April 11, 1944

My dearest Hal,

I got such a lovely letter from you today. It is wonderful to get a love letter from your husband when you’ve been married ten years. I can truly sympathize with your feeling that thinking of the one you love only makes the need to see them greater than ever, but truly darling, you must not stop writing. I imagine you don’t want me to stop writing, so you must put yourself in my place and see how you like waiting for letters that don’t come. I will have absolutely know no way of telling when I can expect you unless it is because your letters cease to come for a while. Do you think it is fair to raise my hopes in vain by not writing as often as you can? I try not to be impatient but you could hardly find a person for whom being patient is a bigger task.

You asked me about rationing. We are very fortunate because we can produce our own vegetables, chickens, eggs and pork. We do not have cows now because I can’t milk. I can garden and raise chickens but milking isn’t one of my accomplishments. We buy milk from Mr. Flary, which is very satisfactory except that we miss terribly having all the milk cream and butter that we can use. As you know we can use a good deal.

We buy beef by the quarters at the locker plant and give the paints for it there. We have pork chops and pork roasts, sausage and chicken in the locker too, so we have plenty of meat. I am sorry to say that Daddy cannot eat meat now that he has had so many teeth out. He still has five to come out but his kidneys flared up and he had to put it off for a while. To get back to the subject of food again, we have been saving the hams in hopes that you or Bob would be there to enjoy them with us. We can get oranges, though they are 50 cents a dozen and have been nearly all winter. Bananas are a real treat, when we can get them. They’re 16 cents a lb. We have had some two or three times this winter. We did not have any peaches last year because of the freeze. I think the freeze last week hurt the crops pretty badly again this year though I hope it was not entirely destroyed. We had strawberries, black berries, and raspberries in the locker and they are delicious. I went to pick blackberries several times last summer and had right good luck so we had plenty of those. Don’t worry about what you’ll have to eat. I have an idea it will be a struggle but I shall make it my life work, and you won’t starve even though you may loose some weight. I am so glad you have had good fare where you are. I have worried a great deal about Billy and how he is getting along. Sara promised she would call me if she heard anything from him, but I guess she hasn’t heard yet.

After having a lovely day Easter Sunday and yesterday, today it had to cloud up and rain again. We still have not planted anything and I don’t know when we’ll ever get it done if this rain doesn’t stop. Yesterday Sam had a holiday from school so I took Sam and five other little boys and girls, just his age, to town to a movie. I thought he would enjoy it and he did very much. In fact a wonderful time was had by all, and I was worn out by the time I got home and did “my chores”

I must sleep now but I shall dream of you, dearest.

All my love,

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