April 22 1953

22nd April. 1953

Dearest Mummy,

Many, many happy returns of the day! I am sure that you will know that we are thinking of you today and hoping you are having a lovely happy day. I began writing your long birthday letter over a week ago & it is still not finished! It started off pretty well & then we suddenly got a spate of colds, & since then it got rather stuck, but I decided to keep it & go on with the epistle & send it later. This is just to let you know we are thinking of you & that the promised letter will come eventually.

Every letter I write seems to tell you of something or the other wrong with us – such boring reading! But I am certainly longing for the summer & the end to this winter- it hasn’t been a bad one, but seems to have been so long. A little while ago we had nice sunny weather, but last week we had snow again & now it is dull & rainy. The grass is green though & the trees have buds, so it will probably become summer all in a day.

These colds we have are Bs! They are either very virulent or else our resistance is so low that we would catch cold if a fly sneezed. Cec got it first on Monday of last week & it was a real explosive type. He stayed away from work on Mon. & then again on Wed. after going in Tues. & he was very miserable with it & had a swollen sinus. Then on Friday Lindy caught it & by Sat. night had a temperature of 104°. We called the Dr. & he told us to give an enema (my first attempt!) & actually when we went to do so, she had sweated & her temp was down. It has never been much since, but she is still snuffly & eats nothing & mostly in bed. Now I have it, & I am dripping & drooping around! So far, little old Charlie is the only toughie to escape & he is full of fun & high spirits- long may it continue.

However, all this has kept us pretty busy & of course I haven’t been out. Cec was to get me stamps yesterday but the P.O. was closed on his way to work & on his way home, but I had this one A.M. form, so decided to send it & will send the other as soon as poss. Told Lindy & Charlie it was Grannie’s birthday today & they send big XXXs.

Lots & lots of love from us all- Cyn