Children – Page 9 – A Family History in Letters

May 5 1957

Box 330
R.R.1
Ottawa

Sunday 5th May.

Dearest Mummy,
It is a lovely day after a week of cold windy weather. We had a beautiful warm spell over Easter & for a while afterwards & things were just looking lovely & then it suddenly got so cold & even froze some nights & people who had put out plants etc. got them all frosted. However we weren’t so venturesome & indeed Cec is being very correct about his gardening this year – all the seed catalogues etc. tell you to begin seeds indoors & as we haven’t had too much luck putting them straight into the garden & the season is so late beginning here anyway that we thought we would try it. So last weekend Cec made some flats & sifted soil etc. & planted them & already we have some funny looking little things! I giggled at Cec as he worked so hard over getting them all done nicely & then he said “Well, I hope they won’t be a success!” & when I said “Why?” in horror he said “Well, I couldn’t bear the thought of having to do all this every year!” However he is already talking about what he’ll do next year so he can’t be too serious! We planted Cosmos, Clarkia, Brackycomb, Petunias, Lavendar, Zinnias, Nemesia, Portulaca, Stocks & Perennial Iceland Poppies. Also Tiny Tim Tomatoes & some Baby Muskmelons for down the hill! We have ordered 6 more rosebushes & 3 new chrysanthemum plants & Cec divided up all the orange lilies in the Fall so we have quite a few perennials now – also some delphiniums & a peony we got last year & sweet williams. My Bleeding Hearts from Mrs. Carleton are all doing nicely but Cec is having grave doubts about the chicken manure he dug in so laboriously in the Fall. You know it was on Ken’s advice he did it, but our things seem to be so late compared to other peoples & our bulbs are so slow. Of course the latter may be caused by the transplanting as in the places where they weren’t disturbed they are way ahead, but poor Cec is going to be so disgusted if they don’t do well after all his hard work.
The children have been playing out all day with Jimmy except for going to S. School, & I gave them a picnic lunch on the grass & they had a lovely time. They are both looking so well & rosy cheeks now & seem to get so much dirtier than they ever did before! The bathroom wash basin always seems to be filthy & Charlie’s towel is just like the pictures you see of little boys’ towels! Charlie is quite lonesome on school days with no one to play with now, as he had such fun at Easter with Lindy & Jimmy, so he will be delighted when summer holidays come. He is very pleased at the thought of going to school & in S. School this morning I heard him holding forth to the teacher in front of all the children so he isn’t shy! I meant to begin a letter to you last night, but I began to make a book for my S. School – a Touch & Feel Book. They give you outlines of a sheep, bunny, dog, bird etc. and you cover them with cotton wool, velvet, feathers etc. to get the right feel – it was fun but it took me hours! Cec was at a Men’s Do at Boris’ & I spent the whole evening stuck up to the eyebrows! My class is still going strong & I have pretty regular help from a lady Mrs. Kuhn whose little girls come so it is all right, but I find I spend at least one evening a week making things for it & getting things ready. Do you remember Flora Wansborough a thin dark girl further down the hill towards Ben Rothwell’s? They adopted a baby boy just over a year ago & we coffee together occasionally – anyway she is an Anglican & I got her interested & she may come & help teach. She came & watched last week. Yesterday afternoon the Anglican Ladies had a big Maytime Tea & Sale of Work down at the School. It wasn’t anything to do with the Sunday School really but all the mothers etc. got together & organized it & the idea was to make money for a Fund as the beginning for a church some day. They sold tickets at 25¢ for the Tea & then had an Apron Stall, Children’s Wear Stall, Baked Goods, Plants, Candy Stall & a Recipe Stall which I thought was such a good idea. I’ll tell you about it because it might be a new idea for your May Fair or Bazaar sometime. They had 13 very luscious foods set out looking very attractive, then in front of each one little samples of the cake, cookie etc. stuck on toothpicks for people to taste & they were selling the 13 recipes typed on a sheet for $1. 00. They had some foreign recipes, some pickles etc. & I thought it was very good – Pat & I got one between us – 50¢ apiece! Pat has it at the moment & is going to type me a copy – they have the recipes from various people you know, which always adds interest too. I thought I had done quite well as I sold 10 tickets; made chocolate truffles for the Candy Stall; made coconut cakes for the tea; made choc. layer cake for the Bake Stall & sent 2 jars of pickles. Then I heard of a lady who had sold over 70 tickets, made 2 aprons, 2 children’s play suits, made bread, cakes & sent jam to the Bake Stall & was in charge of the Candy Stall & made dozens of lots of candy. Whee! Anyway it turned out to be a big success, & had lots of people there & I hear today that it made over $500 which seems wonderful for such a small group with no real church organization behind them. I was going to take Linda & Charlie, but then Linda got an invitation to Diane Kuhn’s birthday party (in her class at school) so Charlie decided he would rather stay at home & play with Jimmy. Lindy was to go as a storybook character, so I spent the Friday morning making her a little red cloak with a hood. Do you remember some red lounging pyjamas I swapped with Jessie long long ago? Then at my Halloween party in Cambridge I made them into a red petticoat? WELL – now I made Lindy into a cute Little Red Riding Hood! Lu gave her a pretty red moire skirt of Leslie’s a little while ago & they exactly matched & with a white blouse & a little basket she really looked like the storybook! I took her to the party & then took Pat & Mrs. Tomlinson & Joanne & Susan to the Tea – lots of people were there – even Mrs. Rothwell making funny remarks about Anglicans! I got some cookies & small cakes, some candy, a kettle holder & a pair of darling little “baby doll” pyjamas! The top is flowered cotton with little white panties, but unfortunately it is too small for Linda (they had no bigger sizes) so I will send it to Barbara Heslop for her birthday.

I was so pleased with myself yesterday morning as I went to town & had such a successful shopping spree. I had thought I might get a suit this spring but I looked around earlier & they all had these straight tight skirts which are so bad for my poor seat! Then I decided I would get a coat as the only non-winter one I have is my grey raincoat from trousseau days which is very sad now, & I saw a nice black bengaline in Simpson Sears catalogue (water repellent too) which was just what I wanted so I sent off for it. I was so disappointed when I got a card saying it was out of stock so on Sat. I went downtown & found just the same thing at Freimans’ & in my size too. I got it there & then & then hopped upstairs & got a little pink lacy hat & a pink scarf (I already have a new high-heeled black suede shoes). I also got Nan a pair of red corduroy “scuffies” (slippers with no backs) reduced to $1.00, so felt very successful! I dashed home & got Cec to mark the hem of my coat & shortened it then & there & wore it to the May Tea with my new hat & felt so pleased as everyone was dressed up to the eyes & I felt quite chic too. I have my white straw that from last summer I’ll also wear with the coat & I got some pretty white material with a black flower spray on it to make into a dress, so it will all go nicely. Do you remember a pretty navy coat Lila had on that day we drove out to Kingsmere? Well, mine is very like that.
I feel quite free to concentrate on our summer wardrobe now as I have at last finished the slipcover for the sofa & feel very pleased with it. Cec & I had such a busy time last week after Easter. I told you how he began painting & finished the bathroom & it looks so nice & fresh.

