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happiness

That brother of yours keeps growing (FGK-58)

When we were kids, my sister and I used to measure long distances by height of family members. For example, we estimated that Scott Lake would be 10 Uncle Harveys deep. Or a large tree would be 4 Uncle Marshalls tall. Although I would be considered “regular” height in most places, and actually was “tall” when we lived in Virginia, I am short short short here.

I’d like to take a moment to honour Father’s Day. For some this is a day to celebrate, for others it can be a day of quiet reflection. Today I’d like to honour my cousins who lost their dad yesterday, and my aunt who lost her beloved spouse. Uncle Jim was a wonderful man and a fantastic uncle with the best sense of humour and he will be deeply missed by us all. Some of my happiest memories are of times when I would get to fly out to Ontario and spend time at their farm. I am sending you guys all my love and my deepest condolences.

I was happy to pull out one of Mrs. Barkley’s letters today. It’s been a while since I’ve found one, and her letters always make me feel like I’m having a cup of tea (with a proper cup and saucer) and a cookie – or even better a scone and jam!

RR2

Calgary, Alta

Dear Margie

We were so pleased to hear of you being on your feet Margie and I’m sure it gave you a good deal of satisfaction.

Sheila was in fine spirits Friday nite. I told her she really brought good news that night. That brother of yours sure keeps growing.

Had quite a lazy day here today. This hay crew worked until nine thirty last night so everyone was glad of a Sunday. They even had me out last week for a few hours for a few days. we had an odd specimen of boyhood here for a few days so he quit, but seem to have a good one now that Gerald got for us down near the city.

Did you listen to Mr Link from New York this morning? We listened to most of his broadcast last year when he was here. Sometimes felt last hear as tho maybe his wife’s writing influenced him some or maybe she put his ideas down on paper.

Mr. Barkley has retired so I guess I better too-

Good luck and best wishes

The Barkleys

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Sunday Drives (FGK-57)

I remember when Grandma’s dementia was getting worse and it became too challenging to take her out to do things, but she still wanted to go out and do things, we began doing longer car rides. Sometimes it was just around the neighbourhood, and sometimes around Moose Mountain, or just through Kananaskis. Just getting out and watching the scenery go by seemed to really help her feel happier. Since Covid kept us home for such a long time, I started doing the same for my girl who rarely left the house. She fought me at first, especially because she remembered us also doing the same for mom on cold days when she’d been trapped in the house, and didn’t want to have to be driven around “like an old person” (I told her to instead think of it like taking the dog for a car ride which didn’t go over much better). But she always felt better when we got out and went for a drive. It seems these “Sunday Drives” were a thing for mom in the 1950s as well. How lovely that Grandma was able to get her out for these. I’ve mentioned this before, but I realize how much I learned about how to care for people from my parents and their siblings. I watched how they looked after Grandma as she got older and the love and respect they gave her right to the end and it taught me how to look after my own parents the same way. I have watched my cousins do the same as well, and to those of you who have had to experience this my heart extends to yours with deep love. Our family is truly a gift and I feel incredibly blessed to have a strong tribe on both sides of my family.

RR No.1 DeWinton, Alta

12th Aug. 1954

My dear Margie

I was so pleased to receive such a long newsy letter from you a short time ago. I was certainly very happy to hear that you are getting about a bit more each day. I think you did wonderfully well to pass your exams with an A1. You surely must have your head screwed on properly. I am sure I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all you did during the year and pass with an A1 standing too.

I do hope you’ll be able to drop in to see us some Sunday while you are out for a drive. We would all love to see you and have you to ourselves for at least a wee while.

I haven’t much in the way of flowers to see this year as they have had a good hailing twice already this summer. I guess there can’t be any nice dahlias this year. Ed is positively sick when he looks at his lovely crops. They have just about been pounded out of existence. I did manage to get twenty pints of peas in the deep freeze. I don’t think there will be any more by the look of the pea batch. It looks pretty sick right now.

I have had a few visitors this summer. Tuella Kirkland nee Pollock stayed with me a few days. She has two children, a boy eight and a girl ten. Everything hummed around here while there were here. It seemed very quiet after they left.

The girl friend from Ottawa that was up there years ago was back again this year. She stayed from Monday until Friday. She is going on to Kamloops, Vancouver, Victoria, and then back to Trail. She surely has a trip mapped out for herself this year. She has a month’s holidays so she has quite a bit of time to do it in.

