As I have explained before, I organized all my mother’s letters to my grandmother into binders a dozen years ago, and only stated posting them a year and a half ago. I knew there were gaps in the continuity, but it was a shock yesterday to discover, when I finished the binder in August 1957, that the next one opens in 1960! I don’t know what happened to the letters from the missing years- Carol and Muriel were robbed several times over the years, losing family silver, so why not a shoebox of letters? Or they may have been lost, displaced by a move, suffered from a West Indian hurricane- we have no details about those lost years, but the broad strokes are preserved in Cyn’s scrapbooks. I will attempt to cover those years with pictures and my memory before we get down to the minutia of Ottawa in the 1960s!
In August 1957, there were 2 Occasions that Cyn was getting ready for- Linda’s sixth birthday and the new school year in September. First was Linda’s birthday and party, when she was given the doll’s stroller as planned, and the new pink and white sundress her mother had been cutting out August 11th. Following the Baby Boomer pattern, Linda and Charlie’s school was new, and was built on and expanded as they grew too- the same would be true of their high school in the 60s- so Charlie’s Kindergarten start was delayed until the summer build was finished.
Cyn had told her mother that there would have to be two Grade 1 classes, and this was true with over 50 students, but Linda’s Grade 1 class was experimental, in that they were trying an accelerated model. The curriculum was divided into 3 modules per grade and the idea was that the accelerated class would complete 4 modules a year, thus starting Grade 2 in their first year, doing Grades 2 and part of 3 in the 2nd, and completing 3 and 4 in the 3rd- essentially, doing Grades 1- 4 in three years instead of four. This eliminated the problems that accompany bright children skipping a year, and just meant that the whole class would be a year younger than their contemporaries when in Grade 5. (Which is what happened, and where we pick up in 1960!) So the scrapbook shows Linda advancing as planned through Grade 1 without any problems- along with her local friends from birthday parties: Janek, Joanne, Pamela from Sunday School, and Mark and Mara from Kindergarten… Many of us were children of immigrants- Janek could speak 3 languages, Polish, Swiss-German, and English- and I apparently had quite an English accent when I started school. Lots of us also had fathers working at the National Research Council, and I remember my teacher confessing ignorance when I asked for help in answering the question of what my Daddy did- how did one spell Microwave Spectroscopist?- we settled on ‘Scientist’.
I’m pretty sure that on Hallowe’en in 1957, I was Little Red Riding Hood, since Cyn had made me a costume for a party, and Charlie was a clown again, but the scrapbook only records a picture of the Royal Visit.
As Christmas approached, I was involved in the Christmas pageant- as well as our class singing “O Tannenbaum”, perhaps because I was in the choir, Janek and I had to leave the class and go and rehearse with the big kids- and when the pageant occurred, we were little Swiss children- Janek in his lederhosen and I dressed like Heidi with a laced belt my mother made, over a wide skirt and apron.
Charlie’s Calendar, Linda’s Card!
Of course, Charlie had a birthday just before Christmas, increasing his collecion of Dinky cars and larger vehicles, Cyn sent off her parcels and Christmas cards, and interestingly enough, the children got travelling cases for Christmas, while Cyn received a fitted travelling wash bag…
In February, the expertise of our music teacher, Mrs. England, was proven when our 2-year-old rural school, won first place in our category. I am sure I was in the Grade 1-4 choir, but I remember nothing about it beyond my father mocking the vowel sounds she insisted we use- apparently we sang at length about “a H-o-o-o-o-o-o-p-py New Year” and “Little Lombkins”.
Dearest Mummy, No letter from you last week, so for once I’m not having to start with “thank you for your letter”– so unusual that I feel quite amazed! Of course I usually have lots of apologies too & without my two constant beginnings it really is astonishing! Of course I will probably hear from you tomorrow because if we don’t get your Post & the Saturday Evening Post on Fri. or Sat. they always come on Mon!! I had a nice long letter from Nan this week and one from Dottie too. Nan was telling me a little bit more about her Mother & about the children & so on. They made no plans for summer holidays, but afterwords managed to book at Whitby & are off this month. This was the first letter I’ve had from Dottie since the baby & we heard his name – Timothy. Lindy is greatly amused because Dottie calls him “Timmy Willie” & in one of her Beatrix Potter books there is a little country mouse called Timmy Willie! She says he is a very good little fellow – and what do you think? They now have a Rolls Royce no less!! Second hand, but still – the swank m’dear, as Dottie would say! She says Ken has always longed for one & got this chance at a bargain & couldn’t resist although they don’t know whether they’ll keep it. They are very tickled with themselves & Dottie says they went over to York for Peter’s 1/2 term & had a great success with Peter carrying off the whole thing with nonchalance! Talking of letters I’ve always meant to say thank you for the ones you sent me – Jean’s, Bren’s & Pamela’s – & to tell you how interested I was in them. The more I hear about other couples with children to educate in England the more thankful I am for Canada! Bren & Pamela were both talking about school fees & Nan in her letter was telling about Sandy trying to get into the Grammar School & how hard it was & I feel so thankful that we have none of that to go through. In England to get your children the best education you just have to pay for it or have a brilliant child, whereas here unless you’re a millionaire your child does the same as all the rest & the public education is the best. The thought of school fees hanging over you for 20 years or so – it makes me shudder! Here, we can begin saving now for universities! As a matter of fact Cec & I were just talking a little while ago about beginning to save the Monthly Family Allowance cheques ($10) for a nest egg when the children reach university age. Either to help them through University or to go a trip to Europe with or whatever their little hearts desire! Of course I shall miss that nice little cheque – it helps me out when housekeeping runs low & I always look forward to a little squandering! However – for the Sake of our Children! – and considering it’s theirs!! All this talk of the children at university age makes me think of Little Mona & you & Moo having such fits over her occupation! I had to giggle, but I do agree that it isn’t a job I’d like myself or like to have my daughter doing. I suppose it must pay well & if she is to be married in less than a year it will only be a temporary thing, but still one would think Millie & Ford would try to get her to look around for a more congenial job. I had a letter from Mill & she tells me that they plan to get married next spring so I suppose Mill and Ford feel that if she is old enough to make such major decisions she is old enough to make minor ones also. In a way I admire Millie & Ford very much for the ability to stand back and let Mona be independent and to see that she has grown up, but I don’t know if I could do it myself – I suppose it must depend a lot on your child also. Certainly I think most American youngsters are much more mature in many ways than English boys & girls & a million times more mature than I was. Also Monie seems to be a very domesticated girl & everyone says how much help she is around the house, so perhaps she really is best suited to being married young and having a house and family. Mill must know well from her sisters (& her cousin Cyn!) that it’s fun having a gay time before you were married, but not all fun & that the dream man doesn’t always turn up, so perhaps she feels Monie’ll be happier this way. What I do feel is a pity is that Monie isn’t going to be trained to do anything. Even if she didn’t go to University if she were trained as a typist or a florist or a dressmaker or something I think it would be so much better. As it is, the only thing she can do is work in a store & that can’t be a very paying job – particularly as you get older. Not that I mean to be gloomy but sometime it might be such a help if they needed extra cash & she could earn some, & I don’t think any mother with young children can help but wonder sometimes what she would do if the responsibility for their upbringing were all hers. You hear of so many tragedies – a husband killed in a car crash & a wife left with a baby boy & a girl of 3 (Lea & Jim’s friends) – Margie Garrett’s neighbour whose husband died of a heart attack at 35 & left her with 2 little girls – one must feel a bit braver and more able to carry on if there is something on can do oneself to support a family. However, I have all these problems to come to & probably when Linda & Charlie are that age I’ll have all the decisions taken out of my hands too. Prof. Katz from Saskatoon was talking about the same type of thing & saying it was useless to wait until the child is leaving school or even a teenager to try to see where his future lies, but that you could see from the time the child is in school a few years what type of mind he has & be able to help him to live so that he is expressing himself in the things he does best & will continue to make his career through those things. So I must have an eagle eye on Linda & Charlie! Certainly with their Daddy’s academic record I feel they should have some bias towards the University & already Lindy is quite interested in the fact that I was a teacher & went to College too, so I think it must make a bit of difference. What a long dissertation this has been! I had better stop & get to bed! Last night was such a hot stuffy night that I felt I was tossing & turning all the time & even got up & wandered around a couple of times – most unusual for me!
