Sanford, Florida
August 11, 1943
Dear Gang,
When I saw this letter coming last night I gave a sigh of relief because I thought I could get my last one out. That last letter was such a mess I've been wanting to get it out ever since I wrote it.
I really did enjoy all my campworks this summer. We had the best time. Mamma and Daddy were expecting me to come back just worn out and sick of camp. I fooled them, though. Of course I really was glad to be home, but I really did enjoy the camps.
I certainly did get lots out of the camps, too. I gained 12 pounds. I weigh 154.5 now.
I certainly got lots out of the camps besides weight, though. You get such a well-rounded life at camps. The last night of the last camp I got the girls to discusing what they liked best about camp. Some said morning watch, some vespers, and one said prayer groups. A couple of girls agreed they'd gotten more from that week of camp than they got from a year of Sunday School. Really, there's just something you can get like that from camps that you can't get in any other way. Of course we really had lots of fun too.
The last camp was just above Tallahassee. Margaret's sister, Anne, was there. I went home with the Clayton's Saturday morning. I went with Margaret to work and went with Leona's daddy out to Leona's. I stayed with her until Wednesday Morning and started home. I really enjoyed all of it.
Margaret is going to Tallahassee next year. She wasn't exactly satisfied at Southern, and Tallahassee is so much nearer home that she thnks she'll be satisfied there. She's planning to spend lots of her time at the Student house.
Leona doesn't know just what she is going to do next year. She wants to teach, I think, but she might have to stay at the Marianna Air Base. You see, she, her youngest sister, and her brother are the only children at home. They think they'll probably send Oscar Lee to the Berry Schools and probably Edith won't be satisfied going back and forth to school on the bus. In that case she'll have to stay away from home. Mr. Olive works for twenty-four hours straight then has 24 hours off. Leona doesn't want to leave her mother by herself for that long. Anyway her mother and daddy wnat her to stay there. Poor Leona doesn't know what to do.
We've really been ahving a good time here at home. Bill and I keep something stirring all the time.
Yesterday Mabel was making some cookies to send her suite down at school. She put them in the oven and set the clock on the stove to ring when they were done. Mamma said she thought the earth was turning over when the clock rang. Dinks, Bill, and I all beat her to them. She tried to run us off by giving us one cookie apiece. She gave the smallest ones with much chocolate. We wouldn't take them. Finally Bill handed me the one I wanted. Mabel yelled and ran at me, and jumped on my back. She had her arms around my neck trying to choke me and her legs doubled up around my knees. It is a good thing I am strong and knew life saving tactics. After that was settled I had to help Bill get his. I told Mabel that all the neigbor would know that she had her voice back now. (She'd ust gotten it back that morning while the chiropractor had been yanking on her neck.)
I suppose you know she is valedictorian of her class and supposed to make a talk at graduation.
Tomorrow Dinks and I are going to our scout troop camp. Miss Hinton, our leader, was going to take me along to pitch tents whether I stayed to camp or not. I'm going to stay through Sunday although I'll probably have to sleep in the open under the stars, in the rain, and in the mosiquitos.
Our whole Sunday School is having a picnic next Wednesday afternoon. I have to be life guard and plan some games to play on the shore.
Since I've been home I've made Helen and me each a dress and have started another for me.
I'd better stop before I have to pay entirely too much postage.
Love,
Olive