Then I got some pretty yellow nylon & made a new curtain & we got 20 yellow tiles (plastic) & tiled around the wash basin. It looks most elegant & it is such an improvement as the wall got so splashed behind the basin & it spoilt the paint. We are very pleased with it. Then Cec began on the kitchen & painted that (I helped but I was mostly sewing the slipcover. ) It is a very pretty pale blue, walls & woodwork, with the brown cupboard doors. We have also moved things around & now it is like this-

It is such an improvement having the stove near my workplace in the corner near the sink & the fridge is just as convenient on the other side & not so much in the way. It takes the stove away from the door too & when we sit at the table we are not as close to it. Cec has hung the bread box below the window & under it we have a new white garbage can! I have some blue and white spotted material to make frills for the tops of the windows but haven’t done so yet. I think it looks very nice though & I’m delighted with it.
All last week then, Cec was painting hard in the evening & I was sewing away & in the day time the children & I were busy gadding! Lindy was on holiday of course, & on the Wed. we went to tea with Susi Dressler & saw the little twins – so sweet – just a month old, then on the Thurs. we drove over & had lunch with Lee & Barry & Dougie; on the Friday we went & had coffee with Flora & then on the Sunday the Atchisons [Cec’s sister & family] came to dinner! Cec planted all the seeds last weekend too, so it really was a busy time. The A’s were all well after a bad winter of colds, chickenpox etc. but little Patty Lou is growing fast & beginning to walk & Lea is still enchanted with her baby. Cec & I we’re saying that she really missed so much of Darryl’s baby hood with working that this is really new & fun for her & she just thinks Patty is wonderful. I was handing on some of Lindy’s little things I still had – but not the prettiest ones! Aren’t I mean – but some of them are too sweet to give away!
This week we had a party on Tuesday – a surprise birthday party for Lila! You know she is so good about sending the children birthday, Valentine, Easter presents etc. etc. & one day Cec & I were talking & I said I didn’t really like surprise parties but that I thought one for Lila might be fun, so we had one! We invited mostly those with children whom Lila treated as she treats ours you know – Phyl & Alex, Nan & Don Ramsey, Joan & Boris, Ray & Doreen Moore (the N.Z. couple but they couldn’t come – Doreen is sick – preggy again – R.C.’s poor girl ) then Dr. & Mrs. Herzberg, but Mrs. H. couldn’t come as she was away, & Dr. H’s secretary Mary & Santiago & Dr. Velasco. I phoned Lila a little while ago & said I wanted her & Mary to come out & arranged a day in a very casual way, & then Alex & Phyl picked them up & got here about 8:50 & all the rest at 8:30 having put their cars around the side. Then when Lila came up everyone sang Happy Birthday & we gave her a pretty pink corsage & a card signed by all the children! She was quite pink & confused, but very pleased I think & we all had a nice evening. We chatted & then played quite a good card game that everyone can join in, & we had Punch to drink. Then I had coffee & tea & a big pretty tray of open faced sandwiches like I used to have in Cambridge & then a big birthday cake. I made it white with a wreath of pink rosebuds around & Happy Birthday Lila in the middle. It was all over & everyone leaving by midnight but we felt we’d had a good time & enjoyed it anyway so we hoped everyone else did! We had a nice card from Lila full of raptures afterwards!
On the Wed. the children & I had another kind of party – Charlie & I picked up Lindy from school in the car & went downtown for lunch & then we went to see Walt Disney’s “Cinderella”! I was very keen to take them as they have a Cinderella book with pictures from the movie & they were both thrilled at the idea. Lindy just loved the whole thing & enjoyed every minute, but poor old Charlie got a bit tired & kept saying “Is this the end?”!! However I really think it was quite a success as it was their first full length film in a theatre – I loved seeing it again too! Then we went out to tea to Mrs. Kuhn’s on Thurs. & Lindy & I got our haircut on Fri., so those are all our activities! Cec was back at work every night except the party night last week, so he was really tired this weekend but he got some good results, so he was quite content. Next week I hope we all are going to have a quiet week – I feel we have been living hectically for quite a while!
Thank you so much for your last letter (29th) which I got yesterday – I am so sorry that none of our things reached you for your birthday though. Somehow your letters come so nice & quickly now though, that I assume mine do to you too, but I hope that by now the parcel as well as my long letter will have arrived. It was my fault about the A.M. not getting posted though- so don’t blame poor Cec! I had a bunch of letters to mail – paying bills etc. & your A.M. & some library books & my purse & so on & Charlie & I got in the car & I put them all on the seat between us. Well, what with Charlie & me & all the other things your letter & one of the others slid down the back of the seat & I didn’t notice they were missing when I mailed the rest. Then a few days later I saw a little white thing sticking up & pulled it & lo and behold – letters! I’m sorry! I’m so glad you had a nice birthday – yes we did think of you – and had such a lovely picnic – how nice of Auntie Muriel. You told me the girls had sent you a pretty dress but you didn’t tell me what it was like, but your new hat sounds very pretty too. What a pity Noel Coward didn’t come to Church on Easter Sunday & see you in it! But I really can’t imagine him dashing to Church at the crack of dawn as you & A. Muriel do! What a pity you didn’t see him though although I feel he must be too too conceited for words! Your telling me of him reminds me that I nearly forgot to tell you of someone I met unexpectedly at the May Tea yesterday – Mr. & Mrs. Hughes from Acacia Avenue – remember? They have built a house out here at Rothwell Heights- not way down by the river, but in some woods that we rather liked – moved in just about a month or so ago. They were very cordial & most pressing that we should come & see them, so we must do so & see their house – Mrs. H. tells me it has “What my Mother would call a Charles Dickens window”!! What do you think she means?! I guess a bow window or one with leaded panes!
The Church Procession you saw sounds a most exhausting affair – I’m glad you didn’t try to join in. The new man at Hazell’s sounds as if he will take some of the work off Uncle Fred’s shoulders which will be a relief for him, but as you say Alan Gunn doesn’t sound as if his return will be very permanent. I wonder if you got any bargains at the Sale? They have been having big sales in all the stores here but somehow nothing I needed!
You were asking about Charlie – he’s not nearly such a tender little plant as he used to be & doesn’t cry so much, but still that lower lip can quiver in a very pathetic way! He doesn’t cry at the Barber’s or having his hair washed now & is quite independent – Lindy at last will have her hair cut at the hairdresser’s but has to hold my hand! I am going to make her pink & white sun dress soon – we both think it is very pretty – when I get a nice pattern.
You were asking about our finances – well we are doing quite well & have it last paid off the money we borrowed on our insurance when Charlie was born!! Also we have joined a Civil Service Co-op Savings Society which takes the money out of our pay cheque before we get it so perhaps now we will amass a huge fortune!!
I don’t seem to have been reading much lately – too busy sewing! But I ploughed through a long but interesting biography of Richard III! We don’t belong to a book club at all now – the English one was nice but we got a bit tired of it & the U.S. ones we never seem to get books we like!
I think the table mats for Ginny & Hugh are a very good idea – I’m sure they’ll like them. [Cyn’s cousin Milly Pembleton’s son was getting married in the summer, and so Carol and Cyn were considering wedding presents.] I must get them something & send it off – I thought of something in the china line, but I’ll go & have a look around. Mill very kindly asked us down this summer but I think we’ll postpone it till another year – we thought we would just stay home & save our money this year! But having just begun the savings plan we want to get a good start, & even at the cottage you seem to spend a lot of money & we were counting up & on our trip last year we spent $500 about. That includes things we bought & everything, but still! Talking of table mats I really like yours much more than Amy’s – they look cleaner (!) & the colours are so pretty & cheerful. She keeps impressing on me that she only sends to children now, so obviously I’ll not get the big ones!
By the way, I got the photo album from Una at last – so silly- all these pictures & only a few with you in & I haven’t a clue as to who any of the other people are! If she said sent it to you, you might have been amused at it, but really there are so few with you in that it seems quite pointless to send it to me.

