Tag Archives: hospital

happiness

Summer holidays and magpie feet (FGK-60)

I love these letters from the kids at Jumping Pound school. Different ages and different perspectives certainly give quite the snapshot of life for these kids.

RR2

Calgary, Alberta

June 23, 1953

Dear Marg

We started a crow and magpie campaign on the first of April. Lawrence has really been collecting magpie feet, he has 146 magpie feet. I have 45 feet. John has 14 feet.

Anne and Shirley came to visit us. We had a game of ball in the afternoon. Rose left yesterday.

I hope you will be walking soon.

Yours truly

Jim

RR2

Calgary

June 24, 1953

A man brought some more wood. We had just finished piling when he came, but he only brought half a load, so we got it all piled up except a little bit. Now we got 2 piles of wood.

The teacher lost his ring, but found it again.

John, Jim, and Elaine got new baseball gloves. The gloves have three fingers and one thumb. The colour is tan.

My family branded on Saturday.

I hope you are feeling well.

Do you want to go home?

Do you want to stay in the hospital?

Yours truly, David

RR2 Calgary

June 22 1953

Dear Marg

Lawrence, Rode, Elaine and Jim, John and Dave have planted flowers in the window boxes. we painted the window boxes. They planted sweet peas and California poppies. Both of them are growing very well.

Mary

RR2 Calgary Alberta

June 24, 1953

Dear Marg

The teacher got two new flags. One is called Union Jack and the other is called Canadian Ensign. They are very nice. Jim, John, and Law put them up. Then they put the Queen’s picture on it. We have got 56 pictures up all together.

Law has 7 pictures. Elaine has 13 pictures. Rose has 16 pictures etc. I have 3 calves.

Your pal,

Lynn.

RR NO2

Calgary, Alberta

June 23, 1953

Dear Margie

The weather is horrible in Alberta this year. It has rained so much that water is laying all over. It is so wet that when you try to plow you bog down.

The grass is not growing very well this year. It has been so wet that it is drowning out.

We are going to brand on Wednesday. We are going to brand about two hundred and seventy-five calves.

Are you coming home for the holidays? How do you like the hospital?

Yours truly

John

Cochrane, Alta. Box 58

June 22, 1953

Dear Margie

Well holiday time is just around the corner isn’t it? My family is going up to Windermere on Friday. I suppose you heard that Marshall is coming with us? Oh boy! I can hardly wait! By next Saturday I will be basking in Radium swimming pool.

I guess you will be coming home for your holidays. I bet you will be happy.

We branded last Saturday. The Sibbalds, uncle Frank’s clan, had Jim Bateman etc were up to help. We will drive our cows and calves up to 14 on Thursday.

We had our school picnic last Friday. Instead of having a usual picnic we had a party at Batemans. Rose and Elaine made speeches. Everyone had a great time.

Well I will write you more letters during the holidays.

Your pal,

Lawrence

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happiness

Cascades of Time Gardens (FGK-59)

I wasn’t familiar with the name “Cascades of Time” so I had to google it, and discovered it is the place in Banff that my parents called the Devonian Gardens.

Soooooo, one time when my cousin (who shall remain nameless, but her name starts with the same letter as mine and is 4 months older than I) and I were about 4, my parents took us to these gardens. Well, we instantly fell in love with the place and decided we wanted to live there forever and ever. So we took off and hid in some bushes figuring we’d wait until mom and dad got tired of looking for us and then we’d live our best lives in those gardens eating berries and things. We hid there, listening to mom and dad frantically screaming our names, giggling like miniature mad men, and looking around at the beautiful place we’d decided to call home, planning out how we’d live in trees and things like that. I don’t know what finally made us decide to turn ourselves in, perhaps we got hungry or had to go to the bathroom. I’m not really sure. But what I do remember is that my parents were SO MAD they swore they’d never take us there again. And they didn’t until the summer of 2014 when they took me and my kids in for a little walk around. Of course being me, as soon as we sat down on the grass I told my kids the story and looked at my parents and said “hahaha and you DID bring me back!!!” Apparently 40 years later was still too soon to be laughing about it because they did NOT find it funny at all.

How about a trip through history to a time when asbestos was something to be excited about?!

Cochrane, Alta

Aug 4.

Dear Margie

Well how are you now Margie? We have the barn almost finished. It looks pretty when it’s got red shingles and grey asbestos siding. On the top of the roof there are lightning rods. 1 on each and 1 in the middle.

In the inside of the barn there are stairs and stalls for the horses. Gee i sure wish you could be at the barn dance with the others and us. How are you? Can you walk fairly well yet?

We have two little kittens. One is grey and the other is yellow. They play in the house a lot.

Well I guess I better say good bye for now.

PS We went to Banff to see the Indians. We had dinner and went through the Cascades of Time and saw the pretty flowers. After that Dad took us up to the chair lift. Mom, Lawrence and Dave went on it. We had a happy time. In the evening we saw the Indians dance in pretty costumes and sang Indian songs.