Monday. Today is now as cold as can be & I have on a sweater & am sitting on the bed with a blanket over my knees to keep warm! Although it is cold & windy & dull there is no sign of rain & it is as dry as a bone. We haven’t had a drop for ages & the poor garden is a wreck. The grass has an odd green patch where we have emptied the paddling pool, but otherwise it is brown & like wire to walk on. We have tried to water the roses a bit & they are looking very pretty & have done well, but everything else is wilting. Our tomatoes down the hill are just lovely however & for the last 10 days or so we’ve had a wonderful crop – big & red & smooth – with no rain they haven’t cracked at the top & they really look beauties. We have quite a few baby melons growing too & are watching them eagerly. Did I tell you a baby groundhog appeared not long ago? But what with Nicki & the dog next door & Cec all chasing it, the poor thing gave up & seems to have left for a quieter neighbourhood! Relations between us & our new neighbours are again sort of strained! At least between the children – I don’t know about the adults! But they are so queer – a week or 10 days ago the children asked if they could have Jimmy to dinner one evening which we did & everything was fine. Then a few days later Jimmy & Pauline etc. wouldn’t come & play with the children & wouldn’t let them come over. Next day they let Charlie come, but not Linda! (You can imagine the tears.) Next day not at all – until the poor kids spent their time drooping around miserably with either one or the other of them left out, so I said “all right – both of you go or neither of you go”! Since then they have played by themselves & communications have ceased! Which I really prefer if we aren’t able to have Jimmy without his gang of cousins – Linda already picked up “My God!” from Pauline so I can do without more! Did I ever tell you about the birthday party Lindy & Charlie went to? Well all I need say is they had dozens of children of all ages & Charlie did not enjoy it! Lindy’s birthday party is the next big excitement – less than 2 weeks now. We have just had a nice quiet weekend doing nothing & it has been very pleasant! Last weekend was a long weekend with the Monday holiday & we were on the hop so much & it was hot, so it was nice to have a rest & a change. On the busy weekend we had Mr. & Mrs. Hunka in for drinks & coffee etc. on Fri. evening. I think I have mentioned her before – she is English & he is Canadian & they have a teenager Vicky & a little girl Nicola of Linda’s age who was in K’garten too but in the afternoon class. He works at NRC but on the Administration & was in the London office before they came over last year. She is dark & very nice looking & I like her very much – he seems quite nice but Friday was the first time I met him. On the Saturday we took Lila out for a picnic with us to the place we were at with the Blachuts. It wasn’t quite so nice as the river was much shallower with no rain & Cec couldn’t get wet even to his waist! However Lindy had a lovely time in the water & with Lila playing but old silly Charlie wouldn’t even put a toe in! We set off home about midafternoon as I didn’t want to repeat the peeling process, & we had got there quite early in the morning, but oh, it was so hot driving home! We were all exhausted & cross & longing for a nice cup of tea! On the Sunday we had the Dresslers to tea. They are the young Swiss couple with twin baby boys – now 4 months old & they are so cute & good. Susie keeps them so nicely & they look sweet, but you would hardly know they were brothers let alone twins, they are so unlike each other. One has dark brown hair, brown eyes & a little face with a pointed chin & is quiet & placid & the other has a big round face, just a fuzz of fair hair, blue eyes & is excitable & lively!! They were as good as gold & lay on our bed & let us stand around & play with them & then just fell asleep when we left them. When it was time to go home one was still asleep & one was just lying cooing! Lindy was enchanted of course! You asked about Boris’ baby once – he is a year old now & a very lively little fellow but no beauty! He has a funny little receding chin with a dimple & is rather dribbly, but of course Boris is the proudest father in the world! Who do you think we had a phone call from last week? Ray Appleyard! He was just in Ottawa between trains having arrived from Switzerland & going up to Chalk River where Joan & the family were for a holiday. Cec went down to the Château Laurier and had a drink & chat with him & he says the family is fine and the baby boy doing well. They are staying another year in New York. Talking about living in different places makes me think of Jean & I wonder how they will all get on in England. It always seems as if Jeanie is longing to be where she isn’t, & you can’t help but think St. Vincent will be shrouded in a rosy cloud when she has left it! I am sure that she will miss her multiple servants anyway – from what I gather even people with money don’t have much help nowadays – Dottie has a daily help from the village to clean & Gunborg has an untrained girl from Sweden – so they both still do a lot of cooking etc. themselves. Poor little Charles – even Mill & Monie said Jean was so un-maternal to him. It seems very cruel to send him straight off to boarding school when he is going to be even more lost & lonely in a strange country. Peter doesn’t seem to say much about what the children are to do – does he just let Jean go her own way? I wonder what kind of a job he will get. When Cec was talking to Bob Spellar when he was here he was saying £1000 or £2000 a year is not considered a big salary now the way prices have gone up. Of course I know Peter has his own money but taxes are high too. I was very amused at the story of Peggy & Patsy inciting Alex to trespass on Royal Ground! They must have been very thrilled to see them all so close even if they were expecting to be hauled off to a dungeon at any moment!
I just phoned & got Mrs. Martin to sit for us tonight so that Cec & I can go to a movie – we haven’t been in an age and the last one we saw wasn’t much. This is “Love in the Afternoon” with Maurice Chevalier & Audrey Hepburn & Gary Cooper & is in Paris & is supposed to be very amusing. Hope it is. It’s such a chilly day it feels like going to a movie somehow! You mentioned a long time ago seeing “Desirée” – we liked the book very much & would like to see the film. One we are looking forward to is “80 Days Around the World” which is supposed to be coming soon. I often meant to ask you how A. Trixie’s toe was after her operation & if it was very painful or if the results were worth it. You mentioned being interested because of yours, but as you said no more I wondered. I hope you are feeling all right now & that A. Muriel is keeping well too. Charlie’s awful poxy scabs have all gone now & we are all fine – I made bread & butter pickles on Fri. evening & poured some boiling water on my fingers but that is our biggest mishap & by the next morning they were better! As you can tell Ken is still giving us garden produce & we do very well. Mrs. Scott just had an op. to remove an internal tumour but is very relieved as they found it was not malignant, but she is having to take things easily. You asked one time about Lindy’s class at school – there were 30 in her class in the morning & 25 in the afternoon I believe. I don’t know how the Grade 1 will be arranged, but I think there will have to be 2 classes. Lindy in a way is quite sad about school all day next term – she says “I’ll have no time to play”! Well, I seem to have just about dried up! I haven’t been sewing anything lately but cut out the pink & white material you sent Lindy to make her a little sundress for her birthday. It is a sweet pattern Phil Douglas gave me & I just had enough material but will have to get a little plain white for a sash. We were over at Phyl’s on Friday (another hot day) & all went down to the Rockcliffe Lake just near them & had a swim. Lindy wasn’t used to bathing with dozens of bigger children around & objected strongly to the splashing! Need I say what Charlie did?!! We went back & had tea at Phyl’s with a nice English girl who lives near her & has a little girl of Charlie’s age & a baby boy. She had a very sweet, very English voice & Charlie said “I like her talk”! When he likes people he also says “I like their look”! Lindy & Nicki are both sitting on the bed with me & being distracting! Nikki still has sunburnt peeling ears poor little thing – they never seem to tan! How are the little kitties? I hope these ones survive! We have had Nick just a year now & she is a pet- Lindy particularly loves her dearly & she loves the children too- she always cries if they go out to play without her & when they go to Ken’s she trots after them.. Must stop – p-r-r-r-from Nikki, X from Lindy & a little snore from Charlie (still asleep) & lots of love from us all – Love to A. Moo too – from Cyn.
