CCC Vol. 2 p. 51 Eva Hooker Hills

I did not think that I had much to say so was not going to send a letter this time and along came a note from Cousin Will saying "Don't disappoint us," so I guess it's up to me to sit right down in the midst of my housecleaning epidemic, with a paper-hanger upstairs and a painter in the kitchen, and write this letter.

All housekeepers know what confusion I am in, especially in a bungalow where all the rooms open up together. But I ought to be clean enough when settled so that when the Cousins start out on their vacations, they can hit Johnson City at meal time or night and stop with us.

Last November 11th being our anniversary, also Mother and Father Hill's, we all drove home and spent the Sunday with Mamma in Nelson. The men folks helped bank up the house¹ and fix the farm for winter.

Christmas we all ate turkey with Treva and Jack. Mamma was able to eat dinner there too and we did enjoy it so much.

February 15th being Mamma's birthday, we drove home and helped her celebrate; but the roads were so bad², we have not tried to go home since.

Treva and Jack drove up here March 30th for dinner to celebrate Anne Taylor's seventh birthday with a pink cake and candles.

I can remember a few things about our Aunts and Uncles; -- Once when we lived in Elmira, Aunt Sally and Aunt Mary Ann came to visit us but could not sleep because of the noise of the trains. We lived miles from the railroads too.

1. Many houses, with or without cellars, sat on "dry" stone foundations, i.e. no mortar or cement binding them, so the cold wind blew threw them. And there usually was no insulation under the floor. So, people piled up leaves or straw against the foundations, and usually covered that with dirt to hold it in place. - wbt]

2. If the "bad road" problem persisted this late into April, she was probably referring to the deep ruts that occurred in dirt roads every Spring --- and most roads were unpaved then. It was difficult to drive a car on the roads then without getting stuck or risk breaking an axle.

I can see Aunt Sally baking a pie by the kitchen table while Uncle Ben took a nap on the lounge behind the door, with his bandana over his face. Later when he visited us alone, he made me a wonderful "fiddle" our of a cigar box. He could play good music on it too.

Aunt Eleanor always reminds me of beautifully pieced bed quilts. Aunt Phebe lived long enough so we all can remember lots of nice things she did for us.

Ed was in Boston, New York and Philadelphia on business³ last week during the "April snow and thunderstorms."

Junior has been very well since his second attack of pneumonia last November.

We hope that during the summer we may see some of the Cousins either at our home or on some of the trips we anticipate taking.