Category: Letter

June 10 1951

This letter has been chewed upon by St Vincent insects- pinholes right through!

Sunday, June 10th

Dearest Mummy,

Thank you so much for your nice letter which came yesterday – quite my Saturday treat now! It was mailed on June 1, so wasn’t very long in coming. You haven’t got many blue-pencilled remarks this time, but I will answer what there are later, & I also went through some of your old letters this afternoon, & red-pencilled (!) places to answer so will do that also!

Cec went up to the Lab. this afternoon, & has gone again now- after dinner – but I have been quite busy. We slept till nearly noon, of course – it is Cec’s one chance to catch up on his late nights during the week, & I was late late last night too, so was just as sleepy as he was this morning! You would have laughed at us at breakfast time. Yesterday I was in town in the afternoon & happened to be near a special shop which goes in for foreign delicacies & also fish. We had been talking about missing kippers the other day, & although we’d had tinned ones, they weren’t the same, so I went into the shop & sure enough they had kippers & I bought some as a treat for us this morning! So up we got & on opening the package I found two huge kippers (1/2 lb. each!) & I grilled them & they smelled very kippery & good! Then we began to eat them, & after a few mouthfuls we both said they didn’t taste like English kippers, & after we’d waded about 1/2 way through, we both confessed we didn’t like them! They had a very odd flavour- as if they had been cured in some funny way,- & they were very oily – So we didn’t enjoy our kippers much! Cec decided he wanted an egg to take the taste away, so he fried one & put it on a slice of toast & tried to eat it in his hand. I giggled so at his egg dripping through holes in the toast, that I leant forward & put my elbow in my saucer & spilled tea all over the table & myself – so you can see we had a very hilarious & messy time!!

This afternoon I baked a cake. After the Dr. said my weight was O.K. last week, I wanted to come right home & bake a chocolate cake, but Cec wouldn’t let me! However, it is his birthday next Sat. & we are having Pete & Mary Jo to dinner & a couple from Saskatoon- Bill Baker & his wife Jacqueline. Bill is head of the Agricultural Dept. at the University in Sask. (I met him when we were up last summer) & is down in A.A. for about a year, & Cec ran into him one day by accident, & since then we’ve met him and his wife once or twice. We asked Gordon & Gunborg to come to dinner too, but they have tickets for the theatre, so will just come in for a drink afterwards. Anyway – as we are having the dinner on Cec’s birthday, I made his cake this weekend – just a white cake with lots of chocolate icing! The oven is tilted slightly though, so my cake is lopsided, but otherwise looks good! I also made a mince pie, as poor Cec hasn’t had any pies or puddings for ages, and boned & stuffed a breast of veal for dinner. I was very pleased with myself as it only cost 73¢ & the usual roast of beef is $2 or over for just a small piece & altho’ pork is cheaper, it isn’t as cheap as 73¢!!

You will probably be suspecting me of gaining weight again by leaps & bounds with cooking all these things, but Cec has made me a graph which we have on the bathroom wall, & each morning I weigh & mark it.  It is entitled “Cyn’s Giraffe” & is like this

The red line is what I should gain, & the humpy back line is how I did gain! At the moment I am below the red line & haven’t gained any since Mon. so am pleased with myself!

Cyn’s Giraffe- she put the graph in the scrapbook later- with both of us on it!

Actually I am having to be good as I am taught a lesson if I’m not! On Thursday Millie went to the Clinic & came into the office afterwards – it was the day the baby was due, but there were no signs, & as it also was Dawn’s last day at work before going on holiday, we decided to go out for coffee to celebrate. We went to a place nearby & as a real treat I had coffee & a chocolate iced doughnut & had a good time, & we enjoyed ourselves. Then back at the office I began to get indigestion, & by the time I got home for lunch I just sicked it all up!! I felt fine then, but I was so annoyed! On Friday afternoon, the Institute had their annual picnic – I didn’t go & as it was rather a chilly grey day, neither did a lot of other people, but the office closed around 3 o’clock & I came home & had a cup of tea & 2 slices of toast & raspberry jelly & I’m darned if the same thing didn’t happen – except this time I just had indigestion & wasn’t sick! Anyway, I’ve decided it’s just no good me trying to give myself a treat!!

By the way- Mary Jo told me over the phone when I called to invite her & Pete to dinner that she is expecting another baby in September. They already have 2 little girls- Jody & Helen- the latter 18 months & Jody about 3 I think, & they are an awfully nice family. Cec likes Pete very much – he is a big, quiet fellow, but very amusing, & Mary Jo is very nice. The little girls aren’t pretty, but they are very cute & Jody is quite a little chatterbox & most attached to Cec. I expect they’ll be hoping for a boy this time. I am wondering if Millie’s baby has come yet- the Dr. said it could be anytime, & she was hoping it would be the weekend while Jerry was home & could take her to the hospital. I went around to see her on Thurs. evening & saw all her little things – she really hasn’t much at all-just nighties & nappies mostly, & has borrowed a crib. When she left work her Dept. gave her a baby scale which is nice to have. Her mother is coming down from Montreal when they send the wire, so she is bringing things from the family & friends up there.

I told you Dawn was going on holiday – well, actually, Burt has finished his exams so they are visiting their respective families & Burt is also having interviews for jobs, so they are combining work & pleasure. He is an engineering lawyer & is through now but hasn’t got a job as yet. Millie’s Jerry is also through now – a teacher – & has got a job in Long Island & they are very pleased, as it is a good one & a nice new little town, (not so far out as Long Beach) & as Jerry’s people live in N.Y. so it suits them fine. They are spending the summer here though, as Jerry has a temporary job. It is very queer at work now with both Dawn & Milly gone, & also Shirley from the Field Office is going on holiday & Lyons has already gone, so the place seems empty. Another thing is that Sylvia is leaving too- she has hardly done any work for the past while, & last week Charlie told her that as there was no more work she had better go to some other job, so she is leaving the Institute. We are wondering how on earth she will get on, as she is so careless & undependable, & everyone here was nice & kind to her, but we don’t suppose they will be everywhere. My job will be empty of course at the end of the month, but she was never suggested for it – she’s been in the same room with me for nearly a year, but I don’t think she has any idea of what I do!

I meant to tell you that on Sat.when I went shopping in town (for my hubby’s birthday present- couldn’t find what I wanted) I was in Woolies & saw “catnip mice”, so of course got one for Spivvy & we are going to send it to him! It is a little grey cloth mouse with a pink wool tail & eyes & a funny smell, but we hope he’ll like it!

Yesterday evening I went with Ann Sutherland to the theatre to see “Mary Rose” by Barrie. Gordon & Gunborg have tickets to a series of plays which are on for about 6 weeks, & when they heard I hadn’t seen “Mary Rose” they pressed me to take Ann, as Gunborg had seen it twice & Gordon was very busy. I wasn’t too keen, as I’d read the play long ago at school, but went anyway & Anne thought it was lovely! I thought the acting was poor, & didn’t enjoy it much, but of course didn’t say so! 

I don’t remember if I ever told you much about Amy’s parcel – it was really lovely & no duty to pay. The pram cover is very thick & warm & quite big enough for a cot cover if you wanted- it is white, & the two little jackets, one is pink (quite bright!) & one is blue & they are a very cute pattern. They are a small size too, which is nice, as the ones I made are bigger & so is yours. Did I tell you I finally made & smocked Millie’s baby dress two weekends ago? I sewed & sewed & got it done & it looked very sweet, but it was a wretched pattern & made the smocking very difficult. It was a fine white cotton material & I smocked in red, but it came very big – nine months- one year size I should think – so if it’s a little boy Millie will just have to put it by! All the girls at work raved about it- none of them seem to do hand sewing at all- they machine & knit & crochet, but my sewing a dress by hand was something extraordinary! I have cut out one the same for me, but as it is such a big size & I’m so busy anyway, I’ve decided to leave it for the time being. Millie made & gave me such a nice thing – a bathing apron made out of Turkish towelling. I thought it was such a good idea & so useful- it has big pockets & is green & has a rick-rack trimming- wasn’t that nice of her?

As you will see, I am enclosing the cheque for £50, & hope that it will be enough- if not I can let you have more quite easily. You ask if U.S. dollars are O.K. in Canada & Cec says to tell you Yes – very much so! We both giggled at the thought of you smuggling dollars about the place of course, & Cec says to tell you we’ll probably have to bail you out, but I hope it is O.K. I am glad that you have booked your passage for the 6th – don’t worry, we’ll have a bed of some sort for you, some where – we’re just not sure where at the moment! Tell me how the plane goes after Barbados – where do you stop & how long does it take? We will be waiting at the airport at Ottawa for you, & you will get such a surprise at your little fat daughter! No matter how much you imagine me pregnant, I’m sure the actual sight will be a shock!!

I hope that you had a lovely weekend with the Fraser’s & enjoyed being out in the country. It was a pity Auntie Moo couldn’t go too, but when you are away she will probably enjoy visiting even more, & it wouldn’t be much fun for her if she was worrying about her earphone.

I am glad that you got my long letter- this looks as if it might be a rival to the 17 page effort, but I don’t know why except that I seem to be very hare-brained & skip from subject to subject! I am so excited about the parcels of baby clothes & hope they come quickly, as I am longing to see them. Millie had all little bought nighties & I thought how much nicer mine would be! I am longing to see the little silk dress especially & all your faggotting! I’m sure it will be cute. I felt for Jeanie knitting a wrong side for the little cardigan – I would do just the same sort of thing! I will write to her & tell her how good it is of her to knit for me. I hope when Bren gets back that she will feel better for the change, & that her teeth will be all O.K. Poor Jeanie must be in a flat spin about Hazell Ann & the wild Barbadians! It seems kind of incredible to think of Jean as a worried Mama, when really it doesn’t seem so long since she was at school & probably up to girlish tricks! Not that I think she would do the equivalent of nipping into dormitories, but just tricks in general!! Cec was very amused to hear that Barbadians were a wild lot even in your day!

We were both shattered at your suggestion for a boy’s name for us! Hercules Horatio – poor little horror! We have given it up for the time being as we have other things to think of! Cec is writing away, & I typed most evenings last week & have caught up now, so can rest as Cec is working at the Lab. and has nothing new for me. I can’t say your suggestion of Sidney really thrills me – Sid- ugh! & your 4 girl’s names aren’t the top of our popularity list either!! Aren’t we horrid? Actually, I think you’ll like our girl’s name, which is all settled, but it’s these boys that are the difficulty! 

Was glad to hear about Dottie, although from your account of her letter she seems to have had sad news about other people. I haven’t heard from N/C for a while, as I was a long time in writing & then wrote to them all at once. I’m glad Dottie is going to Mary & Bill for Race Week – she always enjoys going there, & I hope it’s nice weather.

Poor little Mrs. Johnny sending the shawl to you – I hope it doesn’t take too long to arrive & that you don’t have a huge duty. I haven’t heard anything from her – should I write & say thank you now, or wait till you get it or till I see it or what? It will depend on whether it takes a long time to get to you, as to whether you will have time to post it to me or will have to bring it with you.

You ask what “Decoration Day is for- well “Memorial Day” is another name for it, & it began as a memorial day for the soldiers in the Civil War, & people used to go & decorate their graves. Now it is supposed to be for all soldiers killed in battle, I think, but it is just a holiday mainly although they do decorate various places with flowers etc.

Monday.

Well – Millie did have her baby!! At 2 o’clock this afternoon – a boy! He weighed 7 lbs. 10 ozs. & is 20” long and has lots of black hair! Jerry rang me up at work & told me & he was so excited, & I got wildly excited too & we practically squealed at each other over the phone! Then I rushed around telling everyone & Charlie said you’d have thought it was my baby, I was so thrilled! Apparently, Jerry took her to the Hospital on Friday evening, but they sent her home on Sat. morning as it was false labour, but she had pains off & on all weekend. Then at 5 a.m. this morning he took her in again & at the Univ. hospital they let the fathers stay with the mothers until they actually go to the delivery room, so he stayed at the hospital. I can go & see her any afternoon, but will wait & go on Wed. as I expect she will need a rest tomorrow. The baby is to be Eric – I don’t like that either!! There are 5 of us preggies left at work now- 3 have produced & another is about to! The men are doing pretty well too, as last week 3 of them had babies & brought round chocolates & cigars! Prolific crowd!!

You mentioned Connie- we have heard no more, but may see Leonard this week. There is a big Physics Meeting in Columbus, Ohio this week & all the Physics Dept. here & from all over the U.S. & Canada are going. Gordon is giving a paper of Cec’s, as Cec is too busy to go, but isn’t my husband clever? Leonard is driving down with another English fellow from Ottawa while Connie stays with his wife who has 2 little girls, & we may see the 2 men for a little while on their way back, so should collect the gossip then!

