31 Acacia Avenue
Ottawa.
27th July, 1952
Dearest Mummy,
Thank you so much for your lovely long letter and the wonderful parcel which arrived yesterday. I couldn’t think what toy would make the jangle-jangle noise when I looked on the label & when I opened it & found all the pennies & dimes rolling around I laughed like anything & wondered if the Customs had been puzzled too! The moccasins are beautiful & thank you very, very much for them. They fit nicely except for being a tiny bit narrow, but my old ones soon spread into boats, so it is a good thought! Lindy just loves her Theodore & wishbone chewer. She is such fun with parcels now & takes a great interest in them – she was right in on the opening & wanted to play with the string & then the paper & finally was just enchanted to find her bear inside. She had a wonderful time with my shoes too – she had them on the floor all day & put her crackles in one & then tipped them out & put them in the other & thoroughly enjoyed herself. We have put the money in Lindy’s piggy bank so she says thank you very much dear Grannie, for that as well as Theodore & my wishbone – it was a lovely parcel.
Monday 2 p.m.
I was so sleepy last night that I couldn’t go any further, so here I am once more while Lindy is up in her bed crowing & cooing away. She had a long sleep till after 11 this morning so doesn’t feel very weary now, but she seems quite contented up there. We have just had more people around to see the house – it has been a constant stream this past week as the houses were advertised in the paper last week & there have been 3 or 4 lots of people each day. Fortunately for me, Mrs. Graham gets most of them but I have had plenty. I think it Mrs. G. must enjoy holding forth to them – I notice the people who go around her house take ten times longer than the ones who go round ours!!
I find on re-reading your letter that I have made a mistake in when you were going to Milly’s. I was thinking that you were going for the weekend & going back to L.B. on Wed. so that this letter would arrive at the same time, but now I see that you left on Wed. & will be back today. I hope that you enjoyed your time at the camp & look forward to hearing about it & what Hugh and Monie are like now. We all enjoyed your letter so much & hearing of all your gay doings – after your quiet life here you will feel in an absolute whirl! Marga seems as full of energy & as fond of entertaining as ever – is she looking well & how are Auntie Ettie & Monie? I laughed over Monie’s cat family – she doesn’t still have a dog does she? – and Allen’s puppy must be sweet. I am glad that Alan isn’t as bad as he was painted & that you think he is a nice boy – perhaps it was just a phase he went through!
We still seem to be wildly busy all the time – although not doing much! Monday when I last wrote was a wet cold day & I had the worst time drying diapers- quite a crisis nearly arose! – but Tuesday was as hot as ever. I cleaned the house in the morning & in the afternoon June had invited Lindy & I to tea. In spite of being hot, there was a nice breeze so I thought we would walk instead of getting the car from Cec, but golly! – the last 1/2 mile seemed 100! Lindy was all dressed up in Gunborg’s yellow organdie & looked a picture, but although she enjoyed the ride we both were hot & tired when we got there. June had also invited the girl Joan from the apartment above & her boy Gordon (16 mths) whom she has talked about & poor little Lindy when we went in & I put her down, was so hot & tired that her little lip went down & a little whimper began! When I picked her up she just buried her little head in my shoulder & cried- the first time she ever did that. I noticed that since you have left & I am alone with her all day, she is much more of Mummy’s girl than she ever was before- so isn’t it a good thing you were here to prevent it happening sooner!
June gave us a very nice tea & Linda soon recovered. The boy Gordon was incredible- to begin with he is huge- big & tall & beefy & a head twice as big as Christopher’s, but blonde & better looking! He had begun walking the week before & was trotting round quite well, but the most amazing thing about him was his appetite! The moment food appeared his eyes gleamed, his mouth opened & he just tore towards it – he ate about 4 scones, 3 cream cakes & 2 iced cakes – just wolfed them down one after the other & would have gone on & on! His mother just laughed & Mrs. Broomhead kept giving him more cakes on the sly! He had Lancashire Hot Pot & Cabbage & rice pudding for dinner too! Can you imagine!
Wed. I washed and had a real hot day for it again, but however Thursday was cool & I got my ironing done, so that wasn’t bad. Lindy & I went to Joanisse one day & to Roger’s another & she got more Abdec, a new pair of plastic panties & I got my new Vitamin & calcium tablets. They are huge red things! On Friday I had my appointment with the Dr. at 1:30, so I got Cec to come home for his lunch an hour later than usual. Linda & I had our lunches & I left Cec’s all ready & he just put Lindy to bed & gave her her milk after I had left. The Dr. was very nice as usual, and what do you think? – I didn’t gain anything last month! I was so pleased with myself! He asked me all the usual questions & when I answered them he said “Well my goodness- all the right answers!” & he didn’t even bother to examine me! I have really been feeling fine this past week though- hard work must agree with me!
