Cyn and Cec had invited their friends, the Boveys, to come for Christmas- the latest physicist pair transplanted from Cambridge to North America, now living in Ottawa where Cec and Cyn expect to go within the next year, but not very happy about it. However, they obviously resumed their Cambridge habits, because this Christmas letter is written as they play bridge together, just as they had in England! Connie and Len had known Carol Ewing from the time before Cyn and Cec were married, so they join in sending her a description of their day. The handwriting switches whenever a new hand is played and someone else is dummy- all except for Len, who played every hand, and was left to send a message on the envelope!
Christmas day – evening.
Dear Mrs. Ewing –
In case you don’t recognize my writing this is Connie starting a Christmas day round robin to you from we four –
Today Cyn & I coped with a turkey all alone without our respective mothers to give advice! After an enormous meal of ‘it’ – or at least part of, plus stuffing, cranberry sauce, creamed potatoes, beans & tomato aspic salad we have retired exhausted for a game of bridge with a faint hope of having the plum pudding & hard sauce later.
This letter will become a bit disjointed because whoever’s dummy adds a bit.
CYN Hello honey bunny – this is Cyn! I am dummy and poor Cec is struggling away with a bid of 3 hearts and a Yarbrough except for one Jack, which was a present from me!!
We have been busy talking about our Mummies all day and hope that you have all had a happy, happy Christmas. I went to Church at 8 o’clock this morning- Connie was coming with me but didn’t feel well this morning – then just got home in time to hear the “round the world” broadcast & dear little Kingie! Cec made it – I go!
CEC Now I am the dummy. Cyn out to make 1 club to get us game.
I am wearing my sweater. Do you know, the one she started sometime ago? Also a pair of blue slacks & a belt – presents from my little wife. We’ve been very practical this Christmas, -we needed clothes & have got them for presents. Fun.
We are having a lovely lazy loafing lounging time with the Boveys. (Cyn is way past her bid.)
CYN Me again! We are doing well just now – Leonard thinks the cards are being horrid to him!
We are having the nicest time – we were fair wore out by the time work finished on Friday, but Connie & Len arrived on Sat. morning (stayed a night with a friend in Detroit) & since then we have had a lovely time. Connie & Len are most helpful visitors & I just put my feet up! You would have laughed to see Connie & me coping with this enormous turkey (14 1/2 lbs.) He was a beauty, but we were quite puzzled by his anatomy – we kept making more & more stuffing to fill him up, & then in the end he swelled so, that the stuffing burst out, but we all thought he was delicious!
Church this morning was very quiet. I drove down of course & found only about 20 – 30 people there, & although there were 3 Christmas trees – two very big – there were no decorations or lights on them, so it all looked rather dim and gloomy. We sang in rather a quavery way, but I piped up.
I was so happy to hear the English programme- did you hear it? I cried & cried & was so pleased about hearing it all!! The King’s voice wasn’t very clear, but we could hear most of it.
CEC Yes Cyn enjoyed Georgie. We have been having a wonderful run of cards- three game bids in a row made.
McTavish is behaving quite well – a few things to be fixed. We are off to see Til & Lois on Wed., if the roads are good. We are being careful. (Cyn made 3 diamonds, so back to bridge.) She was stubborn and now has to play 4 clubs which she won’t make.
You mustn’t worry about (down one) Cyn’s dieting. (down two) I was keeping an eye on her, & she kept her good nature all the week. She lost enough & won’t be doing it again. (down three). But now she’s trying again with 2 diamonds.
How do you like the running commentary on our game. Cyn gave me a ‘dairy’ – and a lovely ashtray. One of these kinds loaded with shot which will stay anywhere you put it. (She made it!!!) (Bridge)
We’ve got our Xmas tree with our little Angel on top, she still looks lovely, Cyn I mean. Lots & lots of love Cec XX XX
CYN Isn’t that a nice husband? My presents were lovely- a dress and a handbag from seats! The dress is a pale blue wool jersey & has a pinky-red & navy blue swathed belt. It buttons on each shoulder with 3 buttons (material covered) and the button holes are bound with the navy & pink – it’s pretty. The handbag is a thing I needed badly as I haven’t a brown one at all – it is “corday” like that black one I bought in Toledo & is the cutest boxy shape – I had a lovely Santa Claus! My other presents were a book by Simenon from Mrs. Allan, a pale blue hanky-puff from Nan, bath cubes from Irene & very pretty little cocktail mats from Amy. Cec & I together got a lovely book of photos of Cambridge & Oxford from Connie & Len, the Book Club from Dottie, & a sub. to Readers Digest for a year from Cec’s sister Merle & Dixon. We also got a cake & sherry from the S’s & an angel food cake from Mrs. Kaufman, & Cec got a lovely book of cartoons from Irene & Bill. Your parcel hasn’t come yet, but it is fun to look forward to & know it is coming. We got Bren’s lovely lacquer bowls & think they are beautiful.
Must stop now, & get it mailed. Poor Len never got to be dummy but sends his love & Connie too. I’ll write a real epic later in the week, but want to send this to tell you we are thinking of you & send hugs & kisses for the New Year.
Just beginning a little note before I go to bed. I have had a busy evening ironing like mad, but I like ironing on Monday evening as there are nice musical programs on the radio from about 7:30 to 11 & it is the only evening that has so much nice music. Tonight they were playing lots of nice Christmas carols and music and Cec and I were thinking how strange it was to think of you hearing Christmas carols sung by a little black boys and girls all in summer clothes, with the sun shining and flowers and everything! Talking of flowers, I had such a pretty dream this morning just between the alarm and getting up! I dreamt I was walking through some fields & it seemed to be early on a sunshiny morning. I seemed to be following some directions as I counted the fields I crossed until I came to a high stone wall & above it I could see & hear hundreds of seagulls flying & wheeling & crying. I was a bit scared to open the door & go through, but I did – and on the other side was a great hillside of bare bushes & shrubs & perched on them and flitting about & twittering & tweeting were clouds of the loveliest little tiny birds – pale blue & pale pink – some pink and blue – some blue and yellow – some blue and grey – & I was just standing there with all the little things flying around. Wasn’t that a nice dream? All in Technicolour too!
We had ever such a busy weekend getting ready for Connie & Len. On Friday night I made my Christmas cake – a Christmas loaf really. I made it and baked it on Sat. morning. Then on Saturday I thoroughly cleaned the bedroom & sittingroom – behind & under everything! I polished the furniture & floor & felt very virtuous! In the afternoon Cec & I went downtown and did a bit of Christmas shopping, but came back in time to wash my hair & for us to get ready for the Physics Dept. Party.
Next Morning- (at work early– Cec has an 8 o’clock class.)
We bought a set of yellow towels for Cec’s brother Russell, who is getting married on Thursday. – we had an invitation & nice note from his bride-to-be, Errol, & although the present won’t get there in time, at least we made an effort!
We got a cute little folding umbrella from Mom Costain- it is ordinary size opened up, but pushes together & scrunches up into a little fat tube! It is covered with a kind of blue plaid & looks quite smart. We also got Gunborg & Gordon a bottle of sherry as their Christmas present & the girls woolly mittens in various colours & patterns!
Continued- a month later!
January 14th-!!!
