canned up to 100 quarts of applesauce every year] much anyhow, and Daddy depends on her too much to risk getting down with it. Besides, as it is now, I don’t see how we can afford apples and sugar. Perhaps things will change by then. I spent more than I should have yesterday on groceries; also bought a bushel of apples for eating, Jonathans, so we could have them for lunches. They need the fruit and in the long run this is very cheap eating.
David got up before breakfast and dug the rest of the potatoes this morning. A good start for the day, but as of now, I’m sure the day is not continuing or going to end as well. In fact one would thing we were having a bawl game [<<— !!] and I didn’t misspell that. With Margaret down, Jimmy and Danny with nasty colds, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnny were getting something. Well, it is no wonder. Dorothy has been a jewel and a lifesaver.
Now I will close and get lunch ready. Tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.
Very interested in Tozier’s message yesterday. Some questions to ask you when you get home. Wonder where women without husbands get their questions answered? I could get along without that, but I couldn’t get along without you and your love. I still marvel that you love me, but so very glad that you do.
Carol Ruth weighed 7# 3oz last Sunday. Today, Saturday, it is 7# 10 oz. so she is going along fine. I got orange juice and Similac yesterday. Can’t get her stuffy nose cleared up.
It was good to get your letter yesterday — and I should have had one in the mail to you, but I didn’t. Listening to Paul Harvey ruins my letter writing time. I used to do it as soon as Jimmy left on the bus and would have time to finish before the carrier came. Incidentally, I don’t think Paul Harvey sounds as good on these broadcasts. The commercials are evidently taped and it gives an unnatural ring to them, a change of quality in voice.
The radio has been on the fritz today. I managed to hear most of Tozier’s message by staying right there to punch the buttons or do otherwise to get the contortion out of it – not on the line, but in the radio. Danny is good at tuning it in. He has also been a good dish wiper this week. His cold isn’t any better – just get some improvement when he plays in the water or runs outside without a jacket.
The mailman just came and brought the part for the washing machine. I don’t know whether to try it out by myself or not. I’d hate to ruin something or get water all over the place. Later I’ll go down and see how things go. I want to finish this and then go to town to mail it, as well as spend some money. Since I have been so pokey about getting some money sent to you, why don’t you just put in the overseas Lit. money that you get on this coming Sunday. I’ll still set aside $25 for the Lord’s work: put part in here on Sunday and send some to the Fields for B. McDowell as we have mentioned before.
I’ll pay the telephone bill today (that is nearly $8 – several long distance calls on it). And then the rest will get some gas, baby food [Similac, see below], eggs, and groceries. Sort of hard to figure out just what are the most important things on the list.
You asked about bills. Besides the car insurance, your insurance notice came yesterday. Two months of milk bills, the gas bill make up the most important. Dentist, rent, etc. will come next. We will have to get some winter clothes for Dorothy and John. I don’t know about overshoes yet – we haven’t tried them on to see who has outgrown what or if they have grown into any!
It would be nice to get some meat in the freezer. It has really been going down when we are eating out of it instead of buying much. Mr. Milliman took the 24 chickens out that he had in, so that left a gap, too.
Had a card from Mother – guess I’ll just send it to you instead of trying to tell you what it says.
The youngsters are out of school next Monday and Tuesday for Institute. [?? who knows what that means?] I’m just itching to take off to visit you Tuesday – but of course I won’t. If wishes were horses, you know — or in this case an airplane! I did ask Marion if she would consider going then so Chuck could visit the school, but she said he has to stay for football practice. Game is canceled for tonight because of Flu. It is on the increase in the school here. Each day more out, and our youngsters have all been exposed now with someone in their room coming down with it during school and being sent home with a temp of 103° or so. I refuse to worry – I could get sick just thinking about what would happen if we all got it. I have been trying to see that we all get the necessary rest and been using plenty of orange juice and vitamins to keep their resistance up. It is in the Lord’s hands and He gives strength when needed. You cause me more concern by your irregular living, if you should get it.
Now I must close – surely do miss you. Guess I didn’t write partly because I was just too lonesome and didn’t want to sound sad. Those spells come when I feel as though I just have to see you and anticipating a weekend without you seems too much. I just must not think ahead to weekends but take each day as it comes. And the thought of you using so much time and energy and losing out on your studies just to come home doesn’t cheer me either. All in all it is not the most satisfactory situation, but it is the best one for us now or else the Lord would change it, of that I’m sure.
Now I must close. Danny has been dialing around on the radio and is quite amused at some of the programs. Jimmy has learned how to do something new. I said I would write you about it, but he suggested I write about something else so he could tell you himself when you get home…so you will have to wait to find out.
Carol continues to be good. One night and one day she was fussy, not from losing sleep, but the day I did the washing myself seemed to be what caused it. Dorothy said she would do the washing tonight so that wouldn’t happen again but I’ll get some Similac to help me out or help Carol out, as the work piles up too high when I have to wait on the children for all such jobs. Her nose is still stuffy too. She broke out with prickly heat on Monday from being too hot so much of the time. This has cleared up now.
For the third time, I must close; I love you honey, we all do, and we are praying for you daily.
Always, Nellie
I’ve been reading my instruction book on the washer and I guess I’ll give it a try tonight.
Oh, it was good to hear your voice and so unexpected. Lots of times when I pick up the phone I hope it will be you, but last night it took me by surprise and you sounded so close that I could hardly believe you were still in Oak Park.
If you got my letter of Monday on Tuesday than the mails are improving. [!!] You should get these letters before you leave. I’m sorry that you will miss the meeting on Saturday night. I know how you enjoy them and how comparatively few support much missionary endeavors.