Clarence has been just fine this summer and is beginning to talk a bit now. He has a pup that he likes a lot and Auntie Margy brought him a kitten last week. He has a big time with the two of them. However, the pup and the kitten don’t get along together any too well.

We three went around that new road through the Forest Reserve last Sunday. We went with Ed’s sister Esther and her husband (Mr. and Mrs. Herb Jenkins). They have three children so you see we were a real car full. It was the first time I had been over it. We went in through Turner Valley and Long View. It was the first time I had seen the famed “Stampede Ranch”. I was a bit disappointed with it and thought it would be more distinguished looking. It sure didn’t look like much. That is the ranch that the late Guy Weadick built up as a dude ranch.

I was to see the dentist the other day and what do you know, I got them all patched up in one hour. I usually have to go back several times.

Well Margie my dear, it is getting late and I seem to be running out of chatter too. I guess I am getting too sleepy to write properly. So until net time I’ll say “cheerio Margie dear” You’ll be hearing from me again.

Much love

Aunt Annie

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Curling and Rings and Things (FGK-56)

Until reading these letters I had no idea curling was such a big thing in Cochrane. I’ve never curled, although my kids were lucky enough to get to experience it through 4H. They had no idea what they were doing, but they had a blast.

At the time of this letter Mom had been sick for over 4 years and was 15 by this point. The letter was addressed to the Junior Red Cross Hospital, so mom was in the hospital still, but I’m not sure how much time she’d been able to spend at home. When I think about how much my kids changed between the years of 11 and 15, and of mom spending those years in bed literally fighting for her life it’s a bit sobering.

For those of you who have seen Mama Mia, the dot dot dot in this letter made me think of that, although this was the 50s and a much more innocent time, so Donna’s (the author of this letter) dots I’m sure were a much more pristine version of Donna’s (the mom in Mamma Mia) dots in the 1970s. I don’t know who Donna is who wrote this letter, but she sounds like a person I’d have loved to hang out with!

Cochrane, Alberta

December 11, 1955

Dear Margie

Hi, I’ll bet you thought I was never going to write. I was beginning to wonder if I’d get time myself. Guess where I am now? I’m in the bus station waiting for the bus to come in so I can get on (Oh brother, Ernie Andison just came up behind me and scared the living daylights out of me). Well, anyway, I stayed in after school to go to the doctor so I have to catch the bus home. I’m not taking singing anymore but I’m going to start again after Christmas.

Do you know what? I’ve only got two dollars left and I’ve only bought four Christmas presents. I guess I’ll sort of give dad a little surprise and hit him up for twenty dollars. If he doesn’t give me any he won’t get a Christmas present from me. You won’t have to worry though, yours is one of the four. I’ve got David’s, Kay’s and Elaine’s too. I’ve got all my Christmas Cards sent so that’s one less worry.

David’s ring sure is nice.

Do you think I’ll get to see you in the hospital on Sunday? I’ll bring it along just in case so I can show it to you. It just wouldn’t be any good without your approval now would it?

We’ve finally starting curling. I’ve only played once and I’ve already got a big bruise on my knee. Guess I’ll learn someday. Heather, Donna Nelson, Myrna, and I have a team in the draws and I’m skip. Big deal eh?

The choir went to Exshaw on Monday night with the cantata. Heather and I went with John and Aileen and we were the first ones there and the first home again. It pays to go with good people, eh. Were the roads ever icy! It rained Sunday night and then froze. I think we could have skated all the way up. We were mad at the Exshaw people because they hardly even clapped for us so we were awfully hurt (Boo-hoo).

10:15pm

We curled tonight and guess what – we won! Miracles do happen, though!

December 16 (Science Class)

You’ll get this letter yet!

We went to choir practice last night and patched all the bad spots in the cantata. MaybeI’ll be perfect when we sing it for you (Ha! Ha!)

I”m going to curl on John Copithrone’s mixed team on Saturday nights. Pretty good eh?

Do yo know what we had to do? We had to write part of a short story for English and it’s going to count for half our mark for the Christmas test. Just imagine me writing a story. Know what I did? I copied a passage out of one of Jane Grey’s books. Aren’t I a bad little girl?

We write our Christmas exams next Mon, Tues, And Wed. So far, I haven’t got any to write on Wed, so maybe I’ll skip. David’s coming to town Wed to see the dentist so …………….!!!!!

