Post #447 - August 30, 31, 1944 Not So Long Ago Things Were Mighty Different and I Never Believed They Would Change So Much and I Sold Exactly $2085.00 Worth of Bonds in a Few Hours After We Got Paid

 

Aug. 30, 1944

My Darling,

No mail from anyone today and we’re getting sort of worried about Eddie. Gee, how I wish we would hear from him. I can't understand why I haven't had mail from you either, as my last letter was dated Aug 20th and since my mail is always five days old - well -

In yesterday's letter I asked you whether I should buy a chair and table set for Adele. I guess you'd better not bother to give your opinions, sweet, for today I bought the set. Adele simply adores it. My mother has set of metal toy dishes and a coffee pot and cups and saucers and Adele made me sit in the other chair while she poured me a cup of coffee. Yes, dear, even I can fit in those tiny chairs! We were playing house this evening. It's a solid set and I shall try to take snaps of Adele with it so that you may see what it looks like.

As if that weren't enough I also bought the following today: A stunning outfit for Adele consisting of a lovely red corduroy bonnet ($2.49) a red corduroy sports jacket and red corduroy overalls; a lovely blue sweater with tyrolean flowers embroidered on it. The jacket and overalls were $5 and the sweater $3. The table and chair set was $7.75, but I am going to pay that out a dollar a week as I am broke for the first time since I started to work. I also bought Fay’s kid a belated birthday gift - a good-looking royal blue jersey suit that Fay rather liked. That cost me $2.

All this started because I finally managed to find a ration stamp in one of my mother’s books and headed for Broad St. to order Adele’s corrective shoes. When I arrived at the shoe store, after rushing like hell, I learned from a sign posted on the door that they are closed on Weds. during July and Aug. So I'll have to go up there again tomorrow. On my way over I stopped in to see Anne and learned that Tony is now in France, having been in England for only two weeks. Boy, they didn't waste any time getting him into the thick of it!

Mom is still away at Browns Mills and we are managing very nicely with Goldie doing all the cooking. Her brother came today to pay her a visit and will be here for a day or so.

The new outfit is Adele's most flattering to date. I sincerely hope you'll have the opportunity to see her in it before the Spring weather sets in. It makes me feel very good to know that our daughter can have the things we always wanted her to have. Gosh, honey, not so long ago things were mighty different and I never believed they would change so much. Now if only you'd come home so that we could live our lives normally—some day, sweet, and I don’t think it's very far off, at least I hope not. I adore you, my darling Phil and want very much to give expression to my feelings of love. Baby, I'm just starved for the sight of you! Good night, baby, I'm always

Your Eve

Aug. 31, 1944

Dearest Phil,

It is close to a week that I haven't had mail again and I'm mighty anxious to get home to see if there was any this morning. I have a hunch there was and I can hardly contain myself. Gosh, honey, I sure do miss hearing from you regularly. It's bad enough not to see you, let alone not hearing from you.

I went to Broad St. this morning to try to get Adele shoes, but no dice. They don't even expect to have any shoes for a few weeks. Guess she'll just have to wait (after all that).

Dot called me early this morning to tell me two things - that Snuff is at Camp Claiborne, La. and that she bought herself a new winter sports coat. She still doesn't know what sort of outfit he's in, but I have an idea it's Engineers. If you will recall, Jack Nerenberg was first stationed at Camp Claiborne. We'll know soon enough.

I saw a lovely snowsuit outfit for Adele this morning and would like to get it. However, I'm sort of in a hole and will have to wait awhile before I spend any more money. It is a beige and teal blue combination, teal blue leggings and a beige jacket with collar and cuffs and pockets trimmed with teal blue. Besides the trimming it has some tyrolean flowers on it. A beige bonnet finishes off the outfit and they also have a lovely teal blue pocketbook. The suit is $13.50, the bonnet $1.50 and I don't know the price of the bag. Gee, sweet, I certainly would enjoy shopping for those things with you and I certainly hope it won't be long before we will go together. Every time I see something I'm more than anxious to know what you would think of it. I'm sure you'll adore her new red corduroy outfit and new chair and table set. I'm thinking of buying decalomanias and transplanting them onto the chairs and table for her to give her something else to interest her, not to mention how much it would add to the set.

I think the snaps I took with Jack N. should be ready by next Wed. and you can bet your boots I'll send them right along for you to see.

My cold lingers on, but I think it's breaking now. I had kept as far away from Adele as I could so as not to give it to her, and I thought she had symptoms of a cold last night, but this morning she seemed to be alright. It is two weeks since she started to cut her upper two teeth and so far only one has put in an appearance. She puts her fingers in her mouth, points to her gums and teeth and says, "Mommy, hurts".

Upon my arrival home I was sorely disappointed to find no mail whatever. However, the news just makes one glow with optimism, so I can't be disappointed for long, Honestly, sweet, I do hope it hasn't been necessary for you to skip writing often. I have to skip now and then too, but for the most part I write daily.

Goldie went to the movies for the first time since she had Diana with her brother. I don't think Mom will be back from Browns Mills much before Sept. 13th. That is when Ethel is coming back.

