In this letter, Cyn mentions the fact that in the coming September, Linda will be going to school! The interesting thing about school, is that a new elementary school was being built that year, in Cardinal Heights, the subdivision on the other side of the highway, so that Linda, and Janek, and Joanne, would be in the first Kindergarten class in the new school, within walking distance of their homes. Cyn has mentioned the Sunday school at St. Margaret’s that she has been helping with- and it now appears that the congregation has divided and that they are holding Sunday School classes in the unfinished new school for local Anglican children. I assume that church services are being held there too- it went on for a few years until they managed to get a church built right next to the school. Baby boomers expanding the amenities!
March 5th. 1956.
Dearest Mummy,
My, what a gay time you’re having! Cec & I are enjoying hearing all about it practically as much as you’re enjoying having it! We got your A.M. letter from Bequia on Sat. & loved hearing about all the fun you were having there & are looking forward to the next installment! Thank you so much for writing when I am sure you had lots of things to do.
You will be waiting for the next installment from me too, as I have been very bad about writing lately – the time seems to have flown & I am amazed that it will be Easter so soon. One reason why the past week has flown is that we have been in great demand socially- most unusual! You know how it is – we go months without going anywhere & then suddenly we get all the invitations at once. I told you about going to Mr. & Mrs. Green’s last Sunday night to meet Leonard & then that Leonard came to dinner on Monday so that was quite a busy beginning to the week. Then on Wed. the Dalby’s – a young Canadian Fellow and his wife whom I’ve mentioned before – asked us to bridge & Gundron & Ben Kleman too. Phil Derby & Gudrun don’t play bridge so I played with the men while they played Scrabble. It was quite fun, but she produced coffee very late (also very strong) with huge slices of angel food cake with ice cream & frozen raspberries – lovely, but Gudrun & I both had indigestion next day! Both Cec & I felt quite “hung over” next day – due to lack of sleep, not liquor! This mid-week frivolling is so unusual for me nowadays! On Thurs. I had the car for shopping & in the afternoon the children & I went to Gudrun’s for tea & Phyl Douglas & her family were there too. Both Phyl & Gudrun were most impressed at how much Lindy’s shyness has improved. She is quite self-possessed now with the other children & was away with them having tea which is a change. Charlie still sticks to me, but Lindy is really doing so well now & I think it is the S. School that has helped her a lot, as well as her age & the fact that she is is growing out of it too.
On Friday morning we went round to Fanni’s for coffee & Lindy even stood up to Daniel, so she is coming on! On Sat. morning Margie phoned & begged us to come over that evening as she was so fed up & wanted company, & could we get a sitter, so I called Fanni & she said she’d come. She has been wanting to come as she insisted she owed me a sitting, but I usually get Mrs. Martin. However, Mrs. M is now permanently booked on a Sat. night by the French Dr. in the new house up the road – isn’t that mean? So it is nice if Fanni & I can exchange. We had a nice chat at Margie’s & a short game of bridge, but it was 1 a.m. again before we got home so I really feel dissipated! Margie is due to produce in 3 weeks time, & really looks fine. The Dr. prophesies another boy! Can you imagine – Peter is 3 this month & she is still feeding him! She says he is too lazy and won’t eat if she doesn’t! On the other hand, when the children & I were there to tea one day Peter ate a whole box of cookies quite as a regular thing! He is so disobedient too – 3 or 4 times Margie told him to do things & he just ignored her & Margie just did them for him! Grrr!
Both my little angels!!! have runny noses and croaky voices today, but I hope that neither will get much worse. They have both been so wonderful at throwing off coughs & colds this winter, but I’m hoping they will do the same again & that they won’t get bad. Charlie has been really drippy today, poor little fellow, but quite cheerful.
Besides all our gallivanting I have been quite busy sewing. Or at least preparing to get busy! Mom Costain sent in her Christmas parcel a piece of navy linen-y material left over from something of Leona’s to make Lindy a skirt. It wasn’t very much & I tried this & that but no way could I get it that it wasn’t going to be very short for her, & it seemed silly to make her something that would only last a little while. So I dug out my scrap box & found an old navy & white cotton dress Gunborg gave me & cut a piece from that & made a nice little pinafore skirt like this-
with inserts of the patterned material. The skirt has unpressed pleats & is full & the whole outfit looks very fresh & cute with her white orlon blouse. Next I had bought some pale blue pinwale corduroy at S.Sears sale for 97¢ a yd. & got 6 yds (the amount the pattern said) (36” wide) to make me & Lindy each a “jumper” i.e. pinafore skirt. However when I spread it out on the floor I cut out my skirt, then Lindy’s, then a little jacket for her & there is still a piece left big enough to make trousers for Charlie!! I feel like one of these cartoons of women who buy material at a sale & have the whole house & family draped in it! I began Lindy’s little skirt this afternoon & made it just the same as the navy one as it looks so cute. I thought the little jacket & skirt to match would make a sweet little suit in the spring & of course everything I make is made with 1/2 an eye for now & 1/2 an eye for school in Sept.! But it is really fun seeing Lindy’s wardrobe grow under the shadow of my machine – I think I get even more fun out of hers than mine, & she is thrilled at each thing I make! Maybe by the time she is more critical I will be more experienced!