Well, I can’t think of anything else just now. Guess I should pay attention for a while anyway.

Hope I’ll get a chance to talk to you Sunday.

Bye for now

Lots of Love

Donna xxoo

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Career Day and French Class (FGK 53)

We are in the final stretch of the school year for my girl and I have to say the stress level is unbearably high. Compared to the requirements her “in school” friends have, the online expectations are through the roof. 70ish years ago it seems as though the stress on students was about as high.

June 20, 1952

Dear Marg

Gee it’s been nice out. Didn’t do a thing over the weekend though. Went to Eklund’s and played five hundred (Marsh and I). Saturday night Pete and Jeff Norman came down and taught us a new game called “blackout’. It’s sure good. Something like whist.

On Sunday Nichols had a tobogganing party but I didn’t go ‘cause I didn’t feel so hot.

Anne O <this is the friend From yesterday’s letter, she signed it Anne O> went up to Edmonton with a bus full of kids from Tech this weekend. They started at 7am Saturday morning and got back 6am Sunday morning. I guess Anne was dead tired.

Peggy and I went to see ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ at the uptown staring Clifton Webb. It was really god. All music and comedy.

Mom bought me a white blouse and some more pyjamas. Real jazzy.

I guess Peggy and I came in on time yesterday ‘cause Sonia said that they just had our door open when we were coming up the stairs. They were going to put breadcrumbs in our bed. They did to Barbara and Evelyn and they haven’t a clue as to who did it.

Jan 22, 1952

Well I’m writing this at 8:15am so please excuse mistakes. The Winnipeg ballet was really good. There were three different stories one was the Shooting of Dan McGee. Peggy went at night and she said it was just dancing, no stories at all.

Peggy says to tell you I’ve been feeling stupid all week, and I have too.

Dr. And Mr. Gordon went to California yesterday. Oh Happy day!!

Well must go to school now

Love Sheila

Thurs Afternoon

Well, I went to see Mr. Colette about that career day. There were three of us. Jane Rowan, Doug Hamilton and I. We’re going to have Ken Coppock talk to us on agriculture.

And in French did I ever feel dumb. I was talking about keeping awake in class and about how to do it. I said to Sheila (she sits in front of me) “I wish I could find a formula to keep awake” and Miss Devivona(?) heard me. She was coming up the aisle so she put her hand on my head and started shaking it. “Oh do you Sheila. Let’s see if you can get on without it” or something like that. I blushed like mad.

Fri. 3:00

I was sick yesterday after school.well anyway I went to see Mr Collette about that career day and I might have go to ask Ken Coppock to give us a lecture on agriculture besides interviewing 3 other speakers. It’s good training I guess but Gad!!! I wouldn’t be able to say a word when I am with them. Oh well!! The worst they can do is kick me out.

Well must get my homework done

Love Sheila

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Sorry I Haven’t Written, I’ve Been Too Busy Wrestling (FGK-51)

Honestly, these letters make me realize how pathetic my social life is, and not because of Covid. He says he hasn’t had enough exciting to write about, and then describes more activity than I’ve seen in like 3 years haha. I am much relieved though 70 years later to not be the one ratting out my uncle for climbing out the window, instead it was the other kids (it’s always the other kids). Seriously, these Mount Royal days sound like a lot of fun.

Writing Marsh in these letters feels a little bit like the time, years ago, when my son touched my cousin’s husband’s moustache. We were all frozen with fascination and horror, but knew that it was something that shouldn’t happen and never, ever would again.

My uncle would have been almost 16 when he wrote this letter (mom would have been 12.5) and it seems his love of airplanes had already started. I absolutely love that he was going to take his airplane engine into the hospital to show her. I would imagine that would have given everyone there something to talk about!!

Mount Royal College

May 12, 1953

Dear Margie

I’m sure sorry that I didn’t write much sooner but I just don’t seem to be able to think up enough things to tell you that would be worth while to put in a letter. Last night before I got the last card you sent me I started to write a letter but just before that I had a wrestling match with Bernard. We were so evenly matched that the fight went on for a long time until both of us were too tired to fight anymore. I started to write you but fell asleep for the whole study period so I had to do my homework this morning after breakfast.

Last night the other two boys in the suite with Wayne and I crawled out of the window and got in their car and went across the bridge to get some milk-shakes. When I woke up there was a milkshake waiting for me. They’re darn lucky they didn’t get caught. The window to the suite is very easy to get in and out of as they sure make use of it. I haven’t used it yet but I think I will soon, just for the fun of it.

