April 11 1953

Sat. 11th April.

Dearest Mummy,

I feel positively giddy I have been out so much lately! I am sure that I have been out more in the last week than I have been in the last 6 months & it is quite overwhelming – but nice!! I had a lovely birthday weekend altogether – & thank you so much for your nice A.M. which arrived on Sat.- we had none from you this week, but did so well last week I hardly expected anything- some of your letters seemed to come very quickly.

On Good Friday I began my birthday at 6 a.m. when I fed Charlie & found a lovely card from Cec waiting for me on the kitchen table! Then I slept late & Cec got up & at about 11 he & Lindy came up with a tea tray & all sorts of pretty parcels & Lindy said “Happy bir’day to Mummy”! They were just small things- a box of chocolates, McCall’s & 2 murders!- as my real present was some money to buy clothes! Nice & what I want most of all! Dottie sent me a pair of panties & Nan a pretty black & gold necklace & a lovely hankie. It was a gorgeous warm sunny day & in the afternoon we all walked around to the Garretts to see Baby Peter. We took daffodils for Margie & she was so pleased as she is having a very hectic time. The baby is sweet – looks so tiny after our little fat-faced jolly Charlie! He is a little blond pink & white fellow & Margie says looks very like Tommy did. In the evening Phyl Douglas came & baby-sat for us & Cec & I went to see Barbara Ann Scott in a Skating Show. It was partly amateur as it was the Club at which she learnt to skate, but it was simply lovely and I enjoyed every minute of it. I will tell you more about it in another letter.

On Sat. I went down town in the afternoon & shopped a bit. I got myself a white nylon blouse & a couple of waist petticoats- one for Ruth (very belated birthday!) & one for Anne. I got things for the children’s Easter baskets & looked for a b. present for you without success! I am afraid my b. parcel to you is definitely going to be late too- I have no bright ideas so want to ask you if there is anything you pine for?!! I thought of 1. a dressing gown (housecoat type)  2. undies 3. pretty material + a dress pattern, so you tell me which you’d like or anything else you’d prefer. About mine, Mummy, I don’t think a nightie just now, thank you though, all the same. All my old ones are still going fairly strong & I feel I’d like to really wear a few of them out before I get any more new. Your last new one to me is going to be able to go to hospital & have a baby of its own soon if it makes many more trips with me!! The table mats sound very nice & I certainly find the other ones you gave me so useful. We still use them every day & everyone admires them. One thing I do really need – not necessarily now, but sometime if you would like – is some napkins- white or natural coloured. I have 1/2 doz. of your little tea napkins & 1/2 doz. damask ones with Arthur Ewing’s damask tablecloth, but none to use with my table mats for dinner & sometimes it is nice to have them instead of paper ones. Another thing I wondered was if the natives made any wooden things? I have never heard you mention them, but – (see next a.m. – hope it arrives too! XX Cyn.

To be continued in her next Air Mail letter…