Aug. 24, 1927
Dearest homefolks:
Your two nice letters came last night. I want to write you this A.M. even if it won’t go off for about two weeks. We don't get to answer by the same mail any more. Paper mail used to come by plane, but the second plane does not come any more and therefore we have no chance to answer. I like to write as soon as your letters come, though.
Yes, time gets closer and closer for us to leave for home, but strange to say, even though I am wild to come home, I am more contented than I was several months ago. I have torn off all the months on my calender except four --up to January, which is not on mine. After Xmas all my time will be spent in packing and selling everything except the things I can't part with. I certainly hate to sell my dishes and tea set. They are so pretty and I am so afraid I can't get what I want for the money at home. However, we could not afford to bring them home. This is such an unsettled, discouraging life. We spent time, thought, energy and put our heart in things, and then have to sell them all when we go on furlough. Take our birds, for instance. They are just doing fine. We eat or sell 50 or more squabs a month. We know them (the grown ones) all apart. Half of them we raised ourselves. Now we must sell them; perhaps someone will take the whole bunch. If not we will have to sell here and there to be killed or perhaps not cared for. My garden will likely be just at its best. I will get some good from it, of course. My flowers I will give away to my friends. Think how discouraging this would be to have to start anew every time you came back from furlough.
I wonder in the ball game, which side you were for. I am sure I would have "rooted" for the older set because I know them best.
It's good that you may get the mail route by home, but where will we go when we can't go to the P.O.? !! I I think I'll go walking in the woods. I feel like now if I could get turned loose in those woods, I could wander for hours and not get tired. Why is it I love that place out there so, and long to stay there, when it's the strong desire of so many people to trot over the globe as I do and have to stay at home., I guess it's the unfortunate disposition of lots of people to be discontented wherever they are. I wonder if that's true! !
I think the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is very true.
I certainly did enjoy and appreciate the music to that song. I shall write to John about it.
I wish I had some of those fig preserves. I am sure there would not be any left if we were there to eat them. I think often when we open this sorry tinned stuff out here of the lovely preserves we had when we were in Livingston staying at the Snelling's house. There is certainly one thing I enjoyed while there and that was eating. I guess you remember. I don't think I have ever enjoyed my food as I did there and then! I often think, too, of how I would have lived without that car. I have also worried a lot about your not going, too. I realize now why, I think. It's one of my failings to see things when it's too late.
Later. Sept. 4. Sunday-
Sewing makes my mind turn toward home more these days, as a lot of the things I am making are for going home and at home. But on Sunday, I write to you and have time to think. I am working hard. Harder than I have ever worked in my life. In fact, I feel that I am learning how to work. I am busy most of the day and the wonderful part is that I am not unusually tired when night comes. Lots of times I don't even take a rest at noon. My garden is beautiful; my flowers are most all taking a rest You can't expect them to keep on forever. I have zinnias all up and down my paths again. The ones you sent are about finished, but they certainly had their days. I had a bouquet on my table all during dry season when there was nothing else.
Now shall I tell you what I have in my garden, or are you tired of it? I don't seem to have much else to tell, though. About 150 celery plants started, 20 cabbage plants out in the ground with lots of young ones coming on in raised bed, 18 tomato plants blooming and 2 sizes of young ones corning on, 10 eggplants, lots of pepper plants, and I am getting peppers from old plants. I have pole string beans, pole limas, and bush butter beans, okra, turnips in ground and some planted in beds for greens, cucumbers, squash, spinach, about 100 onion plants and plenty of lettuce. I am getting only a few tomatoes, celery, lettuce, turnip greens and peppers from my garden now. In writing all of this to you, I have had an inspiration. I have wanted for a long time to write to the Enterprise. Perhaps I will write something on gardens in the Congo.
Sept 8.
The mail closes today, so I must mail this. Mr. Longenecker has gone to lIebo [?] to meet the Allens to take them to Bulape. I hope to get my package before long.
Dot
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