Madison, Wis. Jan. 22, 1922 Dear Circle: If I can keep from writing some of the things the young folks are saying in the next room, I will need some self control. Verlyn and Dick are here. Verlyn is in Madison for a few days on his way home. The man for whom he was working on a fine stock farm at Janesville went to the wall and he is out of a job just now. It is 8 below zero, this is the coldest day we've had so far. It has been down to zero several times but has not staid there long. I think it doesn't get quite so cold here as in Iowa. Ellen, I went skating three weeks ago and wasn't even stiff afterward, but I had borrowed shoes with skates fastened to them that were too large for me, so I couldn't spread the eagles wing as gracefully as I should have done. I think seriously of getting some NEW skates of my own. Cal is on the ice every day for awhile. It is only a block from his office and after his lunch he goes down for a half hours spin. Is thinking seriously of making a skate sail, he says. One day when the wind was strong, he just stood still and it blew him across Lake Monona toward Ray's cottage. He got off there and took the street car back to the office. Last Sunday Grace cajoled her father into his dress suit & got him out into the cold long enough to take a snap shot of him, which I enclose. I haven't gotten MY evening dress yet. WHEN I get it, I'll send a snap shot. Grace's work is testing commercial feeds and fertilizers, so I asked her to give me some others to suggest to the hen owners beside Full-o-Pep. There's Egg-a-Day Dry Mash, Hen Chowder, Magic Egg Producer, Lay-or-Bust Dry Mash. If these don't act, I'll get some more. Amelia has invited Ella and me down to Fennimore to spend her bithday with her and we are planning to go for a few days. We are glad to hear that all the little folks are doing well and also the older ones, and hope Chas., Amelia, & Henry will have many more happy returns of their birthdays. Love to you all from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Feb. 26, 1922 Dear Circle: Can it be possible that it is only a month since I wrote so gaily about going skating! It seems like a year or so for my mode of living has been completely changed by a half hours skate a month ago today. I fell down on my back on the ice and when I tried to stand, had only one serviceable leg to use, and have only just got so I can use it moderately now. The Dr said I had torn a muscle in the calf of my right leg and disarranged the circulation, of course, and that it would take from three to four weeks to heal very likely. It did, but last week on Wed. my old enemy (lumbago) advanced in a very severe attack on me and laid me low for three days in bed, but today I am getting around a bit in a slow way and hope before long to be able to take charge of my household again. Cal and the girls have done the work at odd times and except for four days when I was really confined to bed, I have been dressed and lying on the couch down stairs, so they could go to their work. The girls took turns getting meals. I am slower each time getting my strength back after these lumbago attacks. I used to get busy as soon as the "stitch" was gone, but today I feel just able to sit up to write and it began Wed. I really feel as if I was between 50 & 60, Ellen. I am definitely through with all forms of skating. How do you get along with so little fuel, Arthur? We have burned 8 tons so far & got in 4 tons more last week. I like the house 70 or 72 degrees to be comfortable. We are using soft coal now at $9.00. We received the birth announcement of Frank Valentine Wilkinson last week and would surely like to see Theodore & family. Even Roosevelt could not complain of the family & its branches the past two years, I think. I hope Lyle is better by this time, for I think rheumatism is one awful disease. It really looks as if some people were BEGINNING to realize that farming is the ONE FUNDAMENTAL BUSINESS and I hope something will come of it to give the actual farmer more of the income from their produce and not such a big share to the middle man. One farmer told of his family, himself & a hired man working all summer to raise a crop of oats that sold for 19 cts per bu. to people that had had no work to do at all. What that farmer needs is not farm loans but a reasonable average price for his produce and his common sense will do the rest. I am still a farmer at heart, you see. Love to all. Annie Cal says he has only a limited no. of those dress suit pictures, Arthur, but he has reserved two for Neil Somers & Ed Freeze. Ethel Watson just called up & said Uncle Joseph died at 3 PM today. Funeral Tuesday PM. He had an attack of jaundice. [Is this Joseph Wood, brother of Sarah Wood Pickford ?] