August 25, 1951

10:30, Saturday night

August 25, 1951

Dearest Mother and Daddy,

We have had no letter since last I wrote to you, but we had two between my last two, so we can't complain. Perhaps we will have a letter in the mail tomorrow. Anyway, we haven't worried because we have been so sure that you would be getting along all right. I surely hope that confidence is not false.

If we go according to appointment, we shall be seeing you soon -- our appointment with Dr. Lytton-Smith is for September 4. However, before we say for sure we are coming then, we want to check up on what our lawyer [regarding The Accident] is up to -- thought it wouldn't pay to bother to check up much sooner, as he probably wouldn't know too much definite very long ahead of time. We really haven't talked much about plans as we haven't realized how near the time is. Time surely does fly.

Today we had our first visit from a member of the Wareham tribe -- Warren, our nephew, the one who married Marion John. He had come down to L. A. to meet Marion on her trip from back East, but found that she would not be in until tomorrow, so he came out to see us. We had a funny dinner. I had made a lemon fluff pie, which turned out to be soup and was so rich that we almost felt sick while eating it. But I guess things were all right. Benton had to go to work at three, but Warren stayed until about five and visited. He is a nice boy. He wanted me to know that I was welcomed into the family. Wasn't that sweet?

After Warren went this p.m., I went for a walk with Donna and Mrs. Roberts. We went down to the main road at the foot of our street, then over to the next block, and back again, and I could have gone farther, so I guess I am making some process. However, my legs often ache and hurt quite a bit -- guess the muscles are rebelling a little at being awakened from their extended vacation.

Omar [my half-brother] went to visit his girl friend this weekend. It is unusual for him to get a chance to go anywhere as he usually has to work Saturday nights. I hope he is having a good time. He surely is a nice boy.

Last Tuesday I did my washing all by myself as Benton was working mornings. It took me a long time because when I began to get tired I worked about three times as slow. But it was nice to know that I could really do it all by myself. Wednesday morning I did all of the ironing. I'm not a very fast ironer yet, but perhaps I'll improve when I get so that I can stand up to do it and when I become a little more skillful at it. At least I get it done, and that is something.

Thursday morning Benton was off, so we went to town to spend all of our money. We went to the bank, then went and bought me a pair of new shoes -- can't decide for sure whether they will really be comfortable or not, but think that they will be all right. We also bought some flannelette to make us nightshirts -- thought I'd make one for me to match Benton's so that we'd be twins. We got a little seersucker, too, to make me another bedjacket that won't have to be ironed. Soon I hope to start sewing, though we don't have our machine back yet.

Thursday afternoon Benton had to go to work again -- another burn case. He is still on that one now -- don't know how long that will last. He hasn't had a day off since you folks left, so he really deserves a little rest one of these days.

Yesterday I did nearly all of the cleaning and cooking, so you see I'm getting so that I can work a little faster all of the time. Maybe sometime I'll be able to amount to something yet. In the meantime, Benton still loves me anyway, though I can't imagine why.

Last week I at last finished unpacking my books. They still have plenty of sand in them [because they were thrown out of the car in the Accident, too, and there was a sandstorm!], but most of them are at least usable, and that is something. Benton is enjoying reading my Medical Science book and my Surgical Nursing book, as they are much more modern than anything he had when he took his training so long ago [he finished in about 1917 or 1918]. He takes them on duty with him and reads them. Since he has been taking care of this burn case, he read the section on burns. However, though the book was published in 1948, it is not up to date on treatment for burns. It seems that now they dress them with a little vaseline gauze then wrap them with ace elasticized bandage so that air can't get in, then they don't dress them again for sometime. They also give the patients ACTH, and they don't seem to have so much pain. I'll get some of the nurses' course yet [she had had to drop out because she had contracted tuberculosis, and that was also why they were taking her to Arizona when The Accident happened] by proxy or by hook or crook or something. One never knows what might become of me after all. At present I'm quite contented -- if my legs would just get well faster.

Thursday I called up about my x-rays, and Dr. Simpson said she could see no evidence of activity [that is, tuberculosis activity], but that I should keep checking frequently. So that is that anyway. At least it was a comfort to know, because I do get tired sometimes.

I also have my last leg x-rays that Dr. Nickel ordered -- thought maybe Lytton-Smith would be satisfied with them when he sees me. If he is, we will save a little money -- nothing Scotch or Jewish [she actually use to brag about having some of BOTH!] about us! I still marvel how my right leg can look like it does and still hold me up, but it surely does. I must still be making bone or something, because I eat like a pig and am not gaining weight. Anyway, it's fun to eat like a pig, though it is rather expensive.

Our tomatoes are just bearing enough to keep us going now, though Benton says they may pick up again when it gets a little cooler. Anyway, I have all I want to eat, and Benton and Omar never did eat them much anyway. I also have enough for salads for the family, so we don't have to buy any. We had two cantaloupes off our vine last week too, and they were really good. Our squash is beginning to bear again too, and our middle peach tree is giving us a nice supply of really delicious peaches, though we haven't had any more to can. We are going to plant some chard and some string beans one of these days too -- not many, just a package of each, and maybe not even that much chard. At least it will give us a little bit of a supply of really fresh vegetables, and it will be fun.

Here it is after 11 already, so I guess I'll finish this in the morning. Maybe we will have a letter from you by then too.

Anyway, we  love you, and want you to take care of yourselves. We'll be seeing you before too long, no doubt.

Much, much love,

Lois Ruth and Benton

<handwritten>

Sun. a.m.

We are on our way to see Keyes [Mrs. Keyes was the other person injured in The Accident] in La Sierra.