Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.: June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010 Virginia Joyann "Jody" Haley Smith: April 2, 1938 - May 9, 2021 |
Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Milliron Farm and Clinic, Dr. Pete and Jody Smith.
"Things aren't quite as tight hereabouts now since Pete's beginning to get paid for his track job and the job here at Birky's. He also shod several horses on Sunday and is still mowing a lady's lawn in town and trimming her hedge."
― Jody Smith
Jody's letter home to Mansfield, Ohio. Backstory: Happy in her new country home, Jody writes about her thankfulness for all the incoming packages from Mansfield, her journey to motherhood, and Pete's busy schedule.
Route 1
Fort Collins, Colorado
Wednesday, July 6, 1960
Dear Mom,
Thanks so much for the package and three letters which arrived yesterday. It's always extra nice to get an insured package since the postman has to drive up to our door and deliver it instead of leaving it down on the box. I've already consumed the wintergreen candy so I'd best slow down or my weight will probably make some rapid increases instead of a decrease which I'm hoping for as soon as possible. It'll be great to have nuts to put in the cookies again. They always seem to dress desserts up. Guess it'd take me a couple of pages to list all the goodies you sent but thank you very much for everything. It's nice to have such things around and needless to say our grocery budget doesn't quite include such luxuries as black walnuts.
Thank you for the offer of the window fan but I'm sure it won't be necessary. Yesterday and today it's been so cold I've worn a sweater and had the furnace on. It's rained or been cloudy the whole time. This crazy Colorado weather is certainly strange. The hospital is the Larimer county hospital which is just about a mile east of the main street in Fort Collins. Thank you for the offer of a practical nurse but that really isn't necessary at all. I told Dr. Rumley that I didn't think you were planning on coming out since that is what I gathered from your letters and she thinks that I would be all right if I would just stay an extra couple of days in the hospital until I'm really rested and feeling good. I had only planned on staying two days since it sounds so expensive without hospitalization insurance but if you are willing to help us out with the hospital bill for a couple extra days it would be a big worry off Pete's and my mind, and I think that extra rest would eliminate any need for a practical nurse. As far as the housework is concerned, this house is pretty small and there really isn't that much that has to be done, so I can just let most of it go until I feel up to it. Of course, I haven't any idea how I'll feel after the baby is born but I feel fine now and from all indications there shouldn't be any particular trouble (I hope!) so it really doesn't seem at all necessary to hire anyone to come in. I'm getting awfully anxious to get this all over with. This waiting is rather maddening. As far as your coming out is concerned it probably would be nicer to have you and Dad and Jessie all come out for a visit sometime when things would be a bit more settled and we could do things together. As for leaving the baby at the hospital, I hope very much to be able to nurse it so will have to bring it home with me.
In answer to your questions, we got $250 for the Rattler after much advertising, useless running around to used car lots, etc.; then we had to give them $50 back since the block was cracked somehow. Pretty expensive driving for a year but it certainly was a help. We used the money for food, light, heat, etc. bills. No, I don't have any particular allowance to run the house. Pete usually gives me a check for my shopping every week although lately I've been using the Mansfield checking account for groceries. No, I'm not planning on being in Simmie's wedding. She asked me to, but at the time, was planning on having it in July, so I said I didn't want to plan on anything. I'm still not planning on it now that it'll be in September since I'm sure I won't have time to be running down to Denver and taking the baby along, etc. I would like to know what the wedding veil situation is though. I gather you're going to send it sometime soon.
I'm sorry to hear that you're not out at the cabin. It seems as though it would be a great place for Gary Franklin to grow up in the summers.
Thank you for all the clippings and magazines. I enjoyed looking through them last night. Also the packages of raisins are real handy to slip in Pete's lunch bucket. We have our big meal at noon and then I pack Pete a lunch since he leaves here at three in the afternoon, works on the apartment house until five and then goes to Denver to the dog track; he gets back about one a.m. I surely do appreciate the white shirts you sent for his birthday, especially the short sleeved one, since he has to wear a white shirt and tie every night at the track so I'm getting my fill of washing and ironing the darn things. He got the $25 and appreciated it very much. He's been meaning to write as soon as he gets a chance but as you can tell from the schedule above, he doesn't get a chance to sit down much.
I haven't had a chance to price baby beds yet since I only go in town once a week for my doctor's appointment and didn't have time to look around last week. I called Montgomery Ward, however, and they have them at $24.95, $29.95, $34.89, and mattresses at $16.95. They sure seem expensive. Now I see why Pete and Mary Lou Matthews (another vet in Pete's class) don't have one. I don't see how she manages. They have three little children (just had a baby about two weeks ago) and live in a trailer which isn't nearly as large as our living room. We certainly have a lot to be thankful for, particularly living in this pretty country place. But at any rate what I started to write was that once when I was visiting Mary Lou she had to put her little boy to bed about five times since he could just crawl off the bed when he felt like it. It surely would be nice to have a bed with sides on it when the baby gets big enough to get around. I'm sure this little car bed will be fine for awhile though.
I've been getting all sorts of use from that little aqua plastic egg slicer. The Junior veterinarians who are married and staying in Fort Collins over the summer had a picnic the fourth of July so I fixed potato salad and garnished it with hard boiled egg slices. It surely slices them a lot better than I ever could. It was a real nice picnic. It was pretty in the mountains. I'm sure you would all enjoy some of this pretty scenery around here.
Thank you also for the "watermelon money". That ought to buy quite a bit of melon. That'll be a real treat to buy a whole watermelon all at once. Thank you also for the knife. It surely is a nice sharp one.
I'm sorry to hear that Aggie isn't much of an outdoorsman. I certainly appreciate all the opportunities that I had to drag home all sorts of livestock. I hope our young one will have as patient a mother as I had. It seems as though Gary's interest in the outdoors and animals ought to balance Gary Franklin's life out, though. I surely hope so.
I shall attempt to sort out the names on the list you sent and will send you back whichever names and addresses that announcements should be sent to. Be sure to add whomever you wish since I don't have much of any idea of whom they should be sent to.
I'm about to give up on this weather. It's still raining off and on. I washed the white shag rugs yesterday and they're still soaking wet. Usually things dry in a couple of hours.
Thank you again for the package of goodies and particularly for the letter. I certainly appreciate your concern. Pete and I both are grateful for your offer to help out with a particular nurse, etc. Things aren't quite as tight hereabouts now since Pete's beginning to get paid for his track job and the job here at Birky's. He's also shod several horses on Sundays and is still mowing a lady's lawn in town and trimming her hedge. I still haven't figured out when he finds time to get all this done but somehow he manages. He insists that he's getting enough sleep since he sleeps some riding down and back from Denver but he doesn't get to bed until after one and then he's up at 7:30 to work for Prof. Birky. Also he's attempting to sell that land outside of Denver so that should help settle doctor, hospital bills, house payments, etc. when and if the land gets sold, but until then I'm sure we'd both welcome some help with those extra days in the hospital if they're necessary. As far as paying for Starboy is concerned, there is still some money in the Mansfield account and his bill is paid until September. Having a horse is certainly a luxury for married students in college but I don't know what I'd do without the little character, now that I've gotten so attached to him.
If I've forgotten anything or haven't answered some of your questions be sure to ask me about it since this letter has been written throughout the course of the day with many interruptions and is probably awfully unco-ordinated.
I hope everyone's feeling fine there, and that Mike is still behaving. I received a real nice letter from Lavender yesterday so guess I better write her sometime soon.
Bye for now. Lots of Love,
Jody
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Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.
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