February 2, 1961

Dear Dick & Dad:-

Just a line to let you know we are OK, only getting good and tired of this winter weather. I’m glad you folks don’t have to endure it as we do. If my summary serves me correctly I believe we’ve only had about 5 days above freezing since the first of December. Day before yesterday the temperature got up to a screaming 33º. I thought I was going to have sun stroke. It has really been miserable working at the shop this winter all the snow and ice has made is so wet and sloppy in the shop, it seems like we get a new coat of about 2 or 3 inches of snow a couple of times a week just enough to keep it messy all the time. According to the paper we’ve had 23 inches so far this winter. It even snowing now with 3 to 5 inches predicted.

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The shop is hard to heat and keep warm one day we weren’t able to get it over 42º in the shop. I have been wearing so many clothes I can’t hardly walk. And just one more grip and that is a lot of these drivers can’t get their cars started on the cold morning so we get blamed for all their troubles. “Enough bitchin'”. We mailed Kens Christmas packages to him on January 23rd so far we haven’t heard if he received them or not.

We got a letter form Bill today saying he was in the States, had been in Washington and Boston, was on his way to Colorado Springs and then back to Chicago. I suppose to see Ken for a day, he also expects to spend a day here either the 5th-6th or 8th of Feb. If he gets here we will call you so you can have

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a chance to exchange a few words ad hear his voice. We are really thrilled and looking forward to seeing him, it is a surprise to us and I know it will be to you. So we’ll just sit close to the phone waiting his call.

Did Ed Shepard get down there yet. Dick Rodenfels is leaving Sunday for Miami. We would just love to come down believe me.

Burch is O.K. he says I haven’t seem him as we haven’t had him up since Christmas. The weathers been so bad we just don’t go

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out unless it’s necessary.

Ruth just got in from her Rebecca meeting and said they about froze to death down there tonite I guess the heater isn’t large enough or sumpin. Ruth took an extra sweater but couldn’t keep her feet warm. Well here I go on this stinkin’ weather again so guess I’ll close shop for now.

Love H. O.

P.S. Send me the recipe for making Pawnhouse. I still got the pigs feet and don’t know what to do with them.