Last Saturday I was plowing with the new John Deere and boy is it slick. To trip the new plow, instead of pulling on a rope you just push the hydraulic lever ahead which pumps oil into a cylinder on the plow and trips it. I suppose that you do not understand all that lingo but it works on that principal. There is only room for one person to ride on it because it is a big high tractor like this:

We just started to plow on Saturday. Bill and Ken are going at it full force now I guess. It’s still pretty wet out there though.

Well, we sure got a big slug of calves now. Must be 250. I’ve got 27 I think and should have three more coming.

Last Saturday I got Red in to ride and he hasn’t been rode for quite a spell so when I climbed on I had to pull leather for a while because every time I went to grab the horn it wasn’t there. Well I sure rode him when I got everything straightened out. He never piled me though, but I guess that ain’t my fault.

I’m truing to sell these Stampede Queen tickets, butI guess I aren’t a very good salesman. That is the most hopeless job there ever was. I’ve had them a month and only sold two of them.

Did I tell you that I bought a little airplane engine? It’s a real internal combustion engine that is like a car motor. It burns high octane gasoline. I am mounting it in a boat which is a model cruiser. It should go about 15 miles per hour. I will bring it in to show you on Sunday. I started it up this afternoon and it sure roared. Tonight in study period I was fooling around with it and I accidentally started it. I sure was scared and I couldn’t shut it off. I grabbed the flywheel to stall it and the thing only turns over about 10,000 times every minute so I slightly burned my thumb but I finally got it stopped! I was sure scared the study teacher would hear because it makes an awful roar.

See you Sunday xxx

Marsh

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The Mumps and Menus (FGK-50)

Having spent a great deal of time in hospitals while Mom and Dad were in dying (I tried to put that more eloquently, but it is what it is) I don’t think hospital food is anything like it was in the 1950s. Not that it would have come close as a substitute for Grandma’s cooking, but aside from the poison they served on Thursday for lunch, it doesn’t look that bad. Thursday’s lunch brings back childhood memories of sitting at the diner table, my piece of liver covered in at least 4 inches of ketchup, and little Melissa crying her eyes out after realizing that no amount of ketchup could hide the nasty taste of the liver. Poor mom, she really loved it and the full on rebellion she was met with meant it didn’t grace our dinner table often (but yay for me!)

Pincher Creek, Alta

Aug 9th, 1955

Dear Margaret

Well last night at this time I thought I would be with you by now. You could have knocked Janet and I over with a feather when we got your message at Macleod. I guess we looked like two stunned ducks. Oh well, we had a nice morning drive. I sure hope you are not too sick with the mumps. Anyway you should be immune after this. Neither Janet or I are afraid of being exposed to them as we have been exposed many times, so I certainly would like to spend a few days with you as soon as you feel you can stand one – let me know.

Your mother seems to be very busy this time of year but maybe I could help her some.

Have a good rest and get caught up on your radio programs. I don’t suppose you’ll feel much like reading but I am sending you a few hints in this card to help you feel amused.

I got through grade 12 all right but nothing exceptional. I haven’t made plans for fall yet, you know they turned me down when I applied to nurse so now I have decided on Pharmacy or Lab Technician. I’ve been working a Drug Store since school ended but finished last Saturday. I am going to Beauvais Lake tonight for a few days.

This is short but I hope to see you before long. Don’t give the mumps to the rest of your family.

Love Verna

I tried to zoom in on the days a bit -so it’s the same menu below
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Fur Coats and Casts (FGK-49)

I had a little giggle at the thought of Grandma writing this letter while at the hairdresser’s. Getting her hair done was one of Grandma’s sacred activities and it was always important to her that her hair was done nicely and she was presentable. In fact right after she died, my aunt in a beautiful act of love and kindness sat down and did her hair properly before the funeral home took her away. I sat with my aunt while she did that, and it has always remained with me as one of the greatest acts of love that I have witnessed. It also was the only time I ever saw Grandma’s hair down.

I remember as a teenager Grandma deciding she needed a new fur coat. I was lucky enough to only be pulled into that process for one day, but trust me- it was not a 10 minute process. It was not even a 10 hour process. It perhaps was a 10 day process, but it felt more like a 10 week process. Aside from my personal ethical issues with fur coats, that experience guaranteed I would never own one! She sure loved it though, and it was certainly the style at the time.

