10 Nov 1973
Smith Benjamin Griffin to John Griffin
Dear John and Dorothy
I sure feel ashamed I did not answer your last letter sooner. It seems when I can leave your mother there is always something that needs doing around the house. I forget sitting down to write - [it's] easier to pick up the newspaper and read of the many troubles of the President.
It gets a little harder as the weeks to by to care for mother. She does not like to cooperate in trying to do more and she is too heavy to move without her help. Some days she does everything we ask to help. It seems the right amount of thyroid [medicine] makes a big difference. I have found 1 1/2 pills is the best but if she fails to swallow the half or some part of the pill is lost it affects here mental arts greatly. She eats quite well and sleeps a lot of the time night and day.
Dorothy's description of [the] troubles of remodeling sounds likes stories we used to hear from customers of painters dragging the job and instead of staging on one job and finishing it, take three or four jobs and try to satisfy all with promises. So many remodeling jobs work out like yours. Ben and Marian have run out of money and will not get their house completed this fall. Ben says he will have to do much more of the work than he had planned. Also Glen ran out of money and had to move into his house before it is finished and will do much of the inside work himself.
The doctor and others seem to be fore afraid I will get down, than what they can do for mother. I feel sure I am much better than I would have been with nothing to do. Mother's condition no doubt will be slow in moving downward and very certain will not improve upward. [The] doctor says here heart and blood pressure are all fine and not much trouble inside anywhere.
It no doubt takes John a day or two to figure this writing out. [I] have been writing on my knee and watching TV with horse racing and all kinds of sports. Next time I promise to do better and will make [my] reply prompt. Do hope you are both well or better than usual.
Dad.
We love to get letters.
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