I am intrigued to know how you are getting on with “our” little patchwork quilt- I think it will be just sweet! Do you think babies need sheets? I always vaguely thought you just bundled them up in blankets! Anyway, I’ll be doing my shopping in Ottawa, so needn’t worry yet!

What news of Patsy lately? You haven’t mentioned her for a long time, except a while ago you said she seemed depressed. Apparently no news of a family for her yet. Also you haven’t said how Percy Verrall is getting on- I hope he is better now. Has Uncle Fred made up his mind to sell Fernside to the nuns yet? It seems a pity after having it so long, but as you say it is very big for him by himself. I was glad the dog bite wasn’t much after all.

I went to try & get your Felt for Feet on Sat. but couldn’t get it at the places I tried. I’ll go back to the place I got it before during the week & will send it off then.

You asked about my Father in one letter, & I meant to tell you I did have a letter from him about the baby. He was quite pleasant about it, – not excited, you know, but quite nice, & suggested some names etc. Also a few weeks ago I got a book from him- a historical novel about Bury St. Edmunds which he had told me about, & it suddenly arrived with no name inside or anything. I wrote & thanked him but haven’t heard since.

Must stop now, as Cec says it is way past my bedtime – glad you are having fun with your bathing suit, & hope you have been to the Club again with Miss M’s man!! She sounds a pain-in-the-neck! Too- too- for words! Cec sends love & so does Junior & a big kick! 

                          Lots and lots from 

                                                   Cynnie.  

                                                       Me too. Cec

I want to add a note or two commenting on Cyn and Cec’s life in Ann Arbor at this time. When she describes the ‘Prolific crowd’ she works with, 5 pregnant women and 3 proud fathers all in the same Institute, you realize how young they all are and how transitory their working life there is- the student husbands have finished their degrees and, like Cyn and Cec, are moving on with (no longer working) wives and babies, to homes and jobs elsewhere. The difference was that Cyn, pregnant at 36, was probably a decade or so older than her colleagues, although it’s possible that no one knew this. Cec was 7 years younger than she was, and as a PhD. student, fitted in to the age group but Cyn only occasionally mentions a man who was a veteran like Cec. Her war years had been a holding pattern in her life, and now it is fun to read of her obvious delight in her marriage, baby, and future home!

June 4 1951

June 4th 1951

Dearest Mummy,

After a hot damp humid weekend, it has been quite cold and grey today – everyone has been grumbling about the horrid cold day but am I glad! Over the weekend I felt so tired & weary with the heat & damp, & now it is cool again I am once more full of cheer.

Another reason I am full of cheer is that I went to the Clinic this morning & had yet another Dr., but he was one Millie had had often & she liked him, & I thought he was so nice too. I lost 1 1/2 lbs in weight over the 5 weeks & he said I was O.K. now & needn’t be so careful anymore – could even have an odd ice cream cone without feeling guilty, so I was most pleased! He said definitely it is just one baby and it is doing fine! So you will be relieved. I told him all my girlish troubles of swollen feet on hot days etc. & he reassured me & was so friendly & jolly I came away feeling very satisfied with me & him & everyone! I am to go back in 3 week’s time, so I am stepping up the pace!

We got your letter written on 27th May on Sat., & thank you so much for it – although you certainly seemed “all of a do” when you wrote it, & fussed at us!! You must remember we are submerged in thesises & work & typing thesises etc. & will have to let other things wait till we get that out of the way. Babies? Pooh! We have to produce a thesis first! I will scum through your letter & answer the vital questions, so that you won’t accuse me of procrastinating anymore (!) & will answer the rest later. About booking your passage, Aug. 6th should be fine- by then we should have a place for you to sleep. Of course we won’t rush & buy a house the minute we get to Ottawa – we’ll rent something – but we hope to buy as soon as we can, when we find something suitable. We can’t be anything except vague until we get there & see. I asked the Dr. about getting in touch with the Ottawa Hospital & he said it was not necessary. To wait until I get there & get a doctor & he will make arrangements & the hospital here will send him all my records. He says it will be much the best, & there is no need to worry about being late and booking at the Hospital. You will have heard from me by now re. the baby clothes & that I think to send them here. Amy’s came safely with no duty (they are lovely- the cover big & warm & the 2 little jackets very cute) & I don’t see that there is anything to worry about. If by any chance they are late Mrs. Kaufman will send them onto us – no need to bother about Gunborg. The only address we have in Ottawa is the bank:- The Bank of Nova Scotia, Ottawa, Ontario.- as Cec won’t be at work till Aug. there’s not much point in giving you that address. About the layette we are not getting anything here at all, except nappies & vests, as there is no reason for us to load ourselves up with more luggage etc. than we already have. We will get them in Ottawa when we know what accommodation we will have, for one thing. Nappies etc. are cotton, so cheaper here, & I will get them in Detroit before we leave.

A baby basket would be sweet if you have the time to get it done & it isn’t too bulky to bring. I haven’t seen any over here so can’t tell you the price – the nurse just had an enamel dish with the things in so perhaps that is what they use. Anyway, I haven’t really looked in any baby departments in any stores at all – there is only about one in A.A. & they are v. expensive & we haven’t had time to go shopping in Detroit. You ask about whether we want a boy or a girl – we don’t care a bit, altho’ we thought one of each would be nice if we had twins! However, we’ll try to achieve both in time!

Bedtime & Cec is shooing me off- he’s working & I’ve been typing for him – Lots of love from us all – Cyn & Cec.

Love the exasperated tone that creeps into Cyn’s answers after the ‘full of cheer’ mood of the beginning- seems very familiar somehow…

May 21 1951

803, Granger Ave. 

Ann Arbor, Mich. 

21st May. 1951.

Dearest Little Mama,

I have no letter to thank you for this week, which is most unusual, but probably just as well as I have been promising to answer your other letters for weeks past! I fully intended to get going last week and begin writing so that I would be able to continue for a few nights and write a screed, but it has begun to get hot now, and you know how un-energetic that makes me! We didn’t have the screens up last week– still the storm windows, so we couldn’t open up much & the flat was so hot after dinner that 2 or 3 evenings we just went out for a little ride in MacTavish to cool off & it was so nice. I also did the ironing & the washing of socks etc. – and I must confess there was plenty of ironing- 2 lots – 2 weeks each! We hadn’t a hankie to our names!! So it dragged on, & then on Friday evening after my session at the Dental Clinic for another scale & clean, I just lay down & went to sleep all evening, so that wasn’t very productive, either!

On Saturday however, Cec & I made up for all our laziness & had such a busy day. We got up at the usual time, & and after breakfast Cec began & took down all the storm windows & put them up in the attic. They lift off & can be done from the inside, so it’s not too bad, except they are awkward things. Then he got out all the screens & the hose & hosed them all clean, & while he was busy with a hose we shut all the windows & he hosed the outside of those! After they were all dry, he put the screens on & it has made such a difference & although it is hot & humid tonight, it doesn’t feel half so oven-ish as it did before. While Cec was doing all this I gave the sitting room & bedroom a good clean, gave the bathroom and landing a fairly good clean, gave the kitchen a lick & a promise & gave up before I got to the stairs! Anyway, Cec was coming in & out with screens etc. so I couldn’t really do them & I’d had enough by then!

After lunch we drove downtown & shopped! We finally sold our second electric grill-waffle iron to Dawn & Bert for $10, so the money was burning a hole in our pockets & we decided to take $5 each & spend it on what we needed most. Cec got 3 prs. of underpants & a grey cotton, short sleeved sports shirt & I got another preggy dress. You will probably think I am getting hundreds of maternity clothes, but I just have the 4 things now; the grey short sleeved suit, which is a bit hot now; the pinky red unicorn dress; a green & white cotton dress, which is nice, but has to be washed & ironed practically each time I wear it & now my new one! I put $4 of my pocket money with it (the $5) & got a silky (rayon!) material like the red one, because it is cool & doesn’t crease & crumple like cotton. It is navy blue with a white pattern on- the white pattern is not all over, but just here & there & it is very plain with cap sleeves & an open neck & collar & gathers over my tum! I said to Cec that if you looked at me straight on I looked fine & slim, – but sideways of course, I’m like the side of 2 houses!! I also got a cute little yellow sun suit at Woollies & put it in a parcel of tins, pkts. of mixes etc. that I’m sending Anne. It is supposed to be her birthday parcel, but as she wrote about parcels she was going to send me at both Christmas & birthday & neither have materialized yet, I’m not worried because I’m late!!

After we came home from town, our exertions weren’t over yet! Cec took McTavish to S’s & borrowed Gunborg’s vacuum cleaner & did his inside thoroughly, then brought him back, washed, dried, waxed & polished him till he looked beautiful! I cooked the dinner – a little roast of pork- & while the oven was on & because it is so hot, I also made a meat loaf, stuffed & roasted a chicken, boiled a small piece of Canadian bacon (very like ham) & stewed some rhubarb! So most of my cooking for the week is done! Weren’t we good kids? We felt so virtuous that we practically glowed! Gordon & Gunborg came in, after being to the theatre, for Gunborg to borrow some books. She went to the Dr. last week & he thinks she has got either diabetes or a thyroid deficiency, so this week she has to go up to the hospital & have all sorts of tests made, and will be there for hours at a time probably so wanted some nice, light reading! She is quite cheerful about it all, & she & Gordon both think it is probably thyroid & not diabetes, as she has had trouble that way before.

Yesterday we went to Toledo for the day! We were supposed to be going for a weekend since before Easter, but we couldn’t make any definite arrangements, then at Easter Til & Lois took Lois’s old aunties (2 of them) down south & they visited C’Zelma & Em, & then brought Grandma back with them. She is living with them now, & as they only have one spare room, we couldn’t go for a weekend, but planned to go for a nice, long day. Til is taking Grandma back to Alabama when the holidays begin in 3 weeks time, & will probably stay down for 3 or 4 weeks. We meant to start at 9, but actually set out at 9:50, which we thought was pretty good! It was a bit grey & hazy to begin with, but turned into a lovely hot sunny day & the countryside looked so green & young & beautiful – the first time we’ve really driven anywhere in the spring, & we did enjoy it. It took us 2 hours to get there, & we arrived just in nice time & got a welcome from all 3. Til & Lois are looking so well & tanned & Grandma looks just the same as in 1947 – she is 86 now, but as sturdy & independent & bright as ever. We looked around the estate & saw everything – the apple blossom was over which was a shame, but the whole place looked so lovely you couldn’t mind for long. We then had a gorgeous dinner, full of things I shouldn’t have eaten, but did!! Fried chicken & gravy & mashed potatoes & peas & salad, then strawberries all sugared & coconut cake!! I missed out the cream on my strawberries, but otherwise made a pig of myself & it was lovely!!

After dinner I was so tickled- Grandma & I were sent to rest! Grandma because of her age and & me because of my condition!! I felt very pampered, & was actually so full I could hardly move anyway! Both Til & Lois thought I looked very well, but Til thought I was big for 6 months- also said that it was going to be a boy because of the way I’m carrying it!! We have all been hashing over boys’ names, but are no further yet- everyone who tries to help us gets disgusted, because whatever they suggest, one or other of us turns up our nose!!

I forgot to tell you that at dinner time I got a birthday present! Wasn’t that a lovely surprise? And what do you think it is? A pretty, pretty cotton housecoat – grey & white with yellow roses, & a zip right down the front. I just live in the brunch coat Cec gave me for my birthday – I change into it every evening & it’s so comfy & cool around the house – so although I can get the house coat on, as it has elastic at the waist, it is a tight fit, & it will be nice to have it pretty & new for the hospital. I think it is lovely though, & I can easily do with it as well as my brunch coat – ain’t I a lucky gal?

It got very oppressively hot during the afternoon & then a Mr. & Mrs. Gottschel arrived to visit (their daughter Elsie was a friend of Til & Lois’ & died while I was in Toledo- remember?) & while they were there, a most terrific thunderstorm began. It actually started about 3:30 & was still going on at 7 o’clock when we left, but of course it rumbled all around, & at one time it was directly on us, & the lightning was so close it actually seemed to be in the kitchen. I don’t ever remember being scared at a storm before but I was at this one, & so were we all I think, because the thunder was so loud, & the flashes right on top of us. All the electricity went off, so we couldn’t boil a kettle or have a cup of tea or anything, but there was a lull after a while & the Gottschels left, & we had cold chicken & tomatoes & cottage cheese & homemade bread (made by Grandma) & had a nice time. Half way through the electricity came on again, but we were all drinking milk by then, but finished off with tea or coffee.

