Monday, March 18, 2024

Milliron Monday: Letters Home Oct 10 1960

     

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. 

"Pete is studying and working hard as per usual plus spending all his "free" time including Saturday morning in the vet clinic, barns, laboratories, etc. "
― Jody Smith

Jody's letter home to Mansfield, Ohio. 

Route 1
Fort Collins, Colorado
Monday, October 10, 1960

Dear Mom, Dad, and Jessie,
    Sorry I've been so negligent in my writing.
    We're all just fine, hope you're the same. Jess, I hope your cold is better. Jessica is her sweet little self as per usual, she's really a good little baby now - rarely a peep out of her except for her laughs and coos. Pete is studying and working hard as per usual plus spending all his "free" time including Saturday morning in the vet clinic, barns, laboratories, etc. Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and occasionally after school on weekdays he has to work for Birky's, so, needless to say, it's rather difficult for him to find enough time to get all his studies done - but so far so good.
    Daddy - we're still waiting anxiously to hear from you - what days will you be here? Where can we meet you? etc. We've already gotten permission from Mr. Curry for you to hunt deer on his ranch so don't forget to bring your gun or, if need be, perhaps Pete can borrow a gun for you somewhere. I think deer season in this area is from Oct. 22 to Nov. 6, but I can check for sure. Les and Pete both say they'll guarantee you a deer so the prospects sound pretty good.
    Thank you very much, Mom, for the nightgowns and robes. They surely feel wonderful, soft and warm when I get up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. every morning. No matter what time I feed Jessica she's hungry by 6 a.m. She'll sleep straight through from 9 in the evening to 6 in the morning, or if I get her up at 10 or 11 or so in the night and feed her, she still wakes up at 6 a.m. Actually this is quite convenient since I have to have Pete's breakfast ready by 7:15 a.m.
    Pete's Dad was here this weekend, Saturday evening and part of Sunday. Simmy and one of her friends, Sally Giggy, also stopped in so we had a houseful yesterday.
    Thanks also, Mom, for the envelope of clippings, magazines, etc., which arrived awhile ago, also am enjoying the sink spray very much.
    Thank you again for the money in the account - our little house is quite well set up now. We bought Field's stove, our refrigerator is the one from the apartment and then we bought an older model for the apartment. We bought a washer from Don Wall (guy you went to see, Mom). Less and Hope lent us a nice knotty-pine end table, bookcase, and two matching chairs which really look nice in the living room. Sally Giggy commented on how nice the kitchen curtains matched the room and said she thought you had "excellent taste", Mom. So that's quite a compliment coming from a home economist!
    Can't remember if I told you that I canned about 7 quarts of bread and butter pickles. They turned out real well - luckily. Mrs. Birky was canning them and ran out of time so she gave me a whole bunch of cucumbers and most of the spices I needed, it certainly was nice of her.
    We've been dragging out of bed in the wee hours of the morning chasing loose horses rather frequently. Three of the times these darn little kids have left the pasture gates wide open. Needles to say, after the last 5:30 a.m. jaunt, we told the youngsters to either shut the gates or stay home!
    The last two Sundays we've started leaving Jessica in the church nursery while we attend services. Both times she's just laid in the crib and watched all the confusion around her.
    Guess I'd best quit for now, will make a valiant attempt to write a little oftener.
    Hope we'll be seeing you soon, Dad.
Love to you all, 
Jody
     
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