Dearest Little Momma,
I began this letter the week before Christmas & just never had a minute to finish it, so I am sending what there is along with a few funny things that might amoose you! One is a chart of the display we made for the open day at the Center, so you may get a little better idea of what the Field Office does. There were some pictures taken too, so when they are I’ll send some along. Also I’m enclosing some funny things we gave to Edie on the day she left- the Fri. before Christmas. The Institute collected & got her a dear little travelling bag- a little square box-y over night bag, with place for toilet things etc. – very cute. The Field Office however were supposed to give Edie a present on their own, but Sylvia & I being underlings, didn’t hear much about it, except to give our $1 each! However, eventually they decided to give her the money ($30) & each to write a poem or something silly, & we all went down to the train on the Fri. afternoon (Cec too) & we gave her an envelope with the money & envelopes with all the poems etc. & she had quite a sendoff. I miss her a lot- the Field Office doesn’t seem 1/2 such a cheery place without Edie.
The Physics Party I mentioned earlier was quite a success in the end. There were a couple of skits first & then supper then games & dancing etc. & everyone seemed to have a good time. My only gripe was that I had typed out dozens of carols & had had the sheets mimeographed for everyone & then in the end they only sang 2 carols!
The other enclosure is a picture by Grandma Moses, to cool you down when it is hot! We got a box of Christmas cards & this bigger one was enclosed, so I thought you would be interested to see it & read about the old lady painting. I think they are so sweet & love to see what all the funny little people are doing.
Will write by A.M. in a day or so, so you will get it long before this one.
Lots & lots of love & hugs
from
Cynnie.
This is a Scroll we presented to Edie when she left. Shirley had the idea & I made it up (recognize a “quote” from our passports!!) and wrote it in black & red on a great sheet of paper. We put a big red & gold seal & red ribbons & it looked very elegant! Edie wrote and said she was going to have it framed!
Honorary Award of Merit
To Whom It May Concern: –
Let it be known that on the twenty second day of December, this year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty, we of the Field Office, do hereby appoint and commission Miss Edith Dunkin to be our representative in all our lands of the Americas bordering on the Pacific Ocean. This tenure shall be of thirty years duration, with an option in the favour of the Field Office to retain the services of the said Miss Edith Dunkin, the renumeration thereof to be the token payment of $1 (one dollar) per year.
We hereby request and require, in the name of the Field Office, all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer of this Honorary Award to pass freely without let or hindrance, and to afford her every assistance and protection of which she may stand in need.
This is going to be a whale of a letter to wish you a happy, happy Christmas, so put your feet up, undo your corsets, loosen your belt & sit back! Cec is going to wash the dishes for me, the honey, so that I can sit & write & write & write all evening!
When I got home from work today there was a nice letter waiting from you (posted 5th Dec.) & Aunt Ettie’s with your page enclosed came yesterday, so I got a lovely spread-out mail even if it came in the wrong order! Thank you very, very much for them Mummy, & also for your great fat 50¢ letter (mailed 28th Nov.) which I got last week- I love getting them all & hearing of your doings & all the news & gossip. It is 10 days since I wrote you the air letter about ourcar, but we have really been buzzing! We have been having driving lessons & seeing about licenses & insurance etc. etc. & have been kept busy, but today Cec went & took his driving test & got his license, so we think he is a clever boy! I haven’t taken mine yet – mainly because they don’t give them on Sat. & I work other days, but I have an appointment for Monday & will take an hour off work.
I haven’t told you much news apart from the car for about two weeks, so will go right back to the weekend of 25th Nov. when we had that terrible bad weather. I was so glad you told me how Margs & Mil & their families fared, as Cec & I were wondering, & we worried about Bill when we heard of the terrible Long Island R.R. crash. They must have had a bad time of it, with all the flooding in the basements, etc. But I am glad that it was no worse & that they didn’t have any really bad damage. We had a regular snow blizzard here, & as it was the weekend & we didn’t have to go out, we rather enjoyed ourselves & stayed in & were cosy at home! The great of the event of the weekend in Ann Arbor, was that Michigan (University) were playing their great football rivals, Ohio, down in Columbus, Ohio, & despite the fact that it was snowing & no one could see a thing, they still played & Michigan won! We listened to the game on the radio & got ever so excited (I still don’t understand it!) especially as it was the last game of the season & when Michigan won, it meant they were the Champions! The winners of this League go to California for New Year’s Day & play a big match against the winners out there in a big stadium called “The Rosebowl” & it is a great honour, so all of Michigan was very pleased! The funny thing was that Columbus got completely snowed up so lots of people who went to the game got stuck there for days!
At the beginning of that week I finally got my last parcels packed & off, & then next weekend we sent all our Christmas cards to England etc. A few, we kept to put letters in, so of course they straggled on & we are finally having to A.M. them! Mrs. Allen’s birthday card was one, & Cec’s friends Cliff & Gwengar, & we still haven’t sent Frank’s to Australia! I already have cards from Dottie, Mrs. Johnny, Mrs. Allen, Auntie Trix, Bar & Geraldine, & Nan & Dick (their’s is a lovely colour photo of Moira Shearer as Cinderella in the ballet.) Dottie wrote & told us that she was sending us another Book Soc. subscription which is lovely, & Bar sent us a very nice little book on Chester with lovely photos, & a pretty hankie for me. I can still hardly believe Christmas is so close & that Connie & Leonard are coming a week on Friday! I have a list as long as my arm of things to do – make Christmas cake & pudding – clean the whole flat – finish shopping etc. etc. & don’t know when I’ll begin!! Oh well, if it doesn’t all get done, Connie will have to turn to & help me! By the way – we continue to get annoyed at Connie & Leonard’s letters – they are nothing but grumble, grumble all the time! They have a flat now but it’s not ideal, & living is so expensive – much more so than the U.S. from what they can see – after all even stamps there are 4¢ compared to our 3¢, & Connie has her old symptoms of depression etc. etc. etc.! However, we are trying to be tolerant & hope that at Christmas they will feel better & more cheerful – if not, by the end of the week we will be telling them a thing or three!! But I don’t think they have told us that even one thing is nice since they got there – can you imagine!
To go back to my activities, on the Wed. (29) evening Cec & I were inveigled into going to a Committee Meeting for the Physics Dept. Xmas Party! The real members of the committee were Gordon & Gunborg – Cec’s pal Pete and his wife Mary Jo (who used to drive me shopping) & another young Prof. Hassen and his wife (the ones who had the funny modern 1/2 finished house – went to tea there in the spring.) We were sort of wished in by the Pete’s & Gordon & Gunborg, but it was a very pleasant meeting at the Pete’s, with drinks & eats etc. & we planned games & carol singing & a skit etc. The party is for faculty & graduate students, & half the entertaining is done by each, so we could shelve 1/2 of the responsibility on the students! Cec & I managed to get out without too much to do – my job is to type a stencil of carols & get about 200 copies run off, so I spent last night typing & Cec got the stencil run off today. I made one funny mistake- on my typewriter at work, the comma key is two commas above each other- a comma in ordinary writing & an apostrophe in Shift- on the portable it is a question mark above a comma, – a comma in ordinary writing and a question mark in capitals, so for one carol title I have “GOOD CHRISTIAN MEN? REJOICE”!!
