Roots

 Saturday (January 29, 1977)

Dear Robin,

Valerie had a little girl Thursday evening about 8 o'clock. She weighed 7 pounds and they named her Janice Marlene. They are all doing fine. I'm going to try to go out and see her real soon.

I think I filled out this paper right. It wasn't easy because in 1975 the checks came to me part of the year. I counted as my income through September what we got together and mine alone for Oct., Nov. and Dec. because your checks started then. If this confuses you - it does me too. Your income for 1975 would be only what you got for Oct., Nov. and Dec.

I just had a visit by the cookie sellers. Callie and Karly are both selling. I got a couple of boxes from each and since no one else had been here they went down part of our street and sold all they had with them.

Lorelei and I played golf Thursday. It was a beautiful day and I played pretty good - I even chipped in from off the green for a birdie. Myra and Howard have gone on a Caribbean cruise. I think it is for about two weeks.

I talked to Theresa yesterday. She has been staying in Houston most of the time. Fred is not expected to live much longer. He is in the hospital all the time now.

Have you been watching "Roots?" I read in the paper this morning that it is going to surpass anything else that has ever been on television - that is for the number of people watching. I don't even fall asleep while it is on. 

I guess I'd better get ready to go to the post office.

Love

Mother

Sounds like she was filling out some financial aid paperwork for me. When she talks about our "income" it's because we both received social security survivor benefits. My dad died when I was nine. I never would have been able to afford college if it had not been for social security. I received a monthly check of around $250 until I graduated. My last check arrived the week after I graduated from college and I used it to buy a plane ticket to visit my boyfriend who had moved to Arizona!

Theresa was my mom's good friend. Fred was her son and was dying of cancer. He was a church organist among other things.

You know, I've never actually seen all of "Roots." Maybe I'll see if it's binge-able anywhere. Or I could read the book, I guess. She probably had read the book already, She read a lot and at one time had wanted to become a librarian.