Letters Home: Torrential Rain

May 9, 1959

Dear Family,

We had a real thunderstorm last night. The first good rain I’ve seen since we left home. You should see the desert today. I think if you took one step in it you would go up to your waist. Ugh!

Bobbie got a report card yesterday. She got one A, it was in being courteous. Not too bad a report though. Two B pluses, 5 B’s, a C+, and a C minus. The teacher says that she does not always make an effort, but when she does, the results are very good. That’s all, but I figured you would like to know.

I’ve kept yakking at the children to keep their shoes on. Well, I should practice what I preach. Thursday afternoon, walking across the living room in bare feet I walked into a table. I thought I had broken a toe. But after a visit by an Iranian doctor, and an ambulance ride to the hospital for x-rays, no fracture. You should have been in that Ambulance with me. A trip cross-country in the Jeep would have been softer. Anyhow, they pushed me around the hospital in a wheelchair, like a queen. It was just a bad bruise so they put tape around the toe and sent me home. Saturday, when I went to see the doctor he told me to get plenty of sleep and my toe would feel better. It really is really much better now, Sunday. One of the worst problems we had with it was when Herb called for the doctor and tried to explain about the toe. At the hospital they found out why. The nurse has asked me what happened to my finger. Hands or feet, they are all fingers.

Mom asked about the year in Iran. So what little learning I have, I’ll pass along to all of you with one typing. Muhammad was born in 570 AD. In 622 AD, he introduced the Koran and the Muslim faith to the Arabs, making the Muslim year one. By the year 632 AD, this religion controlled the Arabian Peninsula. And in 641 AD, the Arabs overtook Iran and introduced the Muslim faith, but did not try to convert the people. About 50% of Iranians were Christians at that time. A high poll tax was levied on the non-Muslims, and this is what converted most of the country to the Muslim faith. There is your school lesson for today.

Have just finished reading through a cookbook. Boy, I wish we had brought one right with us. I have borrowed one from Marie Kuna. I can keep it for a few months as she is leaving next Sunday for the States. I believe that she and her husband are going to travel on their way home. But, anyhow, we are sending two packages out with them, and when they get home, they will mail them for us. One package for each 63 – 33 + 518. Their home base is in South Jersey near Pitman, so the packages will most likely be mailed from there.

Now to answer questions I’ll pull out of the machine and do each one separately.

I think Bell is the best person I know even though I’ve never met her. She knows what a horrible speller and typewriter it is. Really I’m learning with Bobbie. One thing that I do find is now I have fingernails, it is harder to hit the right keys. Poor excuse!

I thought I had a lot to say until I sat down. Now I have a blank mind as usual. Tried some of the thread from the Singer store and it is much better than the regular English made. The best is still  Danish. Marianne Kessler and I are going to the bazaar sometime this week. She wants to get fabric for slipcovers and I just want to look. Hope to find a real cute girly print to make spreads and curtains for the girls room. Maybe a white background with pink and green –  hope I can find some.

Canada Dry is building a plant near here and I hope it will be open soon. We buy the ginger and tonic and then with soda water, sold by both Pepsi and Coke, we make the tonic water for us and the ginger ale for the kids. We really wonder what they will carry, maybe even the sparkling grapefruit juice. That was so good.

Bobbie is just about due home from school. We have a party most every afternoon when she gets in. The girls seem to like it, and as yet they have no friends nearby so it does help pass the afternoon.

Love,

Weezie, Herb, Bobbie and Lynn