This August letter refers to others in a way that makes it clear that July ones are missing. I’m sure she told her mother about her sewing projects leading up to the Governor General’s Garden Party, but the main event of late June/early July must have been that Linda had chicken pox- a mild case, but there is no indication of whether she missed the end of the school year, or just spent the beginning of the summer holiday in July in bed. This letter, however, fills in the details of the end of July, although nothing momentous happened!.
P.S. Think the T-shirts will be lovely for the children – they always need them. No sign of the B. Coat – perhaps they will all come together! We are having an absolute plague of mosquitoes this summer – even worse than that first summer in Acacia – remember? Even at midday they swarm around you outside & we are always chasing them in the house. The children seem to be getting immune! Not me though! Box 330 R.R.1 Ottawa 1st August 1957.
Dearest Mummy, Thank you so much for your Wedding A. Air mail yesterday & also your last written on 22nd July – not forgetting Marg’s & Monie’s letters about the wedding which I enjoyed immensely. It was nice getting them so quickly before the wedding seemed all over & done with, & it sounded very pretty. I asked Mill if she could send me a snap for my scrapbook sometime or a newspaper cutting, but I hope that someday we will see the colour pictures too.
Hugh & Ginny will be settled in their home now & feeling very domesticated I expect! I hope that they did get our wedding present – the writing on the invitation was very squiggly & in the address it said “- – – – Seaman Mich. Rd” at least that is what it looked like, so I only hope it got there! Of course, I remember well that once you are married & a housewife it’s pretty hard to get down to those thankyou letters! I haven’t heard from any of the Sim. girls yet, but didn’t expect to as I took months to write to them. However I’m not so bad – I only owe 7 letters & 3 others to “only-at-Christmas-time” people! Did Amy tell you she had heard from me? Our letters crossed after Christmas & then she wrote again later & I just replied about a month ago so I thought I was due for a cutting remark!! I have just been filling in a form to get Lindy a Library Card of her Very Own! I thought I would get it for her birthday as she is quite excited at the thought of it – she has always previously got a book on mine you know, but when she is 6 & in Grade 1 she can have her own. We still go down about once a week & all enjoy prowling around the shelves! Cec & I thought we would get her one of these little doll’s push chairs – you know the thing I mean?
A Stroller was the word she was looking for!
Her little pram is really very small for her now & as she is playing with her dollies quite a lot at the moment we thought she’d enjoy it. She’s a funny little girl – she saw a picture of one of these carriages in a catalogue last week & was thrilled, but it never enters her little head to ask for one for her birthday! Charlie now – he’s already made up his mind what he wants for Christmas! Talking of Charlie – I haven’t told you our most Interesting bit of news!! Charlie had Chicken Pox!! The last time I wrote to you I was just saying it hadn’t appeared – that was the Friday. Next day, the Blachuts were going on a picnic & suggested we went too, so we got already (I baked on Fri. night & made the sandwiches & put them in the fridge) & set off about 9:15 in the morning as it was roasting hot weather & we wanted to get there before it was too hot. They took us to a lovely place on the other side of the river – about 25 miles above Ottawa – there was a bay with nice white sand & shallow water, with willow trees along the bank for shade & only about 2 or 3 other people. Quite the loveliest place we’ve ever found around here. We settled under a tree & bathed & played with the children in the water & it was really heavenly. All this time Charlie played under the tree with the sand & a truck & I decided just to let him be as all the other children were in the water but I didn’t want to force him. Then I went to play with him & here among the mosquito bites on his back (he had his trunks on) was a red spot with a blister on top! Janek had had C. P. but not Daniel or Peter, but fortunately they hadn’t been close to him! However, we ate lunch & had another bathe & then set off for home about 2, leaving the Blachuts still there. It was a good thing we did leave then anyway, because on the way home my shoulders began to burn & Lindy’s back got red & the two of us got a fine sunburn! Cec only got his face burnt but my back & shoulders were sore & are busy peeling away now! Lindy had been a bit tanned from the paddling pool, so she didn’t peel, but it was one of those hot slightly hazy days when you don’t notice getting burnt – till afterwards! Charlie only had a few spots that day, but on the Sunday he got more & felt a bit sorry for himself & on Monday he was spotty all over & had a little temp. & felt quite sorry for himself. His spots were horrid – much worse than Lindy’s – all big & blistered on top which turned yellow & crusty & then formed a black scab. You know how he likes to look “pretty” so he was quite upset at all those things on his face (round his eyelids quite badly & at the corners of his mouth) & kept coming to me & saying “I’m so worried about all these awful spots. Perhaps they’ll never go away”!! Fortunately it got much cooler & I put calamine lotion on the spots & he was very good about not scratching. While the black scabs were on he looked like a little Dalmatian puppy but most of them on his face have fallen off now, & although you can still see a slight discolouration there are no actual scars. On the Sunday we’d invited Santiago & Jerry Swalen (Jerry & Mary – young American couple – he is Cec’s Fellow this year – Mary is down in Boston for the summer finishing her M.A.) to dinner, so we phoned & told them about Charlie & they said they thought they’d had C.P. & anyway didn’t care! So they came in the afternoon for tea & then I fed the children at 6 & we had our dinner later – I had my old friend Jo Mazotti, Salad & Melba Toast & a very nice new recipe for a Lemon Refrigerator Cake. They seem to enjoy it & ate lots which was pleasing to their hostess! All that week I was kept on the hop with Charlie – particularly as Pauline from next door arrived the day after her mother called & the breach was healed! Of course Jimmy is still the favourite but he hadn’t had C.P. so Lindy used to dash off & play with him & poor little Charlie was quite heartbroken! Pauline had had C.P. & was very kind & used to come and play with him sometimes but he was so happy on Sat. when he could play with ‘Dimmy’ again! We were invited to Dr. & Mrs. Herzberg’s on Sat. evening & our W.A . [Women’s Auxiliary, church organization] was on Friday so I decided I had better make me a new dress. I think I told you I had bought some pure silk black shantung a little while ago. Well I cut it out and made it exactly the same as the white & black one I made for the Garden Party. It is such a nice pattern – only takes 2 yards of 44” material. It has a shallow boat shaped neckline if you remember, & I got some black lace edging & made a frill & put it around the neck & I think it looks rather nice. I made a black sash to tie instead of a belt & on Friday I wore it with my pink hat & on Sat. I wore it with a pink chiffon scarf tied at the sash & pink earrings.