Cloudy today – looks more like winter is around the corner. We went out to the garden this morning just to look around. I did bring in a cabbage head and two rutabagas. In case your folks come in they will be ready to fix — but can’t you hear the family yell clear down there! I fixed squash on Sunday, like we had at Bad Axe [a city on the “thumb” of Michigan]. They ate their spoonful when I put it in their mouths. Johnny and Jimmy, that is. So yesterday I put the rest into pies. Johnny tasted it and was sure that it was pumpkin pie and enjoyed it. Jimmy wasn’t sure and wouldn’t eat it. But then Jimmy never has liked spicy things like pie or spice cake.
Our rat [??!!!??] still evades us, but we do know that there is some way for it to get on the back porch from the basement, and perhaps from outdoors by way of a tunnel under the porch. We saw it on the back porch and it acted slightly sick then [??!!!??] but it disappeared and we don’t know how or where.
I’m feeling better each day which is encouraging. The youngsters have been doing very well in helping out. David is going to make a good fireman – he has done it all this week and the house has been just fine all the time.
The baby is waking up for her feeding so I’ll close and get this out to the box. She has certainly been good — we’ll have to get the scales down this week to see how well she is gaining. I’m sure she is.
Though there is not much in the way of news, I do want to get a note to you, so that you will know that all is going well — and that we are wondering how you are making out. I did hate to see you leave when you weren’t feeling a bit good, but I felt that you wouldn’t get much better around here. So hard to keep down.
The baby continues to eat and sleep — imagine, not one crying period yet. She even slept through the night feeding on Saturday night. Her cold is a little worse, but really not bad.
David is home today with whatever you had. No temp, just a sore stomach. He was fine when he got up, was helping me with breakfast, when all of a sudden he turned white and said he didn’t feel good. He was on the davenport, but when the bus came he said he felt OK then and went to school. But at 9:30 he called me up and I had to go after him. I asked the Lord to make the gas last for that trip as I had no money with me and it registered zero yesterday when I took the children to Sunday School. I don’t know how long it has been there. David is sleeping now. His teacher said he didn’t look well, and he admitted that he didn’t feel too good!
[postnatal symptoms] that started Friday was worse yesterday and my abdomen felt sore, so I asked the youngsters to come home and do the washing. It does seem better today, and I want it to continue that way.
Hesper took the three older youngsters to the chapel on Saturday and Sunday nights. She certainly has been good to us and willing to do all that she could. They enjoyed the meetings with Shufelt and I guess that the crowds have been good.
Mrs. Bunce and Mrs. Wolcott came out on Saturday evening for a while.
Danny came in from seeing Jimmy off on the bus and, grinning, said that the driver said he was cute! He sits for periods of time on the footstool by the baby’s bed and watches and waits for her to wake up.
Don’t feel you have to leave the Homecoming to get home this weekend. I would love to have you here, but I feel that I have had more than my share of your time so far this school year. And I have certainly appreciated having you home and helping out. But if you can stay and get a little done on your classes for Monday you had better do that, as preaching here will make you a very short night’s sleep. Mrs. Bunce said she thought Dick would like to come home if he can do that.
I wondered if you could have taken anyone along with you to Davenport to help drive when you felt badly – or maybe you didn’t even go if you felt worse.
Going to sign off now, don’t want to miss the mail carrier. I miss you here — really seems lonesome without you — just a few weeks like we had in September spoils me. But since I love you so much I know that it will always be that way. I don’t get used to you being away. I just wait for you to come home.
All my love, Nellie
[I messed up and misread the date of the letter I posted yesterday as 10-5, when it was really 10-8. So *this* letter is the first letter Mom wrote after I was born.]
The only baby picture of me that I know of, probably taken around Christmas 1957
Tuesday 10-5-1957 10-8-1957 [one week after I was born – see the next post for the 10-7 letter]
My Dearest John,
It is such a beautiful day that I feel like working in the yard – but not really as my back is not yet strong enough for that.
David is feeling better this morning and wants to go to school this afternoon. Their room has a football game this afternoon. But this morning they were fixing shredded wheat and a bowl of the hot water tipped on him —his stomach— and really blistered it. A large patch just above the navel. So he won’t play. He had hoped to even though I said that it was too soon for that after being sick. [A Harper weirdness? We ate the pillow-shaped biscuits this way: pour boiling water over shredded wheat, let it sit 30 seconds, drain off the water, add a pat of butter and a spoon of sugar.]
Dorothy went to a 4H meeting last night to see what it was about. Hesper took her and Norma, for cooking and sewing. They would enjoy it, but I was disappointed when she came home smelling like smoke. She said the leader smoked right during the meeting.
Mary Dillon came over last night to see if she could help any. They had a CEF [Child Evangelism Fellowship] class at her place yesterday – 19 children came out. David was home sick and Dorothy didn’t stay, as I had asked her to come home to do the washing, which she did. They have really been helping out very well, and I have been getting my rest. Little jobs are piling up, but I hope to soon be able to do more and get at them.
I made some home-made noodles last night. The children really went for them with some boiling beef. I’ll have to do that from now on – very simple and good.
Strat Shufelt has a 15 minute program on WSTR this week – 8:30 a.m. I didn’t know about it until Margaret mentioned it. So I listened today. I think he is using some of his own recordings of music and then the message part is live. I am going to try to get out on Friday night. I haven’t told the youngsters yet, but if I feel up to it, I will try that.
Now I must get lunch ready. Scrambled eggs for my invalids. Danny, the clown, holds his stomach and groans, so that he can crawl up on the davenport with David! That was yesterday as David has been up today doing school work.
Je t’aime beaucoup, beaucoup – that will fool David; he has been looking over my shoulder.
A Living Pencil 