Monday. I am just finishing this off this evening & have just had a birth announcement of Dottie’s baby – a son! Ken writes a note on the bottom that the baby & Dottie are both doing well. Born 16th April & weighing 7 lbs. 2 oz. but no name. Cec says that anyway he won’t be so spoiled as a baby girl would have been! [Ken & Dottie’s blended family now has 4 boys!]
I must stop as I am yawning me head off! Must send Nan her birthday card & will send her Scuffies tomorrow – my love to Auntie Muriel – big hugs & kisses from Lindy & Charlie & lots of love from us all –
Cyn.

April 23 1957

Box 330
R.R.1 Ottawa
10:30 a.m. 23rd April.

Dearest Mummy,
I am ashamed of not having written for such a very long time – I don’t know how it is I seem to achieve so little these days & be constantly disorganized! However this morning I have got my washing out on the line early & Claire comes tomorrow to clean so I thought, “To heck – I’ll leave everything else & write to Mummy!”
We are having the most beautiful Easter weather – it began on Good Friday & has been sunny & warm & heavenly ever since. Before that it had been dry but quite cold for so long – all the snow melted early but up until last week the ground was still frozen & we have had hardly any rain & with not so much snow as usual, the gardens are as dry as a bone already. The children are having a wonderful time out in the sandbox. Cec fixed Charlie’s wagon on Friday & he has been out with that wagon every available moment since, but I see he’s changed to sand now! His little face is quite pink & sunburnt & both of them look so well. Actually Lindy wasn’t too well at the beginning of the weekend – she was very tired & drooped & not eating on Wed., but Thurs. seemed quite perky & was very keen to go to school as it was the last day before the holidays. She didn’t seem too bad all day although no appetite, but on Fri. morning she didn’t feel well & stayed in bed. We were supposed to be all going over to Jim and Lee’s for dinner in the afternoon, so I had to phone Lee & tell her we couldn’t come & we were all disappointed. I was worried that Linda might be sickening for something as there are mumps & chickenpox around, but it turned out to be a little tummy flu I think as she had a bit of diarrhoea & a little temp. On the Sat. she felt a bit better & was out & about but she is just beginning to eat fairly normally now. I think I had a touch of it on Sun. as I had the trots & felt very tired – went to bed at 9 p.m. & slept for 12 hours & felt fine yesterday!
We had quite a busy day on Sun. as I meant to go to 8 a.m. service, but had a restless night (this sudden hot weather!) & was wide awake at 5 & fast asleep at 8! So I went at 11 instead & had just got home & Cec had bathed the children when the phone rang & this was Joyce & Les Haywood & their 3 girls. They’d been to Montreal for the weekend & were in Ottawa on the way home, so they came right over & we had coffee & chocolate cake (which providentially I had made on Sat.!) They left about 1:30 & we had a scrambled lunch & Cec took the children over to visit Lila. She has recently gone to live with an old lady who was to be away for the weekend, so she had invited the children for the afternoon. We went & collected them about 6 laden with chocolate bunnies etc. Lila had had an egg hunt for them with those coloured candy eggs & they had enjoyed looking for them but then told her they didn’t like those eggs & didn’t want to take them home! Poor Lindy has had the worst time trying to pretend there is an Easter Bunny! I have never said much about it as we in England didn’t have it but this year in kindergarten they have heard the whole thing & although she knows we really give the eggs she has been pretending it was the Bunny! On Easter Sunday morning Charlie, who was rather confused by all this, said “Did you give me the Easter Egg or did the Easter Bunny?” & I – who had put my foot in it once or twice with Linda, said “Oh, the Easter Bunny gave it to me to give to you” whereupon Lindy gave a great smile & said “Oh I am so glad you told a lie about it “!!

Cyn’s College Recipe- amended for larger amounts!

Yesterday we had Fanni & Teddy & their 3 boys over for tea & I made a Simnel Cake – do you remember them? The last one I made was in College but this one was nicer – I had to grind the almonds myself for the almond icing though! In amongst all these activities Cec has been so busy, first tidying up the garden & fixing the long narrow trench where we had a few rosebushes & some chrysanthemums. We have ordered 6 more roses so he took out all the chrysanths & dug in manure etc. & got it all ready. Then he has been painting – finished the bathroom in pale yellow, very pretty & last night we began on the kitchen. We painted all that bright pink woodwork pale blue & it is a vast improvement & we will paint the walls pale blue too. The cupboard doors are still stained brown, so there will be some contrast & I am getting some material to make just a frill across the top of each window – blue & white I think.
I have been making up the children’s sheets & pillowcases. I made the winter flannelette sheets as soon as I got the material, but just got the cotton ones done now. I also made Lindy a pretty little pink flared skirt out of the pink material Nan sent me. I had asked her to get Lindy a Viyella-type dress & pants & the little pink & blue dress she got had no pants so she sent a yard of pink Dayella. It was much too pretty for pants so I made this little skirt & it looks very sweet. We got Charlie a navy blue raincoat you know, & he is thrilled – “I’m just like a little man” he says “With a long draggy-down coat!” It’s nice & big you’ll gather!! I have begun making the slip cover for the big old sofa, but so far have only one cushion made, but it looks nice! I am going to try and get it done this week though, as once I get going at it I don’t think it will take too long. Another thing I made was a hat! Lu took millinery classes this winter & promised to show me how to cover a “hat form” if I got one. So I got one in Woolie’s for 29¢ – just a white buckram shape like a crescent moon & took it & some of the pale green material of my dress over to Lu’s & she showed me how to do it – you stick the material on with household cement! I lined it & trimmed it at one side with a few dark green feathers & it is very nice I think! Anyway with that & my dress I have a new outfit!
I really have needed them as we have been really social lately. Last Thursday Boris & Joan suggested that we join them & Jerry & Mary to have a Chinese dinner downtown, so we all met & had a lovely feast! We then went to Joan & Boris’ & had dessert of fruit salad & coffee & it was a very pleasant evening. The Sunday before Santiago invited us all out to dinner, so we drove out to the island & had a Chinese dinner there too – except the children had chicken. It was very nice also & Dr. Velasco (who was there too) & Santiago came home & spent the evening with us. The week before was my birthday week & so we went out to dinner with Cy & Margie on the Friday. We went to the Château Laurier & had a drink & then went to the French Buffet & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was the first time Cec had been there & he thought it was just as nice as we did. Actually on my birthday Cec redeemed a long time promise & had us all to lunch at the Council. [Government Cafeteria, nothing special.] This was the biggest treat to the children & they thought it was wonderful seeing so many people they knew all eating their lunch too!
We were at Dr. & Mrs. Herzberg’s one evening & he had just recently returned from a trip to India & he had lots of lovely colour slides which he showed us & he also brought back all sorts of beautiful saris & stoles & carved things & turquoise jewellery etc. for Mrs. H. & Agnes, so it was very interesting, although he had so many colour pictures (& quite a few the same) that I had a hard time keeping awake while he was showing them!
We have been trying to pay back some of our social duties too as with me being ill we were away behind & seem to owe everyone. We had Mary & Jerry & a friend of theirs from Harvard who was up working in Cec’s Lab. for about 6 weeks & a couple called Beer from Ann Arbor. He was in Gordon’s Group & we met them last summer (Cec knew him already) & he is now at the Council as a Fellow in another Dept. Gunborg assumed we would be great friends as Mrs. B. is English but this was our first get together! Then another evening we had another man from the Council in another dept. whom Cec likes very much. His name is Andy Dunn & we were also interested because his wife comes from Trinidad! They met in Halifax apparently where she was at school (her parents are Canadians living in Trinidad) but the funny thing was that I mentioned I had relatives in Trinidad & that one of my cousins owned the Coblentz Hotel & her parents live on that very street! Mrs. D. knew the house & the family who used to live in it years ago when she was a girl – wasn’t that funny? Actually we didn’t like her as much as him, although she was all right & we had quite a good bridge game.
Do you remember me talking about a Swiss fellow at the council called Kurt Dressler and us going to his wedding to his fiancée last May? Anyway Susi was pregnant & about Feb. the doctor told her it was twins & that they quite likely would come early, so this was great excitement & at the end of March twin boys were born. They were quite big 6 pounds & 6 lbs. 3 oz. & I went to see Susi in the hospital & saw the little fellows & they looked very cute – dark-haired & nice & big, not little teeny things like most twins! They are called Lucius & Rainier! I took them little sunsuits made of terry towelling you know – one bound in blue & one in green. I am taking the children to tea tomorrow as Lindy is very keen to see the babies! Susi is kept busy as she is feeding them herself & they eat every 3 hours!