Wed. 23rd May.

Hello – here I am again- two days later. I had promised Cec on Monday evening that I would be a good girl & go to bed at 10 o’clock (he was at the Lab.) as I was quite tired, so when I got to that point in the latter I suddenly looked at the clock & it was 10:10, so I dashed & jumped into bed & had a great long sleep! I felt fine yesterday but it was a miserable wet cold rainy day after all our fine weather & on our way home from work we saw that Somerset Maugham’s new film “Trio” was on, so we decided to be devils & go! We had our dinner quickly & went to the 7 o’clock show & thoroughly enjoyed it – in fact, I liked it better than “Quartet”, perhaps because I hadn’t heard so much about it. There were 3 stories, “The Verger”, “Mr. Know-all” & “The Sanatorium” – the first two very amusing & the last one amusing as well as tragic in parts- Jean Simmons was in one & lots of actors I know by sight- I do hope it will come to Ottawa sometime & you can see it too, because both Cec & I thought it was grand.

Anyway, that was why I didn’t get anything finished last night, so I’ll continue with the letter now & telling you what happened on Sunday. We finally left Til & Lois’ at about 7- having waited a while to see if it would clear up, but it was still rumbling & raining away, so off we set, & got back quite safely at 10 o’clock. It was a wretched drive for poor Cec though, because we seemed to follow the storm all the way & there was lightning & torrential rain at times, & of course in the darkness, difficult to see road signs & so on. Twice there were State Troopers directing traffic on the road, once because the traffic signal had gone out & once because the road was flooded & traffic had to detour over a country road, so it was quite an eventful journey, but our chauffeur was fine, and as we stopped for a cup of coffee in a little town which took some time, we weren’t so very much longer on the road coming back. Next day we read in the papers it had been a dreadful storm all over the state.

By the way, my new dress was much admired both by Til & Lois & the girls at work (I wore it yesterday.) I had to do quite a dressmaking job on it, because with my waist just below my bosom, nowadays, I had to take the skirt off & shorten the bodice as well as shorten the hem, but with wanting to wear it on Sunday I had no time to procrastinate but began & did it right away! Do you remember that little lime green “coolie” summer jacket I got at Mitcham’s a while ago? Well, I had it dyed navy blue last year & it looks very nice & makes a good “preggy” jacket as well as the colour fitting in quite well too.

Today when we came home at lunchtime we had 3 nice letters by now & we were so pleased as we hadn’t had any letters for about 3 or 4 days & we felt quite ignored! One was from you, written on 13th & we were so glad to get it; the second was from the US Treasury with our Income Tax refund of $50.00!! Wasn’t that lovely? It is baby money we have decided, to buy a crib & pram etc. so the poor little thing now has the promise of more than a dresser drawer to sleep in!! The third letter was from Chris Cooper – such a nice letter, telling all about Edgar being in the RAF now and making us laugh so much because he said how funny it was that both Edgar & I should become MAs this year!! I always enjoyed Chris’ jokes! He said he was writing to you that same evening, so probably you have his letter by now- poor Chris, he said it was a lonely kind of life, & I can imagine how it must be very solitary for him.

Your letter and card were greatly enjoyed by both Mama & Papa- the latter pretending to be greatly offended over the “lying in bed” card! He was also greatly tickled at your blue pencil, which is still associated in his mind with censoring- & in mine, particularly with censoring low jokes!! Never mind, honey, I think it is a great scheme & I will begin right now & answer it, so that you can see the blue pencil has made a deep impression on me!

We were so glad that you got your Mother’s Day card in time & liked the funny little angels! We sent one to Cec’s Mother too & we have been really up to the minute & sent birthday cards to Russell & Carmen & Dad Costain & Lea all in the last 2 months- Cec thinks they will all be shattered at the shock, but I have my reputation to keep up! I was glad to hear that Auntie Ettie would be home for Mother’s Day & can imagine what a welcome she would get from the girls. I hope they would think she was looking well and strong, and that they would see a great improvement in her health. I will try to get around to writing as soon as I can to A. Ettie, but can’t promise to it’s being very soon!

I wonder how you are getting on with your talkative border, Miss Mann! It is nice that A. Moo will have company while you are away, but from what you said Miss Mann is not the most restful of personalities, so I hope that she won’t be too trying, but will settle down nicely with you and A. Moo. I am glad that you like your new bedroom & hope that the stiff neck has quite gone.

Now to answer the first of your B. P. X’s!! About the money – I can certainly send you a cheque for £50 – or £100 if you need it – but Cec & I had been wondering if you had ever found out how much you would be allowed to bring with you. From what Peter says it looks as if £50 might be the limit, & I am sure there must be a limit, as it is really just the same as taking it from England to Canada & they were so strict about that. Anyway, Peter will probably know definitely, & help you fix things, & just write as soon as you know how much money you need & I will send you the cheque.

I hope Jenny & Peter had a nice time on their holiday & that Bren doesn’t have too bad of time with her teeth at the dentist in Barbados. Poor Bren must be worried about Arthur’s job hunting & I can imagine how she must be longing for him to get settled somewhere, so that they can all be together again & have a proper home. I am just longing to have a home, & we’ve just been married for 2 years, so I can imagine how much she is panting for one. In her letter to me, she asked about what I would like her to knit, but as I am so behind with writing letters just now, perhaps you wouldn’t mind explaining my slowness in writing to her, & telling her that I think the little pull-ups & jacket would be lovely, as the little jackets I have are definitely light & the suit sounds as if it would be nice & warm. You must also apologize to Jeanie for me & tell her that I still intend to write to her sometime, so not to give up hope! He looks a honey & from what you say, must be a lovely big boy.

I loved hearing about all our little garments & they sound to me to be a most impressive array! I am longing to see them of course, and I am all for your sending them off to me here, so that I can see them as soon as possible. Cec thinks we may have to pay duty on the parcel, but you may have to pay duty if you bring the things with you anyway, & too you will want to travel light on the plane & not have any extras if you can help it. I think it would be a good idea to send the parcel early too, because once we leave Ann Arbor, we won’t have an address in Ottawa for a little while, so we should make sure of getting them here. That reminds me, I haven’t written to Amy yet about the prospect of getting her rug, which I had better do, or she will be hurt! Isn’t little Mrs. Johnny a pet about the shawl? I am so intrigued with all these things – can’t really believe there for me & mine!!

Darn it- bedtime again, Cec says, so will close for tonight & get all done tomorrow. Night night- I go to have my lovely glass of scum milk!

Thursday evening.

Hiya – honey! Isn’t this a long drawn out effort?! Anyway I am determined to get it finished tonight & mailed tomorrow, or you will wonder what on earth has happened to us. Cec is back at the Lab. again this evening- departed with the little pyrex gravy boat to pour acid into something or the other of his equipment!! He wanted something glass with a handle, so I produced that & he has promised to bring it back cleaner than it’s ever been before!

We were amused in your letter where you were surprised at the girl taking 1 1/2 hours to scale & clean my teeth & wonder what you will be when you hear that I go for my 5th 1 1/2 hours tomorrow! It certainly is a thorough job (I’m still running on my original dollar!) but apparently it’s a common thing for preggy women to get gum trouble – & all this cleaning is doing mine good & clearing away the infection. Apparently I have no cavities that the girl can see, so that is nice as I don’t want to have to go to a dentist before we get to Ottawa.

I was tickled at all your holidays this week & hope everyone enjoyed them! It looks as if St. V. was certainly my natural home as I have been grouching all the time here about not getting any public holidays! However next week we do get one- 30th May is Decoration Day so I can stay at home- goody, goody!! Should really celebrate by scrubbing the kitchen floor!

About Connie – I had been meaning to tell you in this letter that we heard from them last week- letter from Leonard as usual! A while ago- after I had written & told them about our news- Cec got a paper (article on his work) from Leonard & on the top was scribbled “Congratulations from one father to another” so we presumed that their’s was a fact, but waited for a letter with more information. Anyway, this letter is quite cheery – the best we’ve had from them – no money talk or groans or moans! – & Connie is expecting at the end of August & is better now than she was, but has been having back ache etc. & so is now sleeping on a board! I can’t imagine Connie suffering in silence through any aches & pains, but maybe she isn’t so bad!! There are so many of us preggy gals at the Centre that it really is quite a help for us – each one takes it so cheerfully & matter-of-factly that you would feel a sissy to grumble or a grouch, & no matter how far on you are, there is someone a bit farther, & if she can come to work and be cheery, you feel, heck! so can you! One girl, Joan, was at work a week past Friday & had her baby (a 7lb. boy) on the Sat.- 10 days early. Millie is the next- she is due on June 7th, but is leaving work at the end of this month – not working quite to the last minute! But both those lasses have been very uncomplaining & there’s no doubt it must be very tiring & trying for them right at the end.

Did I tell you Dawn had a Baby Shower for Milly? It was the week I was sick & I was so mad I couldn’t go, but I gave my 25¢ subscription. Dawn asked all the other girls at the Centre & collected a quarter from each one & bought one big present, & then each girl brought with her a cute little 10¢ present from the dime store just for fun. It was a complete surprise to Millie as she had just gone to Dawn’s to do some sewing, & then in marched all the girls & it was a party! Dawn had ice cream & cake & they apparently all had a grand time. The present Dawn got with the money was a big bag with a shoulder strap (sort of handbag looking) & inside places for dry nappies & a waterproof place for wet ones, & an insulated part for keeping bottles hot & all sorts of cunning things. There was a little money left over, so she got a little jacket too, & Millie was thrilled with both. They are leaving Ann Arbour at the end of the summer (Jerry (the husband) is going to teach) so she is just borrowing a crib etc. to save moving stuff. I was to make her a little baby dress, but haven’t begun yet – I am ashamed!

I think that is the end of your blue pencilled questions so I had better end too as this letter seems long enough already! The only other thing was the St. V. stamps & I won’t forget them, but will send them in another (lighter!) letter! I hope all the ferns are doing well, & that the garden is looking spic & span after all the influx of helpers! We have lilac & lily-of-the-valley out just now & they smell so pretty – I have a little vase of the lilies here on the bookcase & another on my desk at work & it’s so nice to have flowers again. Cec & I were so excited the other morning- we saw a pair of hummingbirds on the lilac bush – the first I’d ever seen! They were so tiny & sweet we were fascinated!

Must stop now- love to Auntie Moo & the cousins – with lots & lots of love for Grandmummy from us all- 

                                       Hugs from Cynnie

                                                                   (the Tub!) 

Bed time again!                                  Friday 25th– just got your letter written on the 20th- glad you got your parcel.

May 10 1951

Thursday 10th May 1951.

Dearest Mummy,

It is a pouring wet, horrid night and has been raining all day too, but my poor little hubby has gone back to the Lab. to work, regardless of the weather. I am so glad that he has nice MacTavish to take him there & back on these night sessions because it makes it so much easier & on a night like this it would be just miserable, & he would get soaked. I have been writing Dottie quite a screed & I am now settling down to a real do with you! I have been having a nice time at home yesterday & today because I have had an upset tummy. I don’t know if I caught a cold on my tum, or if it is a gastric flu bug that is going around (as quite a few people seem to have it) or what, but on Tuesday I didn’t feel quite right & by the evening it began & I felt quite sorry for myself yesterday. Today it is a bit better although I’m still not eating much, but I feel very cheery in myself & and am thoroughly enjoying myself at home! I get one day a month sick leave you know, & I had four accumulated, so I was longing to take them on the slightest excuse, & now I have it I am delighted! I will stay at home tomorrow, as I have yet another appointment at the Dental Clinic to finish having my teeth cleaned, so I would be there most of the afternoon anyway.

Do you remember I told you last week that I had to go to the Fat Girls Class because of the 8 lbs I’d gained? Well, I went last Thursday morning, & there were about 5 or 6 other preggies in the same state as me! A dietician gave us a talk & we were given a diet to follow, & asked questions & had quite a chat. The diet is not too bad- 1 quart of milk a day (skim): 2 helpings of veg.- 1 green leafy & one raw- as much raw as you like: 3 helpings of fruit- some of these are funny- 1 helping of prunes or dates is two– grapes, 12 etc.!: 1 egg: 5 slices of bread or bread substitute i.e.- potatoes, cereal etc.: 6 ozs meat, fish or poultry. No sugar at all!! And no sweet things of any sort of course, but the thing I miss most is sugar in my tea – I have got some saccharine, but it’s just as horrid as it always was! Oh, I forgot, I get 3 teaspns. of butter a day, but no soups or fried foods or cheese – the bread astonished me, as I usually don’t eat nearly so much, but I suppose you have to have more to make up for the lack of other things. I did pretty well on the diet from the time I got it until I began to feel sick-ish- & lost weight too, but of course since then I lost weight anyway & now I have gone down about 6 lbs. in the week! I feel quite pleased, & feel that with that reduction I can surely have sugar in my tea again!! Actually, the last few days I’ve paid no attention to it, but have had nice cups of tea & bread & butter & scrambled eggs & bread & milk! Gunborg was making us laugh at the weekend when I told her about the diet etc. because she felt very strongly that it was all wrong – how could we be happy contented mothers if we were frustrated in all our little desires & get enough to eat? But actually, although it is partly so that you won’t be to tub-like after the baby is born, it is also so that the baby will be small so that you will have a better time, so it is all to the good in the long run!

