Mrs. Carlton J. Cook                                                   Lt.Col. Carlton J. Cook

26 Front St.                                                                              Ord. See., Nq. N.B.S

Birghamton, New York                                                            A.P.O. 600, % P.M. N.Y.C.

                                                                                                Sept. 12, 1943 letter # 6.

 

Dear Jeannette,

            This morning I was most pleased to receive another letter from you, dearest, your # 16, of August 29th. That is not too bad time in just two weeks from when you mailed it. It seems that almost all of your letters reach here in about that time now that is all of your V mail ones. As I wrote before all of your letters are complete now thru then.

            You spoke about the dinner you had at Grandma Cook’s being so good and so much. Did she save up all her ration stamps for a while for that. I still can’t picture it at home in a way since there was no ration stamps for this and for that. It is getting more strict here now on meats and some other items, like it was last winter. They have very little refrigeration over here so that most things must be used in a season, as they cannot be kept for off-season use. We do not get so many fresh vegetables now- once in a while some onions or tomatoes and quite often grapes, which there is more than enough of. A while back we got quite a few melons – musk, honeydew and watermelon.

            Am glad dad helped you with the income tax declaration for the year. Did you put in it the money he paid on our mortgage? If not I want you to be sure to include it on the Dec. 15th return. Yes, I think he is swell too for all the things he has done for us. I still can’t make it possible that our mortgage will be all paid off this year or rather this month. Be sure to save all you can in our saving account, as there are a lot of things I want to do on and around the house when we get back in it. You know some and some I haven’t talked much about, for example, perhaps a small swimming pool if we can pipe that spring late it, also the automatic lawn watering system. I still don’t like the idea of having to move that sprinkler around many times during an evening. Also perhaps a small fancy green house in which to grow some tropical flowers – gardenias, orchids, a lemon tree, etc., etc. What do you think of that? Also we might move the rose garden into the sunken garden or perhaps make a fountain in is like your folks had on Court Street. And too we want enough for a good trip when I get back as I don’t intend to go back to work right away, not for a couple of months anyway. So we shall need a tidy sun save up, I guess. That house and grounds are going to be a paradise to live in sometimes, but they will be anyway, just to get back there with you one more.

            Was surprised to hear that Walt Brown is in the array and as a soldier rather than an Officer too. Was interested to hear of Amelia’s writing to you. You shall surely have to get her straight on the colonel and major business. Tell her I asked for her when next you write. Tell her we won’t be back to Louisiana but perhaps she can come up north and work for us there.

            This morning I went to the early communion service and had this afternoon off. One of my officers and I went out to a beach near here to swim in the Mediterranean. It was excellent. The water was fine and we had two fine meals. Most of the villas there have been taken over by the army for the officers and enlisted men, together with the beaches. They serve especially good meals there, much better than in town here. We had steak for dinner at noon and turkey for dinner at night. I got back there to the hotel about 7:30 and am now writing you my usual Sunday letter. There is a nice sand beach and the Mediterranean is truly as blue as they say. We changed in a villa used by the ordnance officers. Some of them stay there and some in each morning early but I had rather stay in town and go out when I can. It is the first I’ve been there but not the last. They have lifeguards so you don’t have to worry. See I must close. All my love to you, darling.

                                                            Carlton