Talking of babies Dottie should have hers by now & I am most eager to know what it is – I can’t help but think a baby boy! I haven’t sent anything yet as I wanted to wait & see so that if it was a girl I could send a very feminine gift!
Yesterday was your birthday & we all wished you many happy returns & thought of you. I do hope that my parcel isn’t very late – I had part of it ages ago but wanted one or two other little things & didn’t get downtown for ages. I’m afraid I still have the children’s card not mailed, as I thought we had one for them & then found it was an Easter card & by the time we got one the P.O .was closed for Easter but will send it- better late than never! I hope you had a lovely day & drank your health as nicely as you drank mine. We got all the Easter cards from you & A. Muriel & thank you so much for them. A. Muriel is so good about remembering us & I’m afraid I owe her so many thank yous but since I was ill I seem to have got so behind hand. When I rest every afternoon & go to bed early I get nothing done! By the way, while I was visiting Dr. Kastner I showed him the little bump on my hand that I thought had a piece of glass and & he took me in at the Outpatient Dept at the St. Louis Hospital one day & gave me a local anaesthetic & tried to get it out. Of course it bled so that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack so he doesn’t really know whether he got it out or not! Anyway he stitched it up & I had a bandage on for a week or so but it is all healed & all right now. There is still a sort of bump there but it doesn’t hurt to press on it as it did before, so I think it is an improvement. I am still taking my iron & am to go back to see him next month. How are your vitamins doing? Do you feel that they are doing you any good?
You will be amused at one thing in your parcel – I sent you a little maple sugar to compare with your cane sugar. I was so pleased this year because I found a maple sugar farm not far from Orleans & took the children out one afternoon to see the sugaring off. It was such fun that we took Lila the next Sunday & it was the first time she & Cec had seen it either. We saw the sap collecting from the trees, but the most interesting part was the sugaring shed where it is boiled in flat open pans over wood fires and then depending on the length of boiling they make syrup, taffy on the snow, or sugar. The children don’t really like the sugar – it is so strong but when Lila was with us we came home & had pancakes for lunch & Charlie kept up with the rest of us. Lindy actually eats pancakes now, which is a great concession but she has honey on them!
I must stop now & get my washing in & wash the dishes etc. etc.! I will write again soon & answer all your nice letters – I have them all here to reply to, but there wasn’t room in this one, but one thing – I would love a brunch coat – thank you very much!
The children send big hugs & kisses – Charlie still has your letter under his pillow!
Love to A. Muriel & lots & lots for you
from
Cyn.

April 8 1957

8th April 1957

Dearest Mummy,
Thank you so much for my perfectly lovely birthday parcel & your card & all your nice birthday letters. I had such a happy time & thoroughly enjoyed myself all week!
We all loved your parcel – the table mats are simply beautiful & I will enjoy using them so much. The London scenes are so pretty & although they don’t exactly “match” Amy’s little mats as the latter are rather brown-y antique flower prints, they are the same type of course & look fine together. We already had them on the table just for ourselves & they look very nice we think. They were really a big surprise as I didn’t expect anything except the hankies. They are most acceptable & I am putting them to use at once – funnily enough, Dottie sent me hankies (and a pr. of earrings) too so I am doing nicely thank you. Cec was most taken with the pictures of me at a tender age & had fun comparing them to Lindy! (My face was fatter!) It is amusing as Mom C. sent us childhood snaps of Cec not long ago, so we are getting quite a collection! Thank you also for my pink panties- I always seem to need pants! I think the pink & white material for Lindy’s dress is just sweet & I look forward to making it up for her – she will have grown out of a lot of her summer dresses I am sure as she is just sprouting now. Her tooth came out by the way (much to her joy!) & she took it to school to show & lost it! Her new one is growing in already. Both she & Charlie were very pleased with their brooches & books. They have both been wearing their brooches all the time – Charlie particularly pleased as he loves jewellery & is very sad boys don’t wear it!! He loves his scrapbook & shows it to everyone! His favourite picture of course is the little house that opens. He got your letter today & is delighted & has taken it to bed with him. He says “Isn’t Grannie kind?” We haven’t read Lindy’s book yet as we are reading “The Wind in the Willows” each evening, but when it is done we’ll get to it. [That might have happened sooner than she thought, because I distinctly remember being so upset when Mr. Toad was imprisoned that I refused to hear any more and didn’t read the whole book until I was 4 or 5 years older.]

What do you think I got for my birthday from my family? A new G.E. Vacuum Cleaner! It wasn’t exactly a surprise as we planned to get one & I suggested we got it for my birthday. It is lovely – a round swivel–top type & so efficient but so light & easy – I’ve been cleaning ever since! Lindy gave me stockings & Charlie a butter dish! We went to lunch at Daddy’s work on my birthday & on Fri. Cec & I went out to dinner with Margie & Cy.

Will write & tell you more in a long letter soon – sorry I haven’t written for so long – we are all fine but have been very social! Haven’t forgotten your Red Pencil ??s – will answer in next!! The Misses. F’s little saltcellar is sweet. Hugs & xxx from the children- Lots of love from us all & thank yous- Cyn.

Written on the 8th, not mailed until the 15th, arrived in Kingstown 25th.

March 17 1957

This letter was actually written in the middle of the previous one, but by a totally different person!

Sunday.

Dear Grannie,
I was sick on Friday night but I got better and this morning for breakfast I had toast, tea, egg, milk, honey and juice afterwards. Lindy and Mummy went to Sunday School but I stayed at home with Daddy and played with Niki. Niki was sleeping on Lindy’s bed and sometimes she likes to get into one of our drawers & go to sleep there. Yesterday when I was sick I had my dressing gown on all day but today I put my clothes on. I can put on all my clothes by myself & when we go out I put on my snowsuit & boots & hat & scarf & mittens as quick as a wink and give Mummy a big surprise.

This evening we are going out to have dinner in a restaurant. I love going to restaurants. When Mummy went to the doctor Lindy & I went & stayed with Daddy at the Lab. We saw Lila & Boris & Shirley & Wendy’s Daddy & Santiago & had a lovely time.
With lots of love
XXX
CHARLIE

Charlie was quite disgusted at Linda getting a letter from you & not him (!) so he had to settle down & write a letter too! He told me what to write & drew the enclosed picture – all kisses you see!! I am in the middle of a letter to you & will mail it tomorrow. Love Cyn.