Talking about having a nice time at home, we certainly didn’t begin the day very well today, although it could’ve been a lot worse. I got up about 8:30, & was coming back from the bathroom when I heard something dripping in the kitchen, & went in & found the sink just full & overflowing with water! It is silly really as it has a fancy gadget – one way you turn it, it is open – the other way closed, & it is very easy to touch it with a pan or something & close it without realizing. Anyway, that is what had happened & the tap having been left dripping by accident too, we had a minor flood. I pulled out the plug & was just deciding that it wasn’t bad as there wasn’t much water on the floor when there was a ring at the bell & this was Mrs. Kaufman to ask what had happened as the water was trickling down her walls – was I mortified! Anyway, I explained & said I had stopped it, & then I mopped up the floor, & then looked in the cupboard under the sink & of course found it all wet too- I keep all the cleaning things, soap, paper towels, paper napkins cloths etc. in there, & they were just sodden, but had fortunately absorbed a lot of water too!! However, we got that dried up, & set out all the things to dry & got breakfast, only to discover that the coffee tin was just about empty & we had forgotten to get any more! So poor Cec had thin straw coloured, coffee-flavoured hot water for breakfast to add to his troubles!!

Anyway, it wasn’t really bad & Cec was down in the K’s this evening & it hadn’t marked the wall, so we weren’t too conscience stricken! Also I got my cupboard clean & tidied, & spurred on by the sight of all the cleaning things out, I even got rash & cleaned the silver, so it did some good!

Yesterday, when I was feeling a little bit poorly, I had a nice treat when your letter mailed on April 30th arrive – thank you lots & lots. I enjoyed myself just sitting back with my feet up on the sofa, reading it, & was glad that you had got my A.M. and also the sea one with “enclosures”. I thought you would be amused at Edie’s letter – she certainly writes newsy letters, doesn’t she? Even more rambly than you & me! I have another one from her, but haven’t answered it yet, so will wait & send it when I have. I will also send the St. V. stamps you asked for, as I have given some around, but still have quite a bunch.

Before I begin answering your letter, I’ll tell you the week’s news, which isn’t much or very exciting! On Thursday evening Cec & I went & did our week’s shopping at a beautiful new Super- Market which has opened near here. It is very deluxe, & has electric-eye doors, which open as you walk up to them! We had lots of fun & and bought all sorts of bargains & each got a free loaf of bread!! At the weekend Cec worked hard all the time – our only excitement was that we got involved in Gordon trying to sell his car! His form of spring-fever is apparently car buying, & he had seen a lovely 2ndhand Buick convertible (i.e. a car that has a top that goes up and down- Gordon loves them!) so he was trying to sell his old Ford. It so happened that Shirley in my office was thinking of buying a 2ndhand car & talked about looking at them, & without thinking I mention Gordon’s. She was all wildly excited & called him up & arranged to go & see it that evening & so forth- then went round talking to everyone at work about it etc. However, by the end of the afternoon she began to get cold feet & wonder if she wanted it, until I wished I’d kept my big mouth shut & never told her! However, as she had no way of getting to the S’s & it is rather awkward, we took her over & she saw the car, but of course she didn’t buy it! We have since heard that all this is quite typical of Shirley- sudden enthusiasm which comes to nothing! Remember, she was the one who got all excited about coming to visit you all in St.V. & then let it drop!! Good job, says you! Anyway, the car story has a happy ending, as Gordon sold his car to a young fellow & has bought the lovely Buick which is a good bargain, & looks beautiful. It is a sort of blue-green – very pretty & extremely well-kept as well as being bigger than the old car, so they are all happy! 

It was Gunborg’s birthday on Monday & we went over & took her a card & a box of chocolates. She was looking much better & had enjoyed her birthday, so seems to be quite well again.

It is now Sunday and I am finishing this off. You will wonder what on earth happened to me since Thursday when I began this, but on Friday as I told you, I went to the Clinic (Dental) & the girl scaled & scaled at my teeth again till my nerves were all shattered! They are just young girls – college freshmen – who do it, & the girl who is doing mine is quite cute, but goes on & on- this was my 3rd visit, and it is 2 hours each time, & you know how annoying & nagging all that scraping & digging can be! Anyway on Friday, my nerves can’t have been very strong, & when the inspector woman told the girl to go ahead and do some more, I just couldn’t stood it & said so! I have to go back again next week, but it left me feeling exhausted & all wore out for the rest of the day & Cec sent me to bed early! On Saturday, poor Cec woke up with another bad cold. Isn’t it a wretched shame after he has just got rid of one!? It is all this hard work & not enough sleep which lowers his resistance I know, but he just has to go on, for a bit more anyway. We went to the store, & he slept most of the afternoon & I did chores, & then in the evening as we were both feeling rather miserable Cec said to hell with his cold & we went to the pictures to see “Miranda”! Cec had never seen it, & it was so long since I had that I didn’t mind a bit & we both thoroughly enjoyed it. We were only sorry that the very last shot of Miranda with the sweet little mer-baby was cut out in accordance with American morals!!

Today was a lovely sunny pretty day, so at about 2 we went out for a little drive & called at the S’s to see their new chariot. We ended by going for a drive in it to see a street in A.A. lined with very pretty flowering trees, & then stayed to dinner – I protested, but it was lovely as I didn’t have to do any cooking at home!!

I intended to answer all your letters in this, but as it has got so late now I am going to send it off, & promise that I will answer all the letters & questions & queries this week. I got your nice letter written on the 6th, yesterday & it helped to cheer our gloom- also all the funny, little cuttings & the sweet picture of the little Andrew which I am returning- isn’t he a pet? He looks a bit like Pam I think, but can’t see a likeness to Nicky just in the photo. Will write more about your letter in my next- thank you heaps for it. 

Today is Mother’s Day- hope you got your card – I got a lovely funny little one from my hubby. He is snuffly today, but still luffly & feeling more cheery – I am fine once more & go back to work tomorrow. 

                        Lots & lots of love 

                                                   from

                                                Cynnie & Cec

                                                                     XXX.

Returned for Additional Postage: Cyn usually put 20¢ or even 30¢ on these airmail letters- obviously 12¢ didn’t cut it!

May 2 1951

Wed. May 2nd. 1951

Dearest Mummy,

I got your nice letter on Monday written on your birthday, and was so sorry that neither my letter nor card had arrived in time, but I hope by now they are all there – perhaps even your present too, so that you didn’t have to wait too long. 

I have been trying to catch up on some of my correspondence this weekend & week, as I hadn’t written to Nan or Dottie or Irene to thank them for my presents yet, & I was all behind-hand. I don’t know how I seem to have done so little this last month, but the time has flown & I haven’t even knitted or done anything except the usual chores! I haven’t got my letters list down to reasonable proportions yet, but I’m trying!

Since I last wrote it has suddenly become hot and summery. Towards the end of last week it was nice & bright & springy, but suddenly on Sat. the temp was up to 75, & has been the same or hotter ever since. It is a bit too much all of a sudden & it makes me so mad because all the trees & daffodils, tulips etc. are bursting out all at once & in about a week’s time the flowers will be over & the springy–ness gone! Today is heavy & thundery & we had a storm this afternoon, but it doesn’t seem to be much cooler.

Now I know that you will be wanting to hear what happened when I went to the Clinic on Monday – actually nothing much! I had another different Dr. & he poked my tummy etc. as usual & listened to the heartbeats. I asked him about twins, & he said, well, he could only hear one heartbeat, & finally when he was going out of the room I said “Do you think I should give up the idea of twins then?” & he said “I think you might as well,” so it looks as if my twinnies are fizzling out! I was kind of prepared for it, as you said, but still a little disappointed, but mainly because I think that is the disadvantage of going to the Clinic- one Dr. gets you excited, & the next one makes you feel a bit let down when he’s calm about it all! I really did get scolded over my weight though – I knew I was gaining a lot- all in my tummy! – but in the 5 weeks I gained 8 pounds & it was too much! I am to go to a class tomorrow “Diet in Pregnancy” for overweight preggies- I call it the Fat Girls Class & everyone is most amused! I know I have been a bit gay, but it makes me mad because lots of the girls eat much more than I do, & don’t get fat!

I went last Friday & had my teeth cleaned at the Dental Clinic – only $1.00 & a little 18-year-old Freshman girl student did it. But she was grimly determined to clean these there teeth & toiled for 1 1/2 hours & I have to go back next week too! Don’t know about holes – hate to run up any $100 bills, so think I will hang on till Canada!

This is a very dull letter, but thought I’d better write a short note now & try to do better at the weekend. Cec is in a toil mood just now, so I should get lots done! He sends his love, it sends its love & I send my love! 

                                                  Cynnie

P.S. Cec calls me his Big Old Wife in earnest now!!

April 22 1951

April 22nd, 1951.

Dearest Mummy,

Today is your birthday, & Cec & I have just been saying “Happy birthday, Mummy!” I have my doubts whether my letter and card would arrive anywhere near the day, but I do hope that they are not too late. I was most annoyed at myself for not being in time because I had your card and I was all prepared weeks ago, but I kept thinking- oh the 22nd, there’s a lot of time yet- and then the time rushed by. Cec’s family have a plethora of birthdays this month too- his Dad, Russell and Carman all within two weeks. When we were home last summer I asked Mom Costain for all the birthday dates, as Cec never could remember them, so we bought cards & are trying to keep up with them now. Cec says that after all these years of ignoring birthdays they will all be shattered at this sudden remembrance, but I think they will survive the shock! Lee is home in Saskatoon now, with her little baby Darryl, and is doing some nursing while Mom Costain looks after the baby. She says he is so sweet & friendly – it seems such a long time since we saw him that I can’t realize he’s not a year old yet. Lee sent me such a sweet white bunny wool scarf- a little cravat, rather- which she had said she would make me, but she didn’t write so we don’t know what Wendy is doing. She made us laugh though because she just put in a note with the scarf & ended “Twins! Wow – what a man!” Cec gets quite embarrassed when I quote it at him!

I hope that you are having a lovely, lovely day for your birthday and that you are all enjoying yourselves. I expect that you will be having a picnic and a bathe, and having quite a celebration because besides your birthday you will be wanting to have as much fun as you can before the Aunties go. I can imagine what a whirl you must have been having lately, trying to do so much while they are still here – particularly with your bridge every evening! – and probably when they do leave, you and Auntie Moo will collapse with exhaustion and be glad to rest for a little while! But I know that you will miss them both and find things very quiet for a while. Auntie Trix is so energetic that probably a little relaxation will be welcome, but you will feel quite lonely without Aunt Ettie after having her with you for so long. I expect she is eager to get back and see the girls again & get all the news, but she must be sad at leaving St. Vincent.

That reminds me, about your finances, honey. It is so good of Auntie Moo to say that you must be her guest for these months, as you will be so hard up after paying for your ticket, but I know that you have said what a lot of expense she has had lately with visitors and entertaining and everything during these past months, and that you will hate to feel that you are imposing on her, so why not let me send you a cheque on Martin’s for some of the airplane ticket anyway, so that you will have enough left to keep on paying your expenses and not feel stony broke? After all, you are making & getting & doing so many things for the baby which otherwise we would have to get, and you’re making the trip to help us out, so it is only fair that we should share a bit, & it doesn’t upset our finances to send money from England. I can only transfer so much to Canada each year so after this year’s transfer there will still be some in Martin’s, so it will be quite O.K. & if sometime in the future you come into wealth & we are poverty stricken, you can always pay it back!! Write & tell me how much you think & I will send a cheque.

Spring is at last coming to Ann Arbor, but we are having very April-ish weather – one day it is lovely & sunny & blue-skied & the next it is cold or windy or rainy. It poured with rain all last night & is grey & dull today but one or two days last week were heavenly & we girls went out from work & got ice cream cones! Cec is out washing MacTavish now – he doesn’t really show the dirt much, but on the sunny days all the hidden grime emerged, & he did look grubby, so Cec is giving him a wash & brush up!

