Dear Betsy,
I haven't heard from you in a while so I decided to write. I found a coupon for you if you still eat them. I am on a slim fast diet to lose 5#. I weigh 130 and that is too much for me. Earl has been in the hospital for the past two weeks with bleeding ulcer in his tummy. Then he developed a bad ceelutis from an IV and it required 6 days of IV antibiotics. It is better now but he is still on antibiotics. He has to take 2 stomach pills for the ulcers and he can't do any heavy work. He has to have a cardiac cath for his heart. He gets chest pain and the doctor told me he could probably drop over dead some day if we don't find the problem. Earl is very healthy otherwise except for arthritis and having to wear hearing aids. He has had several surgeries but for nothing serious.
It is a beautiful day here and supposed to get to 85 degrees by Sunday. That is too hot for my legs. We bought me a prescription a pair of mercury filled support hose. They really help with the swelling but are very hot for my legs. They go to below the knee and my toes are out. They cost $54 for a pair. That is a lot of money and should have another pair but we can't afford it now.
We have gotten acquainted with several people from church and Don and Osie come over every two weeks and they came over when Earl got home. Don is Earl's age and is coming over this next week to cut all our wood up by the wood pile. That is really nice of him (because) Earl can't do it. Osie calls a lot and is into vitamins and herbs like myself. She looks a long younger than Don. We will go to church on Sunday at least for Sacrament meeting. Relief Society is the last meeting on Sunday. Is that the way it is in VA? It is a brand new church and lots of people. I haven't gotten any home teachers yet but the Relief Society Presidency came over and my 2 Visiting teachers. They are all nice. It is a good ward - Toledo was poor and didn't make you feel welcome except for a couple of people. Anyway this is an excellent ward and I may even start doing genealogy. I don't know where to begin. I have so little to go on with my family history.
I do 50-80 sit ups a night. Earl's daughter is selling me a brand new exercise bike which will help my legs get some strength. It is $50. That is what they paid for it and it is still in the box. Now we have to get it here. That may be a problem because our car is small. Gram and Gramp got rid of their van and bought a small car for mom. They are going to the Eastern Star Convention in Columbus on the 21-24th of this month and will come here on the 25th for the day. They won't stay here. I guess my house is not clean enough. I don't know. I was up 1/2 the night last night and slept late this morning. We may go to Bob Evans for supper. I don't know. We have to really watch our money because we can't make it otherwise from month to month. We only have 2 social security checks between us and that is not much.
I read my scriptures every day and it helps a lot. I am in the BOM now and enjoy it very much. I like the D&C too. I know very little about the Pearl of Great Price. I even have a Relief Society manual now which I haven't had for three years or more. They gave it to me here. Everyone has a hard time finding the place except Don and Osie. Osie brings me food from her garden which is delicious. They bring me magazines like Reader's Digest and Guideposts. I do enjoy reading them. Osie is ordering vitamins for me with her order. Hopefully they will help my feet. I should have had her order me dolomite and bone meal like she takes for her arthritis. Earl is having a lot of pain with his arthritis. He can hardly walk. The doctor stopped his medicine he takes fir it because it is hard on the tummy. It probably caused the ulcer. He has to get well before hunting season because he wants a deer or two. He and his son are going out hunting around the property. We have lots of deer around here. They are a beautiful animal. It is also good meat for eating. Earl has hunted for years in the upper states and shot many a deer and bear. He has several different kins of guns. We have them loaded too. I was a little scared while he was in the hospital all alone except for Blackie. She helped a lot. She is smart. She chews a lot so we keep her supplied with a big rawhide bone and she chews them up in a day or two. She really eats a lot too but I guess that is to be expected with a big dog. She is so tall when she stands up. We love her and take good care of her. We let her run outside when she goes potty.
My sceloderma is still acting up and I have to eat baby food at times. Otherwise I eat normal. I want to lose some weight fast. I wear size 14 clothes now and that is big for me. Earl made me a purple dress in floral print. It is very pretty. I wear it to church. I don't get dressed up to eat at Bob Evans. I wear sweat shirts and some dresses somedays.
So how are you doing? We continue to pray for you. I wish you didn't have to work so hard. I am glad you get to the Temple. One day I will be there with you. Wouldn't that be wonderful. I long for that special day. How is your love life? I hope doing fine. Do you want to get married and have babies? I bet you do. You are so beautiful. I love you so much.
All my love,
Mom and Earl
