Sunday - July 16, 1978

Dearest Ron & Ann, Rick & Jean, Bob & Claire,

This is going to be a short letter because I don't have any news - this has been a slow week and we have really enjoyed it.

Annie - I have been in a dilemma about what to tell you about your earning - at first I was just going to buy you some new ones and send them but then I decided we all needed to learn a lesson about sending things through the mail - especially into Arkansas!!! We received your envelope on Monday and it had been torn and your earnings taken out - your letter in its envelope wasn't touched - I'll send it back to you so you can see it. I was just furious but decided against making a complaint because I knew there was nothing that could be done since you hadn't insured it and I was worried that our mailman would get into trouble and he is the nicest man and I'm absolutely positive he wouldn't do a thing like that. I really feel bad about it because they were such good earnings. We loved your letter and we think you're very wise to reconsider about your trip to Switzerland - when you're sick, the best place to be is home. You really should be over the nausea by then - I personally feel that our trip and the wedding and all and then your trip to Idaho was just too much - you do too much and I'll bet if you slow down you would be 100 percent better. Ron - Johnny has shown his "Star Wars" things to his friends and also has told them about the slide in Park City he really enjoyed all that so much.

Bob - we were so thrilled to receive your letter and you sound so happy - we hope your garden is producing. The Sherwoods have brought us several sacks of corn and we have loved it - Bessie Wilhite gave us some tomatoes - our garden is coming along but we were late in getting it going, but our cucumbers are great. We hope you'll write and tell us what you want to do with the house. Claire - we had the loveliest letter from your Aunt Josephine - we have a good picture of her and we'll have a copy made and send to her. Did the Steve Beyer ever come see you? They had planned to come and I told them where you were. Your honeymoon trip to Snowbird wounded really nice and Daddy would love the Steak Pit!!!!

Jeannie - it was fun talking to you and Rick yesterday - I get so homesick for all of you I can hardly stand it - next time we'll call you, Ann and Ron. I was making chocolate chip cookies and whenever I do that it reminds me of the fun we have all had in the kitchen and I have to call you. The cookies turned out so good but I have a hard time getting rid of them - Roy eats one from a batch, Johnny eats two or three and Daddy doesn't eat any - they don't keep very well in this heat either. We are so anxious for you to get into your home but we think how lucky you are to not have a deadline to get out of your apartment - this way, you can be sure everything is exactly as you want it before you sign the final papers. I'm sure I have told you this before, but we moved in this house before they had completely finished the painting and they just quit and we had to finish it. Rick - Johnny has the picture of you and him with all those fish in a special place in his bedroom - he wants to have them enlarged!!!!

We had a funny thing happen to us Friday night. It was the first dance of Youth Conference. They had asked Daddy and I to wear costume and serve trays of snacking food - it was a really cute idea. Daddy planned to borrow Bob Dolands Arabian costume and I decided to wear the dress he brought me from Egypt. I looked okay, but Bob's costume wouldn't fit Daddy so we just got some purple material and wrapped it around his head and tied it with gold cord - he felt uncomfortable but he wrote it. My next project is to make him a cute costume he'll feel good in - I'm thinking about a Humpty Dumpty one!!! The conference was in Hot Springs and we got all him and all of sudden he went to his bed and laid down and we looked at him and he was as white as a sheet. We were in a quandary because Roy had plans and you don't change his plans!! We stayed with him for about an hour and he didn't get any better so we coaxed him into going with us - when we got there (It was in the Velda Rose Hotel) we had him go to one of the rooms that had been reserved for the chaperones and he stayed there and watched television. He decided he was hungry so we ordered a dinner for him but that was a mistake - he really got nauseated and we left the dance early and he was sick all the way home. He's still not complete over it but he's much better - we think he was in the sun too much that day.

We have really been excited about the Miss Arkansas pageant- Dona Kirkpatrick has been one of the contestants and everyone seemed to think she would win - she won one of the swimsuit competitions. We waited up until late last night for the results and she didn't get it. A girl from Searcy won. The girl who won also won the talent competition with a piano solo - Donna's talent was dancing, I think, I know that you Bob, remember Donna but maybe the rest of you don't. Her little brother is a good friend of Johnny's and her sister is a good friend of Roy's.

Johnny's baseball season is over and I think he is really happy it is. They came in next to last - they did win their last game though. They had a picnic after the game and it was fun. They haven't had enough practices - their team had the potential but they just couldn't get it all together.

It is really hot here - AND HUMID!!!! I don't go out in it unless I absolutely have to. Aunt Marvel is really complaining about the heat an her room is almost cold all the time. We visited with her for quite awhile yesterday and she was upset most of the time - I showed her all the wedding pictures and she said, "Why didn't I get to go???" I finally convinced her that her doctor wouldn't let her go.

I have written to the Mayo Clinic asking for an appointment for Mother. I don't know when I'll go but I'll let you know. Johnny goes to Brookhill the first week in August and that would be a good time for me to go but I'll have to wait to hear from them. I haven't heard from Mother and Daddy but I'm sure they're busy at this time of the year.

We will have pictures made for all of you - I need someone with good eyes to choose the right negatives and Roy said he would help me so I'll get to it soon.

We surely do love and miss each one of you and we'll be so happy when we can live close to you. Please be careful in everything you do and let us know if you need anything.


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