The next weekend – i.e. last weekend- we bought the car! We began, you know, by seeing an ad. in the paper for an English Ford, 1949, for $495, & we thought, well golly – we could pay for that straight away! And a year old we thought it should be O.K, so on our way downtown to buy groceries, we stopped at the car dealers & asked about it. The man made an appointment to take us to see it next afternoon, as it was at their place outside town, so away we went next day & lost heart the moment we saw it! It was the most hideous mud colour to begin with- all scraped & battered along one side – no mat or carpet inside, just boards – no dashboard, just yawning holes, & to complete it all, it wouldn’t start!! So we abandoned it quickly & looked around & finally saw our pretty MacTavish – that is what we have christened the car, as it is a “Highlander Club Coupe” (with its tartan lining!) The “coupe” means that it has what is called a 1/2 back seat. i.e. it hasn’t much leg room compared to “sedans” & will only hold 2 in the back, but as it holds 3 on the front seat anyway, & is positively huge, we are glad it’s no bigger! We joined the A.A.A. (Auto Assoc. of America) & got all our insurance etc., through them & they give us all sorts of additional help, like free towing if the car won’t start & other things.
Gunborg & Gordon were giving a party for Gordon’s “group” of research students & wives that evening, so Cec & I went up early about 6 o’clock & helped them get ready. They were properly impressed with ourcar & so was everyone all evening long! There were about 30 there, & Gunborg served Mulled Wine (hot & spiced- nice!) to begin with, & then we watched some of Gordon’s movies. After that we played games & then had supper – a kind of Swedish smorgasbord with hot meatballs, & beet & herring salad & potato salad & green salad & stuffed celery etc. with trifle afterwards. Anne & Kirstin were out at a school party, so little Mary was allowed to stay up & open the door for the visitors & she was sweet- she has a new red corduroy velvet pinafore skirt with a little white blouse & she looks like a little Christmas! She stayed up & up & I eventually put her to bed about 11:30 after supper- very sleepy, but having a wonderful time!
We didn’t do much next day except send off our cards, so had a quiet day, & on Monday we saw about insurance etc. & on Tuesday we got the car. Neither of us could get licenses till we had a test, so we arranged to have 2 driving lessons each with a man from the Driving School to refresh our knowledge. My first lesson was straight after work on Tues. & this man came for me in his car & we drove around A.A. for an hour & I got on all right. (He looked just like Sherlock Holmes – pipe & all!) In the meanwhile Cec had asked his pal, Al, to drive the car home for us, & he stayed for dinner as his reward! After that, Al took us a drive in our limousine, & drove to his digs, where we left him & I drove us home – I was fine – except that we got ourselves lost twice, driving about 2 miles from one part of A.A. to another!! We even got onto little narrow country lanes & did we feel silly!! Cec had his 2 driving lessons during the next few days, but I had my next one on Sat. morning & the man told us to practice a little with our car before we took our test. So in the afternoon we drove around & I got groceries, & then we took our laundry up to Gunborg’s as she had told us to, as she wanted to see MacTavish. She was out shopping but I did my washing & Cec & Gordon washed their cars! They finally set out in MacTavish to collect Gunborg- & were our faces red – they stopped at a shop for Gunborg to get something & MacT. wouldn’t start & had to be pushed! We had to have him at the garage since then & they have fixed his battery so we hope he will be good now!
I forgot to tell you that we had Al to dinner again on Friday and afterwards we had another drive around & then all went to the pictures. It seemed ages since we were there last- we saw “The Next Voice You Hear”, which was quite unknown to us, but turned out to be very good. It was supposed to be that God suddenly spoke on the radio at 8:30 one evening & was heard all over the world in every language. You never hear the voice, but see what it does to an ordinary little American family- man, wife going to have a baby, & a boy about 12- & how they feel & what they do etc. It lasts for 7 days (Cec laughs at my description- you know what I mean!) & we thought the whole thing was very well done.
On Sunday Cec felt a bad cold coming on, so he stayed in bed till the afternoon. We had been invited to an “Open House” by Edie & the girl she lives with, Anne (!!) So I set off alone as we didn’t think Cec should go out, especially as it was snowing. There were all the Survey Research people there, so I knew everyone & had quite a nice time- got kissed under the mistletoe by my boss Charlie too! They had a piece very cunningly hung over the middle of the sofa, so each newcomer was caught unawares! There were hundreds & hundreds of Christmas cookies to eat- A. Ettie will tell you about all the different kinds with different German names- & they had a fruit punch, which wasn’t 1/2 so innocent as it tasted. I got home about 7, & Cec was most amused because he gave me the key to get something from the car & although I made 3 trips to the car & back for advice (giggling all the time) I never got the car open at all! The key just wouldn’t go in!
Next day Cec’s cold had become a cough, but I felt a bit funny although I went to work. My eyes were burney & boiled feeling you know, so at noon Cec sent me home & I tumbled into bed & slept all afternoon & most of the evening too. It seem to do the trick because I was O.K. yesterday & today, but Cec still has a cough – must have been some kind of germ we got.
Cyn’s Plan.
This week at work we have been in a furore, as we had an Open Day today with invitations to all the University to come & see us. Each dept. had to have a display & after a meeting Sylvia & I were handed the job – a most thankless one! I planned it out, & apart from 2 posters we got done for us, we did the whole thing ourselves & after toiling all week got it up & ready for 1:30 today. Yesterday we were just about frantic as we were chopped & changed from place to place & no one would co-operate & the 2 posters weren’t ready, but finally we got it done & everyone said it was very good – I’ll enclose an illustration sometime! The Open Day was quite a success – Cec came & we looked about & then had free cake & coffee & enjoyed ourselves! He met all the people at work that I tell him about & I got the chance to show him off! We drove home in ourcar!
Plan executed.
I had intended to begin & answer all your letters, but Cec tells me it is bedtime, so I’ll close & mail this & then continue in my next! Now I am up to date I’ll plunge right into your letters next time.
You know that your little family here will be thinking of you such a lot at Christmas time, honey-bun, & wishing that we could all be together, but we hope that you have a very, very happy Christmas with your sisters and that you won’t be sad missing us, but get busy planning to spend next Christmas with us. I’ll write again really soon & answer all that lovely pile of letters here, so you will be getting another letter before Christmas I hope – But anyway – we both send all our love and all our good wishes for a merry Christmas –
What do you think? Your two kids have a CAR! An automobile! A horseless carriage! And a Chrysler, no less! It is a pale bilious green and has a red tartan lining – isn’t that elegant??? We are so excited with ourselves, and half scared too, and we don’t really get it till tomorrow, but then we will show the town!
We had planned that by Dec. 1st we would have saved enough to begin looking at cars, & on Fri. evening we looked at the ads in the paper (which we’ve been doing for months!) & amongst other cars saw an English Ford advertised at $495, & it was a 1949 car. We thought that sounded very good, & although we had intended to get a bigger car (mainly for Cec’s comfort) we thought if it was like my Austin used to be, we could pay for it all at once & it would do us fine. We were going into town to shop for our groceries anyway, so we called at the Motor Dealers & the salesman said that it was out at their “Lot” but made an appointment to take us on Sat. afternoon which he did. And there we saw the poor, sad, little old English Ford! It was mud-coloured to begin with & had been badly scraped & bashed along one side. Inside there was no dashboard & all the seat covers were wearing through & to crown at all it wouldn’t start!! So we said we’d like to see something else! This company is the biggest car dealer in A.A. & the man showed us about 6 other cars, amongst them this 1946 Chrysler. It was by far the nicest, & he said would we like to go a run in it, & we agreed so he took us a little drive & let me drive it too!
