(Tuesday evening, Mar 14)
Dear James,
We were so glad to get your nice long letter and the package today. The children are safely tucked into bed and I shall have time to write a regular letter. You had sent butter earlier and we had a fine dinner, roast beef and gravy, mashed potatoes, angel food cake and strawberry sauce. We opened the last can for John’s birthday as we had nothing else for dessert. We had a real little party all by ourselves, played games, and the children made prizes for the winner. John was real pleased with his presents and uses his flashlight to go out after dark and to go down into the basement.
It turned cold again today and the pump was frozen when I went out after water tonight, but I thawed it out with hot water this time. He must have changed the vent some way as the water stays way up in the pump. It was 10 above when I looked tonight, It surely is a nuisance to be bothered like that.
We finished putting the last puzzle together and it’s a real cute picture. Where do you put yours? We lay ours on top of the phonograph or if that is too small, on top of the little stand. We had all the pieces up here and are on the lookout for two missing ones. They might have slipped through a crack in the floor, John is putting his own puzzle together for the second time. If you trade be sure to get as good as you give. I kind of hate to part with them they are such nice pictures, and the children like to put them together. There were 3 pieces missing from John’s puzzles and some parts of another puzzle put in instead. His puzzle colored red on the back.
I worked on the quilt a while today and shall sew on John’s shirt a little before I go to bed. I have many things to sew but it makes me nervous.
We had muffins and syrup, cold beef and tea for supper, beef stew with carrot, and macaroni for dinner and buckwheat cakes for breakfast. “We had hot roast beef sandwiches for dinner Monday and there is enough roast left to slice cold for another meal. It was a big treat. Even the cat liked it.
I’m glad you are getting so much work. You had better ask the lady about our staying there a while as I shall have to do our laundry there and if she doesn’t like it you can look for another place, I’ll find out about roads as soon as I can.
I was glad to get the paper today. The children have been making paper houses today. If you’ll send the last house plan back I’ll have them make a model to scale. They do real nice work. I haven’t heard anything more from the school. I want to have a talk with the Supt. while you are here if I don’t have a chance before that.
I can’t think of any more news now. I hope they have some good movies while you are here. Lots of love and good luck from the whole family,
Martha