Haven’t got ourselves near done yet. Mursecoed the kitchen walls a tannish brown over the paper. Looks good.
Bristow, Iowa
May 2, 1920
Dear Uffe + Jennie: -
I guess I’ll have to write a letter today but I just hate to write them lately. Haven’t heard a thing from you for a long while not thru Abington folks or yourselves. I think the last I heard about you was from Mr. Kenken. He seems to be a very nice man and I sure was glad to keep him here for those few days. I suppose he told you all about us.
To tell you the truth I haven’t seen Mr. + Mrs. Uffe Lauterbach yet. Think it over and you will agree with me. Why are you will agree with me. Why are we so far apart?
How I wish you could come a week again like you used to! Those are pleasant memories to me. The spring you was here when baby was born and the three weeks you have been here. “It makes me heart sad to think of it now.”
Altho the day is so beautiful my heart seems rather sad and dismal today. Couldn’t go to church today again + we go so seldom lately. Alwys push visiting ahead of church going. It’s a fact we ought to be ashamed to repeat but nevertheless is true. Makes me feel that I’m not leading a Christian life and I feel like I need a waking up. Arius wanted to go to Rycks + Lena today but I thot we ought to go to church or else to my folks. Haven’t seen them since the week I was home at Thanksgiving time and it makes me long for home. While we were getting ready (I don’t know where we were going) we got a call that our baby chicks came so no use talking but I had to stay home. Arius went to Ryck’s + Lena along. We expected our chicks ever since Tuesday + sure enuf they had to come Sunday. There is so much work with them + I have spent more than 2 hrs. With them today. The hens won’t take them + since they are incubator hatched chicks + a few days old they don’t know enuf to go under a hen. They are dandys tho. 101 of them. All full blood R.I. Reds. Also have 10 chicks from Mrs. Brown’s eggs. Full blood Reds. They are 4 weeks old already. Then I have 79 others yet and all but 4 are R.I. Reds. In all I have 190 chicks + 40 hens setting yet. I guess that’s the end of it too. Expect to hatch you a few chicks so you better come over in 2 or 3 weeks and take them with you.
If care has anything to with raising chicks mine sure got that. I run after them an awful lot. Cleaning + washing and scalding most everything I think only 4 or 5 chicks died so far this spring. I sure hope i have better luck than last year. Often think of you and wondering what success you are having with them. You surely had quite a lot of misfortune this spring. We have 66 little pigs left but have lost a great many + and a lot of these look poor yet. Lost 3 little calves in the last 2 weeks too. Are milking 10 cows now. Have 2 little colts lively as can be. Eddie has been here from the first of March till last Sunday. We always miss him when he goes again. Such a help at chores too. Arius has some of the posts set for our new lawn fence. Moved the wash house too. Cleared the yard of all those scrubby apple trees so the place has changed a little. My garden stuff is just coming up. Have tomato plants almost 3 inches high already (in the house). Thot Bess + Tom would come today. Seems like nobody dares make themselves to this spring. Have they been there already. If I knew just what Sunday we would go to the folks I’d let you know + maybe you could come over there then too. Well I could write a whole lost more but I hope we’ll see all soon see each other and then we can talk better. If you can get away from chores come soon + make a long days visit. Write soon enuf so we sure get this letter so Arius can meet you at Dumont or else you can’t phone either till 8 oclock. Then the day will be half gone before you get here. We can’t come there till our chores get a little less.
Hoping to see you soon. I love with love.
Anna