The earrings were old white flower ones – kind of crocheted – I’ve had a year or so & I dyed them! Think I’ll dye old white gloves to match!! This dress was a record I think – I had it cut out and begin sewing Thursday afternoon & had it all finished & ready to wear by Friday tea time! Afternoon. Myrtle popped in then “Just to see if I looked the same – she hadn’t seen me for so long!” So I said goodbye to catching the post at noon – however if I mail this tomorrow perhaps it will repeat the 4 day record of my last letter. By the way Myrtle sent her love! I haven’t yet told you what we did on the 26th- well, we booked a babysitter and decided we would go out to dinner, but otherwise hadn’t got into details, then on the Thurs. Phyl phoned me (Phyl & Alex have their anniv. the same day you remember) & invited us around for a drink & suggested we go out together, so that is what we did. We went around there about 7:30 & had a couple of drinks & then we went to a place on Rideau St. – La Paloma – for dinner. Fanni & Teddy had told us it was very nice but maybe we were unlucky for Cec & I were very disappointed. It was quite pretentious you know, but I thought the food was poor – I had fried chicken & it was just dry & tasteless. However we didn’t really let it worry us & had a good time. Dr. & Mrs. Herzberg’s party was quite a big one – all the Spectroscopy Dept. All the Fellows except one are leaving this summer & fall, so I think it was a kind of farewell gathering. Velasco (the Spaniard) has already gone of course; Dr. & Mrs. Narasimham are sailing for England today, en route to India. (They were coming to have dinner with us last week & we had to cancel because of C. Pox.); then later the Dresslers (Swiss); Dalbys, (Canadian); Moores (N. Zealand – going to California); Swalenes (U.S.) – leaving us only Dr. Liu (Chinese)! It means a big change in the group with 6 new Fellows all at once –Cec is having an Englishman. This week I am catching up a bit on my entertaining. Last night I had Phyl & Bill Dalby here with Phyl’s mother who is visiting & Dr. & Mrs. McClay. Dr. McC. is a young fellow who is Assist. Prof. at the U. of New Brunswick but who had thought of trying for a Fellowship with Cec instead. He finished his Ph.D. a year ago (Cec was one of his examiners) & when he took the teaching job instead Cec suggested he spend the summer here. He is a queer duck – a terrific bore if he once gets going – but his wife is such a nice girl!! Must stop & get dinner – “Dimmy” is coming to have dinner with the children! Hugs from them & lots & lots of love from us all – Cyn.
The date on this post is quite misleading, since many of the photographs are from the spring as well as the summer of 1957, but Cyn recorded in her scrapbook the birth announcements of friends and relatives and pictures of their children, as well as important events in the family. It’s a pity we are missing the July letters describing the making of her new dress and the Garden Party- probably more important than the federal election- but we catch up in August.
Baby Boomers!
“We think she’ll be a sweet little girl & at this point only wish she would.”
Note the numbers on the blocks- Bobby was the 4th son in this Costain family.
Summer in England- this is Christopher [Linda’s age]’s little sister.
And family events…
More cousins- soon to move closer and get to know us.
The Governor General’s Garden Party-quite an Ottawa occasion.
The Governor General’s Garden Party- Cyn made a new dress with her black and white material, and wore her new pink hat!
And the newly elected Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, was there too.Cec’s June birthday on Father’s Day.
And preparations for the new school year to consider!
Just a note about people in the letter who haven’t been mentioned lately. Cyn grew up in Newcastle-upon Tyne from the age of 4 in the 1920s, and the Allans were close neighbours. Mrs Allan was Carol’s friend and her daughter Nancy was Cynthia’s- they played together as children, grew up together, and remained friends for over 80 years. Cyn’s Recipe Book from her college days in the 1930s includes ‘Mrs. Allan’s Sandwich Cake’, ensuring that English teatime lived on in Canada. Here Carol has told Cyn of Mrs. Allan’s death. On a happier note, Cyn refers to the wedding of her cousin Millie’s son, Hugh Pembleton, in New York, and the wedding present she hasn’t bought yet. She also needs to buy presents for all the babies that keep appearing in their friends and relations’ lives. There are no letters for July, so what she bought will remain a mystery, but I will post a photo page to cover July!
Wed. 12th June.
Dearest Mummy, Was so sorry to hear about your tummy cyst & hope that by now it is feeling much better. I can imagine you would find it very tiring trailing to the hospital every day for so long and that it would all leave you feeling very pooped. Such a pity after all your vitamins, but I hope that when it is over you will begin to get full of energy again. You seem to have had a bad time lately what with one thing & another – I do hope that it is all over now. I got your letter on Monday evening and was so very sorry to hear about Mrs. Allen. As you say she was a wonderful friend to us & quite one of the sweetest & best people I’ve ever known. Poor Nan must feel very sad even though she will be relieved that the suffering is over, but even after her mother being poorly for quite a long time it must have been a shock. I must write to her today.
I have just been writing our regrets for Hugh’s wedding – I must ask Monie [Hugh’s aunt] to put a carbon paper under her description of the Day to you & A. Moo & send it to me! I haven’t got the W. P. yet but will go shopping on Sat. Poor Cec has both his birthday and Father’s Day on Sunday so he should have a double good day!
I also seem to have 1/2 a hundred other presents to get – I haven’t got a present for Dottie’s babe yet & have the MacNamara’s baby & Paul & Angie Routly’s baby. Also Richard Haynes – I never can remember if his little brother is Michael? Anyway I have some yellow overalls for him & a pair of “baby doll” pyjamas for Barbara Heslop. It was Patty Lu’s birthday on Sunday (1 year old) & Lea invited us out to Carp for 1 o’clock dinner. We got her pink overalls & a little pail & shovel & dashed off straight after S. School, arriving at about 12:45 to find no Lea visible, no table set or anything! Wendell talked to us for about 1/2 hour then Lea & the baby appeared & finally about 2:15, dinner! It turned out there’d been a big wedding on the Sat. & they had all been to it, & so Lea had nothing ready – the cake made but not iced, & then she had invited more people from Ottawa in the afternoon & a few of Darryl’s pals for a Wiener Roast in the evening! You can imagine the chaos! Lea had gone to all sorts of trouble – paper hats, balloons etc., but nothing ready or organized. We finally left about 4:30 to miss the evening traffic as we had originally planned, not having had any B. cake – wonder how the rest of the celebrations came out! Called at Pete & Lu’s & had a nice cup of tea! Lu’s Mother is with her (leg amputated remember?) & is so nice & full of fun – you would like her. Was so sorry to hear that you have been having more trouble for the burglar – what an upset for you all. What a pity you can’t get the roof of the porch wired & give him a great electric shock! Must stop – love to A. Moo – hugs from the children – Lots of love – Cyn.
Dearest Mummy, I was so sorry to hear in your last letter about the fall and bumping your poor nose. I hope it is quite better now & no damage done – we always thought your nose was such an elegant feature didn’t we? Thank you so much for both that letter & a long one previously – I’m glad my long one to you arrived safely but I am disgusted that your birthday parcel has never arrived. I also hope that it does eventually appear – I have practically forgotten all the odds & bobs I put in it. What annoys me is that I sent it via New York which costs much more & is supposed to be quicker! I included a small bon voyage present for Peggy, so if it ever arrives you’ll have to keep it for Christmas! Since I last wrote we haven’t done much, but I had a little Janek Blachut staying here from the Wed. to the Sun. of the week before last. Teddy was going to Quebec for a conference & Fanni wanted to go too so I offered to take Janek & her Polish neighbour took the 2 little ones. Janek was v. good & Linda was thrilled to have him & they trotted off to school together, but by the Sun. the novelty had worn off & he was glad to go home & they (L. & C.) were glad to be alone!! Since he left, poor little fellow, he has been in bed with a throat infection, so I was glad he waited till his Mummy came home! I too, have a cold & I am so fed up with it as it is one of those tickly throat type that drags on & on.
Linda’s Report Card from June promotes her to Grade 1! (Her classmate Janek was top of the class from Grade 1 to 13 so I expect he did well in Kindergarten too!)
Our weather is still cool but has been quite nice & sunny the last few days so over the weekend Cec & I gardened hard. You will be sorry to hear of the tragedy of our seeds though – Nicki LAY on them! What with that & a spell of v. cold freezing weather just as they appeared so that we couldn’t get them outside they didn’t do very well. Alas! Will write more later this week – just thought I’d let you know we are all flourishing. XXXX from Lindy & Charlie & much love from us all – Cyn.
