Narok,
Masai Reserve,
Kenya
Col. East Africa
May
23, 1933.
Dear
Cora:
It’s
only the day after [arrow drawn to date in header] and I hope
you had
a pleasant time yesterday. Is it possible you are 45? I
suppose
since the rest of us are getting older you are too - but
believe it
or not! I still often often think of you as a Hi school girl -
like
you were when I first came to Africa - 28 yrs. ago. Mother
used to
say she was only as old as she felt - so I hope you don’t feel
your
45 yrs. very heavy. Some of these days I feel rather old. last
Fri
for instance when I had a good old fashioned headache. I
didn’t
take asperin so it just had it’s run. I kept thinking ‘twould
be
better til it got too bad to do anything but go to bed.
How
I’m rambling on & not explaining about these glasses of
mine
I’m sending to Edward to see if he can send me some just a bit
stronger. I have the 2 pairs. & you see I broke one side
of my
frame & Jno broke one side of his so we dismantled this
pair of
glasses to get new pieces. If Edward can’t do it or thinks
it’s
not a very good thing to do - then I’ll try out here. Jno had
his
eyes tested and got new glasses & it cost only Sh. 25. but
I thot
it might be better to just get the same I’ve had only a bit
stronger. These I’m wearing have the bifocal ground in &
not
pasted on like these are that I’m sending to you. Perhaps that
would be best. and now I’m just thinking you will perhaps be
away
on your trip East when this gets there - then it can just wait
til
you return.
If
I remember correctly, when I got these glasses in Chicago they
told
me to return them in a couple of years & have them
exchanged. Now since we’re not going to U.S.A. very soon - I
think I better
have them seen to. I’ll have to take a few days off in Nairobi
too
& have my teeth looked after - but there’s nothing much
wrong
there either.
I
was just going to put this with the glasses as we always do
out here,
put letters in parcels - but I know that isn’t allowed in
U.S.A. so
I wont do it.
We
don’t know just when we are leaving for Shaffers but soon
after the
first of June. The girls are going to Kijabe to watch Miss
Stevenson
do the dispensary work every day & learn what they can
along that
line. Scudders will be married in July. Guess they will have
the
Bishop do it in Nairobi, tho they had hoped to have Mr.
McKenrick
come out here & do it here in our chapel - just to have it
as
quick as possible but Mr. Buxton thinks they should go to the
Bishop. Her dress is beautiful. Very plain pure white
Shantung. [pg. 2] The back goes down in a long V and at the
waist line on the hips the
front has a couple of tiny tucks on each side - long close
fitting
sleeves with bell shaped cuffs that are hemstitched about so
deep
_____ hem and self covered buttons 3 or 4 where they come
together a
round neck with hemstitching like the cuffs - and that’s all.
Mr.
S. got her a beautiful string of pearls for Xmas. Course
she’ll
wear a veil - since they’ll be married in church - otherwise
she’d
have just gotten a white hat. She will also carry flowers and
do all
the customary things. She had hoped we’d attend and asked John
if
he wouldn’t give her away - but you now how Jno would enjoy
that. Since they can’t come out here for it we probably wont
come
back til late in July. We really hope She & Mr Scudder
will come
down to Lasit & get us after they have a week or so
together some
place. Guess we’ll take our car to Kijabe so they can use it
as
they please.
Today
I got the small tin box down that we are taking with us &
have
begun to put things together & am getting a bit excited
over it
all, too. Mr. S. will likely get here 2 wks from today at the
latest
tho he might come a week from Sat. He’s to be here over a Sun.
&
do some baptising - about 10 are ready. Then too he is
bringing a
ram & will help Jno set it and get it agoing. My it will
be like
living again to have water in the house & garden. I was
spoiled. After one has had such conveniences it’s pretty hard
to do without
and as tho to make matters worse the rains have wholly failed
this
season so things in the garden instead of flourishing fine as
other
years even without a ram, are all drying up. Even the fruit
trees. It rained a bit Sun. night so we had water for washing
on Mon. but
the tank is drained again.
Perhaps
I’ve asked you before, but do you know any way to use avocados
except in salad and in sandwiches? Tomatoes, & avocados
with
salad dressing make a yum salad. Mr. Clarke has lots of
avocados
coming on - we’ll miss most of them, I suppose - as they are
only
beginning to get soft now.
There’s
no letter of any of you here. A big mail gets here next Sun.
so we
hope we’ll hear from some of you. Lora was the last to write -
but
Aunt Lorene wasn’t there then yet. so I’d like to hear how she
got there & how she likes it.
Must
get to bed now. I’ve crossed most things from my list - things
I
wanted to do this vacation month. I’m going to write lots
of letters at Shaffers. & knit & teach Mrs. Shaffer to
knit &
have lots of funs.
When
you get the glasses affair fixed up - if you fix it - let me
know the
bill & I’ll have Brooklyn send you a cheque.
Much
love
Flo.
[from
margin] Hope you do go East & that you have a fine time.
Also
hope you can find that bunch of Jno’s letters & send to
Claudon
or Raymond. Are you going to the World’s Fair? Raymond &
the
crowd are.
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