September 18, 1951

September 18, 1951

9:45 p.m.

Dearest Mother and Daddy,

My how time does fly! Here it has been two days more than a week since I have written and I am very much ashamed of myself. Wednesday night I was going to be sure to write, but got so busy cutting out nightgowns for Benton and me that I just didn't finish until 11, so went to bed. Then last night I ironed until the last minute. Tonight I am supposed to be canning peaches, but just must get a letter off before you think something terrible has happened to me.

Now to back up. Monday morning a week ago we washed and in the evening Cecelia came. She stayed until Thursday noon, so I had quite a time getting my ironing done because we talked so much. We lay awake that night and talked till about two, then of course we weren't up at the usual time in the morning. but it didn't seem to hurt us in the end. It was surely nice to have her here.

Tuesday morning a week ago we went to Calimesa where we had got our peaches on the way home from Phoenix and got another lug of culls -- Rio Oso Gems this time. They were only 75 cents a lug, but weren't so good as the Hales we had bought before. We wanted them just for eating while Cecelia was here.

Wednesday morning we went over to the base to see Omar, and he showed us around. And while we were in the PX, guess what Benton got me for my birthday -- a lovely pair of Wiss pinking shears! I was so thrilled. That's why I had to get to sewing as fast as possible. I will really have to learn to sew now. He is so sweet to me.

Thursday morning we visited and then took Cecelia to the bus in San Bernardino at 11:30. After she left we shopped around and found a pair of white shoes for Benton that he has been needing for some time.

Thursday evening Shefrah Rosenstein came over. She brought some skallops for supper, helped me get supper, and ate with us. Then in the evening we talked and played duets on the piano. It was fun, but I didn't get my work done.

Friday Benton vacuumed the whole house, and I cooked for Sabbath. I had a pie shell from the week before so tried a new kind of peach pie -- cut up fresh peaches in the shell crushed a few and added sugar and tapioca, and  then poured that over the peaches. Of course it would have helped if I had known how much sugar and how much tapioca to use, but it wan't too bad anyway -- didn't have quite enough sugar. Oh yes, I also made myself a happy birthday cake [September 14, 1951, was her 34th birthday] -- Swan's Down Devil's food with a powdered sugar and butter icing. It tasted pretty good. We cut it Friday at dinner time. I skipped the candles because I was in too much of a hurry.

Late Sabbath afternoon Bob and Irene McEachren, he a senior medic, -- they used to live in our upstairs apartment, and I use to teach them at CJC when they first started going together -- came from LA with their two charming little girls. I invited them for supper. They left about 9 o'clock, and then I ironed pants.

I found a very nice roast patty recipe in Stirring Passages -- you have a copy in the book case. It is carrot and rice cutlets. I made it first for Omar, but Benton liked it so well that I made it again this weekend. It is very easy, you might like it too.

Sunday morning I started to cut out our night shirts. Benton and Omar both helped me get the materials in line, etc. Then I used my new pinking shears for the first time. In the evening, by myself, I cut out my night gown, but that is as far as it is.

Monday morning we washed, and then last evening I ironed. I don't get started with my evening work so early these days because I go for a walk every evening. I try to get it in just before dark, but don't always make it. I usually get supper, clear the table and stack the dishes, then go for my walk. I rest when I get back, do the dishes, and then start my work. By then it is usually about eight o'clock or after. I'm getting so that I can go quite a ways. Tonight I went to the little store on the corner then on up the main street to the end of the sidewalk on this side -- where the orange grove begins [for those of you who know Loma Linda today, that's where the houses end and the parking lot/structure is on University Ave.]. Then I came back and went a block the other side of our street and came up that and home again. I'm getting pretty frisky these days.

This morning we went to Banning to get some peaches. We saw a sign up for Hales. The man said they were too small for the packers to take, but that we could have them for 50 cents a lug if we would wait while he picked them off the trees. We went and helped him pick them ourselves. We got four lugs for us, one for Miss Lucas across the street, and one for Mrs. Roberts. I'm still scratching from the peach fuzz, but it was fun. Of course I didn't climb any ladders or anything -- just picked the ones that were within my reach from the ground. They are small, but firm and fresh and sweet. Tonight I have been getting out our fruit jars and checking what rubbers and tops, etc. we need. I was going to get some canned, but I did want to be sure to get this letter off. Benton is going to help me tomorrow morning.

Thanks so much for sending our knife back. We were just going to buy another one, though I knew you didn't need it. It was stupid of me to leave it. It came the same day your letter did, which was last Tuesday, I think. Right now I don't know what I did with it, so if you asked me something I should be answering, just ask again.

Thanks also for the lovely birthday card. I don't mind birthdays anymore since I have a right to be getting old and settled. I'm getting restless to become a grandmother, but Benton doesn't seem anxious to be a grandfather - says it would make him feel old [neither of them actually did have grandchildren until nearly 7 years after my dad died, so he never DID get old!].

Yesterday we got a lovely wedding gift from the J. F. Bohners -- two beautiful dresser scarves. It surely was nice of them to remember us that way. I must get a thank you note off to them right away too.

When I finish this letter, I'll go wash my jars. I think perhaps I'll try canning a few jars cold pack just to see what they are like that way. It really would be a lot easier.

Benton is still on with his lung cancer patient -- don't know how long he will last. He is at home now, but still has the three nurses on. Now they are talking about giving him some kind of high voltage x-ray treatment. Probably all it will do at best is prolong his agony, though I guess he doesn't suffer too much -- doesn't know what's going on most of the time.

Well, I haven't had any cramps since I started taking calcium, so I guess my husband is a pretty good doctor to have prescribed it. It comes in wafer form, so he eats one every morning too -- they taste good.

Do take good care of yourselves. You are very, very important to us. Be careful not to work too hard.

Heaps and oodles of love,

Lois Ruth and Benton