The lady in the picture is Pearl (Cleveland) Wilson. She was a "pen-pal" of mom's. I believe that the arrangement started before mom married and I believe that it happened through Christian Science - but am not sure. Later, I also exchanged letters with her. Mom, of course, saved them and they're readily recognizable in stacks because of the blue stationary that she used. A few days ago I was going through some of mom's things again and came across one of these letters written on Jan. 1, 1970. In it, she updated mom on a book she she was finishing about Socrates. I decided to look up the book on the internet, found it, and bought it! The title is "The Living Socrates, The Man Who Dared to Question, as Plate Knew Him". I knew a bit about her but not much so looked her up. She never married. She taught "the language and works of Homer, Plato, and the Greek tragedies" at Hunter College in New York City. She wrote several books including "Wagner's Dramas and Greek Tragedy", demonstrating a serious interest in opera as well. There is an article from the November 11, 1912 New York Times (Julie-please note) announcing a series of lectures on the opera in conjunction with the opening of the opera season including four lectures on the works in Wagner's Ring Cycle. Pearl was giving two of these. Another in the four pages of hits on Google list her as being treasurer of the American Philological Association. She's listed as Dr. Pearl Cleveland Wilson in this one. On another she is writing about Greek gods in Eastern Star (don't know if she was a member). She's listed in the Who's Who of American Women in the first, second,and tenth editions.
Pearl's book on Socrates was published five years after the letter in 1975. She died the following year. In the jacket notes it says that her former colleagues and students "admire her almost classical serenity, glowing warmth, and unflagging concern with humanity". Mom - I think I'll even read the book!
We've got a long bed in front of the house that, for the sake of expediency, we planted with Lantanas a couple years ago. They thrive there but it also leaves the bed looking pretty ugly with nothing in it for 5-6 months. In the spring we're going to change that. We'll use an Artemesia (2nd down on the left) at both ends and in the middle. To the sides of those we'll plant several Pittisporum (center top and right) and to the sides of those, a Texas Sage (bottom center). The front of the spaces in between will be filled with Ruellia (bottom left) and behind those will be Plumbagos (center and center right). Hopefully that will give us a nice looking bed with a color scheme of silver/gray, dark green, and purples! Can't wait! 
This is about Aunt Maude's house. (Aunt Maude was my mother's father's half-sister. They had the same mother - Ida Deidamia Havens Littleford Kimberlin.) Aunt Maude lived in Dallas at 3221 Wendelkin Street. She taught music at the school right across the street from her home. Two of the fun things about visiting Aunt Maude were the presence of the big playground right across the street and the interesting house that she lived in. It was a big old house with lots of interesting features and rooms. This morning Glynda and I ate breakfast in our little nook and we observed that the nook would be just the right size to hold a twin bed and that reminded me of the room in Aunt Maude's house in the picture above. This room was on the second floor and was attached to the main bedroom. This was a sleeping room and it was filled up by the bed that was in it. This was before air conditioning and the only relief from summer heat was electric fans. This room is where she slept on those hot summer nights, open to the outside air on three sides.
