June 10 1953

Wed. 10th June. 1953.

Dearest Mummy,

I have two nice letters to thank you for since I last wrote- one long & one A.M. form, 28th & 31st May. I have been meaning to write all this week, but of course I have been busy!

The last time I wrote was the day before Coronation Day & I wrote you a note on the day with the new C. stamp, but I sent that ordinary mail, so you won’t get it for a while. Coronation Day was nice, but somehow very wearing & we all felt exhausted next day! There was a church service at St. Margaret’s at 11:00 & I wanted to go, but I had invited the Garretts with Margie’s Mother & Father to come over for coffee, so I phoned Margie & explained & we arranged that they would come between 11:30 & 12. Charlie had me up at 5:45 a.m. for his feed, so I turned on the radio & listened to the broadcast from England. It was just before the Queen arrived at the Abbey, so I sat & listened until 7:30 just as she was crowned, then I felt so sleepy I went back to bed for an hour until Lindy got me up! I dashed around & tidied & made breakfast (& cookies!) & got to Church on time. It was a Communion Service & the little Church was full- the Vicar gave a very short, but nice little address, so altogether it was quite a long Service. The Garretts had arrived when I got back, so I chased around & made coffee & we had quite a pleasant – but confusing! (7 adults, 3 children & 2 babies) little visit! After they left we had a sandwich & at 2:00 we listened to the round-the-world broadcast & then Churchill & the Queen. There was a big procession & display etc. in town & the Queen’s speech broadcast in the Square & just after was a big Air display, so we just went out on our front grass & saw the planes going over – the climax was a group of jets flying a perfect E II in formation & they were excellent. I then went in to do all the washing up & get dinner ready & had just begun when Mrs. Hughes called me to come in for a moment- the television had begun & the Queen was on & looked lovely, so I went in & they had quite a few neighbours in. Cec & Carmen took it in turns to come in & I sat & waited & waited to see the Queen – saw all the other people going into the Abbey etc., but of course she didn’t appear for ages & then just as she did, I realized Carman had come for Cec & I went too & found it was 6 o’clock & both my children crying, poor little things! After we finally fed them & got them to bed & had dinner & drank the Queen’s health & washed up at last! Carman & I went back to the Hughes’ & saw more of the television- there had been a delay in a part of it arriving, so they were showing it over & we saw the Crowning & the remainder of the whole ceremony which was just what I wanted to see.

Then I came home & Cec went & saw some of the procession back. It was wonderful to be seeing the whole thing actually on Coronation Day, but I was a little bit disappointed in the television. In the Abbey many of the shots were taken from high above & then enlarged so that the people looked odd & foreshortened & some quite unrecognizable- I didn’t know Princess Margaret at all & when Lord Louis Mountbatten & the Duke of Gloucester came in together I couldn’t tell which was which. Also of course, all the time you felt so much was lacking without colour & I am looking forward hugely to seeing the colour film- it is on this week & Cec and I hope to go tomorrow night, if everything is under control. Anyway that was our Coronation Day & I was tired! I bet poor little Elizabeth was too.

After that we all just rested on Wed. & on Thurs. Cec & I went along to our “local” & saw Bob Hope & Bing Crosby in “The Road to Bali” – so nice having Carman as sitter! Lindy & he are quite good friends, but she is at a very shy stage with strangers just now & takes a long time to get used to people- Cec made the mistake of trying to sit her on Carman’s knee in the car, a few days after he arrived & that upset her & made the process longer, but tonight she actually kissed him goodnight. She made us laugh yesterday at seeing a particularly gaudy sweater of Carman’s hanging over a chair, she said “Carman’s? Carman’s pettitote?”!! She is so funny & cute just now – she is full of beans & feeling well – she is outside nearly all day playing in the sand. M. Labelle made a little sandbox for her & Richard (Reeshard!) under the tree at the back & Cec got sand for it & she just loves it. She is quite content if Richard is there playing beside her, but if he tries to take her things (or even his own if she wants them!) she gets quite alarmed & cries- she is still a bit young for playmates & he isn’t old enough either, but he is a good tempered little boy – the language is a bit of a difficulty – I can’t tell him when not to do a thing except by saying “No- no” and he just says “No” back!

