July 28, 1990

Dear Betsy,

I woke up at midnight and decided to come up to the loft and read some scriptures from the D&C and Book of Mormon.  Now, it is going on 2 am and Earl just came up and he is reading.  Please excuse my errors.  Since I have been doing so much typing, I go a lot faster and make mistakes.

Yesterday we left here at 7 AM and went to Circleville to McDonalds and got breakfast.  It was good.  Then we ran errands and then over to see Earl's son.  He is my age and very nice.  His wife sleeps late.  Then we went to Lancaster to get some towels for Melissa and John for their wedding present.  Then we ate lunch at Bob Evans.  I had a salad and bowl of chili and cheese.  It was delicious.

I went to the doctor Thursday and so did Earl.  Were were there three hours.  My BP was very low and I was weak.  I feel better today.  He is sending me to a specialist at Ohio State University Hospital to see what he can do with the Scleroderma.  He says it is interesting subject as they put it.  I wish I were well and had neither of these problems.  My legs and feet get red, hot and swollen every day.  Earl has inner ear infection and has been getting dizzy and light headed.  Plus he has had some chest pain so the doctor really increased his medicine.  He is better now.

I have a new book and 2 ninety minute cassette tapes to do.  It is called "RN to BSN"  It is a review of all of the nursing skills and should be good.  Boy, butchered some words there).  I am doing this study rather than try and go to college and have to do all the walking, etc.  I would like a degree besides my diploma.  Trouble is I can never use it unless I give up my social security disability and it is $404 a month which is not much to make.  That is my only source of income and very little.

My arthritis  was giving me a lot of trouble but is better now.  It is very painful.  Earl's son brought us a load of wood at 1:30 the other night and he put it on our wood pile.  There has been 8 breaking up here so far in the last 2 weeks.  We do have an alarm system that we always turn on.  I wish now that I still had my dog.  They can bark which is more than a cat can do.  We love our cat though.  I might go and get me a dog.  Earl will probably say no.  I am running out of news so I may have to close for now.  I hope you are well.  Earl is reading a 1400 page story on the Indian who led Lewis and Clark Expedition.  It is really good.  It is my book which I never read.

Today I will bake a cake for Earl or brownies.  Then I have 3 loads of laundry to do and sweep the floors and mop them.  If I don't I will get ants.  I have to spray every 2 weeks.  It is now 2:#0 and I am getting tired - finally.  I am so glad grandma gave me this typewriter as I don't write very well any more.  Since the washer and dryer are in the basement, Earl will probably do most of the work to save my legs.  They get very weak now and I can only do so much.  My tummy is really gurgling.  Earl just got us some cheese.  I am trying to talk Earl into getting a dog for protection.  I think it is a good idea.

Well, at 4 AM Earl and I went to Lancaster to get some breakfast.  I came home and have had diarrhea since then.  He is sleeping.  I made a batch of brownies and cooked some hard boiled eggs.  I just swept the floors and used ant spray.  Now, I have the laundry to do.  I couldn't sleep because I had the runs so I am very tired.  I have to make a meatloaf or have hamburger patties for supper.  We will eat early today.  I am already starving hungry.

I just weighed myself and I am down to 125# which is good.  I would really like to go to 120# but I might look too thin.  I may wear one of Kathy's long dresses for the wedding.  It is 3 weeks away.  Her colors are pink and burgundy.  Kathy is wearing Burgundy and her dress for me is pink and she says I will blend in for all the pictures.  They are being married in a Baptist church this side of Circleville.  Then the reception is up by us at the lodge.  It is going to be a big wedding from what I hear.

Our doctor didn't say when to come back.  We had been for a long time and it was okay.  Well, honey, I am out of news and it is time to wake Earl from his long sleep.  I hope he stays well.  Take care and stay happy.  I am so proud of you.  Remember we love you very much.

All our love,
Mom and Earl

July 20, 1990

Dear Betsy,

I want you to know what an inspiration you are to me.  I am so proud of you.  My Betsy has been to the Temple.  Now I am going to church this Sunday and pay my tithing.  I wear my garments except I need some bottoms in the blend material.  Earl will go with me.  He is a wonderful husband.  I want to get my Temple Recommend and be able to go to the temple.  It has been so many years.  I read my scriptures every day.  We have prayer together and that helps so much.  I have been a little dpressed lately and for no reason.