It is beautiful! It has a radio & heater & the gears change all by themselves – you don’t even have to do anything except step on the accelerator! We liked it, but when he said it was $995 we said that it was more than we wanted to pay, and he said perhaps we could arrange something. Anyway, we looked a bit more & liked it very much, then he took us back to town & showed us the car’s papers (it had had only one previous owner) & then said that we could have it for $850, so we jumped for joy & said “goody goody gum drops”!
We are paying $450 now & will pay the rest monthly & probably finishing paying in Feb., & not only did the kind man let us have it for $850, but he arranged that that included the tax & license & everything, & he is having it into the garage tomorrow & going to give it a thorough going over & change oil etc. & put in antifreeze & so on. Also for the first month we have a guarantee so that if anything goes wrong, they will fix it for us! Isn’t it clever & wonderful & exciting!!!! Of course neither of us have driving licenses!! We are going to get Learners Licenses tomorrow & then after a bit of practice we take driving tests – in the meanwhile we have to have someone with us!! We were at a party at the Sutherland’s last night & everyone was teasing us about owning a Chrysler!
Will write again this week about something else besides the car!! Thank you heaps & heaps for your letter of Nov. 21st- will answer it too.
With lots & lots of love from
Cynnie
(alias the Chrysler kid!)
[Cec’s Handwriting:] Dear Mum,
Cyn hasn’t done badly seeing she looked at it twice for about 10 minutes. We don’t “haggle” very well & were surprised when he said $850. (We’d have paid more but don’t tell him so.)
At the end of November 1950, Cyn sent her friends in England, who were still under post-wartime scarcity and rationing, Christmas parcels- nylons for the women, toys or outfits for their children, and raisins and candy tucked in for a treat. She and Cec sent out 75 Christmas cards- 50 fewer than the year before when they were newlyweds, but their student life had changed- they were in a different university in different country, and, as Cyn’s letters have shown, Cec’s university friends had also left Cambridge and dispersed to universities and research positions around the world.
Here is Cyn’s List:
I meant to tell you my diet the other day too- this is it.
It is Friday today (24th) & is so cold! Went down to 1°F last night & was around 15° today – we are so happy it is the weekend & we can hibernate for 2 days! We went shopping at the grocery after work & bought in our week’s supplies, so won’t starve even if we get snowed in!
Packed a parcel to my Father tonight & will post tomorrow – I put in sweets, chocolate, sugar lumps- two pkts Patience cards – 2 books – 1 book X-word puzzles-soap- dates – raisins & 2 little pkts of tissues for colds etc. Hope it gets there before Christmas.
My bulbs I planted are doing fine (paper whites) – there are 5, & they are like this- all different heights! But they are nice & green & fun to watch!
Must stop now & get us a “snake”! Hot cocoa tonight I think – but no sandwich for me – must watch my figure!
Lots of love love and hugs
from
Cyn
Postmarked Nov. 27, the back is stamped 22 Dec.- must have gone by sea!
I have a few minutes to spare at work this afternoon, and I thought it might make you laugh to hear a little bit about some of the funny people I deal with via the Post Office! We have about 200 interviewers or more, you know, scattered all over the States, & of course they write to us about all sorts of things, & we get to know them & I visualize what they look like & then usually look in my card index & find they are quite different! For instance, I visualized Carma Durban as being a beautiful tall blonde girl about 25, & she turns out to be a little fat woman of 57 with grey hair!!
One of our interviewers that you would be interested in is a gentleman called Erving B. Weeks. He lives in Syracuse, N.Y. & is 70 years old! In addition to that, he is quite, quite deaf, but lipreads so well that he is one of our best interviewers & turns in all his things beautifully written up & at the right time. Isn’t that amazing? Another old couple we have are Mr. & Mrs. Friedberg who both interview in New York – they are both about 60 or so, & yet they have done practically all our surveys & their writing is just beautiful, it’s so neat & perfect on all the things they send in.
Besides having some interesting people we have some awfully funny names- how do you like Miss Lavinia Derryberry? Or Miss Fidelia McLaughlin of Minnehaha? Or Mr. Julian Plant? Or Mr. Henry Arachtingi or Casimir Irmo? Aren’t they lovely? Some of the places are funny too- like Mrs. Fleta Fern Russell of Arkadelphia Arkansas!!
One of my favourite interviewers was a middle-aged fat man with a ruddy complexion (so his identity card says!) called George W. Puffer- he was always most enthusiastic & sent all his interviews & forms etc. in at the right time (is in Los Angeles) & even wrote at the bottom of one thing which had to be in on a certain date “Stayed up till 4 a.m. to get this done but sure enjoyed this survey”,!! Anyway, what do you think one of the Supervisors told Edie? Friend George & his wife are Nudists & invited this lady to go & spend a weekend with them at the Nudist Camp they visit!!
You remember my mentioning Edie before? She is secretary to Charlie Cannell, the Head of the Field Office, and is such a nice girl – so friendly & popular with everyone – well, anyway, she is leaving at Christmas. She has decided that she can get no further at the Center, & it is a very floating staff- people like me – coming & staying for a few months & then leaving while Edie stays on. She has the highest salary for secretaries now, & sees no future in it, so she is just going to pack her bag, and take a bus & go out to California! Out there she wants to get work in a big store, & see if she can’t work her way up to be a buyer or something of the sort, as she likes that kind of thing. I am most sad to see her go & don’t know what I will do without her, but I think she will do well & hope that she likes it. There has been all sorts of agitation, as to who will get Edie’s job, which is quite a terrific one, & even some probes as to whether I would like it, although I don’t take shorthand, but both the heads & I feel that it wouldn’t be much use training me & then someone to take my place in a few months time, but both Cec & I feel very pleased that they would even consider me for such a job- Cec says “from the bottom to the top of the ladder in 4 months”! But still, I am happy with my nice little un-responsible job & don’t want to become a career girl!
November 23 Thursday
Thanksgiving Day.
I had to stop & do some work then, so I am finishing this off now before we go to the Sutherlands to eat our Thanksgiving Dinner. Wasn’t it nice of them to ask us? I have spent the day sleeping- writing letters- & washing my hair! I wrote to Connie & Len – Joan Cox – & my Father – & sent birthday to Joan & to Ruth Schatz & got one ready for Maude Allan. I got letters yesterday from AGL (thanking me for birthday letter & card), Bar & one from you – written Nov. 12th. Thank you so much for it, and for the P.C. of Villa – I remembered seeing it before, but it was much more interesting now that I know which bungalow you are in & that you bathe there & see the plane coming in. I was horrified about the sharks- you be careful!!
I am so glad that you are enjoying your holiday & the bathing, although the mosquitoes are so bad. I hope that the weather is cooler now & that you are enjoying it even more. It has been cold & a bit snowy here all week, but today was very bright & cold & sunny to begin with, & then suddenly got grey & has begun to snow quite hard. It seems to be wet snow, so isn’t lying, but it looks pretty. Isn’t it funny me being snowed on, & you being bitten & bathing?! You seem to be having a very gay time at the bungalow, what with entertaining & parties, & so on- I hope you aren’t wearing yourselves out, but really are beachcombing!
