Another letter from 1943

Dad gave this letter to me when Ron and I lived on Tumwater hill.  I wish I could find the original - it's here in my papers somewhere.  However, I made a very bad copy of it, and with enlarging the letter, it is readable.  As you can tell, my second grade excursion with cursive writing wasn't as successful as it might.  The writing just wouldn't slant in the right direction.  Please remember that there are four years between neat Louise, and myself.  Dad was tickled at the salutation - a little cheeky?  And now we know what we had to do between going to school.  Dumping the ashes was my eternal chore for years. I hated the hot, dry ashy smell as they were added to the ash pile.  Louise, did I help you that much?

Louise's letter from the past

You must click on this letter to enlarge it.  I apologize for the dark parts - when I copied this about 20 years ago, my printer wasn't very good.  Ann may have put this on the CD she gave us last year, but I confess that I haven't checked it for all letters on it.  Dad was gone to Edmonton, Canada with his carpenter's tools to work in a plant to aid in the war effort.  His stay was short-lived - he contracted pneumonia, and came home to recuperate.  We wrote letters - I can only find one page of Dwight's, where he talks about trading off his comic books - hope he has the rest of it.

CHICKEN POWER

In light of Ann's misfortune I think there are questions that need to be asked.

1: Why would she venture out to the barnyard, although small, without spiked shoes.

2: Blue tarps are a hazard to walk on under any circumstance, why was there a blue tarp there?

3:  Do the chickens have any sympathy at all for her?

4:  Were the chickens involved in the plot?

5:  Were they seeking free Carnival cruise tickets knowing that nothing was being cooked?

6:  Was Rod Sterling involved?

Here are some haunting words, "you should eat them."

Not to diminish the trials and tribulations that Liz and Ron have gone through this week for which we are thrilled that they are making a recovery, but we know that our sister Ann when asked, will answer with a smile, "I'm fine."

Welcome Home Liz, Ron, Ann, and All Others Who are Ailing

We have had a rash of ailments lately.  Maybe a purple lilac is just the ticket after the latest tragedy on Downton Abbey.  We wish you all a speedy recovery.

In Your Dreams

Remember when Ron and Elizabeth left the snow shoveling and spent the winters in Arizona?  This is such a good picture of our sister basking in the sunshine.  Note the sunglasses hiding by her hat.  Ahh.........

Ann and Paul Tanner

This is my all time favorite photo of Ann and Paul.  I think this is how they will look in the resurrection.....to perfection with their winning smiles.

Penrose Snowy Winter 1968

 

I just found these photos dated 1968.  Perhaps they are appropriate to post now while many family members have struggled with unusal amounts of snow this winter. Without the aid of snow blowers, Dad cleared the  road  south of the house so the milk truck could reach the milk barn. What a great view across the field to Grandma's house.  How many times did you follow the path there to ginger snaps, apples,  funny papers and Grandma's fun stories? 

The view toward the west, the haystack and the corrals.  The sun shining after the storm!

In front of the shop extension window was the most popular place for icicles to grow.  I think Ann, Steve and I ate plenty of these.  I don't remember the fancy door to the cellar showing on the right of the picture.

Christmas Letter from Great-aunt Rose

Little gems pop up from time to time in old correspondence.  I didn't think that I had anything from our great-aunt Rose, but this was in my papers.  Every year, Mother and Daddy received a hand painted Christmas card from her.  You'll have to enlarge the letter part to really read it, but the information in it does corroborate a couple of things (or maybe three.)  Great Aunt Elsie had died in November of 1971, and this note acts as a third source.  Also, the information to Dad about how Aunt Elsie felt about him was important.  After all, he had spent the ranch money on a new suit so that he could go to Penrose and marry Mother.  All was not perfect, but what counted was that Elsie gave Dad a home and some warmth (and enough food to eat) during his later teen years.
(By the by, I checked on comments on both this Penrose Mornings and my Crystal Prisms blog, and it seems that Judy and Ann are the major followers of these blogs (me, too).  Where are the rest of you?  We miss you.)

Steve's Correspondence circa 1953-54

The date for this letter is a little uncertain.  Please enlarge it so that you can read (deciper?) it.  Steve, it is amazing to me that you wrote letters to me in college.  I recall one that you wrote in a spiral, beginning in the middle and branching out.  Your heart was in the right place, and word from home was very precious.  You'll notice that I did not spend the penny - saved for future needs or wants.  (The penny covers up the word "circus".)

Discussion on Marriage

   When Dorothy was at our home in Preston for a couple of days lsat weekend, we went through boxes of letters from all family members dating back into the early 50's.  I have to quote from this gem from Judy on the occasion of Ann and Paul's marriage which I attended with Mother and Daddy, and Judy was too far away to go, but kept in touch by phone.
   The letter is dated June 15, 1964.
   "Kemp and Jay sure couldn't understand this getting married bit.  They wanted to know if I was married and why.  Then if they were married and why not.  Well why can just big people do it?  I'm big.  See?  Do you have have to be a Daddy to get married?  I've never had so many questions I couldn't answer."
   Judy of today in all of her accumulated wisdom probably wouldn't have been so stumped by these salient questions by two little boys.  Or would she?  Bear in mind that Kemp was not quite four years old, and Jay was three.  Pretty precocious!