This is the dress she talks about finishing in her letter- cut out from the pattern with a swatch of the material pinned on.

March 16 1957

Cyn’s letter opens with her guilty confession that she has anticipated her April birthday and opened the small parcel her mother sent with the West Indian delicacies she’d asked for! The Burney Sugar Cake she refers to (may have just been the family name for it) is a street sweet, ginger (hence ‘burney’) in crystalized sugar, which I love too, but I think her
eating it on arrival was a wise move on Cyn’s part, since the last time I brought some back from a St.Vincent visit, the ginger shreds got mouldy before I could finish it!
Cyn is obviously still recovering from her miscarriage, tired and resting when she can, and the explanations about the cost of the blood transfusions are a reminder that Canada did not have a medicare system at this point although the federal government passed a bill that year that started the discussion with the provincial governments. It would be another decade before that was settled.
A reminder about Cyn’s Father, Dr. Ewing: He, a Protestant from Northern Ireland, had been institutionalized before Cyn had married and she & Cec and Carol had left England, and had since converted to Catholicism. He had been considering being buried back in Ireland, which would have been a problem since his immediate family lived overseas, so hearing that he had changed his mind would have been a relief, and the Newcastle cemetery where his neighbour Mr. Sheedy lay more familiar to them.

Box 330
R.R.1 Ottawa
16th March 1957

Dearest Mummy,
What do you think I am doing? Lying in bed eating Burney Sugar Cake & making a PIG of myself! I know I should have kept it for more than 2 weeks yet, but when it arrived yesterday I put it away & then today I took it out again & opened it! Actually I didn’t think you would scold me for opening this one as the other has also arrived, but the mailman put a card in our box to say it was too big to go in & I must collect it from the P.O. I will really keep the next for my birthday – I don’t think Linda would let me open it – she was quite worried about my opening this one, but was resigned when I told her you sent another – she said “My, what a kind Mummy you have!” Haven’t I, though?!! Cec & I had some stewed guavas for dessert tonight & oh – they were yummy! I don’t mind them being stiff or anything – I just love them anyway & I did enjoy them so much. Please tell Doris & her sister (wasn’t it her sister who sent you the guavas?) that they were the nicest thing I’d tasted for a long time – most delicious & delectable! As for the B. S. Cake I can see I’m going to put on pounds – I just can’t resist it & am nibbling away all the time! Thank you very much Mummy for two of my Favourite Foods – I can’t tell you how much I am appreciating them. I am looking forward to my other parcel, but in the meanwhile this is lovely! It’s funny, when I wrote and asked you for the things to eat I thought that the cashew nuts would be the easiest to get & maybe you wouldn’t be able to manage the other 2 & here it was the other way around!
I also have to thank you for your nice letter written just last Sunday which arrived this evening. Cec got it from the mail box after Lindy was in bed so I will give her your letter in the morning & she will be thrilled! She has been asking me ever since she wrote if you will have got her letter yet & she will be so pleased to have a reply. Her tooth is still wobbling away! She has had 2 weeks at school without being absent so things are looking up, but don’t imagine for a minute that we’ve all been well for 2 weeks – oh no! Ha! Ha! Cec has had another cold & last weekend he was feeling better so we planned to all go out on the Sunday & have dinner in a restaurant. On the Sat. evening Cec made a pan of popcorn as a treat & Jimmy came in for it & Cec shared it with them so none of them had very much (the children love it now). Then at about 1 a.m. Linda felt sick & from then until about 4 a.m. we were busy! She sicked up a bit & retched etc. but I thought it was just too much popcorn. Sunday she was better, but wan & not eating, so it was just pointless going out to eat & we just stayed at home. However on Thurs. I suddenly got the trots very badly but it only lasted the day & then I heard from Phyl that she had Andy & then Nancy with the same type of thing – just lasting about a day – then Margie had Danny with the same – then last night Charlie got it! He sicked up & had quite a few spells from about 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. & today has slept mostly but been drinking juice & ate a little supper & is all right now I think. Of course, we’d again planned to go out for dinner tomorrow so whether we’ll get or not I don’t know!!

