Dear James,
We wish you the happiest of birthdays and hope you are well. We sent you some presents this morning, we each picked out our own and hope you like them. We got your letter with your mother’s letter in it and the package. The berries tasted good but were pretty soft so you had better not send any more.
It has been terribly hot today and yesterday, 101 degrees this afternoon. We went to the Ladies’ Aid yesterday afternoon and then thought we’d drive to town and get your presents and some groceries. Mavis Rood went with us, On the Dorset hill we had a slight accident. You remember that once before the top floor-board slipped down and jammed the brake and low gear. I tried to change to low near the top of the hill and the car started to slip backward and the brake was jammed so I slid slowly into the ditch to avoid going down hill and the car very gently turned over on its side. Ruth and John got out before the car turned and Mavis and I climbed out the window. Nobody said a word or got nervous or excited. We left John with the car and walked over to that same farmer for help and he came and another car stopped with a man and woman in it and the minister and his wife from the Ladies’ Aid came along and between all of us we got the car turned right side up and onto the road and it wasn’t even scratched. No glass broken nor anything damaged except about 3 gals. leaked out of the tank and some of the battery water. We drove on to town and did our shopping and home again and the car worked fine. I told Roods of course and showed them how it happened and he nailed 2 light strips of wood across the boards to keep them in place. I hope you won’t be nervous about my driving as I drive very carefully when the roads are poor or sandy and the same thing will probably never happen again. The children weren’t a bit frightened and I didn’t get nervous altho I couldn’t sleep much last night thinking of what might have happened.
I’m glad your folks are well and I believe your father will feel better now that he is working out of doors. The early peas are in blossom and the lettuce is fine. We need rain badly or the vines will dry up.
We’re going to get cleaned up now and go to bed early as none of us slept well last night.
Lots of love and hugs and kisses from us all, Martha