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Mar. 30, 1922 Dear Circle: I am happy to say that I am much better than when I last wrote and am now attending to my usual household duties. I have to rest quite often but I think it will come out all right in time. Amelia is in Madison this week and she is going to write her sheet this PM while I write. We were going shopping and to the Woman's Club Chorus this PM but it is so icy out that we decided to stay indoors. Weather report says rain or snow tonight & tomorrow so March may be lion-like yet. Amelia and Ella are getting all dolled up for Easter and certainly make very good looking models for the new spring coats and hats. I am going to wear my old ones again. Arthur, Cal says that they have a bushel of gov't seeds from La Follette you can have for the postage up at the office. I think he might bring some home as we are making some garden I hope this year. Cal, himself trimmed the grape vines this year and I guess he left it pretty long so as to get more grapes, I suppose. Will Woods address is Oak Park, 821 Lake St. Apartment N-3. Chicago. Amelia thinks she can't stay next week for she must be home to vote, and she has not missed a Sunday S. since last Oct. when she was made S.S. teacher in Fennimore. Grace, also has not missed meeting her S.S. class since last Sept. and that is the spirit I admire. That dependableness under responsibility. Mrs Lamson left $5,000 of her estate to the woman's society of our church which is a great help, and we think we will only use the interest of it as now planned. Hope you all keep well. Rena writes that she & Dale have been papering & painting the past month. Thus history repeats itself. Love to you all Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. May 7, 1922 Dear Circle: Henry hopes I will make up the time he lost by keeping the letter over a week. That's just like a man! Well, what with garden, housecleaning, and clubs, I don't do much letter writing. Manage to write occasionally to Dale & Rena and that is about all. Cal and I are jointly trying to refinish the walls in dining & living room with flat paint. Have the living room to do yet. I can paint the walls but the ceilings give me a pain in my neck. Two days last week the State Federation of Woman's Clubs met in Madison and the other club that I belong to took three days and this week, a luncheon at the church for the Associate Alliance and a dog show put on for the Public Welfare Society of which I am a member. That's how the weeks slip by. Dick passed his exam for his Dr's degree last week and leaves tomorrow for Sturgeon Bay to take care of the cherry orchards he had last yr. for the Univ. He will come back to graduate the middle of June and stay a few days, and they, Dick & Ruth, will be married and return to spend the summer in Sturgeon Bay. He expects to be an instructor in the Univ. next year. Henry & Ella took Jean Flower and drove to Monticello to let Jean see where she used to live. Flora Wood was up to the Woman's Club one day last week & went home with friends in an auto after the evening meeting after 11 PM. Old Mrs. Broylinger (70 years old) has just married to a Mr. Netherwood of Oregon who is 78 & they came to Madison on their wedding trip & staid all night at Ella's, but only CALLED at his son's house here. They will live in her house in Monticello. Arthur, Cal says to tell you he has fallen away to 195 lbs. He hoped to reach 200 but the garden came on a little too soon and so he isn't gaining now. Wish we might have a picture of the rest of the little folks in the circle in the Robin. The twins are very cunning. Love to you all Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. June 20, 1922 Dear Circle:- I've only had this letter THREE DAYS but Henry had it more than THREE WEEKS! Well, I have been rather lonesome today. Dale & Rena & Annie Jean went home last night after being here a week and it is very quiet. We surely enjoyed having them here. The baby is so cunning and was not at all afraid of us. We are glad to see the pictures of the other little ones in the circle. They are all cunning. Ruth and Dick had a very pretty home wedding on the 14th. Dick had gotten his Dr's degree at noon & was married at 3 PM. If they manage to crowd as much into all the other days it will be intensive living. Merle, Theo, Norma & Merle's boys decorated the house in the forenoon and made it a bower with oak branches, syringa, peonies, & roses & swansonia. Ruth was very sweet in her white dress & veil. Some of the guests took snapshots of them after the weddding and some of them are fine. I will send some around in the next letter. They left at once for Sturgeon Bay and in a letter from Ruth yesterday she says that they are nicely settled in the cunningest cottage with a garden ready to use and are as happy as can be. Arlyn and Betty staid over night on their way home from Iowa at Henry's but we were away from home when