P. O. Box 2142

Brownsville, Texas 78520

November 28, 1966

Dear Frank and Lorraine:

Hope you are all in good health up there. I have so many grandchildren that I don't even know that I have sort of given up keeping track of birthdays and all that.

Since I got out of the hospital I have painted some 40 odd water colors and am just winding up my exhibition here at the Brownsville Art League. Only one small sale, but I sold three small ones before the show opened. The photos in the enclosed folder were very disappointing but that's the best the local photog could do apparently.

I have some other shows coming up. One in McAllen, 60 miles west of here, in January. I have been invited to show in Monterrey, Mexico at the American-Mexican Cultural Institute but we haven't set the date yet. I understand that Pan American College north of McAllen wants to have an exhibit too. I received an invitation from the Museum in Austin (Laguna Gloria) to send some things to their sales and rental gallery, and they offered the possibility of a show there later on. I may be able to get up there in December and make Houston at the same time, where I hope to acquire a dealer. I want to send three things to the Pennsylvania Academy Water Color Exhibition in Phila. but as I have to frame them and pay the express I am not sure of being able to finance it. I have priced the water colors very cheaply/ $35 to $135 for showing in this cultural desert, but will raise the prices from here on out. Even a few sales will help to keep the wolf from the door.

I still work part time at Whitman's Army Store for my friend Bernie, but get very little for it. However it about pays for my groceries if I don't eat too much. The weather has been beautiful since I got back here from Mexico Oct. 11th, but has turned cold now. I have no heater yet for my studio so I don't know how things will turn out when winter comes. Last year was pretty miserable.

My health is sort of medium. I am bothered with angina attacks which, for some reason, almost disappear down in Cuernavaca. Maybe my home cooking doesn't agree with me. The Pelows helped me to acquire a 1960 Ford which I had gotten only two days before going to the hospital. It is a great help to me now because I don't have to carry big sacks of groceries and stuff home. I guess Anne has wired you in on my activitgies in recent months. (This old typewriter is getting balky>) I haven't made any progress on my book as I seem to spend too much time just trying to stay alive.

Anne reported that Frank was unhappy about his job and hoped to find something more agreeable. Hope something turns up.

My roof leaks badly when it rains and I have threatened the landlord with moving, but I don't know where I could move to where I could have such a good light and pay only $25 a month.

This part of Texas is very peculiar because people never seem to do anything except for a few months of the year. In summer it's too hot, and by the time cooler weather rolls around it's too near Christmas, so January, February and March are about the only time when anybody wants to get involved in anything. So, while I have two classes going at the Art League I have only two or three people show up for each one. Same in McAllen, they may want to start a class in January. In the meantime the teacher may starve to death! I hope their way of life isn't catching.

Margie sent me that old easel which I am happy to have at last, but there were a couple of parts missing and I don't know whether she found them or not. A short piece of shaft with a small gear on it, and a small crank for one of the other attachments, plus the thing that slides up and down to hold the top of the painting. If they don't turn up perhaps I can have some kind of substitutes made, I dont suppose Frank would remember anything about it.

My feet are about frozen so I guess I'll walk over to the P. O. and see if there is any mail. Have a class at 1 o'clock.

Love to all,

Hud

(This is a two page typed letter with "Hud" signed)