April
10, 1942
643
Cedar St.
San
Antonio, Texas
Dear Mother,
I realize it has been over a week since I wrote, but I've just kept putting it off. I got your
letter yesterday. I’m glad the weather
is breaking a little for you. Mon. &
Tues. nights here it rained like I've never seen it rain. It came down so fast & heavy that people
who were driving couldn't see to drive, & had to stop & wait until the
rain stopped. It rained an inch & 4
tenths the first night & I don’t know how much the second night. But it is no wonder they don’t have basements
here. They would all be flooded if they
did. The rain surely cooled everything
off nicely. Two nights before it rained
it was so hot we could hardly stand it.
Alvin’s hair was wet all night long, & at 11:00 just when we were
going to bed I had to change his shirt, it was so wet. It just changes from hot to cold & back
so fast it is terrible. But we’re
getting used to it, & can adjust our clothing to suit the weather.
Harold likes his new job very much, and is looking out
for an advancement. He has no studying
to do when he comes home. In fact he
just has to forget about work after he leaves the ofc. It is a good thing too, because it leaves his
evenings free. I went to Relief Society
again Wed eve, & we tied a quilt, & had cake & jello after. It is a branch they have here, and a very
nice one too. They are building a new
meeting house, & hope to have it finished in about 2 months. It is much closer than the one they are now
using. Our recommends haven’t come as
yet. We have been expecting them because
I asked Dean to send them before I left.
At R.S. the other night I talked to Sister Turley who is
Pres, & also wife of the Branch Pres. Dr. Turley who is a chiropractor, and
asked her if she could recommend a Dr. for me.
She told me about a Dr. Christian who some of the others in the branch
have gone to on her recommendation, and they seem to think he is fine. I intend to go see him next Wed. which is
Harold’s next day off. The Dr’s fee
here is $50.00 with very little or no exception, and the cheapest Hosp. Is
40.00 that is for 10 days. Altho I was
surprised to find that very few of the women stayed their 10 days. Some go home the day after the baby is born,
some 3 days, some 5 or 7 days. It is a
common practice, if your Dr. will permit you to go, & if you have some one
capable to look after you. And all the
women were of the opinion that it was cheaper to hire someone than to remain in
the hosp. Altho it is about the same as
in Salt Lake, a Dr. doesn't want to deliver the baby at home.
We have prayed that we would get a good Dr, & I know
that everything will go well if we put our faith in the Lord. It seems that when we were home we depended
upon you so completely for advice & counsel in everything we did that now
that we are away it is only reasonable that we must turn even more to our
father in Heaven and ask his guidance in everything we do.
I wrote a letter to Roland & one to Jesse this week,
and I've been trying to get one off to Dan & Jennette. I also wrote to Sister Carlson, but by the
time you get around to them all it takes time.
Harold has been helping me with the washing on his day
off. We send his shirts to the laundry
& Reed sends his, so there isn't too much to do. We have to keep the washer in the kitchen,
altho the kitchen is large and the washer is in a corner out of the way. I have been ironing all morning, & just
put Alvin down after dinner. He seems to
sleep better if I wait until after lunch to put him to bed. I guess he is getting old enough that he can
stay up till afternoon. Then too I can’t
put him to bed until usually 7:30 because it is so hot earlier. And then from 5:30 PM to 7:30 is the only
time Harold gets to see him except for the one day off a week.
We have no fence around the yard at all, & I have to
watch Alvin just about every minute he is out.
There is room in the back yard that we can fence off, so we are going
to.
There are 2 other apts in the house, but none of them are
home all day until 4:00 PM. There is a
man & his son in the front of the other half, & a Mr. & Mrs. Scott
in the back. Mr. Scott is always trying
to build something out of old packing boxes and seems to love to have Alvin
around. So usually Alvin is out watching
Mr. Scott from 4 to 6 in the evenings.
Our house is on the corner of 2 streets, & our only other neighbor
is on our left. Mrs. Brown who has a
baby 10 months old. Her Mother lives on
the next street, & she is over there most of the time. I see her about as much as I used to see
Gertie. It is surely the bunk not having
a neighbor.
Alvin can make friends faster for us than we could think
of doing, & when we go for our walks the people further up the street are
beginning to watch for us.
It is after 8: o’clock & supper is over & Alvin
is in bed. He cut his first double tooth
yesterday & seems rather cross. I
guess he will cut more before he is thru.
Well Mom, we haven’t been able to find a
refrigerator. It seems too bad too. If Wid & Mont could box ours & send
it we would surely appreciate it. Today
should have been pay day, but it hasn't come yet, & probably won’t be here
until Mon. But when it does come we’re
sending a money order for $20.00 in Pearl’s name. It will be easier for her to cash it, and I’d
like her to pay $5.00 to the Star, & tell her to have those other receipts
entered in the book & find out the balance.
I believe the bal. will be $5.00.
Then she can give the $15.00 left from the 20 to Wid to send the
frig. If it cost more we can pay it at
this end, or else send him the balance of what it will be. We will be glad to have one. I’m sure we could save so much with one. Food spoils over night. I opened a bottle of chilli sauce on Sun. and
by Thurs it had spoiled, and that is one thing we could keep for weeks without
spoiling. I guess it is the damp &
the heat that does it.
By evening I get pretty tired. I got Helen’s letter this afternoon & I’m
so glad Mont is still working. She told
me in her first letter that Bro. Robertson died. I guess it was a blessing. It seems strange that a man as big &
strong as he was should spend the last few years of his life in bed.
Tell Sis. MacIntosh hello. How is she now? I hope she got over her stiffness.
The letter you sent on the other day was from
Johnny. He is in the navy, & is
likely to go out any time. He didn't have a daughter when he wrote at Christmas, but a son was born to them in
Feb. He is afraid he will go out &
not come back, & wanted to hear from us.
Tell Helen I’ll write to her soon, & tell her we enjoy her letters
so much. We didn't hear any of
conference, in fact we didn't know they were having conference. That is was eliminated. Hope you are enjoying yourself. God Bless You.
With Love, Laura
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