January 11 1970

Jan. 11th 70.

Dearest Lindy,
Forgive my long silence! but here I am to wish you a very happy 1970. May it be full of fun & hard work! From what my Cyn writes, you all seem to have had a wonderful Christmas with lots of entertaining & lovely presents. Your poor Mum I gave her a hard time choosing presents for you all from me but she did wonders I think don’t you? I think I gave you a wallet & hope you like it. Sorry my small pkt to you had not got there, in time, but hope you have it by now, & realize that the donkies are for your ‘bottom draw’ is it still in such a mess?? Your Xmas dinner party was quite a ‘League of Nations’ & the Lab party even more so eh?
We spent a very quiet Xmas, just our two selves – as our P.G. Ruth Hazell was out for both lunch & supper with relatives. We went to church at 7 a.m. then, after breakfast, opened our presents, & I now want to give you a kiss! & thank you so much for the very sweet little wood carved créche which came from you & Charles. I was lucky as usual, did you see the gay material yr Mum sent me also the nice beaded handbag. Peggy gave me a beautiful box of powder & a bottle of ‘Bond Street’ perfume, my favourite- Percy Verrall a pretty silver filagree Indian brooch – U. Fred & Ena are giving us stools to sit on when we go weeding in the garden but they are not ready yet! A.M. gave me writing paper & a [D.E.] Stevenson book ‘Miss Buncle Married’ not so good as some of her others I don’t think. Are there any by her that you have not read? Suddenly St. V. was quite swamped by steel framed swivel book stands & masses of paperback novels. So we gave all the Hughes p.b. novels as they are all fond of reading – but not like you I’m sure! I just phoned to ask when Rosemary was leaving for England, Margie answered & said she goes on the 16th. She told me she was just back from Bequia- it was lovely, but the sea was very rough, it looks so from my window. There is a big Tourist Boat in the bay, I hope it stays late as they look so pretty, all lighted up.
You may recall you wrote me away back before Thanksgiving, but it didn’t meet me in U.S.A. & was some long time finding me, but I did enjoy it, especially as you told me exactly what subjects you were taking, how do you like Psychology, is it intriguing? You said you had 2 or 3 W.I. girls at Trent – which islands do they come from & how do they like the snow now? [I remember Coralie shrieking with delight as she twirled outside in the first snowfall, but the cold and continued pile-up of snow in a Canadian winter got old soon! There was a reason my grandmother had visited us in the summer!] I hear by radio you’re having very severe weather. We had a slight earthquake on Xmas day, but we were driving in Cox’s taxi, so never felt it. Ford & Mill packed their cases, and left for Florida & sunshine right after Xmas, which Mona & Owen spent with them, but had to return to Long Beach & duty, but Mona must be lonesome as Margs & Bill are in California with Alan & Donna for Xmas. [These are the nieces she had spent the rest of the summer with in New York.]
Now Honey Girl I must dry up & will try & write oftener in ’70. We are having it nice & cool now, in fact, nearly blown away! [Inserted sideways on the first page:] Very much love, & write soon – God bless you in 1970,

Yr. Gran.