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Arthur = son

Dick = Dick Heagberg, formerly married to their late daughter

Dolores = daughter

Harry = son

Jerry = son

Larry = son

(NOTE: once again, he uses "dick" instead of "thick")

Nov 25th 1954 Gobbler Day

(Dolores, sneaked you a copy without notice)

Dear Ones, Jerry, Arthur, Dick

        Here we are on this most auspicious day, feeling our way around. The fog was so dick that you could not see anything. Driving, like Mom said as she went to church with her neighbor, was so hazardous that the lady could not find the corners to turn and at no time did she know on which side of the street she was driving. It started about 4 o'clock Wed. and now it's noon Thursday and it's just commencing to lift. It's also cool and damn damp. The water runs down the windows it's so wet and as we cannot see the sun which we suppose is about a few hundred feet above the fog. Yesterday when we went shopping the sun was visible behind the fog which was starting to gather. It comes in so fast that about the time you give it a thought, it's got you enveloped. This is the worst one we have encountered so far since we have been here, which was a year ago the 18th of this month.

        Larry has all the football games on the T.V. and we heard about the beautiful weather back there. Rain, snow, dark and cold. Now we don't feel too bad with our dose of this nasty stuff.

        Mom is as busy as a flea in the kitchen. We are having a twelve pound hen with all the trimmings to be served about three o'clock so Larry can enjoy without missing his games. He won't miss any as he has to stay in and cannot even play a few holes of golf and it's too wet for me to go out in the yard and work on my beautification project. Ask Harry if he had any extra drumsticks? When looking around the bird, I always understood it had drumsticks. I even searched up its shoot and could not find any. I found a couple of legs, but still don't know why the old fable persists about drumsticks. I'll bet that back there are all clamoring for the same sticks, so what to do about it as they all will be sitting back with that uncomfortable feeling of being stuffed with the unstuffed bird and I am sitting her full of anticipation only.

        Just looked out the window and things are again shaping themselves. Can even see the houses across the street again and a few blocks down the street. We had some rain two weeks ago which was the first since last Feb so I have not sprinkled since. Waiting for the ground to dry out so I can start to do some hard work. I had my big box full of weeds and prunings for this week, while last week I had zero. If it keeps up drying out, it will give me a place to fertilize some of the plants for their winter strength. Things look  a little bedraggled in this weather, or maybe this time of year. Not as good as a year ago.

        See what the green thumb of our previous landlady could do. She had things in the best of shape when she turned the place over to us for a six month lease and later purchase. We worked our heads off to have the same semblance but it just don't work out that way. You must know the secrets or suffer the consequences. Even the Avacado tree died and another one we don't even know what kind it was, but we do know it was dwarfed all the time, so it got tired trying and quit. Also Mom's pet the Poinsetta tree died which was sickly all the time and we were giving it a cathartic instead of a blood transfusion.

        We do have an abundant supply of winter asters and Mums and now the Calla lilies are starting to bloom again which is heartening. The front lawn looks wonderful since I Vigoroed it and pulled out some devil grass. Also the dychondra grass in the back yard has taken on a new look since I fed it some commercial food. Next I must prune the rose bushes and get them ready for the spring, or should I say for their Easter Ensemble. Got to get things in order for our spring and summer guests, we hope here's a hint to start packing things to be on your way and a hearty invitation.

        Interuption* Larry is screaming to his mother that it's permissible to finish the turkey on Friday and you should hear the rebuttal. Confidentially I think Larry is going to lose out, so it's me to crawl in the dog-house with him. He had a bright idea but the darn trimmings he used did not even get across the goal line for a T.D. Yes, he lost as all is quiet again and he is back at watching the game Mo. against Maryland. You got to give him credit starting things that he can't finish but he tries and tries. If he would only pick an easy one and not try to slip one over on his Mom.

        I sent a letter over a week ago to the other list of the clan and so far the only reply was from faithful Dolores. I really dished out some news about experiences of the trip and she completely ignored it without any comment, and here we thought it was some thrill the way we were grounded in Shy and then could not land here for awhile. What kind of spectacular episode are they looking for? Want us to parachute out to thrill and electrify you all? This will be your challenge to answer and get some mail out to us as Mom has the rug in front of the door worn out from consistently going the mail box at least three times a day looking for that letter that is always postponed. Even Larry is overanxious.

        With that little admonition we also send our love to all

Mom-Dad & Larry

To read next letter, click here: 1954 Dec 6 Larry