Nothing else in the way of news, dear, except the very old, but still very new, I love you, Phií, darling, and am always your loving

Eve

31 August 1944

Sweetheart,

The last day of August was a good one for me in more ways than one. In the first place, it was pay-day. In the second place, I sold exactly $2085.00 worth of bonds in a few hours after we got paid. This is more than was sold in the whole month of August, and we have more than doubled our quota. I can't help but feel proud of the way the boys in the company responded in this drive. And last, but far from least, four of your letters arrived in a bunch today. They were your typed letters of 18th and 19th August, and V-mails of 23rd and 24th. I think you should know by now how very welcome they are. Yesterday was another very busy day for me. The evening was spent writing a long overdue letter to Limey. As you know, Sweet, I had a letter from him a little more than a week ago, asking me where he could meet me. The fact that I haven't had the opportunity to answer him is eloquent proof of how very full my days have been here of late. I could have answered him much sooner were I not so very anxious to answer Ed's summons. This precluded my reply to him for three days, and last night was really the first opportunity I had had to do so since I returned. I'm hoping that he'll be able to meet me in the near future. Did I tell you I wrote to Ed the night before? I'm expecting to hear from him in a few days, too. Today was really a killer, what with paying off, selling bonds, and finishing up the checking of the Service Records, and I'm pretty weary, but I am CQ again tonight, so I thought I'd knock out a letter before I hit the hay. In one of your letters, darling, because you had not received mail from me in five or six days, you urge me to “go out of (your) way a little bit" to write more often. In the next letter you say you received three of my letters. Please, Chippie, never scold me for not writing. When I do fail to write, you may be very sure there is very good reason for it. For instance, last week I missed writing for six whole days (and I can just imagine what you are going to say about that), but when you get my letter explaining why I couldn't write, you'll realize that there is always a reason. Now let's see what other comments your letters bring forth, shall we? Okay. Your 18 August letter advises me that the 20th August was Lil's birthday. I'm disappointed in you, Chippie. You usually give me more notice than that when somebody's birthday is coming up. However, I'm not sure I want to write to her before she condescends to answer my last letter to her, which she chose to ignore in spite of all my apologies and attempts to get into her good graces once more. Nice of you to get that slip for her, Baby. Glad the heat wave finally broke. I don't think you'll be bothered that way anymore this year. Maybe next year I'll be there to wipe your brow - I hope. Remember the swell remedy I had for warming up your toes when they got very cold? I hadn't thought about it for a long, long time. Talking about wiping your brow recalled it to me. Better not say you don't remember, 'cause I'll never forgive you if you've forgotten, Chippie. From what you say about the punkin, I gather that she has made an impression even on her blasé Mommy. When YOU start to sing her praises, that's when I start to prick up my ears. Your claim that you know "exactly where I am kinda surprised me. I thought you knew all along. Sorry you're having trouble finding some Pyrex bottles for Evelyn, but keep looking, honey, and if you don't have any luck, I certainly would like you to send along something nice for Nigel together with a letter like the first one you sent the Toppy's, (or was it the Benises?). I wish, Sweet, you could know Ev and Bert, they are such swell guys. Oh yes, it just struck me that Evelyn is at her wit's end for the means of obtaining nipples for the baby's bottles, and she told me to tell you she would be eternally grateful to you if you could send her some. Your closing paragraph in this one is very sweet, darling, and I want to kiss you for each tender word. But I'm just too tired and sleepy to continue with this tonight, so I'll have to let the other letters go unanswered until tomorrow. It is just 11 o'clock and I am remembering how heavenly it was having you cuddled up on my lap, and how sweetly exciting were your kisses, and how thrilling the feel of your velvet thighs, and how all these enchantments were the most precious things in life to me - and still are. My dreams, by day and night, are full of the adored memory of you, my darling; nor will I really live again until those dreams are once more blessed reality. Until then, I'll make do with the memories. My dearest love to my punkin. Love to all from

Your
Phil

Aug. 31, 1944

Dear Phil

I know I have neglected you these past few weeks, but you will have to accept my apologies. What I have really been waiting for was to see where Snuff would be sent. Right now he is at Camp Claybourne, Louisiana. Of course, that is for his basic training.

Snuff was at New Cumberland for over a week, so he came home on a week-end pass. He really looks nice in his uniform.

Everyone here is fine and up to now the weather has been like October. Today it started to get hot again.

Spoke to Evie, but she has been rather busy. As soon as I get a chance, I intend to go up there and spend the day.

I bought a stunning winter coat yesterday. It is moss green and is semi-sport. It is gathered in the back and has a belt in the front. There are trench pockets on the hips with a small gold button on each pocket. It is gathered on the shoulders with a gold button on each shoulder.

You know, Phil, I really didn't expect to miss Snuff this much when he went away, cause I have been expecting it for so long. I feel so terribly lonesome. If, after he finishes his training, he is sent somewhere nice I would like to follow him. The baby is older now and it wouldn't be too hard. If I don't follow him, I would like to go back to work, but then I would have to put him in a nursery. They don't take them under 2 yrs. so I would have to wait until Jan. Of course, I shall wait until I see what happens.

Right now I'm listening to “Suspense” with Brian Donlevy and it is really interesting.

I hope everything is alright with you. You must be pretty busy right now, but please drop me a line.

Ev told me that after awhile you get used to the lonesome feeling, but who wants Snuff to be away long enough for me to get used to it!

There isn't much more I can say right now except write soon.

As ever,

Dot

Aug. 31, 1944

Dear Phil:

Did you make it back alright? I hope you did. How have you been since I last saw you? I'm really so darn confused that I don’t know how to start this letter.

I hope you have written home to the folks about me for l alone can not express my feelings. I have not heard from anyone in quite sometime although they haven’t heard from me. Every time I sit down to write a letter and even when I don’t, my mind is forever wandering. Want to take time and tell you it was swell of you to come see me.

The weather here hasn’t been very good. I guess you have the same. Well Phil, take good care and till I think up more to write, I remain

Faithfully Yours

Brother-in-law,

Eddie