Haddock and Dill: June 29, 1963 A Week's Rain, Hot Cross Buns and In A Stew

DuQuoin State Fair Building-Egyptian Music Camp, 1963

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It's a beautiful morning but will be hot before the day is over. Everything is so terribly dry. The yard looks like it does in August and we've been watering a bit. Things revive in a hurry but the ground is so dry so deep down we need a week's rain. It hasn't been this dry in June since we came here.

The children have been swimming every day & yesterday Bob went to Lake of the Woods with some friends. It is a state park not far from Urbana. He had a wonderful time. This young family has six children & the oldest is Bob's age. The dad teaches math at our school.

Ann has been going to band part of the time & went for one violin lesson so far. She can play Hot Cross Buns & thinks it is funny. The riding lesson took all morning last Monday. The actual instruction on the horse took an hour & then the girls took another hour to clean up the saddle. That's part of it. The trip to the stables takes 35 minutes each way so you see how fast the morning could go. The girl across the street is going too & we'll share the driving. I took my knitting & the time went pretty fast.

One of my friends took me out to play golf Wed. morning & I really enjoyed being outdoors all morning. I didn't do too badly with the game and hope to go again before I forget all I learned. Our school golf course will not open this year at all. It is new and there hasn't been enough rain to get the grass going. They have watered a lot but can't do it enough.

Ann had a wonderful time at camp and made lots of new friends. She has had several letters since she came home & has invited some girls to come & stay a few days.

Buddy must be with Marjorie by now. I think it is wonderful that he can go. He'll probably take a lot of pictures.

Bill W. (the youngest one, but he's 12) is in the hospital but is to go home today. He almost drowned in the city pool last Thursday. My kids were home but I almost died when I heard the police car & ambulance going toward the pool. Then one of Ann's friends called & said it was Bill & I was in a stew. We had to go to a tea but as soon as it was over we went out to the house & they had Bill lying on the couch. He looked terrible but I was so relieved to see him there that he looked good to me. He had difficulty breathing so they took him to the hospital. He'll be all right & they are still trying to fill in the details. Bill can't remember anything but that he had been swimming under water. It is the only trouble they have ever had at our pool, but they have doubled their watching now.

We go to potluck tonight & I have to take meat so I got chicken. I'm going to cook it in the oven.