November 7, 1965
Dear David and Bonnie:
Sunday evening and I am alone for the present. Dad had to go to the hospital to give an anesthetic. We have had a restful afternoon, which we needed I think I should be able to face next week.
One night last week the weatherman said we would be able to see the comet at about 4 AM, so Dad set the alarm, but since Chicago is on standard time and we are on eastern time, Dad set the alarm too early. At any rate we started at about 4 o’clock to watch and after going out several times, Dad finally gave it up, but I went out one last time and by standing in the shadows of the trees on the north side of the lawn and looking to the southeast I thought I could discern a faint light, like a beacon, so I came back in and told Dad. We both went out again and decided that must be it. We should have driven out south of town and I am sure we would have gotten a better view. There is a good picture taken of it from a mountain in Hawaii – in Life magazine this week. Also Life has an article about Tillich.
I have been stopping to see Mrs. M. almost every day. I think she is gradually getting back to normal, but she still isn’t quite as strong as she was before.
Last summer when attending School of Mission I took the tape recorder along and recorded the lectures on “Acts-Then and Now.” I used the tape in teaching the book in my S.S. class. I became careless one day and said I would give the lessons to R. Zell’s class and they voted today to have me do just that. Now I have to make arrangements to have someone take my class for the next 5 weeks. I feel a little better about the class today than when I wrote last. The attendance was up today and the group was in a discussing mood, which always helps.
We are back where we started from on the hifi. It was too much trouble to keep the records changed at the office and the record player wasn’t being used enough to keep it there, so we brought it back home. However, we aren’t out of the stereo market yet. I think Dad will build one. Bun tells me that is the best way to get a good stereo. I am not interested in buying an expensive piece of furniture, when we have plenty of cabinets in which to place a record player. We brought all the records back home, including of course the new popular records. If Dad can get the parts, we will probably have a stereo by the time you come home for Christmas.
Joy Funk is going to be married Jan. 8th. Some of Arlene’s friends are having a shower for her Saturday afternoon and I have been invited. It is a linen shower and that means I will probably have to go to Lafayette to get something. Did I write that Don and Nancy were married Oct. 2nd? They are living in Rensselaer and Don is going to school. Jim Johnson had to make a trip east for the Company he works for and we gave him your telephone number. His dad said he tried all day to get you, but without any success. I didn’t know just when he was going or I would have let you know the exact time he would be in Boston.
The company that has been installing the sewer tile is about ready to leave town. They are supposedly putting the street back like they found them, but all it amounts to is a little strip of paving down the center, or in some cases, one side of the street. Our town still looks pretty torn up from the work this past summer. We never did get anything out our way. I think we will probably be hooked up as is. There is quite a story back of why they didn’t work out here. Seems our neighbor to the east wouldn’t give their consent to have the digging machine go near their back yard. Dad says however, they couldn’t have stopped them if the Company would have gone right ahead and dug. Right of eminent domain. I think the trouble was that our Town Board didn’t quite know what to do. They didn’t secure easements. They just took for granted that they had easements all over the town. Quite complicated. The sewage plant is being built and most of the town will be hooked up to it when it is finished, even if our end of town isn’t.
The United Church Women (I am Secretary-Treas.) had a meeting last Friday. World Community Day and one of the projects was to make sewing kits. I have to get those ready to send in the mail today to Napanee, Ind., so must get busy.
Love Mother
Your check received – sorry I forgot to mention it.
©2017 copyright owned and transcribed by Deborah Sweeney
Post originally found: https://genealogylady.net/2017/02/20/sewer-work/
“Also Life has an article about Tillich.” That’s theologian Paul Tillich, whom I was learning about at BU at the time.
“I think Dad will build one. Bun tells me that is the best way to get a good stereo.” Gone are those days!
If anyone ever wants to write a history of the Kentland Sewer System, Gladys’ letters will help!