Talking of ice cream cones, my figure is going to pot – literally! I was so good about not eating too many sweet, starchy things etc. for months but this month I have been sliding down hill rapidly & have made the odd pie or cake or cookies, & have been eating potatoes & gravy, and ice cream cones, & on Sat. we had pancakes with syrup for lunch! I am getting into quite a little tub, & get a shock every time I see myself in the mirror, but my face seems to be the same, & I think most of the weight is around my middle! My waistline is now somewhere just below my bust, so you can imagine how alluring I am! The baby now seems to be quite widely active & is thumping & bumping around at a great rate. Cec felt it the other night & was quite astonished at the big thump! My next Dr. date is the 30th so surely by then I will get to know if it’s one or two! You said in your last letter that you had been preparing me for a disappointment all along, in case it was only one, but don’t worry, I am quite prepared & although Cec is still quite hopeful of twins, I have begun to think it must be only one- two would be fun though!

We had a very quiet week last week – Cec was working on a short synopsis of his thesis which he had to send to Cambridge, & I typed it, & otherwise I was lazy & didn’t seem to do a thing- at least I can’t remember doing anything except ironing! Yesterday we went to the Sutherlands for dinner & then onto a “Theater Club” to which they belong. Poor Kirsten broke her wrist on Friday afternoon roller skating, so it was all done up in a plaster cast & as she had bumped her face too, when she fell, she looked quite sad, poor honey. We didn’t see the girls much though, because after a nice dinner we dashed off to the little theatre – it is an effort to begin a repertory theatre here, & is run by a group of young people in a big room. They have no stage or scenery, but act in the middle of the floor with chairs all around. The only stage “prop” they have is a long chest on which they sit or stand or uses a throne, bench or what have you! The lights just centre on the middle of the floor, so you really don’t notice the other people much, & I thought it was quite good. The play was a Restoration comedy called “The Recruiting Sergeant” so was very bawdy, but it was quite amusing. Gunborg & Gordon thought they over-acted a bit but I didn’t think it was too bad. In the intervals they serve coffee in another little room & after the play audience & actors all stand around & drink coffee & discuss the play etc. You don’t actually buy seats, but but join as members & can take so many guests etc. – it is really rather fun. We left after the play as the S’s were going on to a “house-warming” & as it was pouring with rain, Cec & I were very happy to go home. I tell Cec I am a real stick in the mud now – I just love staying at home!!

Monday.

I meant to say thank you so much for your nice letter which I got on Sat. I always enjoy getting them on Saturdays because I can sit back & really enjoy them. This one was written on 15th &16th & you enclosed Bebe’s letter too- I will maybe get around to writing to her & sending something someday!

I was glad that you had got my typed letter O.K. – it was about my birthday mostly & you were admiring the sound of the housecoat Cec had given me. I wore it in the house this weekend & it was so comfy and nice & yet looked tidy & respectable too- i.e. – didn’t gape in front!! You mention my birthday cards & I have them here to tell you about- they were from Nan & family; Mummy; Zinnia & Sandra; Mrs. Allan; Mr. & Mrs. Pasquier; Dottie; Denis & family; Jessie; Stainthorpes; Irene & Bill; Joan (Cox!) & Don; Peter Burton & John Barton; & a perfectly darling one from my big husband. I also got Easter cards from Nan & Mrs. Allan & also one from Tom & Doris & family, & I don’t think I told you that I got a package from Irene with a rubber lined tartan bag which folds up small & clips or opens out big – she says it is rubber lined for nappies!

Thurs. 26th April.

I have been meaning to finish this letter all week & each evening I have been foiled & you will be wondering what has happened to me. One evening I was tired & fell asleep after dinner & got nothing done, & the last 2 evenings we have been going over to Sutherlands. Gordon was going to Washington this week & came over the evening before he left about some work Cec had done. He said Gunborg had a sore throat so had gone to bed, & he hoped she wasn’t in for a bad cold, so I said I would ring up next day & if she was ill I could go over or help in some way. Well, when I did call next day, poor Gunborg was in bed & felt awful, but she had the girl, Viola there for the day, so I said Cec & I would go over in the evening, which we did. We took a few things she needed- Kleenex, Friars Balsam etc. & I made her a thing to inhale, but she felt very poorly and didn’t look well at all. We took the kids ice cream & I helped Anne make sandwiches for school lunch next day etc. In the morning I went to take them to school, but Anne stayed home with her mother, so she wouldn’t be by herself & when we went this evening Gunborg looked a bit better, although still very throaty & coldy. Gordon comes back on Sat. & the girls have tomorrow holiday from school, so she will have someone around, but she certainly doesn’t look any too well yet, although her temp. has gone down now.

Well, that is my excuse for not getting this off to you long ago- our trips over there have sort of disrupted our evenings, but I’ll finish it now & post it first thing tomorrow. I always begin to answer your letters thoroughly & then never do, but I really will in my next!!

Cec & I had a little drink & a nice big reminisce before dinner tonight- guess why! Three years ago on this very day you & I gave a Housewarming Party & I met my Canadian magazine! We were just saying, little did we know that evening that in 3 years time we’d be as preggy as could be!! 

        Lots & lots of love 

                  from Cynnie & Cec

April 12 1951

This letter is one of the long chatty ones, but before I begin, I must say that I am shocked at the amount of drinking going on during Cyn’s pregnancy- it’s amazing that my development was not affected!  Two weeks before this, their night of celebration in Detroit for Cyn’s birthday included drinks and wine, and now Cec’s present from St Vincent!  Apparently it was not until the mid 70s that doctors began worrying about it, and public health advisories began in the 80s.  However, alcohol was clearly an infrequent treat in their household, owing to the student budget- a toaster was definitely a more desirable acquisition! 

803 Granger Ave., Ann Arbor, Mich.

Thurs. 12th April.

Dearest Mummy,

The starting decoration at the top of the page is my red preggy dress that you were all laughing about! It is quite pretty, isn’t it? Everyone has been very complimentary about it & my suit & say that they are some of the nicest maternity clothes they’ve seen- particularly the dress, as it has a nice neckline & it’s a little bit different. I got a cotton dress last week too – it is green & white – partly striped & partly plain green, & it looks nice & cool. I am definitely into preggy clothes now & can’t do a thing about it! – I suddenly seem to have become much bigger! I decided yesterday looking at myself in the mirror, I looked Stout!! But when we went to Detroit with Dawn & Bert less than two weeks ago, I had to pin the skirt of my mat. suit to keep it on, & now – the first button is getting tight!!

My poor little Cec has got such a bad cold today – yesterday he had a little sore throat, but neither of us thought it was much. However last night he took 2 anahist tablets, but it must have been too late because he woke up with a real sneezy, stuffy cold. He stayed in bed all day, but got up for dinner this evening & is now sitting doing a jigsaw & feeling a bit happier. I do hope that as it came so quickly it will go just as quickly & that he will soon be well again, as colds make him feel so badly, poor honey.

Yesterday he was so pleased & excited about MacArthur though! He was lying in bed while I was getting breakfast & when it came on the radio, he just leapt out, quicker than I’d ever seen him get out of bed before!! Feelings are very mixed, it seems, amongst the people, but the anti-Truman, pro-MacA. groups are bellowing loudly in the papers etc. so you hear most about them. Cec said nearly everyone at the Physics Building he spoke to, was pleased though, & Charlie (my boss) was telling me today that he & all the men in the Institute were pleased, but he said a lot of the girls weren’t! We listened to Truman’s speech over the radio last night & thought it was quite good, but no one around here has much good to say for him – even if they’re Democrats they compare him so unfavourably with Roosevelt.

April 3, Cyn’s Birthday.

I got a nice, long, long letter from you yesterday- begun on 3rd, my birthday, & posted on the 5th.  Also, on Saturday we got our parcels! Thank you very, very much for all of them. We were so excited when the parcels arrived on Sat. afternoon, as usually the parcel man comes when we are out, & he won’t leave the parcels, but just a note & we have to go to the P.O. & get them. However, this time it was fine, & we were very tickled because we were supposed to pay 15¢ on each parcel & by mistake the man only charged us 15¢ altogether! They never bothered about the “refined cane juice” at all, and we were so delighted! Cec had a nip straight away, & then before dinner we mixed cocktails & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! It is scrummy!

Refined Cane Juice!

My parcel was lovely too, Mummy, and I love all the things – the nightie is so pretty, & fits very nicely. I tried it on, & apart from my bulgy tummy, it looked lovely! The little baby jacket is cute! I keep giggling at it because it looks so little & funny & fat, just like the baby will probably!! I rather like the shade of blue – it is a change from the pale baby blue & looks very cheery & nice, I think. And of course I am so pleased to have the baby pillowcases – none of the ones I have are very nice, & I haven’t many anyway, so it will be lovely to have some nice new ones. Altogether it was a lovely parcel – or rather 2 lovely parcels- & we loved getting them – thank you from all of us.

By the way, in your letter of yesterday you asked if I had felt the baby moving yet, & just yesterday I did feel it for the first time! At least, yesterday I felt something odd rather like a series of burps in my tummy & it dawned on me what it was, but I think it has been going on for a little while & I didn’t realize what it was! Anyway, today he or she or they were bouncing around again, so they seem to be feeling quite lively & frisky!!

I have been going to the Mother’s Classes on Wed. evenings fairly regularly – there were a series of 7, & I have been to 5- but they were mostly just repetitions of what I already knew. Of course, if you hadn’t read any books or anything & were just plain iggerant, they would be a lot of help!! I thought the nurse who gave most of the lectures was a bit dumb, but this was the first time she’d done it & she improved as she went along. She reminded me of my Cookery School days- giving demonstrations on bathing a baby using a silly, little doll etc.!!

Since I last wrote I haven’t done very much at all – last night I washed clothes & on Tuesday evening both Cec & I felt so tired when we came home that we had a rest & then went out for dinner! Wasn’t that nice? We went to a place near here & had a $1 plate which was quite good, & I felt so relieved at not having to cook! On Monday evening I went & played bridge with some of the girls. They occasionally think up one of these sessions at work, & one of the girls invites everyone to her place to play bridge, & as I had refused 2 previous do’s, I felt I had to accept this time. This week is actually the spring vacation at the University, so one or two of the girls’ husbands are away (job-hunting etc.) & so they were all pleased, but I was quite reluctant, as by the time dinner is over, I’m usually very glad to have a bit sit & rest! However, off I went, & there were 6 of us – so awkward- but 4 of us played, & everyone talked- all about work- & altogether we didn’t either play good bridge or have a good chat, as it was nothing but “shop” all the time!

At the weekend we had a nice time- on Sat. Cec went up to the Lab. early & I drove MacT. and did all sorts of chores, like washing to the laundromat, clothes to the cleaners, pay the laundry, shoes to be mended etc.! Besides that I went to the bank & changed library books & bought a bunch of daffodils. It was quite hot & coming so suddenly with everyone still in winter coats we were all gasping! Cec came & had lunch with me in town & then we did some shopping- quite unintentionally! I intended to buy another ball of wool to finish my baby jacket, and get your birthday present, and after we’d done that successfully we bought Cec 2 shirts as he is getting rather short & wandered along to a new jewellery store which was having a huge opening sale! They were giving away free bread baskets- little woven oval things for buns etc. instead of a plate you know, so in we went to get ours, & came out not only with the basket, but with an electric toaster too! We saw these nice automatic pop-up toasters in the sale for $12, & as they are usually much more, & will still be more in Canada, we decided to plunge, as we decided the Atkinsons had definitely cut us off without a toaster by now!! We are going to have a big campaign to sell our other electric waffle iron & then we will come out square!! Actually, we didn’t get any extra money out for these extravagances, so we are scrapping along very hard up this week, with hardly any housekeeping money & no pocket money at all! But never mind – we are having lots of lovely toast!!

Monday 16th.

It is now Monday & I am having fits that this won’t reach you in time for your birthday, but I will write violently today & hope that it catches a quick plane! On Friday Cec’s cold was still bad, so he spent the morning in bed, but got up for the afternoon. Millie was one of the girls whose husband was away for the week, so I had invited her to come to dinner. Jerry had gone to New York to have interviews etc. & as it was a bit of a rush trip the Dr. advised her not to go. Anyway, I warned her about Cec’s cold, but she still said she’d come, so we got back from work to find Cec had been trying a little cane juice cure & was feeling quite cheery although still sneezly & snuffly! We had a fish casserole, with mashed potatoes and peas, & a dish of celery sticks, radishes, Sp. onions, carrots sticks etc. & tinned peaches with vanilla pud. afterwards. We sat & chatted most of the evening, then I drove Milly home.