I have been talking about Sunday School but don’t think I have ever told you about our start at the new school. First of all, the day it was to begin (the Sunday after our party) we awoke to find ourselves snowed in! Cec began shovelling the driveway at 10:15 & 11 a.m. he had just cleared one tire track to the road & it was up to his waist in places! Pat Tomlinson phoned & we decided we’d have to give up as we couldn’t get the car out & walking would be pretty tough too & we certainly couldn’t take the children. However we have been each Sunday since (3 times) & it is going fine. I have about 10 little children on my register but happily have only had 6 at a time & that is plenty! I am not taking Charlie at the moment- I told him if he came he wouldn’t be able to hold my hand all the time because I had to look after the other boys and girls too, so he decided to stay at home with Daddy! Lindy is in Pat’s class & is very good & doesn’t bother about me at all now. We still have a few disadvantages- 1) none of our teaching materials have come yet i.e. pictures, books etc. 2) there are no toys for my little ones to play with although we are trying to collect them. I bring things from home in the meanwhile 3) the school is not finished yet & odd jobs are being done all the time, so it means we have never been twice in the same room. In the end we will go into the Kindergarten room when it is done, but we have 3 groups – mine (2 to 3 years) Pat’s (4 to 5) & a Mrs. Dunn’s (5 to 6) so it is quite difficult. Particularly I find it difficult to keep the little ones’ attention when there are other things going on but however I suppose I can’t have everything perfect! Lindy is still very thrilled with Sunday School & of course is getting nicely familiar with the school itself. She has learned the Lord’s Prayer by heart from having me read it a few times & hearing it on the Morning Church Service on the radio. I am enclosing one of her pictures for you which I know will amuse you & Auntie Muriel!
The other thing I was going to tell you about was the Valentine Party which I really think was a big success. I had all the girls leave their food in the cold room downstairs & Lila had made a lovely centrepiece for the table – a big red heart with white frill around and BE MINE on in sparkles & little Cupid’s hovering over an old-fashioned lady & man kissing! We chatted & had drinks & then had games I had arranged – by the way it wasn’t a surprise for Cec – he knew all about it, but just he had no work to do for it!! We played the “Book Titles” game where you draw & then a form of charades where a man & a woman’s names were picked out of a hat & then they drew a slip telling them what to act out for us to guess – i.e. my name & Alex Douglas’ were drawn & we picked Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald; Mrs. Herzberg & Jack Shoosmith did Bluebeard & his 8th wife; somebody else Grace Kelly & the Prince of Monaco etc. It was quite fun. Then another game was a Magazine Treasure Hunt & each group was given scissors, a pile of magazines, & a list of things to find i.e. 1) a wedding ring 2) a bouquet of flowers 3) a love nest etc.! By this time it was 11 p.m. so we got the supper ready & what a banquet! The main trouble was that we had too much! I had told each to bring one ordinary family size dish but so many brought 2 or 3 dishes! I made a big dish of assorted meats (ham, salami, boned stuffed chicken, spiced beef); Mrs. Herzberg hot rolls; Joan Stoicheff, tea, coffee etc.; Phyl Douglas a moulded salad; Phyl Dalby a tossed salad; Mrs. Shoosmith peanuts, chips etc. for earlier; Mrs. Narrasinham was to bring 1 Indian dish, but brought 2 of rice & 1 of veg! Mrs. Velasco also brought 3 or 4 different kinds of snacks & Doreen Moore & Nan Ramsey each brought 2 huge trifles! Oh – I forgot, Gudrun brought a lovely hot fish casserole too. You can imagine how we all stuffed! Fortunately I persuaded everyone to take their leftovers home, so we weren’t left with all the surplus! Everyone really seemed to have a good time though & enjoy themselves & the funny Swiss Dr. Dressler said as he left “Thank you very much Cyn, I enjoyed myself much more than I thought I would!” !!
I must stop now as I want to include Lindy’s picture – will write again soon. Love & hugs from us all – Cyn.
A Family History in Letters 