Monday.
Well, we did go out for dinner & although Charlie still looked a bit peaky he was full of enthusiasm and had turkey for dinner! He & Lindy had a lovely time – so do I! – and Lindy was most intrigued because it was St. Patrick’s Day & all the restaurant was decorated in green & the waitresses had green hats on – the hostess even had green fingernails! Unfortunately poor Cec has the bug today & is feeling quite miserable this evening, but one good thing is that it doesn’t seem to last long so I hope he will feel better in the morning.
I went to S. School yesterday morning for the first time & the poor lady, Mrs. Kuhn, who took my place must have been more than delighted to see me. She has had such a time as not only have I been absent, but Pat Tomlinson also & even Mrs. Dunn who helps Pat, so poor Mrs. Kuhn for 2 Sundays had both classes to cope with! Pat is resigning as she is finding it too hard with trying to cope at home as well as go out to work & the children haven’t been well & she has been quite worn out. I am sorry as she is such a nice girl & I shall miss seeing her, but I certainly think she has been trying to do too much. Yesterday we had 5 teachers there, just for a change, & of course not many of the children showed up! You were asking about Mrs. Martin, my babysitter – yes, I still have her & find her just as good & dependable as ever. She is a staunch Anglican & also teaches at our Sunday school but has the 8 & 9 yr. olds I think. At the moment she is having a worrying time as her husband is in the hospital for a strangulated hernia operation & they also took out his appendix, & she is kept quite tied with her old mother-in-law, so she can’t get out till her husband is home again. He was getting on well though the last I heard. The Dutch woman, Ann, whom I used to have, is also sitting again & was here on Friday evening when Charlie was sick. The children are so different now about sitters- they like to see them & say hello & even had a strange babysitter, a teenager, a week or so ago & never minded. Charlie didn’t make a bit of fuss about Ann staying even when he was sick & as Ann has a little girl, Deenie, in Linda’s class at school (in the afternoon though) she & Lindy had quite a chat.
We were out on Friday to have a buffet supper at Willa & Stewart Woods’. They had invited Lu & Pete & Margie & Cy & ourselves, but when we got there we found the Garrets hadn’t come as Margie had this bug too & the 2 little children had had croup & she was pretty worn out. We had a nice evening with a very enjoyable supper & wine, but before the end of the evening what with being tired & the wine I was yawning away! I’d had a busy day as I’d been to Dr Kastner in the afternoon & I’d been finishing a dress to wear & then Charlie throwing up his supper! After we left he sicked up again & then when we were home a few more times. Dr. K. examined me & says I’m to go on with the iron & to come back in 2 months. Apparently he may then have to cauterize me which sounds horrid, but Lu assures me it’s just a little “zing”!!
The dress I made I am very pleased with – I like it better than anything I’ve made for myself. It is made of the jersey I bought at the Mill last Fall & I worked hard at it all last week to get it done for Friday evening – & just managed it! I covered buttons & belt buckle & even made bound buttonholes, so I am improving & I was pleased with the fit. Lu was very complimentary & said it looked most professional which pleased me as that is what I always think about her things.
Re. the doctor, I told Cec that you thought he should have a check up to & he agreed but said his blood was O.K. anyway as he went to the Hospital a couple of weeks ago & gave a pint of blood to replace one of those I had & of course they tested him then. He will give another later on – Cy offered to, as he is a regular donor, but Cec thought that as it was just 2 he could return them himself. It was $60.00 for blood, but when the blood is returned you only pay for the use of the service etc. about $10 or so. Imagine – no one who has had jaundice can be used as a donor, so I would never be any good! Apparently the bugs still float around in the blood.
Cec & I have been giggling over you & the modern artists! I am quite sure we would both agree with your comments. Lindy, by the way, was delighted with her letter, but amused that you thought it was a duck on the pond – she says it’s a fish! Despite your compliments about her picture, she is no artist – she is like her Mama & sticks firmly to houses & trees & nice simple objects! Charlie even more so – he doesn’t try to colour much & isn’t nearly so interested in crayons & cutting & doing things like that as Lindy was. He has enjoyed the cut-out-&-stick books you sent him, but he wants me to help when he does it although he is getting a bit better at it now.
You were asking about our dinner at Dr. and Mrs. Narasimham’s – well, it was very nice & not nearly as highly spiced & seasoned as I feared! (The pork chops were were for our lunch by the way)! We began with glasses of juice, then for dinner (buffet style) there was rice (cooked with bay leaves & cloves) a curry of vegetables (potato, cauliflower etc. but not too hot), eggplant fried in batter & another dish I’ve forgotten – also a salad. Afterwards, there was a most interesting dessert – it looked like nice white snow balls floating in syrup! The snowballs were made of the white part of junket sort of, sieved & formed into balls around lumps of sugar, then simmered in a sugar syrup, & then the sugar lumps melt & the balls are hollow. They were very sweet but nice.
Phil & Alex’s party some weeks ago was great fun & I enjoyed it. I had a nice sleep in the afternoon & went to it feeling quite rested – most unusual for a Mama! We played one or two games & had a good supper – it was a potluck did I tell you? Everyone took something & I took boned stuffed chickens – 2 small ones – & they were much enjoyed.
In talking about the Christmas present list you asked about my Father & I have been meaning to tell you I had a letter thanking me for the children’s photo. I sent him the laughing one & I was so surprised because he really seemed proud of it & taken with them & before he’d shown no interest at all. I shall send you the letter to see what he says, & then last week I got another letter – not so clear as the first, but still talking about the children’s picture. In it he says he has decided not to be buried in Ireland but in the cemetery where Martin Sheedy is as it would cost so much etc. & talking about the children says something about “they could use the money in 20 years time” so I don’t know what he means, but I knew you’d be glad to hear the end of the Irish idea. I will send both letters when I answer them.
I also had a short letter from Mrs. Scott thanking for Stephen’s present – they are still in Killingworth & Mrs. S. seems to be getting on all right. I send him something at Christmas as I feel I would certainly do it if Irene were there & now she and Bill are not the poor little fellow needs remembering even more. [Mrs. Scott is Stephen’s grandmother, both his parents having died before he was 3 (he’s 5 at this point).]
Lindy’s dress from England was the pink & blue checked smocked one I got Nan to send when she got your jerseys – I think I must’ve told you about it – anyway I saved it for Christmas. Cec smokes a pipe a bit now, but still cigarettes too most of the time. Charlie’s razor isn’t really electric you know! It is just a little plastic thing that goes b-r-r-r as you press it on you & it cost about 35¢! He loves it & always shaves when Daddy does! My pale blue dressing gown was a big surprise – at least I’d asked for a dressing gown, but Cec chose it. I took it to Hospital in a case with me & then they sent the case home with Cec the next day, so on the last day when I was tripping around for routine x-rays etc. (everyone is done) here I was in a little Hospital shift! I was in the Civic [Hospital] by the way – Cec asked Dr. K. about the St. Louis de Montfort & he said “My God no – they’d just let her bleed to death there!”! It seemed very nice to me & people who have been in seem to like it, but they are apparently short of nurses & the doctors all seem to be a bit wary – also it is very French of course.
We still hear from Gunborg & Gordon – she wrote me a very sweet letter about the mis. – & they really seem to love being in England again. Their house sounds most palatial & upper crust!
I will be very pleased to send you the Memo slate things & the Pancake in your B’thday parcel & also the Scotch tape – I’m glad you told me & don’t forget if there’s anything else just say the word.
I must stop now as it’s late & poor Cec has gone to bed – hope his tummy is better in the morning. Forgot to tell you Claire is coming every other Wed. again & I do enjoy having my floors done for me! Cec says I should keep her & I will for a while anyway.
Must away – love to Auntie Muriel – hugs from the children & lots of love from us all –
Cyn.

March 2 1957

2nd March

Dearest Mummy,
As you know, I have been saving all this junk for months to send you, & at last I got it all finished & thought I had better send it A.M. if you were to get it before midsummer! Lindy is also sending you a letter as she was so excited at telling you about her tooth!

picture for you. I have a loose tooth Linda
in the bottom of the front

She & Charlie had colds & Lindy was at home yesterday – I was hoping for a whole week at school for her! However, they are a bit better today but we are keeping them in. I thought you might like to see Lindy’s report & I was so tickled at Cec – he was surprised that she wasn’t excellent at everything!! Actually after we both giggled he explained he was surprised at the “reading & numbers” as we thought she was very quick at them, but on thinking it over she has been absent so much since Christmas when they began doing these things.

I am feeling so much better – quite peppy again & not so tired even in the evenings. I think the Dr.’s remark will probably be true that I will feel better than I have for a long time. Poor Mil, I was so sorry to hear of her horrid time -it must have been trend for dreadful.

We are invited out to our Indian Fellow’s Dr. & Mrs. Narasimhim’s for dinner this evening. They are Hindus – very strict – no alcohol or meat etc. – so we are having dinner now (1:30) (pork chops and & applesauce!) to sustain us for the evening! Will really write a long letter next week, as I am feeling much more like writing now & I have hundreds of yours to answer. Thank you so much for them all.
Lots & lots of love from us all – Cyn.

Putting drawings on the fridge with magnets wasn’t a thing in the 50s.

February 19 1957

19th Feb. 1957. xxx from L. & C.

*The S.Sch. sent me a beautiful box of spring flowers.

Dearest Mummy,
I meant to write you a long letter, but somehow at the moment I don’t seem to get around to doing things, so I thought I’d write one of these & hope to get going soon.
Actually I am feeling much better this week & really like myself again. Before that I was tired & everything was an effort, but on Sunday I suddenly seem to pep up & have been fine since. I still go carefully & rest a bit in the morning & have a sleep in the afternoon, but I get up & get the family going in the morning & Cec is able to go to work at the proper time again. To complicate matters we all got colds last week – Cec & I very wooshy-harooshy ones & the children snuffly, so Linda was home from school & I suppose it sent me back a bit.

However Linda was well enough to go to school on Thurs. (St.Val’s Day!) & all seemed serene, & then on Friday after dinner she was quite subdued & then felt sick & lost her dinner! Sat. she didn’t eat much & on Sun. was better, but on Sun. Cec got a great stye on his eye! Can you imagine!! We were prepared for Charlie to come out in yellow spots, but everything passed over & everyone is well again now – but aren’t we the ones! Everyone has been most kind with calling* & phoning & bringing cookies etc. – Mrs. Rothwell quite embarrassingly so of course, but she really means well!
Thank you so much for your 2 Air Letters of 10th – I got them last Friday. We were so sorry to hear of your poor little kittens & chicks dying – Cec says that D.D.T. poisoning affects the nerves so your idea may be possible but he says your vet. should be able to tell you. Our Nicki is a lovely big puss now but still very playful. She loves to go out & play with the children outside & if they are out & she gets shut in by accident she cries & cries till I let her out!
What with all our ills etc. I have no news to tell you as we have done nothing & seen no one, but the Douglasses are having a party on Sat. & we’re going so I have something to look forward to! The funny thing is that the one thing I still find an effort is to talk to people! Isn’t that odd? And I usually like it more than anything! But quite a few of the girls have phoned Cec & I should call them back & have a chat, but I keep putting it off – a very peculiar thing for me. Probably when I go to the party I’ll talk my head off!

