My dearest Hal,

This date will always be one of supreme importance as far as I am concerned because on this day one person was born who was destined to change my whole world. I suppose it is a foolish fancy but I believe that there are always two people in the world who are destined for each other and for no one else. I often wonder why we should have had the good luck to find each other. I firmly believe that neither one of us would ever have been completely happy if we had not found each other. This is about the best I can explain how I feel and I’m sure it doesn’t make sense. You have certainly had a lot of dopey letters written to you since you left but maybe even dopey ones are better than none at all. I felt because today is your birthday I should like you to know something about how I feel about you.

Sam planned to write to you but he was so sleepy after supper I had to put him to bed. We had a thunderstorm about six o’clock so we could not get anything on the radio because of the static. We have been playing records instead. We played Schubert’s “Serenade” for you because it was your birthday and we hoped you could sense our love and good wishes across all the miles that separate us.

We enjoy the records very much thought we do not play them as much as we did at first. One thing I’m hoping for when the war is over and we can have our own home is a very good victrola and radio combined. All these new inventions being used now for war should provide us with many improvements when peace comes. We have been promised better radios equipped with television. Who knows, maybe it will be for us some of these days.

Darling, I am so sorry you have been worried about our bonds. We have 10 (ten) $1000 bonds. Sam had 5 (five) $25 bonds. They are in the vault at the Peoples Bank in S.D. They are getting some safety deposit boxes, having been expecting them for months but there is some delay. I am planning to get one as soon as they are installed. I have the serial number and keep a list of those in the back of my bankbook. If you think I should, I will get a safety deposit box at one of the Staunton banks. I don’t see how I could lose one but I certainly do not want to do anything careless with our savings. I am terribly proud of the way you have saved and of our having such a wonderful amount invested. I hope to buy one soon to add but I find I can’t save much because living costs just about twice as much as it used to do.

Today you received a card from Burnley Adkins, which I will forward in this letter. I would write him a note and send him your address if I could make out his address. I guess I’ll have to let you have a try at it. Burnley’s writing is too much for me.

I’m glad I heard for Eddie. I sent Nabley Truesey and “Pinky” Orio cards at Christmas and asked them to write if they ever got the cards. Pinky wrote that Harry was in Italy and she and the baby were with her family in Tenn. I did not hear from Nabley. I am delighted to hear of the dear Col. Status. I wonder how he managed to get just what was coming to him. You may rank him yet and I hope I’m there to see it. Nothing would give me more pleasure. Incidentally I think this new job with so much more work should state a promotion though you will be old and grey before it ever goes through I guess.

It is long past my bedtime and tomorrow I am going to start house cleaning I hope. Mother has been having trouble with her back and she has had to stay in bed for two days. I hope she is feeling a little better tonight but she certainly won’t be able to clean house tomorrow so I want to do all I can while the garden is too wet to work.

I will try to do better about writing. I can’t tell you how happy I’ll be when we can see each other again and will not have to depend on letters any more.

All my love,

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