Box 330
R.R.1 Ottawa
4th Sept.1956
Dearest Mummy,
Lindy and Charlie send a big hugs & thank you for Lindy’s lovely birthday parcel which was an immense success with them both. Lindy’s little panties & slip are sweet – a little bit big for her, but all to the good & I can easily take up a tuck in the slip. She was very pleased with them, but even more so with her Elizabeth Arden powder! Very luxurious for a five-year-old & you’d think she knew because she is so tickled at having some of her own! She likes the pencil box & pencils very much too & I can see will expect to begin writing the very first day! Charlie was so delighted to find something for him in the parcel and loves his book about the pony.
I think that they both had a very nice “Linda’s birthday”! Lindy was very excited about it this year & kept wondering what she would get! The paddling pool was her big present of course & she got that earlier in the summer, but I made them a tent to go over a card table like the one they saw at Lu Forsyth’s & which they had been talking about ever since. I also made Lindy a little tablecloth with 4 tiny napkins & two little dolly bibs out of the “animal” linen I made their curtains of. She is very pleased with them as she is always having little parties & used to put an old scarf or cloth on as a tablecloth – they look very cute too! Then we got her a big new colouring book & Charlie some plasticine to share & then they also got necessities: – a little corduroy jacket each – Lindy’s a light navy & Charlie’s a royal blue – also a raincoat & hat for Lindy – very cute & glamorous! – pink & black checked taffeta sort of – with a flared skirt & a little jockey cap! She is thrilled with it & longs for wet weather! It is a little big for her but she still looks sweet in it. I also got her on sale a dear little navy blue cotton dress with white & red trimming for $1.77! Linda got quite a few parcels & lots of cards – a pencil box from Dottie; brooch & hair ribbons from Amy; tiny dolly in a carrri-cot from Nan. We had Lila out to dinner on the birthday (with all Lindy’s favourite foods – roast chicken, m. potatoes, gravy, beans, tomatoes, cupcakes & ice cream) & Lila brought all sorts of things – soap dogs, a book to write him, more pencils etc. so it was very exciting.
We had the party on the Sat. & had Jimmy, Joanne & Susan, Sharon (the little N.Z. girl) & Wendy & Shirley. We asked Barry but he had a cold & couldn’t come. On the Thurs. evening I sat down & cut out a dress for Lindy, began it & finished it on Fri. evening & she wore it to the party! It cost me $1.50!! It is pale blue dimity (like voile only stiff & has a self stripe) with white lace insertion – I got the dimity on sale, 2 yards for .98¢ & the trimming cost 50¢ & it really looks sweet – very full skirt & sash to tie at the back.
Jimmy brought her a book; Joanne & Susan hair clips & $1!; Sharon a little picture; Wendy & Shirley a red handbag & soldiers for Charlie. We played much the same games as last year – a peanut hunt instead of marbles & I made fish & put them in the paddling pool & they fished for them & a few other things.
I made her cake a Zoo cake with choc. animal crackers looking out of candy cane bars! Pat Tomlinson & Doreen Moore (mothers) came up to & it was really a big success I think.
Since then I have been busy getting our young lady ready for school & believe it or not, tomorrow is the day! (am writing on Wed. now). Lindy is quite excited but is really taking it all as a matter of course too! We had a letter from her teacher ( Mrs. Albrand) & she is to take an apron (for painting) a little blanket (for rest period) & a cookie for lunch & 30¢ for milk, so I have all these things ready & marked (Cash’s name tapes to the fore again!) Charlie & & I are taking her & Joanne down in the morning & will go for them again at 11:30 – while the weather is nice we will all have the walk & not bother with the school bus. Pat is working again now you know, so that is why Joanne is coming with us. Poor Joanne has her arm in a cast – the very day after Linda’s party she fell & broke it.
I have been having such a time canning today – the children & I went downtown this morning (I bought an umbrella) & I got a basket of peaches, a basket of pears & a huge basket of tomatoes. So this afternoon I canned 10 jars of peaches & 3 of pears & then ran out of jars! I’ve also done all sorts of pickles, raspberries, rhubarb, so that is why, but I have borrowed more jars from Ken so will do the tomatoes tomorrow. After having it cold & wet all last week, this week is lovely of course & today I sweltered!
We were out to Jim & Lee’s on Sunday for dinner & had a lovely time. They are all looking well & Lee gave us a yummy ham dinner. Barry is getting so big – Lindy still loves him dearly, but there isn’t the harmony playing with him as there is with Jimmy! It is either Barry + Lindy against Charlie or the boys against Lindy! Little Dougie is so sweet now – so chubby and full of fun. He is all over the place but doesn’t talk much.
The Sunday before the Spanish couple, Dr. & Mrs. Velasco had us to a Spanish lunch at about 2.0 with a lovely Spanish dish called Paella – a mixture of chicken, rice, herbs, onions & shrimp! It was lovely! We took Charlie’s crib to loan them for their older boy & Charlie is now in Bjorn Kleman’s bed & loves it. The Klemans left on the Fri. & we were all went down to the station to see them off – they were sailing from New York. We got the bed from them & a lamp for the children’s room & a mirror- also a little bedside table & their radio – all such a bargains!
I must stop now as it is midnight & I must be up early in the morning! Tomorrow evening Mrs. R. has insisted I go to bridge – ugh! I don’t want to go a bit as we are not on too friendly terms & I have lots to do at home, but you know what she is!
In your last letter – thank you so much for it – you asked lots of questions (Dottie’s address etc.) but I had answered them all in a previous letter – hope you got it all right. By the way the letter you sent was quite late as you had put Cardinal Heights on it & it went to the wrong place. The address is just Box 330 R.R.1 Ottawa – no Rothwell or Cardinal or Montreal Road – you have been trying to show your local knowledge too much!
Nicki is growing & is so sweet – she is lying on my feet & looks as pretty as can be – the children love her & I have to protect her to give her some peace.
Lots & lots of love from us all –
xxxx from Lindy & Charlie – Cyn.
A Family History in Letters 