Charlie said tonight “I think everyone in my family is very cute & very lovely & very charming!” The other night he told me I was charming & then after a little pause “Don’t you think I’m charming too? “!!
Please excuse this very dreary letter all about me – will try & be better next time. The cut glass decanters sound lovely & I would love to have them. Dare you send them?
Lots of love from us all Cyn.

January 27 1957

P.S. Charlie’s latest “Mummy – I am in haste”!
Linda’s “Daddy don’t say that – you’re getting me so confused!”

Box 330
R.R.1 Ottawa

27th Jan.

Dearest Mummy,
The last letter I wrote was quite depressing I’m sure, with us all having colds & the weather so cold etc. etc. but by now we are all back to normal. The weather is just the usual Canadian snow & ice – the children got over their colds & are no more snuffly than they usually are & we are back in the routine! Charlie took his medicine very well & looks well & cheery now & is eating well again. Linda continued to be deaf for a few days after her shot, & then one morning when she came into the sitting room she said “My goodness, you have got the radio on loud this morning” & went & turned it down & everything was fine. She was at school all last week, much to her joy, & this morning both she & Charlie came to Sunday School – the first time since Christmas. As Charlie is now 4, he has been promoted into Linda’s class (4 & 5 yr. olds) which Pat Tomlinson takes & he is so proud of himself! He demanded that Linda should sit on one side of him & Joanne on the other & told everyone afterwards that it was much nicer than my class – the games were nicer & the stories better & everything was lovely!! I am very pleased as it was really no good my being his teacher – he just stuck to me & didn’t mix with the other children. By promoting 4 yr-olds I have gotten my class down a bit – under 20 anyway – Pat’s is now up of course!

I had promised Charlie, as he had measles on his birthday, that when he was all well again we would have his party, so the great day is tomorrow. I have lost enthusiasm for the idea by now of course, but we are not being too ambitious but having Joanne & Jimmy & Janek & Phyl Douglas is bringing Andy, so there will just be 6 altogether. We got a book with little invitations to cut out & place cards to make with tiny candy baskets to match & even games to play, so he and Linda have had quite a good time cutting all these things out.

I have drawn a very funny fat donkey & the book provides lots of tails & also gold paper money to hide for a treasure hunt, so I don’t have too much thinking to do! We made the birthday cake yesterday – a marble cake with choc. icing & a blue sea on top as he has 4 birthday candles in the shape of boats. Lila was to come to dinner today, but had flu & couldn’t come so Cec was in the Lab. & found Santiago alone so brought him home & we sampled the cake! But I will cut it into slices & disguise the gap tomorrow!
Thank you so much for both your long letter of 14th & your A.M. & A. Moo’s which came this week. I hope by now the batteries have reached you & that you didn’t run short. You were asking about the colour of my twin set – it is a pretty soft turquoise blue & goes nicely with both brown or black. Last week I made up the brown wool material I got at the Mill in the fall into a skirt – it was quite a squeeze as it was 1 yard of 58” material & I made a plain skirt but with a slight flare

– supposed to be in 4 pieces but I had to make 5 and split one panel, so made the back so:-

it fits very nicely though & I only have shreds left – even the inside of the waistband is pieced out of about 6 bits! Thank you so much for the offer of a skirt for my birthday, but I don’t think I will take you up on it. I think I will get something here as I don’t really think it is worth getting things that must fit from England & the choice of material & colour is so difficult. I am particularly disgusted with mail–shopping at the moment as I got a bill from Harrod’s yesterday for over £4 for 2 shirts I ordered in 1954! I wouldn’t care but I returned one as it was the wrong size & told them at the time I had no bill! Pah!
Actually I hate to tell you but what I really need for my birthday is hankies! Isn’t it awful? I couldn’t possibly buy myself any, so there is a suggestion – nice plain white cotton ones! Actually I also thought that I would love some W.I. delicacies – any chance of burney sugar cake or stewed guavas or cashew nuts? I would just love some & those with the hankies would be what I really really would like! What a lovely idea sending A.G.L. some gorgeous fresh grapefruit – I do hope that you can do it as I should imagine it would please her enormously as well as being a real treat.
Since the very cold spell we have had all sorts of odd things – a few very mild days of pouring rain & then back to subzero again & now just normal snow & cold. All the rain ran down at the back & made a pond & froze so there is a lovely sheet of ice & the children have been having a wonderful time on it – sliding, pulling their sleds – coasting on their bottoms!
By the way it was very sweet of the Miss Finley’s to give you the salt cellar & spoon for me – I could use it as I really have no decent ones except your little silver ones. Should I write & thank them now or wait till you send them? Poor old ladies – I’m glad they are settling down in the Home & will be well taken care of. Talking about ladies, Mrs. Ward went to Montreal to stay with her great-granddaughter for the winter & I was very pleased as the poor old thing – moving from one place to another every week was a miserable life for her & Myrtle always seemed to take no pains to hide the fact that she found her a nuisance. The g-g-daughter has children around L & C’s age & Mrs. Ward is very fond of them so I think she will be happy to be there.
We have done nothing since I last wrote except one night I went to the Scientist Wives with Joan Stoicheff to a lecture on “Art & Creative Imagination”! It was much more interesting than I thought it would be! Do you remember the Swiss bride, Susi Dressler? We met her there and she is very preggy- due in April.
I have been having fun ordering things from the Sales! The children were badly in need of bed linen & I needed towels so I had quite a spree – I ordered yellow & pale blue flannelette- yellow & pale blue sheeting – pillowcases with little flowers on – face towels with blue stripes, yellow stripes & pink stripes, striped bath towels & last but not least 2 red nylon & rayon blankets for the children’s bed! I will make them flannelette sheets & cotton sheets & pillowcases as their beds are smaller than an ordinary size & the idea is that Lindy has yellow things & Charlie blue so they will always know their own. The pink striped towels are for me! The 2 red blankets are very gay & are a special size for what they call “youth beds “so fit nicely & I felt they needed something extra these cold nights & they tuck in well. The pillowcases don’t follow the yellow & blue motif unfortunately as they were out of those colours, so to add to the gay colour scheme Linda will have turquoise flowers on hers & Charlie mauve!!
I must stop as it is midnight & the end of 8 pages. I have a seamail letter to go too so will get them all on their way. Lots of love from us all – hugs from the children. Hope you keep well too – Lots of love Cyn.

January 15 1957

15th Jan. 1957.

