Steve

Dear Sister

Honey, you know we love you and have tried to support you in most things you ever have tried to do. But Lester and I feel you shouldn’t visit us during your current phase. Seems like you could have found somethin else to write your term paper about than livin as a black woman for a month. Especially since you say its Black History Month here in Vidor. It’s just plain February and it would be better if you didn’t show your face. I’m sure you understand.

Anyway, did you get that lime Jell-O crabmeat congealed salad recipe I sent you? I think I forgot to tell you to put a heapin three-tablespoon dollop of Kraft Miracle Whip on top. Dust lightly with paprika, and arrange two little crab claws kinda pokin up at you. Everybody at church loved mine. It was in the "101 ways to fix crabs," pull out in this month’s Redbook, with Debbie Boone on the cover.

We had to put Taffy to sleep last week. Tammy and Scarlet’s Birthday party was a mad house of six year-olds and one of em shut that poor little Chihuahua’s head in the door in all the noise and confusion. I wrapped him up in a towel and threw him in the dirty clothes hamper before all the kids noticed. It would have put a damper on the fun.

That little bullyboy across the street tried to spray silly string all over the cake while the girls were blowin out the candles. The nozzle jammed and he couldn’t though. They buy everything at Sam’s by the case, and I think only half of it is any count.

MeeMaw and Papaw are doin pretty good, I guess here left eye still looks pretty angry when she accidentally sprayed Easy Off oven cleaner in it, though the doctor said she was lucky she didn’t lose the eye.

Papaw backed in wrong and tore the carport off their new trailer house a week ago Sunday. Lester and the boys are gonna try to help em fix it. The carport collapsed onto the car and they haven’t been able to go to town since. They probably need bread and milk by now.

That lady that drives the shut-in bus took em to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and to Training Union. But she said she wasn’t authorized to stop at no stores.

Nedra’s little girl Starla, seems to have her heart set on twirlin. They’re payin for lessons and everything. She actually is pretty good, but it just nears breaks your heart to watch her, what with the one arm and all.

Cody and Fay are movin back, seems like her checker job didn’t work out after all and the town was too small to have telephone solicitors. He couldn’t find work either.

Roudy and Terrell Heygood Jr. totaled their daddy’s car by runnin it into a parked Winnebago in front of the minister’s house last night. It didn’t hurt the Winnebago too much but the preacher’s sister-in-law was visitin from out of town was inside in the top bunk sleepin and the impact knocked her out onto the floor. She had a good-sized knot on the head as a result.

I better close now. Don’t you get arrested in that get-up. And don’t mention us if you’re on the news.

Remember we love you, Anyway.