they calld here, so missed seeing them this time. We like to have them call when they go through. Chas. we hope your plans for coming to Madison will not fail. We will be glad to see you all. Where do you garden, Rufus? I thought your lot did not admit of a garden. Our strawberries have given us all we could eat so far but I will not can any. We are pleased to announce Grace's engagement to Noel F. Thompson of Yakima, Washington, who is a graduate student in plant pathology at the Univ. It surely makes us realize we're getting on in years, when the baby gets a diamond. But he seems to be a fine young man, so we are satisfied. It is bedtime now so I will close, With love to all Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. July 23, 1922 Dear Circle: This has been a very quiet day. Cal and I have been alone & at home all day. I was not feeling very well and Grace and Noel are spending the weekend with Ruth and Dick at Sturgeon Bay. The two girl roomers were away all day, too. Henry & Ella left for their vacation trip today. Ella had her upper teeth extracted a few weeks ago and it seemed too bad to be without them at Merle's cottage where there is nothing much to do but EAT, but she thought best to wait a few weeks longer before she had Rudolph make her plate. [Rudolph Smith married Edith Amelia Sears, in 1914. She is the daughter of Amelia Sears, Annie's sister. Their home was in Fennimore, and was a standard stop-for-dinner place between Madison & Nora Springs] It is really too cool to sit on the porch without wraps tonight, and in fact we have had only one or two uncomfortable nights so far this summer. We have had enough rain to keep things growing quite well but the corn fields we passed last Sunday were from very good to very poor. Cal says he expects to begin this week furnishing road condition news for a broadcasting station here that will cover a radius of 150 miles daily. He has from 20 to 120 road calls by phone or in the office each day. Has some interesting people each day. The tourist camp is more patronized than ever, from 30 to 80 campers each day. Some of the high priced hotels here complain of lack of patronage but the medium priced ones say they have their usual number. We got in our winter supply of coal last week, ten tons of soft coal at $9.00 but now the dealers are out of hard coal & some of soft coal. Soft coal is dirty, but it makes heat. Trains are being laid off all the time here and the problems are more difficult every day. It does seem that if every one were willing to live up to the Golden Rule, these things might be avoided and every one be happier. It is selfishness at the bottom of it all. Hoping this finds you all well. I am your loving sister, Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Aug. 27, 1922 Dear Circle:- I never did see a summer go by at the rate this one has! We haven't had our vacation yet. Expected to drive to Sturgeon Bay but won't be able to get away and will have to call the trip to the farm this fall our vacation tho' it will be as busy as the rest of the year. Cal is intending to go out and repair the barn and I shall go too if I can possibly get away between weddings. We had another wedding here last week. Miss Wocasek, who was rooming with Grace since Ruth left, was married to Dick's roommate last Wed. eve at 8 o'clock here as they are both far from home (Montana) and we gave them as nice a wedding as we could on five days notice. The bride & groom decorated the house very nicely and they had 22 guests. They are at Sturgeon Bay for 2 weeks where the gov't sent him to investigate a corn disease that has appeared there. They thought that would do for a honeymoon so decided to get married after the legal 5 days had elapsed after application for the license is made. The week before Cal's cousin Mildred Sheffer of Chicago had spent with us and this week his aunt Rachel Nichols is coming for the week. She is 80 years old and is staying with her son in Milwaukee this summer. Henry didn't tell the most exciting thing about their vacation at Cumberland. Ella learned to swim like a fish and he was so busy looking after her that he didn't have time to fish! Ruth and Dick were down for a few days two weeks ago. They have gained 6 & 8 pounds apiece this summer and will be coming back for the school year in about three weeks. Grace & Noel are looking at flats but haven't found one that is satisfactory yet. Dick sent me a half bushel of the largest plums I ever saw last week. They were like a small apple. Have been busy canning tomatoes & peaches the past few days. Week after next I must refinish the walls & ceilings of the rooms upstairs & then the roomers will be back for school again. Its all housekeeping talk now here instead of school. But we are glad to have them comfortably & happily settled. Love to you all. Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nora Springs, Iowa Sept. 9, 1922 Dear Circle: I left the circular letter at Amelia's on our way out to the farm after reading it very hastily just before leaving home. So I will write my sheet at Dales. Ellen is coming down tomorrow and I will let her take it back with her. Cal. and Dale are busy at the cement floor in the barn and are about thro' but have the carpenter work to do yet. Mamie Forbes came yesterday to help care for Jennie Allen [Cal's sister] who is to go to Rochester this week for treatment. She is very seriously ill and has lost 50 lbs. in weight. We are enjoying Jean and her cunning little ways. She is 17 months old tomorrow and is walking every waking moment. We had a family gathering at Ellen's on Sunday and enjoyed seeing all again. We were glad to see Charles one evening after many years, and wish they would drive to Madison some time. I am always glad to have pictures in the letter. They were all good ones this time. Grace's fiance called last Thurs. PM. He had been to Garner to inspect a barberry patch & was on his way to Decorah where there is another. Ruth and Dick got back to Madison last week Thursday and are staying in our house chaperoning the three other girls while I am away. Grace was to chaperone the two roomers till Ruth got back but the roomers thought they should chaperone Grace since neither of them had gentlemen callers. We are all well here and hope this will find the rest of you the same. With love from Annie. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Nov. 5, 1922 Dear CIrcle: We have just been up to see how near finished the apartment, that Dick and Ruth are to have, is. It was to be ready Oct. l and maybe they can move in sometime this week but it will not be finished as to laundry & storerooms, etc. till Christmas, I should judge. These labor union workmen can hinder anyone's plans quite effectively. I have a boquet of verbenas from the garden today; the latest I've ever picked flowers, I think. Our celery is still out but there is not much of it left. We put on the storm windows but it seems too soon while it is so warm but it may be cold any day now. We had a pleasant ride home from Iowa. Left Dale's at 4 AM and got to the ferry at 9:05 which was five minutes too late for the boat. Waited till 10 and then 30 min. more on the boat before they could start because of some repairs to be made. Got to Edith's at l:00 in time for dinner. Visited two hours with them and got home in time for supper. It was a very busy vacation for Cal but it had to be done and so he did it. Next year he says he's going after the other end of the barn & then paint it. He has had his office enlarged since he came home and it is now a very pleasant room, and he often says he is so glad he has "indoor work". The pictures are very good. Paul is not so plump as he was when he was younger. I think he is a fine, thoughtful boy to write home once or twice a week. Boys are often so careless about that. Jennie Allen, who is at Rochester Minn. being treated, is still very weak. The Dr's found she had an internal goitre that was affecting her heart and they are trying to build her up to remove that before trying to remove the tumor. Ellen has a birthday the 9th and Rufus the 10th. Here's wishing them many more years of health and happiness. We are as well as usual and hope all of you are. With love from Annie - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Madison, Wis. Dec. 29, 1922 Dear Circle: Cal is scandalized that this letter is still here. Well, if he had had as many things to do the past two weeks as I have, he wouldn't have done any better. I'm going to tell on him now. He was given the job of sending Christmas greetings to his side of the family and did he do it? NO! Not a card! I never expect to have a like combination of circumstances again as we had this year; a wedding on the 23rd on Sat, and then Sunday, & Christmas on Mon. One had to collect everything needed till Tues. morning on Sat for all those things. [Grace Vivian Bitterman married Noel Finley Thompson, Dec. 23, 1925.] However, everything went off finely and they are spending their honeymoon in Chicago attending grand opera, etc. Grace writes they will be back Mon. eve or Tues. next week. She was a lovely bride and Dick got a good flashlight picture of the wedding party & minister but it is too large to put in this letter. Florence & Dale's came and we enjoyed having them so much. We are very glad the girls are to live in Madison so that they can run in every few days till we get accustomed to their being away. I am enclosing a letter from Uncle Walter that Henry got last week. Uncle has changed his mind about life on a farm the past few weeks. [Perhaps Walter Pickford, brother of Benjamin ] Best wishes to you all for a Happy & prosperous New Year from Anni