1979 Family Letter -Nov.26

Monday morning -

November 26, 1979

Dearest Family:

We're getting this started later than usual but hope to get it in the mail just as we usually do -- either this morning or this afternoon.  We did miss having all of you here with us for Thanksgiving but so glad to have those that were able to come. Friday morning the home population came back to two with M.V. and Serena leaving with John and Carol, with Serena catching a bus in Columbus for Chicago and M.V. spending the weekend with the family in Newark.

Serena was justifiably elated in securing a reference librarian job with Loyola University in Chicago and which has some nice fringe benefits like reduced tuition, etc., etc.  After her typing job she is more appreciative than ever.

We had talked earlier about going to Cincy for Friday and went on down to Shakertown, KY, also called Pleasant Hill, which is an area of restoration that the Shakers started in 1820 and ended some fifty years ago.  The environment is like that of 100 years ago, with some of the modern basics -- like indoor plumbing and electricity thrown in.  The rooms are located in the old Shaker bldgs each one having a separate door and stairway for each sex.  The meals were delicious -- serving each table family style and then a buffet for breakfast which was unbelievable . . . fresh pineapple and melon cut artistically, grapefruit, all kind of juices, eggs, grits, ham, bacon, cereal, several cooked fruits plus several different kinds of muffins, etc.  (Pumpkin were best!)

En route back to N.V. we went thru Harrodsburg - the first settlement in KY and Wilmore, where Asbury College is located (How times have changed since we were there, Catherine in 1965 (?).  It was a nice mini-vacation -- even more so when one realizes that we spent less on the trip than we would have as patients in the Wilmington medicare for the same time.

Sunday we have invited the Tom Woodruffs from Sabina to go with us to Dayton to a regional square dancing get together.  What a crowd -- it took concentration for us novices to remember who was in our square  Some of these people there really go off the deep end in buying clothes for square dancing.  Pratts didn't go.

M.V. got in on the bus Sunday evening from Columbus along with the Elroyd Colliers who were returning home from Cleveland.  She enjoyed her visit with the Newark Uibles.  She seems to be going thru an era of talking forever on the telephone to her friends (local calls), so if you do try to call us do not be discouraged.

Grandma is all set for her departure to Lake Worth tomorrow.  In fact this evening when I was in, she had everything ready to go . . . she sets a good example for all of as far as organization.

We are glad that Gerry is coming along fine . . . that is a good hike from your place to the Church (a mile plus?).  We do plan to be in Arizona by Christmas and stay for about a week.  Does Marion plan to be gone over the holidays, Roberta?  You will notice in those Wall St. articles that they do not give the Phoenix area a high rating as far as a good retirement area, because of the smog, but then no place is perfect.  On the western trip we are uncertain about dates because of M.V.'s school schedule, but because of Esther leaving the last week of December to visit their son in Texas I do not want to be gone too long.  Hopefully this will all fit into Roberta's busy schedule.  Unleaded gas at the discount station is 98.4 and in N.V. around $1.05 a gallon.

[Love, etc.]