Dearest Mummy, Not yet 11 o’clock & all my washing on the line! I must admit that the beds aren’t made yet, but I have to go down to the P.O. when I go for Lindy so I thought I would write one of these to you & mail it. I wrote to Dottie & Nan last night & also my father. He now has the bright idea that I should come to England & bring Lindy to see him. What he thinks I would do with Cec & Charlie I don’t know. Then his next letter he suggests we all come back to England to live – they need scientists etc. & over here there may be another depression. So of course I have written squashing all these suggestions so he’ll probably get mad at me again. Thank you so much for your last letter which came yesterday (written 5th) – mostly about babies, legitimate & otherwise! I see that your May Fair was all over & that you did very well. Perhaps you’re having a breathing space now like us! We are being quite quiet and unambitious now – Cec is going back to work again in the evening a bit & gardening a bit – he has got some tomato plants in down the hill & says if they don’t freeze we will have nice early tomatoes! The seeds in the basement are all sprouting nicely, but the lavendar hasn’t appeared yet – Mrs. Carleton says they have never been able to get the seeds to germinate so I wonder if we will. I didn’t do much sewing last week but finished a little blue corduroy jacket for Lindy to match her skirt & made a blouse for me out of an old shirt of Cec’s! All Lindy’s last summer dresses have to be let down & Lu has passed me on a few of Leslie’s & they all have to be taken up! Groans! Next I am going to start my white & black dress & I have some black cotton with roses on to make me & Lindy skirts. The sofa cover by the way is made out of the material Dottie sent me from England for curtains in the old house. I got brown fluffy edging & it really does look nice. I was glad to hear that your vitamins did you good. I go to see Dr. K. on Friday & we’ll see if he gives me any more iron – I feel quite perky now. My hand is fine & although there is a little lump still it doesn’t hurt or prick anymore & I think the lump will gradually go. We didn’t do anything much last week except have a visiting Englishman, Dr Cruikshank, to dinner & on Sat. evening we went to Teddy & Fanni’s. They had about 14 people & we had a v. nice time.
Sunday was Mother’s Day & all last week Lindy was so excited about it & a secret she had! On Friday she came home with a little parcel & a big picture & ran to hide them in her room till Sunday, but after 1 hour she couldn’t bear it any longer & had to show me! She showed me her picture (of me!) & her gift – a sachet that she had made all herself! Then she said a verse & sang a song! We then hid everything away again till Sunday!! Poor Charlie was quite at sea – didn’t know what a gift (always “present”) or a sachet was! Lots of love from us all, Cyn.
Dearest Mummy, It is a lovely day after a week of cold windy weather. We had a beautiful warm spell over Easter & for a while afterwards & things were just looking lovely & then it suddenly got so cold & even froze some nights & people who had put out plants etc. got them all frosted. However we weren’t so venturesome & indeed Cec is being very correct about his gardening this year – all the seed catalogues etc. tell you to begin seeds indoors & as we haven’t had too much luck putting them straight into the garden & the season is so late beginning here anyway that we thought we would try it. So last weekend Cec made some flats & sifted soil etc. & planted them & already we have some funny looking little things! I giggled at Cec as he worked so hard over getting them all done nicely & then he said “Well, I hope they won’t be a success!” & when I said “Why?” in horror he said “Well, I couldn’t bear the thought of having to do all this every year!” However he is already talking about what he’ll do next year so he can’t be too serious! We planted Cosmos, Clarkia, Brackycomb, Petunias, Lavendar, Zinnias, Nemesia, Portulaca, Stocks & Perennial Iceland Poppies. Also Tiny Tim Tomatoes & some Baby Muskmelons for down the hill! We have ordered 6 more rosebushes & 3 new chrysanthemum plants & Cec divided up all the orange lilies in the Fall so we have quite a few perennials now – also some delphiniums & a peony we got last year & sweet williams. My Bleeding Hearts from Mrs. Carleton are all doing nicely but Cec is having grave doubts about the chicken manure he dug in so laboriously in the Fall. You know it was on Ken’s advice he did it, but our things seem to be so late compared to other peoples & our bulbs are so slow. Of course the latter may be caused by the transplanting as in the places where they weren’t disturbed they are way ahead, but poor Cec is going to be so disgusted if they don’t do well after all his hard work. The children have been playing out all day with Jimmy except for going to S. School, & I gave them a picnic lunch on the grass & they had a lovely time. They are both looking so well & rosy cheeks now & seem to get so much dirtier than they ever did before! The bathroom wash basin always seems to be filthy & Charlie’s towel is just like the pictures you see of little boys’ towels! Charlie is quite lonesome on school days with no one to play with now, as he had such fun at Easter with Lindy & Jimmy, so he will be delighted when summer holidays come. He is very pleased at the thought of going to school & in S. School this morning I heard him holding forth to the teacher in front of all the children so he isn’t shy! I meant to begin a letter to you last night, but I began to make a book for my S. School – a Touch & Feel Book. They give you outlines of a sheep, bunny, dog, bird etc. and you cover them with cotton wool, velvet, feathers etc. to get the right feel – it was fun but it took me hours! Cec was at a Men’s Do at Boris’ & I spent the whole evening stuck up to the eyebrows! My class is still going strong & I have pretty regular help from a lady Mrs. Kuhn whose little girls come so it is all right, but I find I spend at least one evening a week making things for it & getting things ready. Do you remember Flora Wansborough a thin dark girl further down the hill towards Ben Rothwell’s? They adopted a baby boy just over a year ago & we coffee together occasionally – anyway she is an Anglican & I got her interested & she may come & help teach. She came & watched last week. Yesterday afternoon the Anglican Ladies had a big Maytime Tea & Sale of Work down at the School. It wasn’t anything to do with the Sunday School really but all the mothers etc. got together & organized it & the idea was to make money for a Fund as the beginning for a church some day. They sold tickets at 25¢ for the Tea & then had an Apron Stall, Children’s Wear Stall, Baked Goods, Plants, Candy Stall & a Recipe Stall which I thought was such a good idea. I’ll tell you about it because it might be a new idea for your May Fair or Bazaar sometime. They had 13 very luscious foods set out looking very attractive, then in front of each one little samples of the cake, cookie etc. stuck on toothpicks for people to taste & they were selling the 13 recipes typed on a sheet for $1. 00. They had some foreign recipes, some pickles etc. & I thought it was very good – Pat & I got one between us – 50¢ apiece! Pat has it at the moment & is going to type me a copy – they have the recipes from various people you know, which always adds interest too. I thought I had done quite well as I sold 10 tickets; made chocolate truffles for the Candy Stall; made coconut cakes for the tea; made choc. layer cake for the Bake Stall & sent 2 jars of pickles. Then I heard of a lady who had sold over 70 tickets, made 2 aprons, 2 children’s play suits, made bread, cakes & sent jam to the Bake Stall & was in charge of the Candy Stall & made dozens of lots of candy. Whee! Anyway it turned out to be a big success, & had lots of people there & I hear today that it made over $500 which seems wonderful for such a small group with no real church organization behind them. I was going to take Linda & Charlie, but then Linda got an invitation to Diane Kuhn’s birthday party (in her class at school) so Charlie decided he would rather stay at home & play with Jimmy. Lindy was to go as a storybook character, so I spent the Friday morning making her a little red cloak with a hood. Do you remember some red lounging pyjamas I swapped with Jessie long long ago? Then at my Halloween party in Cambridge I made them into a red petticoat? WELL – now I made Lindy into a cute Little Red Riding Hood! Lu gave her a pretty red moire skirt of Leslie’s a little while ago & they exactly matched & with a white blouse & a little basket she really looked like the storybook! I took her to the party & then took Pat & Mrs. Tomlinson & Joanne & Susan to the Tea – lots of people were there – even Mrs. Rothwell making funny remarks about Anglicans! I got some cookies & small cakes, some candy, a kettle holder & a pair of darling little “baby doll” pyjamas! The top is flowered cotton with little white panties, but unfortunately it is too small for Linda (they had no bigger sizes) so I will send it to Barbara Heslop for her birthday.