We had quite a gay time- for us! – last week, & went out 3 times, which was fun as a bit of a spree after Cec’s hard toil! On Tuesday we went to a concert in our “series” & it was Myra Hess, & we enjoyed it very much indeed. Gunborg & Gordon were there with Anne, & afterwards Anne wanted Myra Hess’ autograph, so we all trooped around to the stage door & got in & stood at the door of her room with a mass of people. There was a little man ushering people in & out & when he saw Anne’s pen & programme he said she wasn’t signing any autographs, so I told him Anne was English, whereupon he ushered us both in & up to the front & introduced us as “two girls from England”! Anne got her autograph as a special concession & I told Myra Hess I knew friends of hers (C’Zelma & Em) & she asked after them, & sent them her love. We felt very triumphant!
On Thursday evening Cec & I & Gunborg went to see a professional tennis match which was given in the big University Field House. Gorgeous Gussy was playing, & Pauline Betz- then Jack Kramer & Pancho Segura. We had a grand time & thoroughly enjoyed it- the tennis was wonderful – girls singles (Pauline won) men’s singles (Pancho won) then a doubles when Gussie & Kramer won. Besides the tennis of course we were all tickled to see Gussie who wore her lace pants & was a honey, but Pauline was bound & determined to out-do her & wore silver lamé shorts & then leopard skin shorts! We still liked Gussie best, & we thoroughly enjoyed the good sportsmanship & good spirit there seem to be. Pancho was the funniest little man – small & bowlegged (he had polio) but like a flash on the courts. It was a really good evening.
On Saturday evening – after a wild day Christmas shopping- we went & played bridge with Dawn & Burt (remember they were at my tea party?) They are a very nice couple- exactly “our type” & we had a lovely time- also played good bridge & won!! Burt was in Italy during the war & got thoroughly converted to opera, spaghetti and wine- so we drank muscatel wine all evening and it was nice. We enjoyed having a bridge evening again. On Sunday I packed my parcels, & got most of them off at the beginning of the week- I’ll tell you all I sent in my next!
Last week also I was on my diet! I was very good & didn’t lapse at all- till the weekend, a little! We bought our scales & I ate lunch at work each day & I lost a pound a day regularly from the Monday to Sunday- I was 125 to begin with & I am now 119! Isn’t that clever of me? I kept saying to Cec I didn’t know where it was going from as I saw very little difference in my clothes etc. but he said “Honey, you have no back porch now!” I’m going to send you my diet so you’ll see how wonderfully strong-willed I was all week- tea with no sugar and milk & not even one slice of bread all week! Must leave it till next time though, as it is time to go now. We must buy Christmas cards tomorrow & try & get them off this weekend – hope all these things will be in time. I feel very relieved that my parcels are mostly all away – yours aren’t because I couldn’t get what I wanted, but they’ll go this weekend!
By the way – you asked about pictures we took this summer – we did take some in Saskatoon, but left them there for Carman to make some prints for us, & so far we have none yet. I reminded him last time we wrote, so I hope to have some for you sometime. Cec hasn’t been able to use his “gadget” to take pictures of us both yet – his cable release is the wrong size or something & he hasn’t got around to doing anything yet!! Sometime – we’ll send some pictures.
With lots & lots of love to my little Mamma
from Cyn & Cec.
[Cec’s handwriting:] These chickens are both stuffed with turkey- I ate too much, anyway. Cyn will probably gain back all she lost on her diet. You should see her now- real whistle bait.
Love Cec.
A note about Carol’s ‘holiday’ in St Vincent that Cyn refers to. In her stories about her Mother’s childhood, she told about the way the family would go on an excursion for the day, packing the children into a wagon with driver and servants to take hours to go from the town to Villa 6 miles away, while the ladies followed later in the carriage and the gentlemen rode horses. Once there, they would swim, picnic, the children would play, the ladies rest, and the gentlemen would inspect the Isolation Hospital on the tiny island opposite the beach, where the French fort from the Napoleonic wars remained. [The story ‘After the Hurricane 1898’ which I posted back in January.] Now it appears that bungalows have been built by that beach, and the Hazell sisters have moved out of town for a bit of R&R in one of them, enjoying the same things that they had done as children. This was a tradition that Cyn & Cec were to continue- staying out there for part of our holiday when I was 6, and renting one for their winter holidays once my brother and I were at university!
First page had typewritten second page on the back- rest hand written- hard to read!
Monday. 13th November.
Dearest Mummy,
Was so glad to get your letter last week & to know that you had got the letter with the typed forms & coloured pictures & so on- also my Air Mail letter. I saw our Mailman on Sat. (your letter came on Thurs.) & he was begging for some St Vincent stamps, so your letters keep me very popular with the postmen!
The last time I wrote I was going to go with Dawn and Edie to the pictures & it was raining – the buses here are once an hour in the evenings, so I set out to walk, all bundled up in raincoat & hood & boots, but by the time I got there I was dripping all over! However, the picture was quite good – it was called “All About Eve” & got very good criticisms & the other girls thought it was wonderful, but I didn’t rave! The dialogue was good, & Bette Davis was amusing with her wisecracks, but looked awful! I took a taxi home as it was still raining, so I told Cec I’d had a very expensive evening out of my pocket money – he usually pays for pictures out of his pocket money!
Cec’s Seminar finally came off on Thursday afternoon (after staying up till 5 a.m. on Wed. night) & he came home very pleased as it had gone so well. Dr. Sutherland was very pleased with it & some of the other Profs had too & they had all been interested & asked questions & discussed things afterwards, so after all his hard work it was nice to feel rewarded. Since then he has been relaxing a bit, but he’s starting in to toil again today he says.
On Friday evening we went & shopped for our groceries, and I made my Christmas shopping list and we planned out a great day of action for Saturday! We got the Laundry ready to take to the Laundrymat- wrote checks for the Electric Co. & Laundry that we owed- Cec took out the typewriter to take down to get it cleaned & I took my Christmas shopping list. Our first stop at the Laundrymat was a little disheartening, as it was crowded and we had to wait for half an hour or more, however, we finally got it in and walked the rest of the distance into town. There, we headed for the Bank – and what do you think? It was closed for November 11. It is a legal holiday here, and of course we didn’t know. We were so frustrated! I couldn’t buy any presents of course, and it means that I won’t be able to get any till next Saturday, so my presents will be late in getting off, but I can’t do anything else. Also to add to our troubles, the places where we were going to pay our bills were closed too, and the man who was to do the typewriter was out! Anyway, we left the typewriter, and had a cup of coffee to weep into, and then went home for lunch. I was ever so annoyed.
