4 Feb 1944

Sweet lady,

What a lovely day-two letters this morning from you and nice long ones full of news and a little love. They and the love are much in demand and greatly appreciated. These came thru in a reasonable length of time so I hope the mail is back on schedule even if from a different direction.

I know what you mean when you say kidneys and housecleaning but what I am to say to say I don’t know for I have said it many times before but the strenuous house work continues all in one big gob in spite of the kidneys. Abit at a time, a bit at a time lady. Abit at a time. In the end all will be as well. You do keep a lovely place tho my dear and it is not appreciated. I know I have a jewel of a wife and if I am not the envy of all other husbands it is only because they are too uninformed to know any better. It doesn’t stop at house work either if you know what I mean. I am often rather glad that you have the apartment rather than a house for I am sure that a house would be far more work. We may be losing on deal but never the less it is better.

I do NOT have the picture yet but suppose that it will be here one of there days. I am anxious for it but am really disappointed about the miniature. That was little extra I had not anticipated and which I am now crazy to have. Are you sure that you did not give it to some other guy? You would make a very poor corpse. Please have it redone or something and give to Pop. No delays.

I am terribly sorry about Eileen. I know she must be worried and is in the process of adjusting herself. They are real honest to goodness folks and I treasure their friendship a lot. I hope that she is better by now and say hello for me to her. I know that Nick is pleased with going with Kenny. I know him and he will be a fine man to be with. Brainy, a good fellow and a fighter. I know Geo Schulgen very well also. Things will be picking up from now on in that area I am sure, in fact they already are doing so and I believe that we will see excellent results this year. How was Jonny Hargreaves? He also is a swell guy. Does he expect to go over soon? Your letter sounded like it. I guess there are lots leaving nowadays.

We are in the middle of another maneuver but as yet I have not lost any sleep. Things have not broken yet but many at any minute and then the sleep will go by the board until it is finished. We have these just every so often and I have to stay on the job or someone will make a wild guess and be off on the wrong foot then I will do the answering at the high critique. Therefore I feel responsible to make my own mistakes. It is nice to have command and it caries many compensations but on the other hand a fellow is always vulnerable and wide open. You answer for any mistakes regardless of who made them and it keeps one with his eyes wide open all the time. Then to some one is always trying to outguess you all the time. I guess that is what a guy is for tho in this business and I would never be satisfied just breezing along trying to escape responsibility. Lots do but ---.

No my dear the golf is not costing much here tho I know it would in the States. I suppose that it will come to twenty dollars a month. I get balls from the caddies cheap and lose very few.(I can hit them straight now)We pay a dollar a time at the country club to play and really that is about all there is to do here. It has really been a big help to me mentally and physically. I get great fun from it and I am in excellent condition between squash and golf. A lot of exercise down here is the answer to keeping right and tho it is hard to drive ones self to it I have done so and am going to keep on doing it. However I promise not to make a golf widow out of you sweet girl. I want as much of you as you of me. I don’t know about the New York trip but we can see what we can arrange. Transportation is so difficult without a car. Airlines kick you off anyplace even if you get a priority and the train rides are really an ordeal which I do not believe that you would go for very much if my trip to the Coast was any simple. No food and crowded to the gills. Is it any better nowadays? I doubt it. We will do something you can rest assured.
I sure would like a spell in NY tho with you. Texas is sure a fur piece from places, is it not.

I will, send the Silver case for Poplar “toot sweet” by airmail. How did I get the idea it was wrong? Did you get the other package yet with the “bonnets” and lighters. What did you think of the beanies?

Really the mail is non cometh my way. I have had a letter from no one in ever so long. AS FOR (green eyed department) having heard from Mrs. Rice I have NOT forgotten to tell you. In fact I have heard nothing since I left RF nor have I written. Do you think that I am forsaken? I wonder if I could stand it? Just keep the letters coming and that is all this “bozzo” will ask.

About the Sat Eve Post. May the gods be stricken but you have the devils own time getting them here and then they come in weeks late. The trouble is that you cannot depend on getting them each week sequence therefore it is hard to really read good stories. I stick to books and movies now.

Dearest a word about mail again. We leave here Monday the 7^th. We are not allowed to mail letters anyway except thru army APO an d there is none in Lima. I will try to write thru diplomatic pouch but if mail is held up as far as you are concerned for say a four or five day lapse you will know why. It will not be because I do not want to write or because I am not thinking of you. In fact I will be thinking of you more than ever as I am looking around there. I must see the INCA museum they say is so wonderful. I will give you a full report on all sites viewed whether with a quick look or a prolonged look or just a glance. I will keep on mind my proper sightseeing training at all times. I suppose that my diet will suffer for a few days for I am still on it and my stay on it till I get with you once again. I am doing fine too I miss my beer but it can’t be helped. I have lost sixteen pounds am still going down. I finally weighed and was well rewarded. I wont weight again now until the end of this month.

Well darling outside of heart full of love and a terrible yearning for you there is little more to talk about. I must close this long gabfest but will be back with more. I will be back in the red chair before to many more moons and who knows just what might happen then. It seems that I know someone who knows all about chairs and I agree, in fact it is a date. (Tarzan yell at this point).

Love to you my darling wife.

Edwin