Dear Daddy – The Farm Letters

Dear James,

We got your letter today. I wrote Wed. but the wind blew the flag down so the carrier didn’t stop so you probably won’t get any mail until Saturday. The road is icy but if the weather keeps warm most of the ice till be gone by the time you come. The left front tire is down and I’ll fix it as you said. Have you got your new license? It would to fine if you could come for Sunday. I can meet you Sat. night and I think we had better go right back as there is nothing that can be done here yet awhile and maybe I can get some sewing done.

John and I need new shoes and rubbers and Ruth needs new rubbers and we all need hair cuts. I sent the books and puzzle in with your clothes. Don’t trade this puzzle. It’s a cute picture and harder to put together than the others because of the different colors. The temp. was zero again Mon. night. I had to thaw the pump again with kerosene. I tried boiling water first but that didn’t work.

I ironed today and did a little sewing and mending. John made a tiny wooden doll and Ruth is fixing a 2 story house with cardboard furniture and everything. Yesterday they each did a little wash and ironed today. It’s kind of a nuisance but keeps them busy and contented as it is something they think up themselves. Shaw’s have another calf.

I can’t think of any more news so I’ll sign off and go to bed. Love from us all.

(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

Dear James,

We got your letter and pkg. on Sat. Everything was in good shape. The box of food came on Friday. Yesterday was a beautiful spring day and we did our best to make John’s birthday happy but he missed you. We walked down to Jensons Friday night and got a small bag of potatoes. We can get eggs there now.

It looks much like rain today. After breakfast we are going out to put wood into the shed. We’ve used a lot of what you split and it was a big help. John was pleased with all of his presents. He has the puzzle almost together. I think the pictures are good. Keep up your courage, everything will be all right.

Love from us all. Martha

Dear James,

We are waiting hopefully for a letter today. The mailman doesn’t get here until afternoon now and that makes the suspense longer. Something came loose inside the pump last evening and I couldn’t get any water so we “borrowed” a pailful from Shaws and I asked him to come this morning and see if he could fix it. He is working at it now. He had to take the pump off to get at it; something about a spike went wrong. You should have heard the children chatter to him. He was flabbergasted. Mr. Shaw just finished fixing the pump so everything is hunky-dory again. I asked him how much the bill was. He said it could watt until you came. He worked at it about an hour. “They said” at Shaws that the banks in Park Rapids had closed and all of the stores were going to close.

I am baking bread today, both rye and white, and shall clean out the kitchen stove and wipe down the walls. The stove smokes once in a while and gets everything smudgy. Hope to see you soon.

Love, Martha and the children.

Dear James,

Another week has gone by and here we are on another Sunday evening with the children tucked into bed and me ready to join them as soon as I have written this letter. We got two nice letters from you yesterday.

The sky was gray all day and I won’t be surprised if we get some snow. The road is too icy to walk anywhere so we stayed home and I read “The Last of the Mohicans” to the children. John has read “White Fang” and Ruth the other story, so now they will trade books and be thru with the Library books In time to send them back this week. Two cars went by today. I am getting my back toasted good as I write sitting by the fire.

We have a gal. of kerosene which I am sure will last us this month. We have eaten all the canned fruit but the strawberries, we are saving them for when you come. We’ll have to get potatoes this week from Jensons and I haven’t located any eggs yet so you had better send me a doz. to make John’s birthday cake. I wish I had a lb. of powdered sugar for the frosting. Send his things as early as you can so we will be sure to have them by Sunday.

I must have spring fever, I am sleepy all the time. The children will both write in the morning. We’ll be seeing you.”

Love and kisses from us all, Martha