On Sat. Cec felt a lot better, & really was more like himself, but he was still sneezing a bit, so he didn’t go out. I went to the Super Market & to the Library & Cleaners & so on & what with one thing & another that seemed to take most of the day! Jean & her husband Al, had invited us to a party that evening, but as Cec was still so snuffly, I went round & said we’d better not come. They called it a “cooling-off” party, as it was just before they moved from the house they had rented, into a nice new apartment! Yesterday I was really energetic, & did all the cleaning I should have done on Sat. I let Cec sleep & cleaned the rooms & did the stairs & bathroom & felt very virtuous! Then in the afternoon I mended his slacks & sweater which I had put away to do for ages, so altogether I got lots done. We had asked Gordon & Gunborg to come in during the evening, to sample our cane juice, & they came about 8:30 & we had a nice chatty evening! We mixed the rum with Rose’s Lime Juice & it was very good. We hadn’t seen each other for quite a while, so it was really nice to be with them again & we all enjoyed ourselves. We had a jigsaw out on the table which we had been doing, & of course Gunborg got enthralled & could hardly drag herself away! We are finishing it now – at least Cec is, & I keep stopping to look & put in an odd piece! We have both been at work today & Cec really seems to have got rid of the cold marvellously quickly & I haven’t caught it – touch wood! I was quite looking forward to having a mild touch of the sniffles, so that I could stay home for a few days, but of course it probably would have developed into something much more, & I wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all!

I must begin & stop now as it is nearly my bedtime, but before I do both Cec & I hope that you will have a lovely lovely birthday & many, many happy returns. We will be thinking of you & sending best wishes on the day & will drink your health in cane juice! I am afraid that your parcel will be late but we hope you will like your present & have lots of fun in & with it! My love to the Aunties – 

      And lots & lots to you, 

                  from

                                 Cynnie & Cec.

MacArthur’s resignation.

Cyn had a story about being British, living in Michigan, and walking on eggs when it came to American politics.  (She had practice from visiting her American relatives.) It must have been in April 1951, when General Douglas MacArthur was dismissed from his command of the Korean War (since President Truman and other world leaders had no desire for World War 3) and came home to address Congress.  Cynthia was driving in a car with colleagues from work when they must have heard part of his speech on the radio:

I am closing my 52 years of military service. When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that “old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”

And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty.

Good Bye.

Cyn, revolted, kept quiet, not sure what the attitude of the others might be until a woman in the back seat said in a drawl, “Don’t it just make you kinda wanna throw up?”  

And so say all of us.

Ironic that I am posting this on the eve of the American election now in 2020.  As Canadians, we just follow Cyn’s example, keep our mouths shut, cross our fingers, and wait in suspense.

April 6 1951

Friday, 6 April, 1951.

Dearest Mummy,

I have not written to you this week, although every evening I intended to. I have two lovely fat letters to thank you for, and all sorts of activities to tell you about, as well as some earlier letters to answer, but somehow the time has flown. First of all, thank you so much for your letters, and for the sweet birthday card – the parcels haven’t arrived yet, but we are eagerly awaiting them, and are most intrigued and amused at the contents of Cec’s parcel, and hope that it comes through quite safely. They seem to be very good about not charging duty here on the whole, so we will hope that it continues. Your timing for your letters was wonderful- last Saturday there was no letter from you as there usually is, but one arrived on Monday with the card in it, and then another actually on Tuesday on my birthday! Quite a lot of people hit the time marvellously, so I had a big mail, and although I opened the cards and letters as they arrived, I saved two parcels- one from Nan with a lovely pink square scarf with pictures of Britain on- and another from Jessie Aldridge and the little girls with earrings and a hankie and a perfumed flower. I got masses of cards, but will wait till I get home and can tell you exactly who from, as I am doing this at work as you will gather! and might forget someone. I had a lovely birthday – it began on Saturday and lasted until Tuesday! It began on Saturday because we really celebrated that day- do you remember me talking about a girl called Dawn at work? She is lots of fun, and she and her husband, Burt, came to that tea party I had, and we have played bridge with them. Anyway, it was their wedding anniversary on the 5th. and Dawn’s birthday on the 6th. so we decided to combine all three celebrations last Saturday and have an evening out! They have just bought a new car, so they drove us into Detroit, leaving here about 6, and getting there at 7:30. We went to a cocktail lounge and had drinks, and then we went to a lovely French restaurant which they knew of – it is called the Pontchartrain, and is really nice. It is not very big, but was all old oak panelling and a sort of intimate atmosphere! They specialize in good wines as well as good food, so we had a wonderful time! I began with French onion soup, while Cec had shrimp cocktail, then we both shared a duckling with sweet potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy, etc. With that we had a half bottle of a white wine, Chablis and it was delicious. After that I had no room for dessert (the little wretch is pushing my stomach at the moment, and makes me feel very stuffed after eating) although Dawn and Burt had apple dumplings and brandywine sauce! We had coffee and sat and gossiped, and then drove back to Ann Arbor and went to a club of Burt’s for a final gossip before going home, but we all enjoyed ourselves so much and felt that it was a really successful celebration. Since then, Dawn and Burt keep thinking of other really wonderful restaurants in Detroit and planning other expeditions!

Hotel Pontchartrain, Detroit.

After our late night, we slept late on Sunday of course, and all day I was so nice and lazy & Cec kept saying, “Don’t bother to do that – it’s your birthday weekend!” So I took no persuading! Actually on Tuesday we didn’t do much, except that we had lunch in town, and went shopping for Cec’s present to me. I told you, I think, that we had decided that a summer housecoat would be a nice useful idea, so we went looking for one, but found that all the full length ones weren’t what we wanted, but the shops had lots of what they call shortie house coats, and we finally got one of those. It is supposed to be dress length, but on me it’s a little longer, and as the girl in the shop said, it is really more sensible than a long one as there is less danger of tripping over it, and it will be so nice to wear around the house in the summer, and beautifully cool. It is made of a very fine seersucker, so won’t even need ironing, and is in a pretty pattern of all shades of blue in a sort of plaid design on white. It has short sleeves, and a big wrap over, which ties on the inside and then fastens on the outside with a velvet ribbon through two loops. It looks very nice we think and I am just delighted with it – all the girls in the office think it is lovely too! I got a size too big for me so that I would have plenty of overlap, so I am going to have to take up the waist a little, but that is all I have to do – I certainly can use it, as my winter housecoat has turned from a double breasted coat to a single, and is bulging again!

In both of your letters you were asking what we thought about your plane ticket etc. and so before I get too far on I must answer all your questions. Cec and I both think with Uncle Fred that it would be best for you to get the return ticket. For one thing, as you say, it will save you a little money, and if you do it through Hazell’s it will be so easy and simple for you. Secondly, if you are short of money I can easily write you a cheque on my Martin’s bank account, whereas in Canada we can’t use that money, and we may not be too rich for a while until we get settled. (of course after that we will be just rolling with money!) Another thing is that, the kind of accommodation we get in Ottawa will make such a big difference in the comfort and the length of your stay. We would like to get a house as soon as we possibly can, but we may not manage it for a while, and if we are all scrunched into a little apartment, you may be glad to get away from us all before too long! However apart from all these reasons, you probably could get the ticket extended if you wanted to, and even if you were going back by a different way, I don’t think it would make any great change in your ticket. Have you found out yet if you will be able to get your allowance in Canada? I was writing to Mr. Aitkin a little while ago about selling my bonds, and getting them gradually sent to Canada, and I told him that you were coming to superintend the arrival of your first grandchild, so that he would probably be hearing from you in the near future re. the taking of money to Canada! I know Auntie Muriel had difficulty when she was in New York, but it might be a bit better in Canada, and now the two dollars are even it will be all right for you when you visit Auntie Ettie. Doesn’t it make it seem close to be talking like this? And us without a dish washed! Or in other words not a thing done about moving or anything! We always manage anyway, so we’re not worrying! You were asking if we thought August 1, would be a good time for you to travel, and as far as we can plan I think that will be fine. We want to have some place for you to sleep when you come, so I don’t think you had better come much sooner, and as I am positive that the baby will not be a month early, a week or so later would be all right too, I think, as we will need a little time to house hunt etc. when we arrive in Ottawa, and we won’t be leaving here until the middle of July at the soonest as far as I can see. I forgot to tell you that I had my visit to the Dr. at the Clinic last week as I told you, but was quite disappointed, as it was a Dr. I hadn’t had before and he was not nearly so nice and interested as the previous ones had been. He just dashed in and out and didn’t even listen for heartbeats, and when I asked about the twin question he just said it was too early to tell, and that anyway I didn’t look very big. So I was rather discouraged, and after Bren and Jeanie’s similar experiences, I am beginning to give up hope of twins – I am sorry about it though, except that we will probably all find one is quite enough for us to cope with for a while! I don’t go to the Clinic now until April 30, so by then should definitely find out something-the little thing should be kicking around soon now, but I haven’t felt anything yet! Must stop- will answer letters at the weekend. 

        With lots & lots of love from Cyn & Cec.

March 15 1951

March. 15th. 1951. 

Dearest Mommy,

I am beginning the Herculean task of going through a whole mass of your old letters & trying to answer them! I am in the middle of a letter to you, but forgot it at work, so I thought that I would have fun to myself & catch up on these- something which I’ve been meaning to do for ages!  Cec is up at the Lab. & I have just had my evening cup of tea, so here I go!

In one of your letters from the bungalow you were telling of Pip’s “family” & Cec & I were most amused at the story of his love life, & how he now takes no notice of his wife & children. [I’m assuming we are reading about a cock and hen here.] He is obviously a rake & not at all suited for domestic life, so it is just as well he doesn’t live too close or his poor wife would get disillusioned! Your drawing of Pip before & after plucking made us laugh too – some slight resemblance to the Costains before & after haircuts!! At the moment my hair is quite long & needs cutting, but the last time I had it cut, when the Boveys were here – the girl did it so badly it was straggly for weeks, so I’m kind of shy about getting it done again!

You were saying you had finished Bebe’s tablecloth, & I am sure that it must look lovely. I am sorry I won’t see it, but I know that Bebe will think it is beautiful & it will be quite unique among her presents. I still thought that Cec & I would send her something, but I haven’t managed it yet. We still haven’t sold our electric waffle iron yet, so are still saving Millie’s $5 – we thought if we sold the former we could put all the money together & get a toaster! If you recall, the Atkinsons promised us a toaster, but it has never materialized, & we have gradually begun to lose touch! I owed Mrs. A. a letter for ages, but it is her birthday on Sat. so I am sending a card & have written a note telling of my “condition”!!

I am glad that you were able to alter the pale blue dress from your Christmas parcel & make it fit & look nice. I thought the colour was pretty & would suit you, & I hope it will wash well. I must get cracking & shorten my preggy clothes because I will really have to begin wearing them soon. I am popping out more each day & in the evenings I feel so much fatter than in the mornings!!

You were mentioning hearing from Miss Lefroy & Chris in some of your letters, & about AGL’s sister having flu. Miss Lefroy didn’t catch it. Flu seems to be quite prevalent in some places over here, but so far most of A.A. seems quite healthy. Our supervisor (Survey Research Centre) in New York was writing to tell us how many of the interviewers there were ill with flu, & what a bad bug it was, because the people who caught it once were finding that it recurred 2 or 3 times & they were ill in bed more than once.

I was interested to hear that Arthur was busy in England trying for jobs, & wonder how the Sierra Leone one turned out. You said no more about it, so it must have flopped & probably just as well as the climate isn’t good as you say. I finally wrote to Bren a week or so ago, but she will probably tell you anyway! 

There were 2 things you said you would send me & so far have forgotten- you will have to push all the odds & ends in an envelope like I do & just send them off! The first was the cutting about Bebe’s wedding, & the second was Father O’Brien’s letter about my Father. I am glad that you finally heard from Fr. O’B. & hope that he will write again sometime. Certainly from the two letters I’ve had, my Father seems much more contented & placid than I’ve heard him be for a long time. Very muddly sentence, but you know what I mean! I will write to him this weekend for his birthday & will try to get a parcel off.