I was so pleased with myself yesterday morning as I went to town & had such a successful shopping spree. I had thought I might get a suit this spring but I looked around earlier & they all had these straight tight skirts which are so bad for my poor seat! Then I decided I would get a coat as the only non-winter one I have is my grey raincoat from trousseau days which is very sad now, & I saw a nice black bengaline in Simpson Sears catalogue (water repellent too) which was just what I wanted so I sent off for it. I was so disappointed when I got a card saying it was out of stock so on Sat. I went downtown & found just the same thing at Freimans’ & in my size too. I got it there & then & then hopped upstairs & got a little pink lacy hat & a pink scarf (I already have a new high-heeled black suede shoes). I also got Nan a pair of red corduroy “scuffies” (slippers with no backs) reduced to $1.00, so felt very successful! I dashed home & got Cec to mark the hem of my coat & shortened it then & there & wore it to the May Tea with my new hat & felt so pleased as everyone was dressed up to the eyes & I felt quite chic too. I have my white straw that from last summer I’ll also wear with the coat & I got some pretty white material with a black flower spray on it to make into a dress, so it will all go nicely. Do you remember a pretty navy coat Lila had on that day we drove out to Kingsmere? Well, mine is very like that. I feel quite free to concentrate on our summer wardrobe now as I have at last finished the slipcover for the sofa & feel very pleased with it. Cec & I had such a busy time last week after Easter. I told you how he began painting & finished the bathroom & it looks so nice & fresh.
Then I got some pretty yellow nylon & made a new curtain & we got 20 yellow tiles (plastic) & tiled around the wash basin. It looks most elegant & it is such an improvement as the wall got so splashed behind the basin & it spoilt the paint. We are very pleased with it. Then Cec began on the kitchen & painted that (I helped but I was mostly sewing the slipcover. ) It is a very pretty pale blue, walls & woodwork, with the brown cupboard doors. We have also moved things around & now it is like this-
It is such an improvement having the stove near my workplace in the corner near the sink & the fridge is just as convenient on the other side & not so much in the way. It takes the stove away from the door too & when we sit at the table we are not as close to it. Cec has hung the bread box below the window & under it we have a new white garbage can! I have some blue and white spotted material to make frills for the tops of the windows but haven’t done so yet. I think it looks very nice though & I’m delighted with it. All last week then, Cec was painting hard in the evening & I was sewing away & in the day time the children & I were busy gadding! Lindy was on holiday of course, & on the Wed. we went to tea with Susi Dressler & saw the little twins – so sweet – just a month old, then on the Thurs. we drove over & had lunch with Lee & Barry & Dougie; on the Friday we went & had coffee with Flora & then on the Sunday the Atchisons [Cec’s sister & family] came to dinner! Cec planted all the seeds last weekend too, so it really was a busy time. The A’s were all well after a bad winter of colds, chickenpox etc. but little Patty Lou is growing fast & beginning to walk & Lea is still enchanted with her baby. Cec & I we’re saying that she really missed so much of Darryl’s baby hood with working that this is really new & fun for her & she just thinks Patty is wonderful. I was handing on some of Lindy’s little things I still had – but not the prettiest ones! Aren’t I mean – but some of them are too sweet to give away! This week we had a party on Tuesday – a surprise birthday party for Lila! You know she is so good about sending the children birthday, Valentine, Easter presents etc. etc. & one day Cec & I were talking & I said I didn’t really like surprise parties but that I thought one for Lila might be fun, so we had one! We invited mostly those with children whom Lila treated as she treats ours you know – Phyl & Alex, Nan & Don Ramsey, Joan & Boris, Ray & Doreen Moore (the N.Z. couple but they couldn’t come – Doreen is sick – preggy again – R.C.’s poor girl ) then Dr. & Mrs. Herzberg, but Mrs. H. couldn’t come as she was away, & Dr. H’s secretary Mary & Santiago & Dr. Velasco. I phoned Lila a little while ago & said I wanted her & Mary to come out & arranged a day in a very casual way, & then Alex & Phyl picked them up & got here about 8:50 & all the rest at 8:30 having put their cars around the side. Then when Lila came up everyone sang Happy Birthday & we gave her a pretty pink corsage & a card signed by all the children! She was quite pink & confused, but very pleased I think & we all had a nice evening. We chatted & then played quite a good card game that everyone can join in, & we had Punch to drink. Then I had coffee & tea & a big pretty tray of open faced sandwiches like I used to have in Cambridge & then a big birthday cake. I made it white with a wreath of pink rosebuds around & Happy Birthday Lila in the middle. It was all over & everyone leaving by midnight but we felt we’d had a good time & enjoyed it anyway so we hoped everyone else did! We had a nice card from Lila full of raptures afterwards! On the Wed. the children & I had another kind of party – Charlie & I picked up Lindy from school in the car & went downtown for lunch & then we went to see Walt Disney’s “Cinderella”! I was very keen to take them as they have a Cinderella book with pictures from the movie & they were both thrilled at the idea. Lindy just loved the whole thing & enjoyed every minute, but poor old Charlie got a bit tired & kept saying “Is this the end?”!! However I really think it was quite a success as it was their first full length film in a theatre – I loved seeing it again too! Then we went out to tea to Mrs. Kuhn’s on Thurs. & Lindy & I got our haircut on Fri., so those are all our activities! Cec was back at work every night except the party night last week, so he was really tired this weekend but he got some good results, so he was quite content. Next week I hope we all are going to have a quiet week – I feel we have been living hectically for quite a while! Thank you so much for your last letter (29th) which I got yesterday – I am so sorry that none of our things reached you for your birthday though. Somehow your letters come so nice & quickly now though, that I assume mine do to you too, but I hope that by now the parcel as well as my long letter will have arrived. It was my fault about the A.M. not getting posted though- so don’t blame poor Cec! I had a bunch of letters to mail – paying bills etc. & your A.M. & some library books & my purse & so on & Charlie & I got in the car & I put them all on the seat between us. Well, what with Charlie & me & all the other things your letter & one of the others slid down the back of the seat & I didn’t notice they were missing when I mailed the rest. Then a few days later I saw a little white thing sticking up & pulled it & lo and behold – letters! I’m sorry! I’m so glad you had a nice birthday – yes we did think of you – and had such a lovely picnic – how nice of Auntie Muriel. You told me the girls had sent you a pretty dress but you didn’t tell me what it was like, but your new hat sounds very pretty too. What a pity Noel Coward didn’t come to Church on Easter Sunday & see you in it! But I really can’t imagine him dashing to Church at the crack of dawn as you & A. Muriel do! What a pity you didn’t see him though although I feel he must be too too conceited for words! Your telling me of him reminds me that I nearly forgot to tell you of someone I met unexpectedly at the May Tea yesterday – Mr. & Mrs. Hughes from Acacia Avenue – remember? They have built a house out here at Rothwell Heights- not way down by the river, but in some woods that we rather liked – moved in just about a month or so ago. They were very cordial & most pressing that we should come & see them, so we must do so & see their house – Mrs. H. tells me it has “What my Mother would call a Charles Dickens window”!! What do you think she means?! I guess a bow window or one with leaded panes! The Church Procession you saw sounds a most exhausting affair – I’m glad you didn’t try to join in. The new man at Hazell’s sounds as if he will take some of the work off Uncle Fred’s shoulders which will be a relief for him, but as you say Alan Gunn doesn’t sound as if his return will be very permanent. I wonder if you got any bargains at the Sale? They have been having big sales in all the stores here but somehow nothing I needed! You were asking about Charlie – he’s not nearly such a tender little plant as he used to be & doesn’t cry so much, but still that lower lip can quiver in a very pathetic way! He doesn’t cry at the Barber’s or having his hair washed now & is quite independent – Lindy at last will have her hair cut at the hairdresser’s but has to hold my hand! I am going to make her pink & white sun dress soon – we both think it is very pretty – when I get a nice pattern. You were asking about our finances – well we are doing quite well & have it last paid off the money we borrowed on our insurance when Charlie was born!! Also we have joined a Civil Service Co-op Savings Society which takes the money out of our pay cheque before we get it so perhaps now we will amass a huge fortune!! I don’t seem to have been reading much lately – too busy sewing! But I ploughed through a long but interesting biography of Richard III! We don’t belong to a book club at all now – the English one was nice but we got a bit tired of it & the U.S. ones we never seem to get books we like! I think the table mats for Ginny & Hugh are a very good idea – I’m sure they’ll like them. [Cyn’s cousin Milly Pembleton’s son was getting married in the summer, and so Carol and Cyn were considering wedding presents.] I must get them something & send it off – I thought of something in the china line, but I’ll go & have a look around. Mill very kindly asked us down this summer but I think we’ll postpone it till another year – we thought we would just stay home & save our money this year! But having just begun the savings plan we want to get a good start, & even at the cottage you seem to spend a lot of money & we were counting up & on our trip last year we spent $500 about. That includes things we bought & everything, but still! Talking of table mats I really like yours much more than Amy’s – they look cleaner (!) & the colours are so pretty & cheerful. She keeps impressing on me that she only sends to children now, so obviously I’ll not get the big ones! By the way, I got the photo album from Una at last – so silly- all these pictures & only a few with you in & I haven’t a clue as to who any of the other people are! If she said sent it to you, you might have been amused at it, but really there are so few with you in that it seems quite pointless to send it to me.