On Sat. Cec had his sleep in & then we went to the Dominion & Lindy rode in the cart while we shopped. Then we went down town & bought one of the rollers & just a quart of paint to try out. In the afternoon Cec took up the horrid old kitchen linoleum for me & I scrubbed the kitchen floor while he cut the piece the Douglas’es had given us to fit. Then we had quite a struggle getting it down, under the frig. & stove etc. but the change is wonderful! It is a marbly cream coloured linoleum with little black & red squares here & there, & it is so clean & light that the whole kitchen looks a different place. We still have to fit it around the radiator etc. & there is enough left to go in the back entrance & in the breakfast nook so we are thrilled. You would be too! I am now encouraged to wash the kitchen floor!!
We got so late laying the linoleum that we were all behind & we were having a special dinner as it was our anniversary! An anniversary spent laying the linoleum & our anniversary present paint was quite something, but we didn’t mind! We had broiled steaks & tomatoes & chips & peaches & cherries for dessert, so our dinner was nice, & we had enough whiskey left in the bottle for one highball each, but we had to rush as we were going to Connie & Leonard’s for bridge. The babysitter came & we had quite a nice evening – lousy bridge as usual, but Connie & I had a good chat! Christopher woke up & came out to see us – apparently he’s been giving them a lot of trouble at night recently & not eating & generally acting up & on Sunday (yesterday) Connie called to tell me he had a temp of 102° & she had rung up the Dr. He came & it turns out that the poor little fellow has tonsillitis. Earlier in the week Lee called me up & told me Barry had a temp of 102° so I gave her the name & phone of a Dr. & Cec took over our fan as it was very hot in their apartment but next morning Barry was better, so they didn’t have the Dr. They think it must have been too much sun & apparently now he is very careful about going in the sun & doesn’t like it.
Our little Pooh has woken up & is helping or hindering this letter! She is as sweet as ever & says to tell you “Ga-ga-ga”! She says “car” all the time now & points at cars as they go by in the street & points at pictures of them in magazines & says “car”. Cec is very amused, as he says she says “car” with a very English accent! She looks up at airplanes in the sky now & calls them cars too! It has just begun to rain so I have had to dash & take the diapers in – & of course I’m yearning for my cup of tea but I’ll finish this first.
Yesterday Cec got up for Lindy & it was heavenly- the first thing I knew was having my breakfast arrive! I had a lovely lazy time & when I got up Cec began painting our prune room! We got cream coloured paint in the end & he began with the ceiling & did it all once & 1/2 of it a 2nd coat before the paint ran out. Cec says the roller is very good & quick (Lindy has been helping with this page!) but the wretched prune colour is still showing through a bit. Jim & Lee & Barry came to tea in the afternoon & found Cec still painting & me with no “face” on, but they didn’t mind. Both Lee & Connie, by the way, said to thank you for your letters.
I forgot to tell you that one day last week I was getting lunch & Lindy was crawling around playing. I heard coos of joy in the passage as I thought & after a little while went to see what she was playing with & found her 1/4 way up the stairs! She was thrilled with herself & all set to reach the top! I sat beside her & she climbed 3 or 4 more steps & she showed her Daddy when he came home, but we have watched her since & she hasn’t ventured any more.
She is getting quite bored with me writing, so I had better stop & have tea. Seems funny not having you here for tea too. If it stops raining we will take this letter to Mr. Dube & post it. I forgot to tell you I had a letter from Joan Cox last week with a snap of her & Don & Sue at the christening. It is very nice- Joan looks well (but plump – says she’s dieting!) & the baby a pet.
Lindy sends a big, big hug & cuddle to Grannie & says she doesn’t get half so much attention now you are gone- Mummy doesn’t even put her hair in a curl most days!
Love to all, most of all to you- Lots & lots of love
Cyn (plus Lindy)
Got A. Moo’s dress for Lindy last week – it is cute – white with tiny red spots & red trimming. Pants to match!
P.S. Posty just brought your letter. Thank you so much. Will write soon again. I am tickled at the thought of seeing the Pem’s- will write to them.
A Family History in Letters 