October 9, 1933 - Monday

George darling,

Today is Monday, Monday is wash day – etc. And so it goes. Today really was wash day for us or at least for me.  I washed this morning and did my shopping this afternoon and went swimming this afternoon and ironed some tonight. You know it’s a funny thing but I was going to have so much time and I was going to get so much done. I haven’t touched my afghan since I have been here and I have an embroidered picture started and there is “Green Mansions” to be read. I am going to get a dresser and some white paint tomorrow so that will take up some of my spare!! time for the next few days. One thing about all this activity it makes the time pass faster. And you know what that means. I feel like a criminal when I take time to go swimming but I want to take advantage of the weather because it won’t be long before that will have to stop altho’ right now the water’s fine.

Well, darling, today I had my first experience with a “Fuller Brush Man”. I got a free brush out of him but my resistance was like a stone wall and try as he might he couldn’t even sell me a measly little comb cleaner! I am feeling pretty cocky, and hard boiled after that first victory but I am afraid the darn man will come back.

My circle of friends is widening. Besides the garage mechanic, the minister and his wife, I have two other friends. Me and Mr. Hughes the butcher are pals. He’s only been her four weeks himself. Then I have a friend in the Variety Store. He is a good looking boy who looks like he hasn’t been out of high school long. We just say “hello”. The grocery man and the shoe maker are unresponsive. I can’t get them interested.

Lover, I am sorry about your missing so many letters from the last week but, I love you, truly.

Goodnight, dear. Ann

George darling,

Is there anything wrong? Your eyes haven’t become infected have they? Did you have to stay in the infirmary longer than you expected? I am so worried about you I didn’t get a letter Saturday morning or this morning. I hope that nothing has happened to you. I hope it is just an over sight and that I will get a nice letter from you tomorrow. It must have just been that Bill had too much to do and after all he has been so good about writing already that I shouldn’t kick. I should think if there had been a turn for the worse he would have written so I am hoping for the best. But darling, I love you and I can’t help but be anxious. If you still aren’t able to write when you get this letter won’t you have someone send me a tiny note just enough to let me know how you are!

In the last weekend I have been thru all the towns between here and Berkeley four times! The only part of me that is tired is where I sit down! Yesterday after I wrote to you June and I went horse back riding. Poor June. She couldn’t hold her horse in and by the time she got back to the house she was almost a total wreck. On the way home her horse set out at a gallop. I didn’t know what to do. I felt that I ought to go after her in case anything happened but I was afraid if Mary heard Lady coming up behind her she would have gone all the faster so I let them go and June was still intact when I got back to the house.

We left yesterday afternoon about two o’clock and stopped about 15 min. in Calistoga (the mid-way point) and got down there a little after six so you see it is a good four hour ride down to the city and none of this ninety mile stuff that I told you about. Coming up Saturday morning June and I sped along about 55 or 60 on the straight always so we got up here too soon and Pop announced at dinner, that hence forth he forbids us to go more than the limit which is forty five!! Phooey says I! Never the less every time I went over the road it seemed shorter and when we came up this morning it seemed like just a short drive. Going down Sunday night it was just as well that we obeyed Pop’s orders because we saw five cops. We saw three this morning. They are thick in these here parts.

We are going to have an addition to our family soon. My cousin is coming from the mid west to work here with Pop. His sister’s family is very poor. They had a farm in Arkansas and they had to leave it about a year or more ago because they couldn’t make a living off of it. Shirley my cousin is working in St. Louis, MO. and Aunt Beth is with her. Uncle Ed had to hire himself out as a farm hand. Grover (the boy) had a job on a farm but lost it so as long as they need an extra hand here they have sent for him. We got a letter from him Saturday saying he was leaving that evening. Pop offered to pay his fare by bus but he said he was doing his traveling by freight train and it didn’t cost him anything so to expect him when he saw him. That was pretty decent of him don’t you think? Grover is a good fellow all right even if he hasn’t had too much education and he looks like a farmer lad. It will be a big adventure for him to come out here because he has never been West.

Lover, I am waiting to hear from you and praying for your good health and spirits. I am enclosing a ribbon from your ladylove to wear in you helmet until you have killed the terrible dragon and half the kingdom is yours.

I love you, sweetheart

Annie.