Lindy is beginning to say such a lot of quite complicated things now – she realizes that they have names & says “Boy called Richard” & “Daddy’s car called Tabish”! Sometime she gets stuck & doesn’t know what something is- the other day she pointed at a little spot of paint on the window & said “That’s a – that’s a- ” then she stopped & thought & finished up triumphantly with “that’s a porcupine!” with a great grin at me! Sometimes when she begins to cry I’ll say “Who’s making that funny noise? Is it Lindy?” & she’ll stop & say “No” then I say “Is it Barry? Donnie? Tommy? etc. etc.” & she’ll say no to each one & then when I say “Well, who was it then?” She’ll say “A truck!” or “Daddy” or someone else & I’ll say “Well, I am surprised!” & of course she laughs & laughs. Well, last week she was chatting away & said “Daddy hiding round the corner” – (telling me of something that had happened before) – & then she changed it to “I am surprised at Daddy hiding round the corner!!” We think she has a marvellous memory too for her age- yesterday I put on little yellow rompers on Charlie & she said “Charlie’s suit- Mrs. Herzberg?” & sure enough it was the one Mrs. H. had brought him about 2 months ago. Charlie is good & bonny & cute too – he is like Lindy was- such a bright looking baby & so responsive. Other babies seem to lie like lumps in their prams, but he looks around & laughs & coos & squeals – he is so active – thank goodness the mattress for the little bed came today so we can soon get him into the crib. Do you know, he is wearing the little white shoes & socks we got for Lindy when she first stood up at 9 or 10 months? He has kicked & worn holes in all his booties, so one day I tried on the little shoes & they just fit – soon to be too small for him. He is nearly out of the little white cotton rompers I first got Lindy & I can see all her last summer sunsuits etc. will just fit him – if ever we get any nice weather.

Carman went to Toronto last weekend to the big Trade Fair & to see his Aunt & Uncle, so Cec & I just messed about at home. It was my last weekend with the sewing machine I rented & I worked hard & got everything done I wanted – I was so pleased & really enjoyed it. Altogether I 1) turned sides to middle of 3 sheets 2) made 2 sheets for Lindy’s bed 3) sewed patches on sheets, shorts, underblankets etc. 4) made a new soiled linen bag for Carman 5) made 2 pillowcases & 1 sm. one for Lindy’s pillow from a bolster case I had (in a set from Sheila- wedding present) 6) made curtains for Carman’s room (material from Eaton’s catalogue! – a slaty blue with a raised white spot- 6d. size- quite a different colour to the one I expected, but o.k. as I wanted something neutral- the couch cover is so bright.) 7) quilted your patchwork cover 8) made 3 cushion covers for the sitting room 9) made Lindy’s dressing gown- at last! Got the material at Xmas you remember & never got around to it- white Viyella with little blue flowers, faced with plain blue & 10) a little kilt for Lindy made out of my yellow & black tartan skirt! It never hung right & shrunk in the wash, anyway. Wasn’t that a good $6 worth? I really did have fun though & wished I’d had time to do more, but I hadn’t much chance as Charlie has been a bit restless in the evenings off & on so he’s been in the dining room & that is where I had the machine. During the evenings this week Cec & I have also had a spurt on & we have finished & varnished Lindy’s chest of drawers (natural colour) & it looks really lovely. We have also stained the other one we bought 2ndhand last autumn. It was such a wreck- Cec had to use varnish remover by bottles full & then sand & sand for ages & he got kind of discouraged but at last we got to it again & after putting on oak stain it looks quite nice (antique effect!) & we’ll shellac & varnish it too. It will go in Dan’s room (match the desk) & we’ll take back the maple chest of drawers which we loaned out of our room.

With all these “extracurricular activities” I have a pile of ironing as high as your hat & of course owe hundreds of letters. I heard from Amy – she & Charlie will be G.P.s but Boris is going away to Ohio for a week for a meeting, so we’ll wait till he comes back for the christening. I also had a letter from Joan Appleyard- she & Ray are coming to Chalk River (Atomic Energy place 50 miles from here – Joyce & Les Hayward are there) in September, so won’t that be fun? They are having another baby in Oct., so they are following in our footsteps!!

 I now must iron a shirt, finish washing some woollens, finish the formula, wash the lunch dishes & make dinner! It is now Thurs. afternoon & I want to get all done so we can go to the pictures tonight. Will answer your letter soon – looking forward to the parcel so much- Cec’s b’day next week, so it will be his b’day present too! I hope that you enjoyed your big C. Day  reception

& that you are doing some gadding with A. Trix – Cec & I laughed & laughed over the 4 mths. but know how you feel! 

Big xxs & hugs from Lindy & Charlie & much love from us all- 

                                   Cyn