Do you remember writing to tell me about waking up early one morning & watching the boy milk the cows? Cec & I roared with laughter over his washing the cow, then milking into the same pail! The whole scene sounds most idyllic even if not hygienic, & we think it is lovely! Did I tell you I drink skim milk, so it’s not to get too fat!? I don’t like it much & call it my Scum Milk!! In the same letter you gave me a great scolding about my grammar, gran’ma!! But I don’t care – you can’t expect me to think too hard when I’m busy hoarding gossip & news for you!! To skip back to milk- you were asking what a Milk Shake was – well it is milk (a little) & ice cream (a lot) & a flavouring (i.e. choc syrup) all mixed around violently in an electric mixer till it is all frothy & bubbly – yummy! I haven’t had one for quite a long time, but may get one as my Saturday treat this weekend! We will treat you to a Huge one just as soon as you get to Ottawa & I bet you like it! Cec & I keep thinking of all the things you will like & that it will be fun for us to do when you arrive & we have quite a list already! Don’t get alarmed, we are not planning wild excitement with me just about to produce (!), but little ordinary things like shopping in a super-market will be fun when you are there. I was most interested to hear of all the excitement about Alastair Fraser & his new bride, and I am so sorry that you missed seeing them. Perhaps by now you will have done so & can tell me all the details!

In your last letter you were telling Aunt Ettie going to Barbados- I hope that she had a nice flight & enjoyed her trip. Cec & I were intrigued at hearing about Jean & Peter & the others flying over the Soufrière [St. Vincent’s volcano] & getting such a good view. It was a grand idea for Peter, as I don’t suppose he’d ever get a chance to see much of it otherwise. I remember Margs telling of a crowd of them climbing up one time, and wondered if people still did that, or if it is too busy bubbling now.

Cec and I laughed about all the twins you keep hearing about in the Hazell family now that we have brought the subject up, & Cec is most amused to find that there are some proper as well as improper twins in the family!! By the time you get this letter Auntie Trix will be with you & I hope that the nightie material was all settled & that I wasn’t too late in telling you all about everything. I hope that you all have fun with A. Trix – she will certainly stir you all up & make you bustle anyway!!

Talking of the twins, Cec & I are most curious to know what girl’s name you have chosen! We have chosen one too, but won’t tell you yet! As for a boy’s name – we are stuck! Everything I like, Cec thinks it’s awful, & vice versa! We can’t even think of any nice matching twin names, but I suppose we’ll manage in the end!

I don’t know if I told you that a little while ago we were having such nice bright springy weather- well this week has just turned around & been horrid again. We had rain, sleet & snow, & we are all so disgusted. It is slushy & muddy & of course everyone thinks it is much nastier after the foretaste of spring. Above our window at work there are pigeons nesting & on the sunny days they just sat there & cooed & sounded so contented- now we never hear a cheep out of them!

In one letter you were asking if I had ever heard anything from Hugh, but I never have since we got the MixMaster. I wrote then, & sent a card at Christmas, but we didn’t even get a card, so I wonder if he is overseas or not. He hasn’t been attached to a battalion recently & was doing work on guided missiles, so maybe he is still in the US. Did I ever tell you about Til’s son Bill (in the army now for sometime) being sent to Panama? They have to do so much overseas service if they’re in the regular army & this was his – isn’t he lucky? His wife joined him & they had a baby (girl) out there & they were to stay for a year or more,, but in Til’s last letter of a week ago, they are back again & going to Texas, I think. It was Lois’ birthday last month & I sent her 2 little silk neck ties which are fashionable here & Cec sent her a lovely new adjustable spanner, as the 2 of them have such fun fixing things when we are there!

I have just come across the little bit of cloth like your housecoat from A. Moo, & I don’t remember if I ever told you how pretty I think it is. The colour is such a nice becoming shade of pink & with the white pattern looks lovely & cool & fresh. Cec & I were talking about what I wanted for my birthday the other day & decided that I really needed a cotton housecoat or dressing gown, so Cec is going to give me that. I only have the pink silk one Til & Lois gave me to match that nightie & it doesn’t meet, so isn’t very respectable, & certainly won’t nearly meet this summer! Also I will need a dressing gown in hospital, so might as well have one all summer.

We had a letter from Jim & Lee Gander the other day – remember them? They are in New York now, & Jim is taking his Ph.D. at Columbia. His mother is staying with them & helps look after the baby (over a year old now) while she has a very interesting job at the Univ. Library. We haven’t written to tell Joan & Ray our news, but must do so soon & enquire how they are getting on. They will have the baby here as they will be in the U.S. at least till late summer, if not for another year. Ray’s mother was coming over to visit, but I don’t know if she will be here for the baby’s birthday or not till later.

Do you know, I haven’t heard a word from Anne since the news of the baby? And I have written to her 3 times! I don’t know if she is offended because I didn’t thrill enough over the baby, or if she is just engrossed in it or what, but my last letter was telling our baby news, so I’m just going to sit back & wait.

I have always meant to answer your request re. your little Parisian purse & have always forgotten. You do just what you like with it, honey – I don’t want it to give to anyone, & you give it away or keep it as you choose.

March 23rd. 1951

It is now a week later, & also Good Friday, as you’ll see, but I sent off a big fat envelope last weekend, so I am continuing this at my leisure! I have been bad about writing this week, & apart from an air letter to my Father for his birthday, haven’t written to anyone.  I haven’t really done anything else either, so I can’t give you a list of my achievements! I got letters from Amy & birthday card, & Anne- at long last & very thrilled about our twins – but as usual making me mad because she never said one word of thanks for 3 letters I’ve written her, nor answered anything I’d said! She is back at work again (on 1st March) & her mother is looking after the baby, who is doing fine – she mentioned she hadn’t written to you! I also got Easter & birthday cards from Nan & Mrs. Allan, & an Easter card from Tom & Doris Allan & the boys, but apart from that, it doesn’t seem at all like Easter. The weather is still cold with patches of dirty snow lying about & we were at work all today & go on Monday as usual, so there is nothing to make us feel Easter-y – except that last night Cec & I were out shopping at the Food Market & Cec bought me a gorgeous, huge pot of daffodils, which look so beautiful and like spring and Easter all rolled into one! It has a dozen or more great big flowers & more buds coming and after not having seen a flower for so long, it is the most heavenly surprise to both of us whenever we see it! Haven’t I a nice husband?

I am going on with answering some of the questions in your older letters now – I have 2 nice new ones to thank you for – 1 A.M. mailed on 12th March- & 1 by the Lady Nelson mailed on 22nd Feb- but I won’t answer them yet, because if this letter doesn’t show any signs of getting finished soon, I’ll write an Air Letter & answer them! One thing – in the sea letter you sent me two of the things I asked for- Bebe’s wedding cutting & Father O’Brien’s letter – thank you so much- & also for Pam’s funny letters! Cec & I haven’t done the game yet, but I’ll let you know how we get on!

In one letter you were asking about how much the Auto Bridge games cost- they are only $1.00 & if Pegs would really like one we would be very pleased to send it- a small return for the loan of the wedding veil! We can also get you & A. Ettie some refills if you still have fun with it, but I know the novelty wears off a bit, & we haven’t looked at ours for ages!!

You were writing of books you had read- amongst other “The World My Wilderness” by Rose Macauley. We got that in our Book Club (from Dottie) but didn’t like it much, but another one we got called “A Town Like Alice” by Nevil Shute we liked very much. You also said you’d read one of Lloyd Douglas’ – did you know that he just died recently? He used to be a minister at one of the churches in Ann Arbor, but was out in California for many years. I don’t read a very great deal now! We get the “Saturday Evening Post” every week, & “The Reader’s Digest”, & our Book Club book, & once in a while I go to the Library or buy a $.25 murder, but I am busy a lot of the time! (can’t think what I do!)

I have been laughing to myself again over your confusion at my thinking all the beautiful crocheting of my Christmas present was your work! I didn’t really consider anything else, because you had said that you & A. Moo were crocheting presents etc. & of course I know that you could have done it. I am just as pleased that you didn’t toil your little fingers to the bone over such fine work, & whoever did make them they are lovely! I’m saving them till I have a nice table, as I told you, & it is such fun to think that you will be at their christening in Ottawa- something we didn’t realize at the time, did we? I am reading away at all your letters & enjoying them over again before I burn them – it always seems such a shame, but the box I keep them in is BULGING! I have just been admiring your drawing of the Christmas decorations once more & thinking how nice the room must have looked. The Christmas cards on the staircase were a grand idea – we stuck ours onto red ribbon with scotch tape this year, & hung them in scallops to the picture rail & they looked very nice too, & lots of people admired them- saved so much dusting too!

I have always been so ashamed of myself because you asked in one letter ‘way back, if I would send you a pen, & as I had already sent your Christmas parcel, I left it for the time being, & then poor Mummy had to buy one for herself. I am so sorry, & will do better over any other commissions you have for me – I must get organized over your birthday parcel – I know what I want to get, but haven’t shopped yet! It is 11:30 p.m. & Cec will spank me if he comes back from the Lab. & finds me not in bed, so I must say night night! Will write more tomorrow!

Easter Sunday.

Dearest Mummy,

Happy Easter! I hope that you have had a nice Easter – we have had a nice quiet day, without doing much. I went to Church at 11 o’clock & then we had a breakfast cum lunch (my 2nd breakfast!) It has been a nice sunny day, but still very cold, and a day or so ago there was quite a gale, & the remains of the wind are still icy. We had ham for dinner, so are both sitting feeling stuffed & I am afraid that when I go to the Clinic tomorrow I’ll have gained about a ton!

In one of your letters a while ago, you were asking about the Survey Research Center, & who, what & why they interviewed! Well, their main employer is the government, & what happens is that some gov’t department (or any big business or firm for that matter) wants to know what people are thinking about a certain thing – for instance one of the surveys was “Public Thinking on Atomic Energy” another on “Life Insurance”, another on “Housing” etc. – then they get together with the S.R.C. & decide how many interviews they want taken, and how much it will cost, & so on. Eventually one dept. of the Center makes out a questionnaire incorporating all the things they want information about. In the meanwhile, the Sampling Section (where Dawn & Millie work) get huge maps etc. of all the cities & towns & country places where we interview all over the U.S. (called the sample points), & from the maps they pick out streets etc. The interviewers then go to these areas & first of all “list” all the houses & dwelling units in these areas & send these lists back to the office, & from them are chosen the exact houses & places where the interviewers must go to take the interview. It is called “picking a random sample” & is all done very carefully – if the interviewer can’t get an interview at that exact address for any reason (illness, refusal etc.) he writes back & tells us, but isn’t allowed to substitute another house. When he asks the questions in the interview he writes down verbatim what the respondent says, & afterwards adds what is known as a “thumbnail sketch” i.e. a short description of the person, the circumstances etc. When the interviews are sent back to the office they are carefully numbered & checked then sent to the Coding Section, where coders read them & kind of give marks to each answer & finally from these marks or codes, the analysis & report is made out (mostly long tables of statistics!) & sent it off to whoever wants it! Now you should know all about surveys!!

You asked about Edie one time – I think I told you I got a letter from her in Los Angeles, & she just loves it there. She is not a bit of a career girl type- she is little & quiet & we all think would make a grand wife for someone, but so far has had no luck. I’ll send you her letter sometime, because it is quite fun.

In one letter just after we got MacTavish you were calculating how much we paid for him & said $850.00 was about £177 but Cec says you must have been calculating by the W.I. dollar. At the present rate of exchange £1 is $2.20, so that makes McT. worth over £300, & he is such a good & beautiful automobily he is well worth it! I was wicked last week!  On our way back to work in MacT. in the afternoon I picked up a whole bunch of girls from the office & gave them all lifts, & when we got there, I parked the car & we all climbed out & buzzed into work. That was at 1 o’clock,  & at 3 o’clock I was downstairs & one of the men who had just arrived said to me, “Did you leave the engine of your car running?” “Oh no” says I “I’m sure I didn’t” & dashed to look, & sure enough here was poor MacT. still put-putting away! I rushed out & turned it off of course & everyone laughed at me for wasting gas, but the agony came at 5:30 when Jean & I went to go home- MacT. wouldn’t start! The heater had been on as well as the engine & had run down the battery, so we were stuck! Jean phoned her husband Al, & he came & picked us up & we went & got Cec, & then came back & pushed MacT. out of the parking lot with the other car. There’s a hill outside & MacT. started on that, & so Cec drove to the gas station & the man charged the battery for us & I paid out of my pocket money! Cec is so nice – he just laughed at me & wasn’t cross a bit!

I have been wondering if Peter is better now & back at work, or if his leg is still bothering him – also what happened to the poor clergyman who had polio – if he is still in St.V. or has finally got back to England. There is a magazine article by a man who has to live in an iron lung after having polio, & I was amazed at some of the things he tells. Apparently, although he is paralyzed, he still can feel things & the discomfort of a wrinkle in the sheet under him, or his hand placed in an uncomfortable position, can be agonizing. It is amazing how the poor man can stand so much.