In the afternoon I cleaned the flat, and Dr. S. & Anne called to leave their bicycles on the way to the Football Game. Gunborg is away till tonight so we had asked Gordon if he would like to come and have a game of bridge with us on the Sat. evening, as he plays and Gunborg isn’t keen, and he said that he would like to very much. So another thing that frustrated us all day Sat. was that we spent the day ringing up Al MacNamara to ask him to come and make a fourth and we never managed to get him yet! After the football game Anne and Gordon came in and had tea and hot scones, and Gordon said that he had some shopping to do, and would call for us in the car when he’d gone home on his bicycle, as we were getting ready to go up and get our laundry, so we waited and he was quite a little while – and guess what? It was just after six when we got there, and the place was closed, and we didn’t get our laundry either! Wasn’t that a day? However, Gordon came in the evening anyway, and we played cut-throat bridge, and all had a good time, so it ended all right!
I meant to do so much over the weekend of course in the way of writing letters, but ended up by getting none done. I had the rest of the washing to do, and what with our late rising and the meals and general chores, I wasn’t finished until after dinner in the evening and then in a moment of weakness I picked up “Florence Nightingale” which was our last Book Club from Dottie, which came sometime ago. Cec had read it, and I had read a little at the beginning, so I began to look at it again and ended by reading all evening. It is a biography written by a woman Cecil Woodham-Smith, I think, and it’s very fascinating. I had no idea that Florence was such a weird person, and that she had done such a little actual nursing. In some ways I kept thinking of Miss Lefroy, but she isn’t as peculiar as Florence was. I was very sorry to hear of poor Miss Lefroy’s troubles and the bad time she has been having. I do hope that she is able to get a good couple downstairs, and that she is free of domestic worries for a while. By the way, when I sent her birthday card I had forgotten that Chris’s birthday was so close, and didn’t say anything about her except to send my love – however! I thought that for their Christmas I would send a fruitcake like Barbara Kristin used to send me – even if they don’t like it much themselves, it will do for their tea parties! The only other thing I could think of was a bottle of whiskey for Chris, and that is a bit expensive! Talking of whiskey – on Saturday, after our bank catastrophe, we suddenly thought that we had Gordon coming in the evening, and we had nothing to drink. They always give us something, so we thought we should do our best, so we went home and opened my two piggy banks, and the cigarette box where we keep the money for the newspaper boy, and scratched together enough for a little bottle of whiskey and a bottle of ginger ale! We put in We.O.U.’s and will pay them back!
It is Tuesday now, and I am writing this at lunch time again. Cec got some money yesterday, and bought our bathroom scales with our lunch money, and so I weighed myself and am 125 lbs. and Cec is 201 lbs. Yesterday was the first day of my diet, and I was very good- I am leaving out all sugar and milk out of tea and coffee, and it tastes horrid! Today I had two hard-boiled eggs and a grapefruit for my lunch, and for dinner tonight I have steak, but only a salad with it. I’m not too oppressed with hunger, but my tummy feels very surprised!
Instead of beginning with your oldest letter and answering through till I’m up-to-date, I decided to do it the other way around this time, so I brought your last letter to answer today. It was written on October 30, and you had got my A.M. of 20th. I am so sorry that you were worried about your letters, as I haven’t mentioned them – they come very nicely & regularly & Cec & I love them. They are waiting in the evening when I get home & the first thing Cec always says is “A letter from your Mummy”, so I sit down & read it right then & there, then hand it onto him to read while I go & get dinner!
I was glad that you told me again where the colour photos were of, because I had forgotten exactly where they were taken. I knew the house and garden belonged to some friends you had visited, but didn’t know which ones. Also, I had no idea that that was the beach where you went bathing, so was pleased you told me. I think sometime when you have nothing to do, besides making the Family Tree that Cec talks about, you should make me a pictorial map of the island, & put in where people live & where are you bathe & shop & everything, so that I can follow everything that’s going on! There’s a nice job for you!! That reminds me of my scrapbook – do you know it is just about full? I had quite a session a few weeks back one Sat. evening while Cec was working, & I brought us right from our honeymoom up to living in Ann Arbor. I got as far as this summer & only have 2 pages left – can you imagine that huge book bursting full? We still love to look at it & inflict it on anyone else we can!!
First of many scrapbooks!
To return to your letter, Cec was most amused to hear about all the Hazells about the place & your “niece” in the Bank – also most curious to know the joke about Grafton! I couldn’t remember – unless he was the man who didn’t have 6 inches! Is that him?!!
I was sorry to hear that you had been having such queer weather with so much rain, & I do hope that it improves and that you have a lovely time down by the sea. It is a grand idea of Auntie Ettie’s that you should all have a holiday, and I know that you will all enjoy the bathing. Our weather has been a bit strange too. Our weekend at Til & Lois’ was heavenly & warm & for about 3 or 4 days afterwards it was like summer again, then it suddenly got cold & snowed, & has been alternately cold & wet since.
I didn’t really tell you much about our visit to Til & Lois’ so I will go into more detail now, and answer your questions too. They had a good time in Alabama this summer (the little car was fine) and while there they asked Grandma whether she would mind selling the Berwick Ave. house, as it was partly hers originally. She said no, so when Lois came back (before Til) she began looking around & an agent took her to this darling little house by the river, & she fell for it at once. She telephoned Til, & Til came home, & liked it too, so they decided to buy it & Til sold “Berwick” to her nephew Bud & his wife (one of Etta’s children- big fat Etta who used to come to Til’s when I was there & was so nice) so it is still in the family. We only heard about the new house when Til rang us up one evening, & they had only been in it about 3 weeks when we went. I told you all about it & sent a plan in a sea letter I sent, so won’t repeat it, but it is a yellow bungalow & very cosy, with the most beautiful view I’ve seen for ages (it is only one year old). Talking of bungalows, a slight digression to tell you that I had a letter from Denis this week, & he was telling me that he has at last got a job in N/C, so he is very pleased. They are going to stay with Winnie till they find a house, & are keen on a bungalow, so they were interested when the Hayning’s bungalow was for sale, a few weeks ago- price £2,400- & as Denis says only 4 small rooms & not the smallest piece of ground for a garage. We were wondering how they would like living with Winnie, but maybe they will be able to find some other place before long.
To return to our Toledo weekend, Lois met us at the Bus Station in town & drove us out to the house – it takes about 3/4 of an hour- & Til was waiting there with all the lights on & a big blazing fire & it looked lovely. We saw all over the house & had dinner & spent the evening in front of the fire – I was so enchanted to see a fire again, & be able to poke & put on logs! Does it make you nostalgic too, or are you just glad you don’t have to clean out the darn things anymore!
On Sat. morning Cec & I slept till 10, & then got up to find that Til & Lois had been up since 6 or some unearthly hour, & Til said Lois had been shouting & stamping around the place for hours trying to wake us up! After we had breakfast we went out & really saw the place by daylight, & it looked heavenly with the sun shining & all the autumn colours. We scrambled down the bank to the river & really inspected the property & picked lovely branches of queer little white berries & scarlet & yellow maple leaves & I arranged a copper jug & a grey bowl with them & everyone thought they were very artistic!! Lois showed Cec her leaf-brusher-up & her lawn-mower with a seat to sit on & Til & I inspected the plants & roped in Cec to help us transplant some little pine trees that had been just dumped in one place. Cec then helped Lois who was caulking around the side of the house & Til & I went shopping in Waterville for the groceries & began cooking dinner when we got back. Mr. & Mrs. Pasquier were coming later to see us & for a snack Til said, & we just had all the dinner ready about 2:30 to 3 o’clock, when in they came! After everything had been shown etc.Till was in a great quandary as the dinner was all cooked with only 6 little pork chops, but we dished it all up with lots of veg & applesauce etc. and ice cream & cake (stale, Til said) afterwards, & everyone had a good time!