We went to Circleville this morning and got 4 videos for the library.  e are watching one.  We stopped at McDonalds and had a breakfast sandwich.  It was good.  I had a bowl  of shedded wheat at 5 AM so I am hungry.  I can't sleep at night anymore.  I am up usually around 3 AM.  I read during this time.  Today at the library I got a book on heart failure which is brand new ... It looks good.  Please send me your address.  I lost it somehow. It is very hot and humid here.  It gets hot up here in the loft.  Our air conditioner helps and the fan but it is hard to get that ool air up here.  We love it up here so much.  The view is so pretty.  We are pulling weeds and going to plant some flowers for ground cover.  I want a small pine tree for in front of the house.  We need fill dirt but money is tight so it will have to wait.  My feet are very hot this afternoon.  They got that way in town.  I have to wear support that come below the knee.  That get hot also but keep the swelling down.  I wrote Kirstie the other day.  I hope she is well.  Oh, I cut out an article on asthma that I will enclose with this letter.  Could you send me a post card or something from the Washington Temple.  I would surely appreciate it very much.  I would love to come to Washington DC and go through the temple with you.  So I'll have to save a lot of money.  How much did it cost you to come here?  How many miles is it? 
Well, Earl's granddaughter will be married soon.  All his family will be there from Toledo.  She is only 18 and John is 20.  They have a lovely house to rent.  We went there this AM.  John is busy painting it.

My tummy get bloated so much with gas and I don't know why.  I see the doctor next week and hopefully he will have an answer.  I have never had a tummy before.  I only weight 128#  and I am dieting so I don't gain anymore weight.  It is hard to take off at my age plus  I can't exercise and walk anymore.  My legs cramp up a lot.  But I manage to get my work done and enjoy life as much as possible.  Life is wonderful with Earl.  He is so good to me.  I love him dearly.  I hope he lives a long life. 

July 15, 1990

Dear Betsy,

Grandma gave me this electric typewriter and this is the second time I have used it.  I never took typing in school so bear with me.  Please excuse the mistakes.  I am so proud of you for getting your endowments.  That is so great.  I want to thank you for the beautiful present you gave me of a mother and daughter.  The words you said were lovely and made me feel so good.  I have been having a lot of trouble with my stomach.  It has to do with the Scleroderma.  Last night I vomited and was so sick.  Then in the middle of the night I woke up in a pile of poop.  What a mess.  I get up lots of nights at 4 AM and read.  I got some books at the library.  One was called Moscow Station and was on the KGB.  It was really interesting.  It is hard to believe what goes on in the Embassy.  They plant bugs all over our territory.  I am watching a tape called Lawrence of Arabia.  It is very good and very long.  We get 4 videos from the library 3 days a week.  I am going to sew some dresses for Alex and Markel.  I have the material.  I sure miss them.  Earl will sew too.  He made me a beautiful pink tailored suit.  He can sew anything.  I haven't sewn in such a long time.  Grandma and Grandpa called the other day.  They are fine.  Earl and I went to Toledo to attend to some things.  They paid our motel bill.  I don't know why they didn't want us to stay with them.  It cost them seventy some dollars for 2 nights.  They took us out to eat.  I just started a diet.  My belly was sticking out and I was having to buy size 14 so I decided to cut down on my food.  I made a yellow cake for Earl this morning.  He likes it.  Earl and I are very happy.  We love each other so much.  He is so good to me.  I couldn't be happier.  Sandy called twice last week and is really having tummy problems.  I hope and pray she will soon be well.  We have had a week of rain and everything is so green.  We love our home.  It has to be fixed up but the land is so beautiful.  Have you moved?  Your address is different so I will send this there.  Earl's grand daughter is getting married August 18th.  She is 18.  I went to a bridal shower this past week.  I got another book from the library on "Modern China."  It should be good but it is 1000 pages.  I am reading church books.  I read scriptures every day.  Well, honey, I will close for now so this can be mailed.  I am so proud of you for going to the temple.  It is so wonderful to have your endowments.  Heavenly Father will bless you.  Take care and write soon.  Remember I love you dearly.

All our love,

Mom and Earl

Earl and I are quitting smoking.  Send information.