Tues. 23rd June.
Dearest Mummy,
I am sorry that I didn’t get a letter written last week, but with one thing & another I just seem to be spinning all the time. “One thing” was the weather which suddenly got terribly hot (93° in the shade on Sunday) – that awful humid heat where you are just wet continuously & “another” was the noise at the back, which really got on my nerves. All last week, day & some evenings till 10, we had a chainsaw (noise like an outboard motor on a boat) cutting down trees, a bulldozer steam shovel digging holes & digging out rocks & tree stumps & a tractor scraper. Sometimes they were right up against the house & the noise was deafening – of course the children couldn’t sleep properly & Lindy was scared stiff of the saw & wouldn’t go outside without me, so you can imagine how hectic it was. We called both Police & City Eng. Inspector to no avail – can make any noise till 11 p.m.! Thank goodness it is better this week, but you wouldn’t recognize our lovely “park” – it is all raw earth – no grass – no trees – great rocks & tree stumps here & there & huge trenches dug right up to our back paths. My poor little seeds were just coming up nicely & they are all trampled on & finished. So sad – but at least we had one year.
Thank you so much for your A.M. of 15th July- I am glad some of the odds & ends arrived safely. I sent off a tiny packet from Charlie for you not long ago & I have some photo “corners” that I must send. We are all looking forward to your parcel – it sounds very exciting & will be such fun. The books haven’t arrived yet but will come soon I expect- I had heard of “Mrs. Mike” but haven’t read it so will love to get it.
Last week was Cec’s birthday you know, so he had his b’day cake (choc.) on Sunday & on Tuesday a.m. Lindy & I took his presents into him & Lindy woke him up with “Happy birfday Daddy”! I got his big photo of HMS Indomitable framed for him & we gave him a new ashtray (lead shot type like his old one) & a couple of books & some new glasses. I also got him a sub. to an English book club but none have arrived yet. In the evening we got the children to bed & at 8 o’clock Margie & Cy & Phyl Douglas (Alec has just left for 6 wks in England & Europe for N.R.C.) came to a buffet supper. I had cold chicken, hot stuffing balls, hot sausages, salad & hot rolls (made myself!) & then fresh fruit salad, the choc. cake & coffee. We had lots of fun & the girls insisted on washing up, so I didn’t even have that to do! On Thurs. we had the Herzberg “children” to dinner. Paul is 16 & Agnes 14, so they would be insulted! Dr. and Mrs. H. had both gone to a big meeting in the U.S. & they were looking after themselves, so we thought it would be nice to have them. I was scared they might be vegetarians like Pop but they both tucked into pork chops with a will & it was lovely to watch them – I had forgotten how teenagers could eat! They were very easy to entertain & with Carman there it helped. They said they had a wonderful time most enthusiastically & I think they really did.
At the weekend it was so hot & miserable we thought we’d take a picnic dinner to the Arboritum for a change. Jim & Barry came with us (Lee had a sore throat so stayed at home) & we just got all set – food out – Charlie’s bottle ready & it began to rain & thunder! I don’t know whether I’ll managed to persuade Cec to do it again as he is no picnic fan & this just put the tin lid on it! It was “Father’s Day” on Sunday & we gave Cec cigarettes & a pocket knife, so he did well last week! I just got Lindy 2 sunsuits & a little bathing suit from Eaton’s & they look so cute- it is quite cold & raining now, of course!!
Big hugs from us all & xxxs from Lindy & Charlie – will write soon again. Lots of love from Cyn.
A Family History in Letters 