They had to leave in the early evening as they had another engagement, but it was so nice to see them again & Ethel brought us the loveliest presents from her trip abroad. To me she gave a beautiful hankie from Paris, with a map of England woven into it, & for our wedding present she gave us a lovely little cigarette holder and ashtray made of Royal Copenhagen ware, which she got in Denmark. They are a dull turquoise blue on the outside with grey inside & a gold band around the rim. Weren’t they lovely presents?
On Sunday we slept late (Cec & me!! ) then Cec & Lois did more chores & I began cutting suckers off the apple tree with a lovely long handled sort of guillotine! In the afternoon two old aunties of Lois’ arrived (just as we were finishing dinner!) with 2 other ladies & a gentleman & they stayed for ages! Cec & Lois sneaked away & began a great project to enable them to tow the leaf-sweeper-up behind the motor mower & toiled away at it until dark & just got it done, much to their delight!! When the Aunties etc. finally left, Ruth & Ernie & the children & Lois’s other sister, Mary, came as we were just beginning to think of going for our 6:15 bus, so Til called up & found there was another bus at 10:15, so we were persuaded into staying. After a while Ernie took the children home & Ruth & Mary drove us in for the bus, & it was very foggy a lot of the way. The bus was late & we didn’t get home till 1 a.m. feeling fair wore out, but we had a lovely time, & think their house is sweet & just suits them. They are both thrilled with it – particularly Lois, who is as tickled as if she had hatched it!! Til has a grand-daughter – baby born in Panama!
I was most interested to hear about Monie’s impressions of Wales & sympathise with her over the cold feet and nose – particularly as I have a cold sore on my lip at the moment! Pah! -never had them before I got engaged!! I told Cec you were making cracks about his Mama writing letters & he laughed! You won’t be hearing from her for a long time now anyway, as we had a letter last week full of news – they have sold their house & land in Sutherland & have bought a smaller house with a smaller garden actually in Saskatoon. It will be less work & more convenient & they seem very pleased. Also, Russell, the 2nd boy (21) is engaged & getting married at Christmas! He is the one who works on the Govt. Telephones you know & is away from home, but when he was home for the weekend when we were there, there was a little talk of his girl, but not much & we are so sorry we didn’t meet her.
It is now Wednesday, so I have decided to finish & post this letter tomorrow, as I think it is just about the proper weight. I will continue with the rest of the gossip & post the next installment later! Cec is busy marking tests – he is taking 2 classes (6 hours) a week- the same as he did before, but on Tues. & Thurs. his classes begin at 8 o’clock so that is a change for him!! He is sitting there, muttering “Silly buggers” as he marks things wrong!
My love to Auntie Muriel & Auntie Ettie – I hope that you are all having the loveliest time by the sea.
This is basically a collection of pictures and notes, illustrating the back-and-forth between Cyn and her mother, Carol.
Pictures from Carol: These are very sturdy, matt, and have her comments on the back. The big one was posted earlier, when the pictures were mentioned in a letter. (Nov 1 1950) It is stuck in the scrapbook, so anything written on the back is unavailable.
Carol Alone. Grannie’s writing: “Another of me with Moo cut off- I look rather soft – It’s my hanky I have in my hand and not my teeth as PWV suggested!” Moo & Carol seated. “This was about the best of Muriel – and it’s not good- he made her take off her glasses which was a pity.” Moo & Carol standing- in the shoes Cyn had never seen! “Muriel & self by the variegated hybiscus tree – its leaves are more white than green & the flowers bright red. Moo has her arm around me, & I am looking at a hen going to roost in a tree near by–” “ ‘Noyack’-he couldn’t get in the front steps unfortunately – they are just at the side-” [see pencil marks meant to be steps] “I am sitting at Muriel’s window – my bedroom window is at the right- X”.
Then there is the collection of oddments Cyn mentioned in her letter of November 7th, on three different types and sizes of paper, that she sent by sea, but referring to events she had already mentioned to her mother. (Just in case anyone else needs educating, Cyn was used to having fun from childhood on November 5th, when the English celebrate the failure of Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605, with fireworks and bonfires that burn a stuffed effigy, ‘the Guy’.) She never mentions Hallowe’en on Oct. 31, which I would have thought would have been an equivalent event in Ann Arbor.
Dearest Mummy,
This isn’t a letter- it is just a collection of funny things to amoose you!
I thought that you would like to know a bit how Til & Lois’s & the Sutherland’s houses look, and you know what fun I get out of drawing plans! They are both lovely houses in their own ways, but Til and Lois’ is in such a beautiful place it is hard to describe it. The prices – wow!- S’s is $25,000 & T & L $23,000 – millionaires needed!
The other funny little things are the place cards & menu I am going to make for dinner on Sat. night! We are having my pal Edie from work & Cec’s Canadian pal Al MacNamara from the Physics Dept. (he is from Sask – very shy – he came to dinner once before) to dinner & to play bridge. I have decided to make it a Guy Fawkes dinner, & altho’ Cec says they won’t know who he is, I’ll educate them! The place card is supposed to be a rocket exploding, & the menu is a gibbet done on my typewriter! I’m going to try and make a tiny “guy” for a centrepiece – wish you were here to help me!
Dinner will be a bit fattening I fear, but we have been wanting an excuse to get a duck!!
Lots & lots of love from
Cyn
This is to give you some idea of what Til & Lois’ house (1 year old) looks like. It is only one story- no attics or cellar – & is made of wood & painted pale yellow outside. The living room is lovely with two huge windows- the front & back- it is panelled in pine & has a natural carpet & oyster-y curtains. The bookshelves are built in & have a green patterned paper at the back & the new furniture is to be in greens & reds. The kitchen is lovely too with the same reddish pine used for counters & cupboards above & the walls are a beige glass tile & so are the bathroom walls. The kitchen curtains are blue check, the bathroom curtains, mat, shower curtain etc. are grey & yellow, & the linoleum yellow. The bedrooms are nice too, but I’m blessed if I can remember the colours! The little study is sweet, with a green carpet, & they are going to get new curtains. The outside is beautiful of course – all the orchard in front, & at the back the most wonderful view of the river– wooded banks- & it forks just opposite them & goes around a big island. Their bank is still full of bushes and scrub, & has to be all cleared, but afterwards I have persuaded Lois to plant daffodils there, & I think it will be heavenly.
This now, is a plan of the Sutherland’s new house. As you can see, it is much bigger, older & more formal. It is white painted wood outside with green tiles, has big basement, & attics. The sitting room is a lovely big room which they need as they entertain so much – the study is the Doc’s & is painted grey (Gunborg did it). The whole kitchen has been remodelled & is elegant! The walls are a pretty soft yellow-the cupboards around the walls are natural wood, well the tops of the counters are a soft pinky red formica (hard linoleum-y stuff) & inside the cupboards are red painted to match. It sounds a bit odd, but it looks very nice indeed. Upstairs there are 4 bedrooms – the girls have one each- & a bathroom- then the main bedroom (over the front 1/2 of the sitting room) has a little bathroom with shower only, of its own. All the bedrooms have little balconies (on study roof, porch etc.) – very romantic! Apart from the kitchen which they had done, Gunborg is doing all decorating herself – study, downstairs cloakroom, 2 bathrooms etc. & some is old & needs plastering cracks etc.- a big job.
