(Mother’s Day seems a good time to put this up for our readers
to see what the wife of The Wordwright has to say…)

Did you ever say, "Boy I wish I could tell Mother about…?" Or, "I wish Dad was here to see what the grandchildren look like…or what we’ve done with their place in the country?" Well, what’s to stop you? Wouldn’t the innate therapy be worth the time and effort to just write those thoughts down and tell your parents? What harm would there be? It is not that you are expecting them to walk in the room and start talking but who’s to say that "great cloud of witnesses" in the book of Hebrews isn’t the great crowd of parents, grandparents and other family members watching from the sidelines of life – seeing what you only wish you could tell them? Well, my wife, Jean Steel Venrick, did just that one day… (Jean’s parents both passed away in 1991 and their summer country place, The Steel Away, is now our country place.)

(Monday, November 15, 2004)

Dear Mother and Dad,

This may seem silly, me at 72 years of age, writing you a letter when you’ve been physically dead for 13 years. We have kept you in our memory and think and talk about you often.

I’m sitting in your mobile home, electric heater keeping me warm. You would have used the wood stove which would have produced much more heat than this heater, a warm heat; but insurance limits the type heat we can use. Sun is coming in the west windows making it cheery while I have the table lamp on you left us when you went away. There are many reminders still here – even a few clothes still in the closets!

The drapes and kitchen curtain over the sink are the same ones you put up, Mother. The old gray chair that came with the trailer is still here. Yes, the heating stove is here too but is pushed against the wall and stove pipe unhooked from the outside chimney. We’ll keep it. Birds have taken over the chimney outside.

The cook stove and refrigerator are still working. We use them, and this year will probably have the fridge on all winter. The water is shut off for this cold weather but we manage with water brought from in town.

We have added a few things for convenience: an electric drip coffee maker compliments of our son-in-law, Chip. Also, our daughter Beth gave us their first microwave which we gave them in the early 90’s. Sure is handy for quick meals such as TV dinners. We had spaghetti and meatballs for lunch with six meatballs in the dinner. Had cooked apples to go with it.

Bill mowed through the leaves in the yard today. You wouldn’t believe how large the trees are now and how many leaves they put down. Nearly impossible to find a garden spot like we had before. Oh, I suppose we could crowd one in a couple places if you wanted to use some of the front yard.

Dad, Bill is so proud of the workshop he built this summer with help from two fellows – one was chief carpenter and later the other one wired the shop free of charge! He did a great job, very precise. Bill got involved painting the outside (& inside) as well as re-painting the tin roof. He is now building a work top with drawers for storage below. I know you would be proud of his accomplishments the past few years – a lot because you were his inspiration. He’s so proud of the tools he acquired from your shop.

He says he makes small things like foot stools, toys, etceteras, but I remind him he’s making bigger things all the time such as a tall pantry cupboard for Charlene, our daughter-in-law, and a great outdoor swing for me — something I’ve always wanted but had no porch to put it on. He even made a canopy over it; looks great! And he tackled building a shop out of your shelter house. We do not picnic out here like you did so the shelter house sat with stuff stored under it – especially a pile of dogwood from our trees that died. The dogwood got a disease and nearly all died around the house, still have a couple left to enjoy.

You wouldn’t recognize the area as the same place you once had – we have a new house beside us built seven or eight years ago. Across the road and south there are ten or eleven new houses and north there are houses, although older than the south ones that would be new to you. And this year our road has been paved to a "T". Couldn’t want better. Mother, no more asparagus, berries, bittersweet or goldenrod on the bank of the road for us to pick – now there are yards clear out to the road. Sure doesn’t look like Perry County houses in some other areas. Would increase our property value should we decide to sell. No, we do not plan that anytime soon, in fact I hope we can hang onto it as long as you did.

Had a huge hornet nest in our side front yard this year. We fought it with Sevin power and spray. Even Dave, our neighbor, you remember, joined in on the spraying. Just last Saturday we took it to Ilyssa, who is now fifteen and a sophomore; she is going to take it to school for extra credit. Never saw one so large and low to the ground. Bill could easily touch it from the ground. I could just barely reach it.

Roscoe, the old dog which was next door evidently died this summer; earlier in the spring he came around to say "hi" to us. He was so gentle and loving. Dave eventually just left him run loose. Where all he went one can only imagine but when we were out here he would stop to see us. Gabrielle, the female you may not have seen, died of old age. She had a puppy in her old arthritic years. I felt sorry for her having to feed and care for it when she could hardly get around. Dave got it to his grandson.

Now all that’s left is rambunctious Buckwheat! He is a huge black Lab although starting to gray around his mouth, but still ready to chase a stick; takes a bath in the neighbor’s tiny fish pond they made at their back door. Loves to have you pet him but he’s usually so wet you don’t want to touch anything but his head. I say, "Buckwheat, you’re all wet," and every time he shakes and drenches you if you don’t move fast. He’s a nice dog though.

This summer Dad, Bill painted your outhouse but changed the color from white to chocolate brown with a white door. Several years ago he had to put on a new roof, did it all by himself.

The garage door got spruced up this summer too. Colors – what was already on it. We did take down the "Steel Away" sign as it was aging and it was loaded with bumble bees!

Bill has some of your "ham sausage" [free lumber] wood stored in the garage, some in his shop and even on the front porch picnic table and the back bedroom! Dad, he’s just like you – whenever he sees free wood for the hauling home, he has to get it. I can hear you laughing.

Mother, you would be glad to know we don’t seem to have mice in the trailer this year. If they are there, they have not left any trails in the kitchen. I do try to keep things clean so there is nothing for them to eat.

This summer we have made better use of the place than ever before. I wish Bill had closed in the shelter house ten years ago. At our age now we don’t know how soon before we’ll be joining you.

Our neighbors beside us are young folks, with a girl, 11, and a boy, 7. Very nice people. Then across the road we have another young couple, with a boy school age and a little girl about two or three years old. They both work in Lancaster.

Hope this brings you up to date on your country place we still like to go to.

Love to you both,

Your daughter, Jean

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