Tim
Monday. I am just finishing this off this evening & have just had a birth announcement of Dottie’s baby – a son! Ken writes a note on the bottom that the baby & Dottie are both doing well. Born 16th April & weighing 7 lbs. 2 oz. but no name. Cec says that anyway he won’t be so spoiled as a baby girl would have been! [Ken & Dottie’s blended family now has 4 boys!] I must stop as I am yawning me head off! Must send Nan her birthday card & will send her Scuffies tomorrow – my love to Auntie Muriel – big hugs & kisses from Lindy & Charlie & lots of love from us all – Cyn.
Dearest Mummy, I am ashamed of not having written for such a very long time – I don’t know how it is I seem to achieve so little these days & be constantly disorganized! However this morning I have got my washing out on the line early & Claire comes tomorrow to clean so I thought, “To heck – I’ll leave everything else & write to Mummy!” We are having the most beautiful Easter weather – it began on Good Friday & has been sunny & warm & heavenly ever since. Before that it had been dry but quite cold for so long – all the snow melted early but up until last week the ground was still frozen & we have had hardly any rain & with not so much snow as usual, the gardens are as dry as a bone already. The children are having a wonderful time out in the sandbox. Cec fixed Charlie’s wagon on Friday & he has been out with that wagon every available moment since, but I see he’s changed to sand now! His little face is quite pink & sunburnt & both of them look so well. Actually Lindy wasn’t too well at the beginning of the weekend – she was very tired & drooped & not eating on Wed., but Thurs. seemed quite perky & was very keen to go to school as it was the last day before the holidays. She didn’t seem too bad all day although no appetite, but on Fri. morning she didn’t feel well & stayed in bed. We were supposed to be all going over to Jim and Lee’s for dinner in the afternoon, so I had to phone Lee & tell her we couldn’t come & we were all disappointed. I was worried that Linda might be sickening for something as there are mumps & chickenpox around, but it turned out to be a little tummy flu I think as she had a bit of diarrhoea & a little temp. On the Sat. she felt a bit better & was out & about but she is just beginning to eat fairly normally now. I think I had a touch of it on Sun. as I had the trots & felt very tired – went to bed at 9 p.m. & slept for 12 hours & felt fine yesterday! We had quite a busy day on Sun. as I meant to go to 8 a.m. service, but had a restless night (this sudden hot weather!) & was wide awake at 5 & fast asleep at 8! So I went at 11 instead & had just got home & Cec had bathed the children when the phone rang & this was Joyce & Les Haywood & their 3 girls. They’d been to Montreal for the weekend & were in Ottawa on the way home, so they came right over & we had coffee & chocolate cake (which providentially I had made on Sat.!) They left about 1:30 & we had a scrambled lunch & Cec took the children over to visit Lila. She has recently gone to live with an old lady who was to be away for the weekend, so she had invited the children for the afternoon. We went & collected them about 6 laden with chocolate bunnies etc. Lila had had an egg hunt for them with those coloured candy eggs & they had enjoyed looking for them but then told her they didn’t like those eggs & didn’t want to take them home! Poor Lindy has had the worst time trying to pretend there is an Easter Bunny! I have never said much about it as we in England didn’t have it but this year in kindergarten they have heard the whole thing & although she knows we really give the eggs she has been pretending it was the Bunny! On Easter Sunday morning Charlie, who was rather confused by all this, said “Did you give me the Easter Egg or did the Easter Bunny?” & I – who had put my foot in it once or twice with Linda, said “Oh, the Easter Bunny gave it to me to give to you” whereupon Lindy gave a great smile & said “Oh I am so glad you told a lie about it “!!
Note final sentence.
Cyn’s College Recipe- amended for larger amounts!
Chickens mandatory!