P.S. Little Mary was writing a letter to her Auntie in England the other day & told her they had a chipmunk in the garden – then wrote “He is a doorable”!! Sweet.
By Sea to the West Indies- posted the first week of November, back is postmarked November 23 0r 28…
Cec is busy, so didn’t meet me for lunch, so I am improving the shining hour by beginning a letter to you! He is giving a paper at the Seminar (all the Physics Profs. and Lecturers and graduate students) on Thursday, so you can imagine the work he is doing, and the hours he is keeping. However, he seems quite pleased with what he is doing, so that is one thing.
Typing reminds me, that in your last two letters you have been asking me about those forms which I was to type for you – I didn’t mention it in my last letter, because I sent them off by sea some time ago, and I kept thinking that you would have got them before I wrote to you about them. I have no idea how long sea mail takes (let me know sometime-huh?) but I am sure that you should have got them by now. If not, I am awfully sorry – I thought they would be in plenty of time or I would have sent them by air. If by any chance they are lost, let me have a copy by air, and I will send you off some more by return, if not quicker – I promise.
I have not got your last letters with me, but thank you very much for them. One arrived on Friday last week, and one that you had addressed from Jean. Please thank her for me, will you, because at my present rate of reply she won’t get a letter for years! It was nice of her to write to me. You will wonder if you are ever going to get your letters answered, but I assure you that you will get a shock one day! Next week I am going on a strict diet (!!!) which I read in the paper – lots of eggs and grapefruit etc. and it is only for two weeks, which I think I could stand! Anyway I am going to have to take my lunch with me each day, so that I get the right things to eat, so Cec is going to carry his lunch too, and we are just going to eat at work. THEN I will answer your letters each lunchtime, and you will eventually get a lalapalooza! Incidentally, the money we save on lunches next week, we are going to save to buy a bathroom scale, so that we will be able to weigh progress!! Cec is going to help me to keep it up for a week, and see how I get on- he is going to be strict and not let me eat a cookie each time I feel hungrey! However, don’t get alarmed, because the article said that you were to stop at once if you felt badly or were irratable, so I won’t suffer at all!
Talking about letters, we heard from Connie and Len last week, and they sounded very forlorn. They had been in Ottawa for ten days, and had not got an apartment yet, and seemed quite in the dumps about it – they said that there were plenty of places, but all had snags, some too far out etc. We told Gunborg about the letter, and she said that she wasn’t surprised, that they had always struck her as rather a peevish couple, and very hard to please! We were a bit surprised, but we had suspected that Gunborg didn’t like them very much! However, we think that they are a bit inclined to want to perfection, and the letter did seem a bit grumbly – Len is complaining about his small salary and says that he doesn’t think that things can be any cheaper there than in the U.S. – I might send the letter for you to see when I answer it anyway. Connie puts a P.S. and says that they were living for Christmas when they would see us, so we thought that was rather pathetic, and we felt sorry for them.
I wrote to Winnie Sheedy last night, and sent Geraldine and Peter birthday cards. Cec and I had fun last week buying toys in the dime store for Peter’s birthday parcel. We got him little plastic horses with cowboys and Indians to ride on them, and plastic street lamps which glow in the dark, and one of those funny jointed green snakes which wiggle when you hold it, and a top which you shoot from a gun (plastic) and lots of candy and comics. I enclosed a lb. of icing sugar for Dottie, and 2 pkts. of Jello. I have to get my Christmas presents this weekend and send them off next week, so we will have a shopping spree on Saturday – fun!
Had to stop there & do some work! I am home now & have had dinner & washed up. I have arranged to go with Edie & Dawn from work to the pictures to see Bette Davis in “All About Eve” as our husbands are working, but it is raining so I wish I could stay at home! We have had the wierdest weather lately – the weekend we were at Til & Lois’ & about 3 days afterwards were so beautiful & warm, then the weather broke, & on Saturday we woke up to sleet & snow! It was a dreadful weekend & has been dull & not nice since.
I had Edie & Cec’s Canadian friend from the Lab Al (was at Univ. in Sask) to a Guy Fawkes dinner & to play bridge! We had no fireworks though! I sent my menu & place cards in a sea letter at the weekend with a plan of Lois & Til’s house & one of the Sutherland’s new house, telling what they were like. Anyway our dinner was a big success, & we had a nice time – Al is very quiet & shy, but although Edie is quiet, she is very sweet & asks questions & is a good listener- & they both said they had a good time.
On Sunday we walked up to S’s in the afternoon as Gunborg is going away for about a week to stay with friends for a change (has a lady to come & look after the house) but they were out. I wrote to Dottie on Sunday, so I am making an effort! Last night too I did all the ironing & washed my hair, so felt full of virtue!
Had a letter from Cec’s Mummy tonight, & they have sold their house & land, & have bought a smaller one in Saskatoon (they were 3 miles out)- also Russell (21) is engaged & is to be married at Christmas!! Isn’t that a lot of news?!
Must stop- Love to A. Muriel & A.. Ettie (is she staying for Christmas?) & lots & lots for my Thin little Mama!
I took this letter to Til and Lois’ at the weekend to write & tell you what their new house was like, and then we were so busy all the time I never got done.
Now I am at work as you can see & I am rushing this off so that you won’t scold me too much about being late in writing! With being away for the weekend I have been all behind hand with the housework & have been puttering around the last two evenings, & tonight Gunborg & I are going to see Charles Laughton give a One Man Show! He reads bits out of books & does acts etc. & is supposed to be very good.
Well – about our weekend! I took a half-day on Friday, so had a chance to pack & tidy a bit before meeting Cec for the 3:45 bus. We arrived in Toledo at about 6, & Lois was there to meet us in her tiny car & drove us 22 miles out along the river to their new house. It was dark of course, but it is a lovely drive all along the river in the country. Their lot is 200 ft. x 800 ft., so is big, as you can imagine and is right by the river – they even have a little dock! Between the house & the road is an orchard (14 apple trees) & between the house & the river is lawn then bushes etc. on a fairly steep river bank. The house is new (1 year old) & very sweet & small – I’ll tell you more about it in a longer letter- & Til had a great fire to welcome us & it was lovely. We were thrilled with it & so are they, & it was a heavenly warm sunny weekend- has been up to 80° then & since & today (Nov!) is the same. We spent all weekend helping in the garden & having such fun- also Mr. & Mrs. Pasquier came on Sat. & Lois’s relatives on Sunday. We ended by not getting home till 1 a.m. on Sunday & were we tired!!
We got your pictures which Mr. Verrell took & think they are lovely pictures, but that they don’t do you justice! The big one is the nicest we think, but he has taken it from below a bit, so you look as if you had a double chin- you haven’t I’m sure! You have a pretty dress on & shoes which I’ve never seen- I am quite surprised to realize that you have dresses I don’t know about!!
Tell Auntie Ettie I had a card from Mona in Wales- nice! My love to her & Auntie Moo. Must stop now & will write more tomorrow.
A Family History in Letters 