How have your “pore feet” been lately? As the weather has been cooler, they probably have been better, but I hope that they are easier altogether. I’ll get you some more felt-stuff if you want it.

How is my Mrs. Costain rose getting on? I hope that she is putting forth as her namesake is- I expect it to produce twin blossoms!

We read in the paper last night that the Cambridge & Oxford boat race was a fiasco yesterday, as the Oxford boat sank after 3 minutes! Did you read about it? It must have been terrible weather as they stopped the Cambridge crew from finishing, so it may be rowed over.

I have gone through all your old letters way back to Bequia, so had better stop now! I got another lovely letter from yesterday, posted on 19th, but I will answer it & the one before in my next, & will get this mailed tomorrow. I go to the Clinic tomorrow, so I will write soon again to let you know what the Dr says.

Night- night- my love to the Aunties, and lots & lots for you 

                     from

                          Cynnie

P.S. you said on your last letter did I save the stamps for Peter – some I do, & some for Milly & some for the mailman!

[Cec’s handwriting] Dear Mom

In a letter from home Mother tells me I have twin cousins – which I had forgotten, & also my grandmother had twin cousins– so we still have hopes, in spite of the Hazell’s false symptoms. Cyn is being a good girl – when I make her behave, at least. It’s a wee bit difficult to get her to bed by 10:30 – It’s now 11:45. 

                Lots of love

                            Cec.         [Cyn’s handwriting] It’s Sunday tho’!

March 13 1951

Baby nightie.

Tuesday. 13th March.

Dearest Mama,

This is the baby nightie pattern – and as you will see they are all kinds, shapes & sizes!! After I got it home, I discovered some were meant to be dresses, but as they are all more or less the same, what does a little thing like that matter!! 

Actually A & E are nightgowns, but I don’t like the drawstring effect much, and don’t think it is really necessary. E is better but what do you think of that kind of opening? I think it would be a nuisance to put on & off over the baby’s head, & I think the best & simplest pattern to make would be C- what they call a Kimono. I would put it on the baby with the opening at the back of course, & it would have to have either buttons or tapes to fasten at the back of the waist, but otherwise I think it would be fine, & so much simpler than the others. The nighties I saw already made were on this style too, so it seems quite usual over here, & I know Dottie had some for Peter which she used for ages. She put a good hem on hers & put about three tucks on the shoulders to let out as he grew bigger & I think that is rather a good idea, as well as making the nightie roomier!! Anyway, honey – there it is – you use the pattern or not, just as you choose, or if Jeannie or someone has a better one, you use that. Just make whichever you think will be best & I know I will like it – and do use the machine! Don’t sew your fingers to the bone for the little rascals and machine everything you possibly can- also ignore all the “embroidery” guff in the pattern – I’d far rather have a patchwork quilt!!

Tucks!

Cec has gone to watch an Exhibition Ice Hockey Match tonight with Arthur Dockerill. I decided not to go, as it’s cold & not very comfy, & anyway it is a pouring wet, horrid night. I was glad for Cec to go & hope he has fun because he goes back to the Lab. every evening now between 8 & 9 & works till 12, & it is time he had a little jollification. He spends most of the weekends at the Lab. too, so last Saturday evening I took my knitting & a nice murder book & went & sat with him up there while he made things & worked. I don’t know how much he got done, but I began making a baby slipper (out of one of Anne’s pulled out vests!) and after knitting & knitting, decided that it was practically big enough for Cec to wear as a bed sock, so pulled it all out again!

On Saturday morning I had a good time to myself! Cec gave me a whole lot of money, then went to work & just left me to shop & spend it all!! During the last two weeks, I seem to have popped forth immensely, & while I haven’t put on much weight at all, I am beginning to find that I just can’t wear some of my clothes as the waists are too tight. So I wandered around town,  in & out of shops, asking for Maternity clothes – which of course made me want to giggle!! I ended up very pleased with myself with a dress & a short sleeved suit – the dress is red – nothing modest & retiring about this preggy ma! It is actually a pretty pinky– red rayon (I’ll see if I can snip a bit when I turn up the hem) & has a little pattern of tiny black prancing horses! It has cap sleeves, & a kind of a little stand up Chinese collar & a cunning arrangement of elastic at each side of the waist. The suit is grey- rather the same material as the grey suit I brought home from America. The skirt is just one great straight piece of material, with pops & buttons at the waist to adjust it as you want. The jacket is unlined & has a round collar with one button & a flared back. I got the two for $18.00 & was very pleased, as all the suits I saw in other shops stores were $15 & more by themselves- this was 8.95 & so was the dress. Later on I’ll have to get one or two cotton dresses, but that should do me. I also got a new suspender belt (necessity!)- the largest size they have- 30” waist! I thought I could take it in & let it out as required!! Cec liked all my purchases, but we laughed like anything, because of course the minute I put on maternity clothes I look about 8 months gone, & it doesn’t help that both my things are too long & need taking up! Cec had the idea that I could wear a belt over the baggy jacket for a while, & it does look better, so I may do that.

By the way, I had letters from Nan & Irene on Monday – both very tickled & amused at our news. There was to be a Sewing Bee at Pam’s the next night, so as Cec says, it was a good thing I wrote to everyone at once. I had a funny letter from Winnie today too & she is just “charmed” with the idea! Charmed seems to be a new word for her & everyone was charmed! She mentioned the cable & your answer, as if they were in connection with my letter, but Cec & I don’t think she could possibly have got it by then. Anyway, as usual she skips around so in the letter that she could be writing about practically anything! Cec is home & sending me to bed, so nighty-night till tomorrow!

March 15th.

This is the day after tomorrow now. I brought this to work yesterday thinking I would steal a minute to finish it, but I was busy all the day & never got to it. Then in the evening I went to my “Mummy’s class” so got nothing else done. I missed the Mothers Class last week because on Wed. evening Cec & I & all the Sutherlands went to see “The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo”. They were in Ann Arbour for this one performance only, & danced at one of the big cinemas, & a few weeks ago we saw it advertised & thought it would be nice to go. We asked the S’s & they thought so too, & as the children get so little chance to see anything like that they decided to take them too. This company used to be a very famous one, but has gone down a bit, so I wasn’t expecting too much, but there was one famous ballerina, Danilova, that I was very interested to see as she is about the last of the ballerinas actually trained in the Russian pre-revolution school to be still on the go. Actually, it was very good, & we all enjoyed it. Danilova was only on once, & altho’ she must be getting on, she didn’t look it & was lovely – she didn’t do anything strenuous, but what she did do, was beautiful. The rest of the company it was all right too, altho’ they were very handicapped by a small stage. It was a little Mary’s first visit to the ballet & she thought it was lovely! We were tickled because she was absolutely entranced with the beautiful scenery, which was really just some very ordinary backdrops!

Anyway, because of the ballet I didn’t go to the class last week, but it was on Maternity clothes mainly, so I didn’t think I’d miss anything vital. This week was on the Layette, & a lot of the shops sent things up for us to see, & so it was quite fun. Elaine (the girl I know who also goes) & I were most amused to see that none of the things were pink or blue! Some white, but mostly yellow (some pretty, some a bit vivid) and a little pale green! The thing that I looked at & listened most eagerly to, was about the nighties & apparently I decided right! The kimono ones are the best (worn opening at the back) the nurse says, so isn’t it wonderful what common sense will do!! Amongst other things, there was a bathinet, which you said Auntie Ettie mentioned. The nurse didn’t advise getting one, as she said that they were awkward to use & difficult to keep clean, as well as not lasting very well. She suggested that an ordinary enamel baby bath, set on a table was far more useful, so in that case it seems silly to spend a lot of money on a bathinet, doesn’t it? By the way, Milly (who is Canadian) was telling me that anything sent between U.S. & Canada & vice versa, isn’t charged duty or anything if it is less than $5. Anything over 5 is dutiable, so that is interesting, isn’t it? 

Thank you very much for your nice letter which we got last Sat. It was the one about the Mauretania being in, & Cec & I loved reading about it all. By the way – I have a prospective visitor to you-I have been doing propaganda for St. Vincent!! The other day I was in the other room talking to Shirley & Jean. Jean is the girl who has Edie’s job – she is young & pretty & married & they live near us, so we have been giving each other lifts, so that we don’t have to take both cars. Her husband, Al, works at the big Kaiser Fraser auto works on the way to Detroit & is in the Engineering Dept.- he takes their car every other week, so that week Jean comes with us. Then when she has the car, we go with her. Shirley is the assistant boss – at first I didn’t care for her very much as she is rather reserved, but I like her more & more as time goes on. She has apparently had a very sad time the last few years, with her Mother being ill for sometime & then dying, & then her brother had a very serious operation, & recently her Father has been ill & in & out of hospital. Her home is in Detroit, but she has a nice flat here, which she used to share with an aunt. However the aunt has left A.A. now so Shirley is looking for a roommate as the flat is expensive. Anyway – after all this long explanation!- we were talking about leave & Shirley has 2 months leave saved up which she must take before July 1st, so Jean & I were suggesting all sorts of places she could go to & of course I said St. V!! Shirley was thrilled with the idea, & really got interested & we spent most of the afternoon with me telling glamorous tales of the tropics (fact & fiction)!! She was interested in flying & is going to find out fares etc. but the main thing is that she must get someone to share the flat before she goes as she can’t afford to keep it alone, so she is concentrating on that before she makes any plans! It would be in May for about 3 or 4 weeks if she did go, & I really I think she would love it & I would like her to have a good time as I don’t think she has had much fun or had many exciting vacations – but of course it is all very vague & might never come off.

I am enclosing 2 pictures taken when the Open Day was on before Christmas, remember? They are supposed to be of the display we made, but also have all the Field Office staff on, so you will see what everyone looks like! It is awful of me, but quite good of everyone else except Bob Peebles. Charlie is the Boss- a really nice man & Shirley is his assistant – the picture really flatters Shirley a little, but mainly because she usually doesn’t bother with her appearance much. Bob P. is the head of the travelling supervisors, Lyons does editing of training materials etc. & then Edie was Charlie’s secretary & now Jean is. Sylvia & I are the two clerks! Sylvia is the girl with whom I share a room. She is Norwegian descent, & looks at it, being very big out-of-doors-type as you can see, but at times she just about drives me crazy! She is careless & can be very lazy & incompetent & also very dumb, so you can imagine how patient I have to be – then I go home & tell Cec all about it!

By now it is Friday (16th) as I didn’t get this finished yesterday! I heard from Dottie on Wednesday – a nice letter – & from Amy yesterday, so all my letters are answered & I have to begin writing again! Amy’s letter was all right, but full of slush about you & her being resigned to anything that “made for the happiness of our darling daughters”!!

You would laugh like anything to see me – I have knitted a cute little baby jacket (it was supposed to be for Milly but we’ve done a deal & I am keeping it & sewing her a dress instead!) & I just finished it yesterday. Now I have to crochet down the front & neck etc. & you should see me struggling with dc’s & ch’s & so on! It doesn’t look very even but I’m hoping when it is washed it will look better!! Now you’ll tell me that I should have let you teach me long ago!

I forgot to tell you that on Sunday I have invited Shirley to dinner to meet a Frenchman!! He is a research student in physics, & Cec was talking to him one day about Paris etc. & he had been to England, so they had quite a chatter. They also waxed eloquent about food & cooking, & as Shirley is also very interested in food & cooking, I thought I’d get them together & let them taste mine!! I’ve been planning the menu-!!

Hors d’oeuvres variés

Chicken & mushroom casserole

Baked potatoes

Green beans

Milanaise soufflé

Coffee

I think it sounds impressive & should taste nice, but it’s really very easy –sh! – don’t tell! As you will gather I am feeling fine now, & have really got over all the tiredness etc. & I am just as energetic as I ever was!! I also feel very happy & cheery & so does Cec, so despite his working hard & going to the Lab in the evening we are very contented & pleased with ourselves – isn’t that nice?!!

I really don’t think I have anything else to write about – I am doing this at work, last thing on Friday afternoon, & strange to relate there is no wild rush of work or anything. No one seems very ambitious, so I’m just going on writing and writing. Next weekend is Easter weekend, & did I tell you, we get no holiday!! I am horrified & feel definitely that this is an uncivilized country & keep telling everyone so! Apparently you can go to Church on Good Friday if you want to, & then come to work, but there is no official holiday. I have told Denis in a letter, because I am sure he would be so delighted to hear how the tables have been turned on me!

My love to the Aunties & cousins, with lots & lots for my little Grandmama-

              from 

                Cynnie. 

Baby jacket in same style, but Made in England not by Grandmama! With smocking…