Lots of love from us all
xxxx from L. & C., Cyn

Dearest Mummy,
I am in the middle of a long letter telling you all about what we got for Christmas etc. but it doesn’t seem to be getting on very quickly so I thought I would write you one of these in the meanwhile. We are practically frozen! We talk of nothing but the weather up here as we are having a terribly terribly cold spell – Ottawa was 38° below zero last night – and Aklavik on the Arctic Circle was 40° above! It has been going on for 4 or 5 days now & no sign of a let up – in the daytime it has been about 15° below zero still although the sun is shining away. I wonder what Monie etc. say when they say “Ottawa – the coldest place” on their T.V. weather charts!! Our hot water pipe into the kitchen is frozen, which really isn’t much, but when you’re not used to it boiling kettles seems such a nuisance! Cec has a heating wire from work & is trying to thaw it out now.
I have had 2 nice letters from you – thank you so much. One was an A.M. & one the registered letter with the $5.00 & as we paid Mr. P. by cheque I took your money & bought Lindy & Charlie new Vitamin drops! Thank you very much for it – I hope the batteries arrive safely & won’t take too long.
Since I last wrote we have done really nothing – Cec is working hard & went back to work every evening last week & the children have had these wretched colds. I let Lindy go back to school last week as she seemed pretty good & Charlie’s eyes cleared up, but the cold seem to hang around without really developing you know. Charlie didn’t eat well & was sweaty at night & apt to be weepy, then at the weekend Lindy’s eyes began getting bloodshot & sore & she suddenly got very deaf, although her ears didn’t hurt at all. On Sun. I had the same thing with neuralgia & ear ache so I didn’t go to S. School. However, with all these symptoms we decided to take them to Dr. Whillans for their check ups & see what he said, so we went today. The children were both wonderful – not a squeak – even when Lindy had a big penicillin shot in her bottom! They had their 2nd polio shot at school last week with no trouble & are getting quite blasé about shots now! Hooray! Dr. W. said they were both rundown after the measles & that the colds on top had caused all the eye, ear trouble etc. He gave Lindy the Pen. shot as she is so bad about medicine but gave us a prescription for Charlie & thinks the infection should clear up. They have both grown a lot in the year but hardly any weight gain which is bad, but he says they probably lost a lot with the measles. They are both full of beans & v. cheery tho’ so I feel that it can’t be too serious! xx Cyn
[And here she runs out of room and has to put the usual good-bye as a P.S. at the beginning.]

Christmas 1956

This letter is missing its first (and thus last) page so dating it is not possible. It discusses their respective presents, however, so it is written in early in January, after the measles quarantine and the quiet Christmas is over. The existing letter opens on page 2 with Cyn’s appreciation of the gifts that Carol had arranged to be sent by friends in England to Cyn and Cec.

… more than seven years ago or rather sad looking now & this one is very nice – not too thick, which he likes. Last but not least my twin set which I love. It seems such a long time since I had a really nice jersey & cardigan – as I wear them mostly in the house they are usually chosen for their economy & not their beauty, so I do feel luxurious! I am going to buy a good skirt & keep them for best – I will also make up my brown material from the Mill & wear them with it, but they definitely deserve a good skirt! All the family join me and saying thank you, Mummy.
We also got your other parcel – you mentioned a book for Charlie’s birthday, but it hasn’t arrived yet, so I gave him one & two of the things out of the parcel then – the little dog for one. The others I put in their stockings – the fan & the kitty needle case in Linda’s & a little boat in Charlie’s (don’t know how to make it go, by the way!) & the white necklace in mine. How clever of Mrs. Y to knit it – it is very pretty. All the little things helped out the stockings a lot- we never seem to find a little things as easy as the big ones. We also got your cards & Charlie his B. card – thank you again.

We were so delighted to get your letter & know that you had got the photographs & liked them. Of course we had great fun keeping them a secret from you as we had them taken in August, so Lindy wasn’t yet five. I wanted to have them taken before she went to school, so that they would still be little children! Once they get to school & begin losing their front teeth they don’t look so sweet! Paul Horsdal, the photographer, is a wonderful man, & as you can see, the children really had a lovely time & enjoyed themselves. He took 12 poses & they were all so good it was really hard to choose. We decided on four we liked best finally & we got for ourselves a big one of the laughing picture we sent you & then the three others the same size as yours so we will have a group! For other people we mostly got the laughing one, & one or two of a more serious one of them together & then some small ones of a profile with Cec likes very much. I was sitting opposite to them & making faces to make them laugh & they looked sweet & I was making the funniest face so he cut me off! We sent to Cec’s family & all the godparents & small ones to Nan, Dottie, Anne etc. so we ran up quite a bill but we felt it was worth it! We are most glad that you got such a surprise & liked them so much – we had been just pining to hear how you liked them!
I’m so glad that you all liked the other parcel too – it wasn’t much for you but I’m glad the brunch coat is useful – I hoped it would be. I still mean to send you a scrapbook but haven’t got one yet. I’m glad Doris and Luenda liked their little things – I thought the snowy picture would amuse Doris! Please tell A. Moo that I will write to her but just to let her know that the Canadian money was quite safe. I didn’t give it to the children as they seem to have so much but will save it for their bank account!
Since I last wrote we have been entertaining nearly all our friends which was lovely but oh! – I did get tired of washing dishes! Charlie’s birthday, poor little fellow we could do nothing as they were still in quarantine, but I have promised him a party this month instead as he is quite taken with the idea of a party! We had his favourite dinner & a birthday cake & then on the Friday (when quarantine was over) we went down town & saw Santa Claus etc. I was so pleased as Lindy went up & spoke to him this year, for the first time & asked for a dolly. By next year I’m afraid she will know it’s pretend as she has heard a few things apparently from Jimmy & is quite full of questions now! Charlie asked for a doctor’s set & a new mouse for Pussy!! We put up the tree on the Sat. & then on Sunday we had an Open House from 3 – 6 for everyone at the Lab. It was quite fun & quite easy entertaining although hectic in spots! I thought they would be spread out but as Cec said there was a big overlap in the middle! I served tea & coffee & Christmas cake, shortbread, gingerbread men, cookies (Christmas trees, stars etc.) & hot cheese scones & then we had sherry & marsala & other drinks & snack things like potato chips, cheese, crackers etc. Altogether we had about 20 people I think – the Douglases & Ramsays couldn’t come which was a pity but as they have most children & the ones we had seemed to be all over perhaps it was just as well!! All together it was quite a success tho’ I think.

On Christmas Eve I went to Midnight Service & got there early for once & got a proper seat! It was crowded as usual & I didn’t get home till nearly 2 a.m. & what do you think? It was pouring with rain as I drove in & out! I was disgusted – rain in Canada on Christmas. By morning it was snow though & since then we have had it really cold 20° below zero at New Year & just 10° below zero in the middle of the day. We had a nice quiet Christmas day – looked at our presents all morning (will send a list) & in the afternoon the Indian couple, Dr & Mrs. Narasimham & their little boy Prussad dropped in for tea. They couldn’t come to the Open House as they were at a reception for Nehru that day. I got a small turkey (6 pounds) & we had it & a tiny plum pudding & hard sauce & all made pigs of ourselves!
Cec went back to work on Boxing Day so Christmas seemed to end quickly, but on the Thursday we had Lea & Wendell & Darryl & Patty Lu to dinner & had a very nice time. Lea seems so well & happy & just delighted with her baby. She is a sweet little thing – all smiles & coos & Lindy is very intrigued. Charlie & Darryl play very nicely together now. On Friday we had Santiago to dinner, then Sat. Ken & Dot Scott came up for coffee & dessert after dinner. On Sunday Lee & Jim & Barry & Dougie came over for dinner & that was very nice too. It was a dreadful cold day & they insisted on coming in the bus but Cec drove them home. Dougie is so cute now – very dimply & still plump & babyish. On Monday we had the Forsythes over. They have just got a car & we were so pleased as now we feel we will see more of them. We invited… [We’ll never know- page 8 would have been on the back of page 1.]