1968 Family Letter -May 24

Sunday, May 24, 1968

Dearest Daughters,

We have really had the rain – all day Thursday and so much during the night that they cancelled school in most areas around here on Friday – supposedly the Seniors last day and Friday was the night of the Junior-Senior Prom.  Geary's announced on wmwm that due to the rain and flooding in their greenhouse that they would be unable to finish their corsages.  Haven't heard of any details of the dance but saw a number with corsages on so take it that it did go off.  Donna Williams said the seniors have to go back to East Clinton for a half day tomorrow.

Catherine, your room has been flooded.  John, Serena and I mopped most of Friday AM and Serena kept it up all afternoon except while delivering papers.  The sump pump hasn't been working so we carried bucket after bucket out of there.  I can't see where it caused any damage but it did get a fair housecleaning.  One of your paperback math books that you were to read before you started to Kalamazoo became a victim of the water and is still in the process of drying out.  One of the concrete blocks looked like it had a faucet for there was a continuous stream coming out of it – so low we couldn't put a bucket under it and the shallow pan kept running over.

The sun was out and most welcome yesterday but rain again during the night last night and more today but Serena reports no sign of water on the floor.  Six seniors were given Bibles in church this morning – Peggy, Carole, Anna Marie, Donna and Libbie and Barbara Rudisill (Her daddy was in church this morning – the first time since he had his first operation).

Melissa and Joe arrived Friday evening – about 7, I guess.  They didn't go to the Fireman's Benefit show but came up here and we talked til around 12:30 AM.  Melissa is real sweet and seemed to fit in real well with the family.  She is majoring in piano at the conservatory.  Grandma invited John and Serena to have dinner at Polly's with all them.  That afternoon they made ice cream and then took the tandem to Fallsville and got back just in time to eat and rush back to Cincinnati as Melissa was to sing in the May festival last night.  They did pick a real pretty bouquet of wild flowers they had collected along the way.  Daddy hopes they know what poison ivy looks like and didn't get in any of that.  They really thought Fallsville a beautiful spot.

Joe's junior concert or recital is to be June 16th (Sunday) so looks like you both will be home in time for it.  It is around 4 or 4:30 followed by Evensong (vespers) at Christ Church and then we thought we'd all go out for dinner.  Don't know whether we can talk Granddaddy into going and calling it their anniversary celebration.  It would be nice if Aunt Mary and Uncle Bill could fly up for it but Daddy says unless the market has a sudden upshoot we shouldn't count on them coming.

Catherine, I apologize for not writing anything about your mentioning going to Germany next spring – that was a real shock and I thought Daddy had written concerning it.  It seems a shame to go so far and only stay one quarter but if your advisor recommends it and this is satisfactory to you – we'll leave it up to your good judgment.  As to your changing you major – that is not for us to say but you are certainly having a big dose of physics (not meant to be a pun).  If you have doubts whether you want to major in it – try something else but if you do like it I am sure there are plenty openings in that field for women and there is always a great need for teachers of physics and math and know you could do a good job there.

Joe has started to work on his chances of getting a Fulbright scholarship.  He thinks he doesn't stand too good a chance without his master's degree but time will tell.  He is debating too about going five years and getting a combination of a Batchelor of Education and Batchelor of Music or perhaps one of these is a master's – but think that take even longer.

Roberta, we were glad to get to talk to you and hope Helen was able to get her trunk weighed and it isn't too heavy to take along with her on the plane – if it is over 40 lbs. she might as well send it by Railway Express for the car will only hold so much too and everyone can't sit in the front seat.  Daddy is looking up the airline regulations now so will send it along to you for her.  Just remember the trip over to Barnesville with all that weight and how the car swayed (suzanne's trunk didn't help matters.)

Did I tell you that Catholyn Smith is working over at Doris's Beauty Shop – she was in church this morning but I have never seen her going or coming from Doris's.

All this rain and no sunshine hasn't helped to ripen the strawberries but if they don't drown we may have some – about the time we are in Lakeside again.  We had lettuce out of the garden last night on our hamburgers.

[Love, etc.]