Worthington Ohio
January 24, 1960

Dear Egg Head and Dad: –
It has warmed up a bit here today, it’s up to 20°. Most of the time the temperature has been around  have had some 20° temperature. I hope it don’t damaged the fruit as it hurts when it hits those groves down there, and to think of all the money they lose. That’s when it hurts most, when it hits the old pocketbook. And of course later we will be paying more up here due to the scarcity of fruit. The cold weather up here hurts us but only our feelings.

That sore throat I had last time I wrote you developed into a real dandy cold, I was off work from Tuesday evening on, although I’m hoping to go back tomorrow.

Ruth and I went to our O.E.S. School of instruction last night the first I’ve been out all week so you see I wasn’t kidding.

We didn’t get up to see Burch this week so I don’t know anymore about him as of now. When Edw. Called last week, or I was writing you, he said

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he was coming down but the stinker never showed up. I hope he comes down before he visit you folks, maybe he can help us decide what to do about Burch. At least I would like for him to talk with Cliff, and see if he draws the same conclusion as Ruth and I, maybe we don’t give the old boy as much credit as we should. That the reason I would like to have someone else’s opinion. I hope we’re wrong about his condition.

We were really proud to hear you were elected assoc. conductress and wish for you all the luck in the world. That means you will be working towards your year from now on, getting ideas and plans together. That’s one installation we won’t miss. To bad Dad can’t be your W. P. Or does your chapter permit husband-and-wife to be W.M. and W.P. together? We had a real nice school last night, our Worthy Grand MatronIs tops, she is surly [surely] an inspiration to all of us. Martha Jane is coming over this afternoon and we are

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going to plan a rehearsal for all our officers before meeting Feb. 10. We are going to have initiatory work that meeting. We have met a lot of people and made a lot of friends in our district and I suppose you are doing the same down there.

We have bought another boat, an 18 foot Thompson with a 60 H. P.  motor, windshield and folding top, etc. It’s a used boat a 57 model and the motor was new last spring. The outfit has had good care and is in good condition, however I want to make a few changes in the back of the boat and refinish it complete. I hope to have it all ready by the time the weather gets good. I’m going to put in the garage down on Morse road which belongs to Steve that works with me at the shop, his garage is large enough to hold it and is is heated so I’ll get a chance to work evenings and weekends from now on. Believe it or not Jack Neff is trying to buy our old boat. I don’t know how he’s going to arrange it but he’s supposed to give me a deposit on it tomorrow

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I told him I would have the full amount in 90 days as that is when I have to have ours paid for. I’ve asked Jack $500 for our old boat, motor and trailer etc. I’m getting this new outfit for $1500 so that will leave me some to finance at the bank. Tell dad he won’t have to worry about getting a “ducking” in this outfit. Ruth said “she’s had it”. We hope to buy an inboard, but they are too rich for my blood, maybe someday in the future on the inboard. We looked at one in good condition (new last year) and the price was $3000 so that’s the reason we are settling for an outboard. which leads me to a proposition I would like to make you and dad. I still want to buy the lot in Canada but can’t do everything I want to at once. I feel the larger boat is a necessity for Lake Erie,that’s the reason I’m going ahead with it. Would you and dad buy that lot for us and I’ll pay you

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back with interest same as at the bank. Think it over and if it’s O. K. we can do it next summer when we’re all in Canada. If you don’t want to there won’t be any hard feelings on our part. I could pay cash for the boat and lot if we would cash our stocks in, but I wouldn’t be able to buy them back it’s such a good price as I bought those at, also I would have to pay a 25% capital gain tax if I cash them in now. Just an idea, Dad said last fall I shouldn’t buy that lot, but I wouldn’t want to see anyone else get it either. If sometime in the future I couldn’t see any possible use for it I could always sell it, maybe at a profit. I don’t think they will decrease in value, do you?

Well I suppose you will say I’ve gone completely off my rocker

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and justly so. – We’ve had our supper now, Martha has been here and gone and we are going to have our rehearsal Fri. eve 5th of Feb. I’ve also made a batch of peanut brittle and it’s 10:30 PM still feel like I’ll go to work tomorrow if we don’t have any snow. So far we’ve only had a trace of snow from the recent cold spell.

Love
Ruth and H. O.

p.s. How is real estate prices holding down there?