Yesterday we had Fanni & Teddy & their 3 boys over for tea & I made a Simnel Cake – do you remember them? The last one I made was in College but this one was nicer – I had to grind the almonds myself for the almond icing though! In amongst all these activities Cec has been so busy, first tidying up the garden & fixing the long narrow trench where we had a few rosebushes & some chrysanthemums. We have ordered 6 more roses so he took out all the chrysanths & dug in manure etc. & got it all ready. Then he has been painting – finished the bathroom in pale yellow, very pretty & last night we began on the kitchen. We painted all that bright pink woodwork pale blue & it is a vast improvement & we will paint the walls pale blue too. The cupboard doors are still stained brown, so there will be some contrast & I am getting some material to make just a frill across the top of each window – blue & white I think. I have been making up the children’s sheets & pillowcases. I made the winter flannelette sheets as soon as I got the material, but just got the cotton ones done now. I also made Lindy a pretty little pink flared skirt out of the pink material Nan sent me. I had asked her to get Lindy a Viyella-type dress & pants & the little pink & blue dress she got had no pants so she sent a yard of pink Dayella. It was much too pretty for pants so I made this little skirt & it looks very sweet. We got Charlie a navy blue raincoat you know, & he is thrilled – “I’m just like a little man” he says “With a long draggy-down coat!” It’s nice & big you’ll gather!! I have begun making the slip cover for the big old sofa, but so far have only one cushion made, but it looks nice! I am going to try and get it done this week though, as once I get going at it I don’t think it will take too long. Another thing I made was a hat! Lu took millinery classes this winter & promised to show me how to cover a “hat form” if I got one. So I got one in Woolie’s for 29¢ – just a white buckram shape like a crescent moon & took it & some of the pale green material of my dress over to Lu’s & she showed me how to do it – you stick the material on with household cement! I lined it & trimmed it at one side with a few dark green feathers & it is very nice I think! Anyway with that & my dress I have a new outfit! I really have needed them as we have been really social lately. Last Thursday Boris & Joan suggested that we join them & Jerry & Mary to have a Chinese dinner downtown, so we all met & had a lovely feast! We then went to Joan & Boris’ & had dessert of fruit salad & coffee & it was a very pleasant evening. The Sunday before Santiago invited us all out to dinner, so we drove out to the island & had a Chinese dinner there too – except the children had chicken. It was very nice also & Dr. Velasco (who was there too) & Santiago came home & spent the evening with us. The week before was my birthday week & so we went out to dinner with Cy & Margie on the Friday. We went to the Château Laurier & had a drink & then went to the French Buffet & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was the first time Cec had been there & he thought it was just as nice as we did. Actually on my birthday Cec redeemed a long time promise & had us all to lunch at the Council. [Government Cafeteria, nothing special.] This was the biggest treat to the children & they thought it was wonderful seeing so many people they knew all eating their lunch too! We were at Dr. & Mrs. Herzberg’s one evening & he had just recently returned from a trip to India & he had lots of lovely colour slides which he showed us & he also brought back all sorts of beautiful saris & stoles & carved things & turquoise jewellery etc. for Mrs. H. & Agnes, so it was very interesting, although he had so many colour pictures (& quite a few the same) that I had a hard time keeping awake while he was showing them! We have been trying to pay back some of our social duties too as with me being ill we were away behind & seem to owe everyone. We had Mary & Jerry & a friend of theirs from Harvard who was up working in Cec’s Lab. for about 6 weeks & a couple called Beer from Ann Arbor. He was in Gordon’s Group & we met them last summer (Cec knew him already) & he is now at the Council as a Fellow in another Dept. Gunborg assumed we would be great friends as Mrs. B. is English but this was our first get together! Then another evening we had another man from the Council in another dept. whom Cec likes very much. His name is Andy Dunn & we were also interested because his wife comes from Trinidad! They met in Halifax apparently where she was at school (her parents are Canadians living in Trinidad) but the funny thing was that I mentioned I had relatives in Trinidad & that one of my cousins owned the Coblentz Hotel & her parents live on that very street! Mrs. D. knew the house & the family who used to live in it years ago when she was a girl – wasn’t that funny? Actually we didn’t like her as much as him, although she was all right & we had quite a good bridge game. Do you remember me talking about a Swiss fellow at the council called Kurt Dressler and us going to his wedding to his fiancée last May? Anyway Susi was pregnant & about Feb. the doctor told her it was twins & that they quite likely would come early, so this was great excitement & at the end of March twin boys were born. They were quite big 6 pounds & 6 lbs. 3 oz. & I went to see Susi in the hospital & saw the little fellows & they looked very cute – dark-haired & nice & big, not little teeny things like most twins! They are called Lucius & Rainier! I took them little sunsuits made of terry towelling you know – one bound in blue & one in green. I am taking the children to tea tomorrow as Lindy is very keen to see the babies! Susi is kept busy as she is feeding them herself & they eat every 3 hours!
Talking of babies Dottie should have hers by now & I am most eager to know what it is – I can’t help but think a baby boy! I haven’t sent anything yet as I wanted to wait & see so that if it was a girl I could send a very feminine gift! Yesterday was your birthday & we all wished you many happy returns & thought of you. I do hope that my parcel isn’t very late – I had part of it ages ago but wanted one or two other little things & didn’t get downtown for ages. I’m afraid I still have the children’s card not mailed, as I thought we had one for them & then found it was an Easter card & by the time we got one the P.O .was closed for Easter but will send it- better late than never! I hope you had a lovely day & drank your health as nicely as you drank mine. We got all the Easter cards from you & A. Muriel & thank you so much for them. A. Muriel is so good about remembering us & I’m afraid I owe her so many thank yous but since I was ill I seem to have got so behind hand. When I rest every afternoon & go to bed early I get nothing done! By the way, while I was visiting Dr. Kastner I showed him the little bump on my hand that I thought had a piece of glass and & he took me in at the Outpatient Dept at the St. Louis Hospital one day & gave me a local anaesthetic & tried to get it out. Of course it bled so that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack so he doesn’t really know whether he got it out or not! Anyway he stitched it up & I had a bandage on for a week or so but it is all healed & all right now. There is still a sort of bump there but it doesn’t hurt to press on it as it did before, so I think it is an improvement. I am still taking my iron & am to go back to see him next month. How are your vitamins doing? Do you feel that they are doing you any good? You will be amused at one thing in your parcel – I sent you a little maple sugar to compare with your cane sugar. I was so pleased this year because I found a maple sugar farm not far from Orleans & took the children out one afternoon to see the sugaring off. It was such fun that we took Lila the next Sunday & it was the first time she & Cec had seen it either. We saw the sap collecting from the trees, but the most interesting part was the sugaring shed where it is boiled in flat open pans over wood fires and then depending on the length of boiling they make syrup, taffy on the snow, or sugar. The children don’t really like the sugar – it is so strong but when Lila was with us we came home & had pancakes for lunch & Charlie kept up with the rest of us. Lindy actually eats pancakes now, which is a great concession but she has honey on them! I must stop now & get my washing in & wash the dishes etc. etc.! I will write again soon & answer all your nice letters – I have them all here to reply to, but there wasn’t room in this one, but one thing – I would love a brunch coat – thank you very much! The children send big hugs & kisses – Charlie still has your letter under his pillow! Love to A. Muriel & lots & lots for you from Cyn.
Dearest Mummy, Thank you so much for my perfectly lovely birthday parcel & your card & all your nice birthday letters. I had such a happy time & thoroughly enjoyed myself all week! We all loved your parcel – the table mats are simply beautiful & I will enjoy using them so much. The London scenes are so pretty & although they don’t exactly “match” Amy’s little mats as the latter are rather brown-y antique flower prints, they are the same type of course & look fine together. We already had them on the table just for ourselves & they look very nice we think. They were really a big surprise as I didn’t expect anything except the hankies. They are most acceptable & I am putting them to use at once – funnily enough, Dottie sent me hankies (and a pr. of earrings) too so I am doing nicely thank you. Cec was most taken with the pictures of me at a tender age & had fun comparing them to Lindy! (My face was fatter!) It is amusing as Mom C. sent us childhood snaps of Cec not long ago, so we are getting quite a collection! Thank you also for my pink panties- I always seem to need pants! I think the pink & white material for Lindy’s dress is just sweet & I look forward to making it up for her – she will have grown out of a lot of her summer dresses I am sure as she is just sprouting now. Her tooth came out by the way (much to her joy!) & she took it to school to show & lost it! Her new one is growing in already. Both she & Charlie were very pleased with their brooches & books. They have both been wearing their brooches all the time – Charlie particularly pleased as he loves jewellery & is very sad boys don’t wear it!! He loves his scrapbook & shows it to everyone! His favourite picture of course is the little house that opens. He got your letter today & is delighted & has taken it to bed with him. He says “Isn’t Grannie kind?” We haven’t read Lindy’s book yet as we are reading “The Wind in the Willows” each evening, but when it is done we’ll get to it. [That might have happened sooner than she thought, because I distinctly remember being so upset when Mr. Toad was imprisoned that I refused to hear any more and didn’t read the whole book until I was 4 or 5 years older.]
What do you think I got for my birthday from my family? A new G.E. Vacuum Cleaner! It wasn’t exactly a surprise as we planned to get one & I suggested we got it for my birthday. It is lovely – a round swivel–top type & so efficient but so light & easy – I’ve been cleaning ever since! Lindy gave me stockings & Charlie a butter dish! We went to lunch at Daddy’s work on my birthday & on Fri. Cec & I went out to dinner with Margie & Cy.
Will write & tell you more in a long letter soon – sorry I haven’t written for so long – we are all fine but have been very social! Haven’t forgotten your Red Pencil ??s – will answer in next!! The Misses. F’s little saltcellar is sweet. Hugs & xxx from the children- Lots of love from us all & thank yous- Cyn.
Written on the 8th, not mailed until the 15th, arrived in Kingstown 25th.
A Family History in Letters 