Finally, there have been several mentions in these letters about packs and casts. I did a little bit of research about why these were used And you can read the atricle here. But here is an excerpt from the article “Early treatments for paralyzed muscles advocated the use of splints to prevent muscle tightening and rest for the affected muscles. Many paralyzed polio patients lay in plaster body casts for months at a time. But long periods in a cast often resulted in atrophy of both affected and healthy muscles. Treatment of polio was revolutionised in the 1930s by Elizabeth Kenny, a self-trained nurse from Queensland, Australia. Kenny developed a form of physical therapy that used hot, moist packs and massage and exercise and early activity to maximize the strength of unaffected muscles and stimulate the remaining nerve cells that had not been killed by the virus.” I remember mom talking briefly about how painful the treatment sessions were and this kind of makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Poor mom.

Tues 4:30 pm

Dear Margie

I’m writing this while under the dryer at the hair-dresser’s. We came to town – Dad and I – to buy me a fur coat. Think of that! Aren’t I lucky? Dad said we could easily do it in 10 minutes so I didn’t dare shop around for one but got a very nice one at the Hudson Bay. A Persian Lamb.

Uncle Harry is coming up to visit you with me tomorrow so be prepared for fun and have a few jokes to tell him too if you can – he has wanted to see you for a long time now. I may not wear my new coat in, the car is so hard on it – I’ll keep it till Sunday to wear eh?

Kay Whittle and I are on the refreshment committee for the Eastern Star tonight so I made 2 angel food cakes and a loaf of chicken sandwiches and left them at Aunt Ruth’s. So Dad and I are going to a show now and then go up to Cochrane and not go home till after the Star meeting. Pretty soft life eh? But we’re retired now you know – haha.

It’s sure nice being without a hired man though and Ken likes it too I think. Most of the cattle are over in Grand Valley and down at Springbank so others have the work.

I have been hoping and praying that you will soon have that old cast off, let’s hope soon anyway eh? Maybe tomorrow.

This blouse and skirt are not very expensive but are good enough tor lying in bed don’t you think? Everything is half-price now except the better wool skirts and they cost $20.00 so I just got those. They see you for a long time now. They are rather pretty I think.

We are supposed to go square dancing Wednesday night. Dad has Lodge meeting Thursday night and there is a dance in the Hall Friday night and Winnie and I have to make the sandwiches so I won’t have any dinner parties this week – we’ll be staggering tired by Saturday.

Well I must close now and will see you tomorrow. Sure hope you are well and happy.

Loads and loads of love dear

Mother xxxxx

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Substitute Teachers (FGK-44)

I can relate to the issues with the substitute teacher both as a student and as a former sub. I think one of the more challenging jobs I ever had was as a substitute teacher, but honestly as a student it’s fantastic to have a sub and to see how many of their buttons you can push.

I’m not sure who this is writing the letter. She mentions the Buckleys and my aunt, so it must be someone who knows the family. I figure it also must be someone who knew what kind of care mom would require in order for her to come stay at their place.

This letter was originally mailed to mom at the Junior Red Cross Hospital, but was forwarded to her at home. I’m assuming this was after she had been permanently discharged from the hospital, but was in for some operation . The cost of sending a letter had gone up to 3 cents by 1956.

701-21 Ave NW

Calgary

January 19th, 1956

Dear Margie

Right now it is ten minutes to three and I am in music class. We are supposed to be having a study because our regular teacher is away. The sub we have is a woman of about 60 to 65 years old and is she ever crabby. The girl next to me didn’t have anything to do so she was just sitting there and the teacher took a book off her desk and handed it to her, the title is Stars of the Great Operas. I burst out laughing and she got real mad and told me that was enough, so I was quiet then. I was just looking over to see how this girl was getting along and the teacher made her move. Well I burst out laughing again, she told me to shut up and the next time she would get Mr. Cartwright (Herbie) (The principal).

You will have to excuse the paper as this is all I have. How are you getting along up there? I wish they had more visiting hours and I would come and visit you. What are you in for, an operation?

I haven’t been doing anything exciting, sitting at home with a book or going to the neighbours to watch TV but I have enjoyed myself.

Margaret has been having a good time at the Buckley’s lately, we hardly see her anymore. Sheila hasn’t been up to our house for simply ages.