What are you doing these days? Well goodbye. Write to me soon

With love,

Mary

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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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happiness

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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happiness

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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Everywhere I went folks seemed glad to see me (FGK-55)

What I remember most about Aunt Gertie is that she always had a smile on her face. When I saw her at a family gathering I always looked forward to visiting with her because I knew I would walk away with a smile. What a great way to have people see you in the world – wherever you go people are happy you’re there!

I love her letters, she describes things so well I feel like I’m there, and it was kind of fun to have a little tour around Alberta.

Cochrane, Alberta

Nov 9, 1954

Dear Margie

Well since I last wrote you I’ve covered some 100 miles and had a really grand trip.

The first day we went to Wetaskiwin, Camrose, Banff and Rosalind. It’s this last place we visited my friend Ruth Ballard and her family and stayed there for the night It was so nice to renew old acquaintances and get caught up in the news.

Next day we drove to Castor and Coronation. We stayed here for 2 days visiting Butterfields. Ray and May got me my first tea schools(?) near Veteran. They both teach school. May teaches Household Economics and Ray is the principal. When we arrived at the school Ray was conducting cadet performances outside in the school yard. They were very interesting to watch. Besides the boy cadets he had organized a girls cadet corps. They have smart uniforms too. They wear short black jackets and green and white plaid shirts. They have dark tame(?) with an insignia on the front. Ray was the first teacher in Alberta to have a girls cadet unit. Since then other troops have organized one too and various interesting competitions have resulted.

May showed me through her economics room. It is lovely with such a wonderful kitchen unit with built in cupboards, a gas stove, and an electric stove, a refrigerator, mix master, washing machine, and ironed. On the sewing side they have large cutting tabled, mirrors for sheering, fittings of dress, etc. And some fine sewing machines.

In the evenings we had good companionship. George and Ray got along famously. They went hunting one evening after school but didn’t have any luck. Around Wetaskiwin we saw huge flocks of ducks and geese.

We went back to Veteran where I used to teach and I met several I used to know and some of the students I had, They are nearly all married with children of their own now. It was 23 years ago I taught there so I thought they did well to remember me. Everywhere I went folks seemed glad to see me and I came home with such a wonderful glow of happiness.

When we came back to Didsbury we stopped and visited Alf Allan and his wife. We had such a wonderful supper there and they showed us all through their ____ school. It accommodates 500 students and is truly modern in every sense of the word. What a difference from the schools I attended!

Coming home we stopped at Brushy Ridge for the card party and raffle. It was lots of fun. Needless to say we didn’t get home until 12:30.

It’s so lucky we went when we did. During our absence our hired couple found a new job – closer to town. They had helped us get all caught up and the house was just shining so we were grateful for their help. However now we are on our own we won’t be able to make anymore wonderful visits like this one.

Annie and Ed were here Sunday. They are looking just fine and Clarence David is such a Bonnie boy.

Sibyl and Jack were here too and Albert Shickey and Ralph Kerr so we had a real nice visit.

Well Margie, I keep looking forward to the day when I can see you. I hope it won’t be long now

Lovingly yours

Aunt Gertie

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Going to School in Bed (FGK-54)

Before Covid, I would have thought that it would be a kid’s dream to be able to go to school in bed. And, although I think the girl has come to like the fact that she only has to get out of bed 2 minutes before class starts to go sit in her pjs at the computer, I would have to say that no- I was wrong, these online classes are pretty challenging. Of course, it’s a different situation than the one mom was in, and it’s even a different situation from my own online classes which are set up really well with lots of support. Instead it’s become pretty isolating and really difficult to get help from the teachers. I’m guessing mom hated going to school in bed. The only childhood stories about school I ever heard were the ones where she rode her horse with her brother and sister to the Jumping Pound School. However, pre-covid we used to joke that living life in bed like the grandparents in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would kind of be like a dream come true. Not anymore!

Pearce, Alberta

Feb 19, 1954

Dear Margaret

It was so nice to receive a letter from you because I thought you would be getting so many letters that you wouldn’t find time to write to everyone, but you did anyway and I hope you will continue to write. I received your letter February 12.

Do you enjoy going to school in bed? Are there many children taking the same grade as you are?

Yesterday we went to Lethbridge to the dentist, all but my oldest brother. I had two teeth x-rayed to see if the roots were ok so that they could be filled later if they were.

The wind was sure blowing today. One of our granaries blew part way off its foundation. It hadn’t done that before even when it was empty. There was a tiny bit of wheat in it.

The subject that I like best at school is Science and Home Economics. We sure got a good science teacher. I dislike Social Studies the most because of the teacher Miss Hyssop, who hardly anyone likes. She likes to see how much homework she can give us. We had a test in Social Studies today.

I have got a pen pal down in Burbank California whose grandparents on her mother’s side live in Calgary.

A few days ago my kitten and my sister’s kitten followed us up to the bus. They raced around, laid on the ground and rolled about kicking their feet in the air trying to get some attention. They started to fight once then raced up a light pole. When the bus came they raced towards the yard, their tails awfully big. They were sure scared of what we sometimes call the “Yellow Bug”.

Are you at all lonesome for the farm after being in the hospital? Did you have any pets at the farm you lived on?

That is all for now, hoping to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Ann de Koning

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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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