1980 Roberta's Letter -Nov.15

 

Saturday Night

8:30 P.M.

11-15-80

Dear Family,

Don't think I told you all that I now just have one full time job -- as of this Saturday am no longer working at the flower shop.  sure was nice today -- don't know how I ever found the time to work Saturdays in the first place.  I was out East doing some stuff today -- getting some new song sheets run off at a funeral home out that way.  Harry -- the owner of the flower shop called about noon -- thank goodness I wasn't here -- Marion kept saying that he sounded like he wanted me to come in this afternoon.  

Marion is really knee deep in the usual Christmas crafts -- I'm doing a little -- but she always does it in full scale.  This year there are several new projects -- some small and we are doing them out at the center.  One idea is to take whole walnuts and spray them with red paint -- then take a felt green stem, piece of ribbon, and some baby rick rack to hang them by -- really cute -- all white beads on them -- and they look just like strawberries!!!  Another idea is the Christmas ice cream cones -- take 1 and 1 ¼ inch styrofoam balls, wrap 2 and ½ inch ribbon around them -- them put a silicone rubber bathtub caulk on top of the styrofoam  ball -- sure neat!!!

Out at work they have really been busy getting ready for the Christmas bazaar -- so many nice things -- but then lots of junk -- such ugly stuff out of the egg cartons -- I could live the rest of my days without seeing another egg carton.  Some women really going crazy with these awful egg carton flowers.  They spend all morning cutting out the darn things.

Mother it was nice talking to you on Tuesday -- here it was just like a national holiday -- banks closed, and most everything else.  All the schools in the valley also closed.

Marion had bought a round trip ticket Phoenix to St. Louis in June -- for $271 dollars.  Then she was having trouble getting out of St. Louis -- could either fly it -- but the trouble there was she would be getting into St. Louis around 6:00 A.M. -- and the only flight to Quincy was in the late afternoon.  Or she had thought of renting a car -- but too expensive these one way deals -- and really didn't need it for the ten days she would be there.  So yesterday we went to the travel agent at the mall and she was able to get a flight out of here on the 23rd and back here on the 1st of January -- special deal to Des Moines -- for $221 -- really a good price.  This way her sister and family will be able to pick her up at the airport as they come down, so its ideal.  Plus both day flights -- none of this leaving here at midnight stuff!!!

Grayce's husband is just not good.  They say its just a matter of time -- in the meantime trying to keep him comfortable.  Grayce said they asked about life support system -- she said no.  He is now all confused mentally -- and has lost use of his kidneys -- all the children are home now -- but he could live this way for some time.  He doesn't even recognize Grayce now.  It's really a sad thing.

We saw the movie Joni -- thought that it was really good.  The night we went there was a big line outside but we stayed in the line.  The 7:15 show filled up -- the one we wanted to get in on -- but then we thought we would stand in line to exchange our passes for tickets for the 9:15 show -- and just when we got up to the window the usher came into the ticket place and said there was room for three more -- we had Sally with us -- just sure worked out great.  They held the movie over.  I understand that there were long lines every night last week.  Did you all see the movie???

We went down to the Church bazaar yesterday at the Methodist Church -- it was quite nice.  Of course I'm trying to find ideas to borrow -- to steal for our bazaar.

Mother, would you like anything from the seniors for your bazaar -- I'd be more than happy to make some early sales.  We really have some very nice things -- from a quarter to $50.00.  The strawberries are very unique -- lots of neat things that I really like -- everything but those awful egg carton creations -- I'd be glad to pay postage on any large orders . . . .

It's now Sunday morning -- want to get this in the mail when we go so will come to a close.  Thanks so much for your recent letter and the articles -- really a good article about Donnie Achor -- I wasn't aware that he was able to work at that place . . . .

One moe big piece of news -- we sold the blue car.  It really had alot of problems.  Remember how much oil it was using -- was they took it all apart -- new rings and all -- and instead of getting better it got worse -- much worse.  Used up almost two quarts of oil for every 200 miles.  Marion sure got upset -- so to make a long story short -- the Datsun dealer now has it -- and we got a much cheaper Datsun 210 -- the standard small car -- sort of metallic brown.  They were sure upset about us getting a cheaper car -- They only like to trade one way -- up -- but we had already settled on the first part of it so they had a hard time fighting it.  This one is an automatic -- few extras.  Radio and Air-conditioning -- just the necessities.

We are having some of the seniors in from work that would have been by themselves for the day -- should be exciting --

OK -- gotta go.  Thanks for sending the beads and string -- will let you all know when they arrive.

Love,

Roberta