Right now I am in bookkeeping and we are supposed to be posting our journal accounts to the ledger (Dutch eh). It is for me too.

When you get of the hospital do you think you mother would let you come and stay with me for a while? We haven’t got TV but we could find something else to do. I really think it would be fun.

The teacher is coming down my row now so I had better get to work

Goodbye for now

Will write soon

Sincerely yours,

Ruth

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Hazing Days at Olds (FGK 41)

Fortunately Froshing, or Hazing was no longer allowed by the time I reached high school or university, but I certainly read stories and watched it in the movies. Clarence’s description does not sound as bad as some of the more graphic stories I saw in the movies, but I’m still glad I avoided it. I grew up not really knowing his children, but about 4 years ago I had a rather dramatic crash off my horse and shattered my shoulder. Clarence’s son was the doctor at the cast clinic who looked after me, proving that Copithornes are everywhere, and the world is still a small place.

O.S.A.

Nov 5/52

Dear Margie

Well how is my favourite cousin? Not too bad I hope. All the reports I hear are getting better.

Well I’ve been up here about 2 weeks now and it’s not too bad when you get to know some of the kids. The initiation is over now. You know what that is, the kids who were here last year have the right to be boss over the new kids like me. Well this went on for a week and I’ll tell you what we had to do. They made us call them “Most Excellent Second-Year” whenever we met them, get off the sidewalk for them, polish shoes, make beds, and sweep floors for them. And we couldn’t object or they would throw us in the shower and soak us to the skin. We had to wear different shoes and different socks for a whole week along with wearing a towel or scarf around our head. We also couldn’t comb our hair for 1 week and we could only shave one half of our face. We had to wear our pants rolled up six inches about our boot tops.

If the “second-years” saw us doing something we shouldn’t be doing they could send us out to do some dirty job. Some of the kids were sent out with a water pail and soap and had to wash al the stop signs in Olds which is quite a few. Some of the others had to wash the dean’s car. I was a good boy so I didn’t have to do any of these things. The last day of the week was the worst. They made us wear all our clothes inside out and backwards along with all the other things I mentioned. the girls had to wear stockings over their hair and wrong shoes and stockings

On the last day they made the girls do up their hair in different ways. Pin curls on one side, curlers on the other side, braids on another side, and straight and uncombed on the other side. They also had to smear lipstick al lover their mouth. It looked really funny. On Saturday afternoon they put us all on a long rope and herded us all over town and that night they put us through the initiation ceremonies. They blindfolded us, walked us up a plank over wet macaroni, sprayed wet gooey stuff all over our face and then gave us a real shock when we weren’t expecting it. But after that we had a good dance and we are supposed to be real student of Old School of Agriculture now.

We were down on Tuesday to Calgary and went through the Burn’s Packing Plant. It was interesting with lots of blood and gore.

Say hello to your Dad and Mum for me will you? I think I’d better close now before I bore you too much so bye for now.

Clarence B

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To the Girls in Ward 234 (FGK-40)

Sometimes I forget how young these kids were in the hospital. I mean, when I imagine my mom, aunt, and uncle I often just imagine shrunken down versions of their adult selves, which is silly because childhood me was not just a shrunken down version of who I am.

It must have been weird to be one of the ones who was discharged and back in the real world while their friends on the ward were still going through daily routines involving the painful packs and stuck in the day to day reality of polio wondering how their bodies would recover.

Mom would be 80 now and as I read these letters I find myself wondering what happened to her friends from the hospital, how did their lives turn out? I hope they all found peace and fulfillment.

(Addressed to the Girls in Ward 234)

Calgary, Alberta

July 1953

Dear Girls,

How are you all? I’ve been meaning to write for a long time but never got around to it. Terribly busy you know! Ha!

Is Iserna (?) out of her cast yet? If she is I bet she’s really happy. How about Margie? Has she still got packs? I guess Lil and Isabel and Mary Ann are pretty nearly home. Is Annie still in bed or is she up at all?

I sure wish I could get up to see you kids but because I’m under 16 i have to follow the rules. However Miss Baxter is away so I’ll try and get up one of these days.

How did you kids like the parade? I didn’t see it – but I took in al the rides one nite. I thought the stage show was very poor but I guess most people liked it.

I hear from Helen quite often. We phone back and forth all the time.

When is Rose coming in? I bet you kids will really have fun this summer. I sure hope you get well soon and are all out for the fall.

Love and best wishes always

Laurie

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