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Tuesday, December 6, 2016

A HOLIDAY VISIT WITH INA -- DAY 6



Myrtle’s box, or keg, came yesterday and looks like it would hold about three gallons. Her letter says it is treats for all so that will add to it. Ethel found that $3.00 would fix up the radio so got busy and she, Earl and Myrtle sent the needful and we are very glad indeed to have it. There is a big box here from Earle and Bernice and a small one from Pearl, and Ethel got some bargain blankets so she sent two pair home and June’s get one and also they get a teapot from her. So we’ll have lots of Christmas. And Dad and June have each killed a young beef so that makes for good eats and we’ll soon have another good cow on the job. Ina Dobson, Christmas 1932

Now Ina speaks of receiving gifts, and clearly, she looked forward to it. I’ve wondered if she expected better gifts than she gave, and if she did, I forgive her. I think the old-time homesteaders expected the support of their children. But – Ina is pleased that Myrtle’s gift is “treats for all,” which will help her to make a happy Christmas for her guests. 

On one occasion Ina wrote that daughters Ethel and Pearl felt unable to send gifts. She made no comment about that, but her disappointment comes through. I suspect she felt that they were missing the point. She continually managed to give somehow out of her meager reserves, but when the daughters were short on funds, instead of being imaginative, they just gave up.



Vance, however, was poor but imaginative. “You are a good son and understand,” Ina wrote.

[In real time, we have snow this morning and it continues to snow. Mike has an appointment in Clarkston this morning, but I’m celebrating here at home.] KW

3 comments:

  1. There is a lot of trees run by the Boy Scouts down the hill from where we live. I got off he bus several stops early and met Nick there after work yesterday. Two very eager boys of about 11 or 12 were there to help us. I told them we were looking for a rather small tree and they asked if we wanted a "big small" or "small small" tree. Discussion ensued. Our boy ran around the whole lot for us and hauled trees over so we could compare side by side. Once chosen, he sawed off a bit of the bottom and tied it to the roof of our car for us. We chatted about his knots and methods and before departing he told us that we'd be fine so long as we kept it under 200. I promised that we'd try. All in all, it was a most positive experience. Current crises: no tree stand. We checked Fred Meyer and didn't find a one, so the search continues.

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  2. Sounds like a fun tree-buying experience.

    For your stand, try Amazon. Can you pick up your item?

    Haven't you had trees in the past? What happened to the stands?

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  3. The last time I had a tree was in 2004. I don't know what might have happened to the stand. We didn't want to wait to order online, so it was an ordeal of a search.

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