Friday 1945

My dearest Hal,

I have just had the nicest thing happen to me. I got two letters from you yesterday and another one today. It was wonderful news to hear of your having had such a nice vacation. I would have given anything to have shared it with you. I am glad you seem to be feeling alright again. I’m sorry I can’t stop worrying over you but I guess it has become a habit with me. Aren’t people always concerned over the welfare of the ones they love?

You look very fit from your pictures. I like your uniforms which are different from what I’ve seen you wear. It helps so much to have pictures, don’t you think? I will send you some smaller copies if the pictures that were lost as you will probably never hear anything from those. I think these can be sent air mail and you should get them. I believe they will fit into a folder you already have so I won’t send another one. I sent you a pen air mail about a month ago which you should have gotten by now, also another box of cigars. How many rugs have you sent home? I have gotten two. I got the opals which I think are beautiful, but I have not gotten the brass plates you spoke of. Everything you have sent home is lovely.

I guess you have beat me saving money. Everything is terribly high here in spite of ceiling prices. I will have enough for my $1000 bond in November. I have saved $100 a month average. This month I had two tires recapped for $13.50. The ambulance for Nana is $15.00. This August made a hole in my savings and September is not a good month because clothes, shoes etc. have to come out of that. I had certainly hoped we could buy four bonds a year between us, but it looks a little doubtful. I want to have enough money at home so we can be together and have a place that belongs to us alone. I want to give Sam a feeling of permanence and security but I know that happiness and contentment for me means being with you. If only we can have a chance to be together I don’t see how anything else can ever really matter.

I worry about Nana. I hope she can either get back into Blue Ridge or into a nursing home. It is hard to find a place but Elizabeth is trying to find something that is suitable. For the present Nana is at the University Hospital. Sara says she responded better to the latest treatment than she had to the previous one and she seemed better. I hope she will be able to hold this again.

We have everything here in a terrible mess. We are having a floor laid in the hall as the old one was so badly worn we could not do anything with it. We are also having the floors in the living room and dining room sanded and finished. They are very pretty heart pine and I think they will make very nice floors. The work is noisy of course and makes a lot of dirt but I hope it will be worth it. We are getting along very well with the painting. The first coat is on and it already looks so much better. I can hardly wait to see how it will look. I hope it won’t be so long ‘til you will be coming home to see it. A year seems like a mighty long time and yet we can’t even be sure you will be home in a year, but we can always hope and pray. We never fail to do that. Wednesday, we had to go to town to the doctor for a shot, so we took Nellie Irvine and Ruth Rader with us and came back by the Woodrow Wilson General Hospital for the Dedication Services. The services were held outdoors and the sun was awfully hot. There was no shade where we were sitting. The army band from Camp Pickette played for a while and then we heard several speeches. Governor Darder, A Willis Robertson, General Kirk, surgeon general of the Army and General Record, commanding 3^rd Service Command, all spoke. It was a very impressive service with Retreat. We walked through a part of the hospital and believe me it was quite a trip. You know how they build these things with miles of covered corridors. I trust you may not have occasion to visit any such hospital except as a visitor maybe, but I am comforted by the idea that you would be well taken care of should you ever need it.

As we were walking down the hall I met Charlie Allen. He is an M.P. and is stationed there. He wanted to know all about you and said to tell you he would write you a letter some of these days. Of course he is terrible busy. I guess everyone in the country is terribly busy these hectic days. In spite of that I have never had time pass so slowly as it does now that you have gone away.

We miss you more with each passing day and we are living for the time when you’ll be at home again.

All my love,

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