October 6, 1967: Button cake

Letter postmarked October 6, 1967:

The CCZCC now stands at 6.

"Dear Mother and Mike,"

"As you have probably noticed, I've stopped putting the date at the top of my letters. That's because I've lost track of time - I think this is the month of October, I believe this day (judging by Dave's mood this morning) is Friday, but I know this is the day we feed Snappy."

[Uh oh, Mom's getting delirious with cabin fever again. So we don't feed Snappy every day? Poor turtle. Although, after googling "how often do small turtles eat" I learned that adult pet turtles can be fed every other day or every third day, whereas young turtles should be fed daily. Let's hope Snappy was an adult.]

"Before I forget it . . . Would you please send me your chocolate cake recipe? The recipe on the Hershey's cocoa box just ain't very good - edible, but nothing to "write home to Mother about." Also, I would like to have the recipe for those Christmas cookies we used to make. You know, the ones with nuts and brown sugar. You got it when we worked at Loveless Studio. I don't expect these any time soon as I know you are busy. I also know Mike couldn't find them . . . the only thing he knows about the kitchen is that's where the telephone is located."

[Apparently the cake Mom made yesterday after we walked to the store for ingredients just didn't measure up to Nana's chocolate cake. I don't remember the Christmas cookies Mom is talking about but I do remember the chocolate cakes my grandmother made. The recipe was somewhat legendary among her descendants, and I believe Mom framed the recipe (handwritten by my grandmother) and gave it to Uncle Mike as a Christmas present many years ago.]

"For entertainment I read the L. A. phone book yesterday and to my amazement there are three listings under the name Mordecai. Of course, there are three pages of Jennings, including two Davids and one David L., but imagine - three Mordecais!"

[I remember doing that myself back in the day when phone books were the primary method of finding a phone number for anything or anyone.]

"I have been searching for three days for a store that sells buttons - a plain white button for a shirt front. I found none at the three grocery stores I patronize, none at the two drugstores I can find, and, in desperation, I even checked at a liquor store - no luck there. Dave suggested that I go to a laundry."

[I would love to know why Mom thought she might find buttons for sale at a liquor store.]

"We were sorry to hear that Taffy had torn up the mattress - exception, David Wayne laughed."

[I can believe that. A dog tearing up a mattress and getting stuffing everywhere would be pretty funny to almost anybody if it's not their mattress, especially a five-year-old.]

"I can tell that the dog is more trouble than you bargained for. Believe me, though, that by keeping Taffy rather than David Wayne you have the better part. At least Taffy doesn't ask questions like, "Why does the wind blow?" "What makes the clouds stay up in the sky?" "What makes Daddy snore?" etc., etc."

[Hey, those are all very important questions. Please don't squelch my curiosity.]

"We have never heard anymore about the woman who ran into our apartment house. After me giving them my age as older, I doubt that I will be called upon as a witness."

"Mailman will be here soon, so I will close. Take care of yourselves."

"Love, Linda"