In no time at all they’ll be in college and you’ll be free to go tripping around with your old “gal” friends, which is what you’ve always wanted.
Frankly, I think Beverly is taking advantage of your good nature. I know she helps out, especially with you going off to Chicago, and she does do your typing and all, but just think what she’s getting in return. Free room and board and a pretty easy ride. And I don’t see why the baby has to be in my room. What happens when I come home at Christmas?
Where exactly am I supposed to sleep, if that’s not too impertinent a question? As for the name Victoria, since you asked my opinion, I think it’s pretentious. There’s a Victoria in my dorm and she’s a real snot.
Can you please send my red cardigan soon.
Love, Alice Ottawa, December 14
Dear Mrs. Green Thumb, That was just a wonderful piece on Christmas plants, and I laughed till I cried about your struggle with your leggy poinsettia.
Here’s some advice you might want to pass on to your readers: keep the darn things away from gas, drafts, and radiators and they’ll thrive all winter. In fact you’ll get sick of having them around. Ha.
Also, give the soil a stir with a kitchen fork now and again.
Happy holidays, and thanks for your weekly words of wisdom, Hollis Sanderson Bloomington, Indiana, December 29, 1955
Daze — A quick note to say you’ll be getting a letter from Beans who’s decided she wants to come with us to Chicago. You have to believe me when I say I couldn’t think of any way to say no. She had me on the spot, but you’ll be hearing the whole story — I think I’d better leave it for her to tell.
Also want to assure you we got the key to the Lake Lemon house from the lawyer and checked it over thoroughly. There’s absolutely no indication of what might have happened to Maria, no notes, etc., though it looks like some of her clothes could be missing. (Empty hangers in the closet and so forth.) You already know about the money she withdrew — a cool twenty thousand, though she could have taken a helluva lot more, according to the lawyer. By the way, your dad’s old backyard pyramid looked kind of sweet under a layer of fresh snow. Georgio thought there might be squirrels nesting inside. How d’ya like that? — little squirrelly pharaohs.
The Christmas present was a hoot. I must be the only person in the state of Indiana, maybe in the whole Western Hemisphere, to have a reading lamp made out of a giraffe’s foot — where in God’s holy name did you find him (her?)? I think you’re back to being the Daze of old — though I hope you know what you’re doing, taking on a baby. Yikes.
See ya soon, Fraidy Bloomington, Indiana, January 10, 1956
Fraidy’s no doubt told you what happened, Dick’s little “lady friend” in Cleveland, anyway I won’t go into detail on a postcard.
Just gotta get away for a couple of weeks — from all these gee-dee memories. I’ve taken the house off the market — that’s one decision anyway. See you next Tues at Palmer House.
Love, Beans Ottawa, February 2, 1956
Dear Mrs. Green Thumb, Just wanted to let you know your column on Chicago gardens pushed my husband’s magic button. His nibs hates traveling like all get out, but after reading about the Morton Arboretum, he’s decided we’ve just got to go see for ourselves, so we’re driving down in April.
Glad you’re back. Pinky What’s-his-name doesn’t know “nuttin” about Harrison’s Yellow versus Persian Yellow.
Yours sincerely, A Faithful Reader Northampton, Mass., April 6, 1956
Dear All, Sorry I haven’t written lately but I’ve been going through a lousy time with Russian lit, also with the professor (a drip) and my roommate, Shirley, who’s depressed about her boyfriend, another drip. Also it’s been raining a lot. I’m thinking about changing my major, maybe Spanish. Or sociology. Or education. Everything I think of seems irrelevant.
Love, Alice Northampton, Mass., April 20, 1956
Dear Mother, Just to let you know I’m feeling a whole lot better and I really did appreciate you coming, especially when I know you’ve never flown in an airplane before and are scared to death of crashing. I think you’re right, that I was feeling down because of Dad, the thing about it being just one year after he died, one year exactly. I had a long talk about it with my Russian prof who said he really truly understood how I feel and that these one-year anniversary things can hit you hard emotionally and it was okay if my term paper was late.
I’ve decided to stay with my Russian major. We’re into Gogol.
What a soul that man has, Russia’s great soul incarnate.
Give my love to Warren and Joan and Bev and especially Victoria and tell them I’ll be writing soon.
Alice P.S. Forgot to comment on your new hairstyle which is just the mostest. Makes your neck look thinner too. Have you ever thought of tinting over the gray?
Ottawa, September 3, 1956
Dear Mrs. F., We wondered if you would care to join the Recorder staffers for our annual dinner at the Press Club, September 20th at seven o’clock. Pinky Fulham always plans a superb menu and a wonderful evening of songs and skits. Perhaps, if you would like to join us, I could call for you and drive you there. Do please let me know.
J.
Ottawa, November 14, 1956
Dear Mrs. Green Thumb, At last, someone’s solved my black leg problem. Any advice on thrips?
A Faithful Reader Northampton, Mass., November 20, 1956
Hi all. Up to my eyebrows in mid-terms. Just wanted to say happy first birthday to Victoria. Can’t wait to see her again.
Alice Bloomington, Indiana, December 20, 1956
Hope this reaches you by Christmas. Happy holiday cheer to all.
Beans and I are thinking of New Orleans for February. How ’bout it?
It’s all over with Georgio. I got tired of holding in my stomach all the time and pretending I was his girly-girl.
Peace, joy, etc.
Fraidy Ottawa, January 15, 1957
Dear D., The Recorder staff loved your piece on how to graft cacti — the perfect topic for winter gardeners. Pinky Fulham’s done a few drawings (which I’ve enclosed for your approval) since he thought it might help readers follow the more difficult steps. He’s a cactus man from way back, he tells me. Also very good on trees.
Affectionately, J.
Ottawa, February 7, 1957
Dear Mrs. Flett, Thanks for your kind words about the cactus illustrations. I think, not to pat myself on the back too much, that our readers really went for them, it kind of jazzes up the page. And as for covering the column while you’re in New Orleans, it would be a pleasure. I’m always glad to pitch in. A person can get pretty sick of writing about local elections and school board hassles.
Sincerely, Pinky Fulham Ottawa, June 30, 1957
Dear Mrs. Green Thumb, Loved “Getting Tough With Phlox.” I’ve clipped it out for my files, and bought an extra copy for my sister-in-law in Calgary who’ll get a real kick out of it.
Sincerely, Rose Henning, a timid-but-determined-gardenerin-training Hanover, College, September 19, 1957
It’s so noisy in the dorm I can’t think, but wanted to let you know I’m settled in and surviving. Great weather down here. Great news about Beverly doing the commerce course, she’ll do great.
Love to all, especially Vicky.
Warren P.S. You said postcards were okay.
Ottawawawa, December 2, 1958
O dear mrs green, my dear mrs thumb how i love you love you for your goodness your greenness your thumb-readiness your watering can your fertilizer pellets and o how i love rustling these limp pages and finding you there always there between stamps and bridge between recipes and religion there forever there with your greenness your kindness and o last week with your dampened cloth wiping clean the green green leaves shining and polishing o so gently and opening the green pores to the air it was like washing the hands of a little child you said dear mrs greenthumb o if i could only be your child scrubbed clean and pure to light and goodness i too would be happy i too would need nothing and o how i love you need you sweet keen clean mrs green thumb Anon Bloomington, Indiana, January 15, 1958