Wednesday,
Dearest Hal,
It was so lovely to have a letter from you today. The very first word I have had and I’ve been very anxious to hear. I think you will have had several letters and a wire from me by this time. I wish so much we might have had the trip together. I’m sure you would have enjoyed it very much more if we could have seen all the things together. Every thing I do means so much more when I can do it with you.
Tonight we had a very pleasant visit from some old friends. Lib and Paul and Frank and Tish and all their children ate supper with us. We had such a nice visit and every one kept on saying how they wished you were here with us. Paul looks fine and is very happy to be home with his family. He had expected to have a few weeks training and then head to the Pacific but now he thinks he will stay in this country and maybe be discharged before so long. We had a real nice dinner and I wished so much you could have been here with us.
Lib and Paul have two very nice looking children. The little boy is red headed and very good looking. Patsy is still a pretty child quite tall for her age and very sweet and unspoiled. Lib says that Pete has the temper that goes with red hair but I didn’t see any signs of it.
Tish’s baby is red headed too and very fat and cute. They can’t seem to keep this red hair in either one family or the other. You would have enjoyed teasing Frank and Paul about it. Of course they had to rid me a little about not being able to hold my husband once I had him home and there really wasn’t a lot I could say. It begins to look as though they don’t have too much for you to do in Calif. Maybe they will send you back to me. Anyways we can always hope for the best.
Several boys who have been discharged from the army and are working here again are very much disappointed and wish they had stayed in the army until things at home settled down a bit more. All most all of them are very nervous and find the adjustments to civilian life more trying than they had imagined. As usual darling, it looks as thought your judgment was very good.
I can’t help missing you terribly but I do try hard to be content and hope we’ll be able to be together again before too long.
Please write as often as you can.
All my love,
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Friday Aug. 31,
My dearest Hal,
I was so glad to have a letter from you and to know you have arrived in Casa. You might inquire about mail if you have not received any as I have written you several letters and have also had the address on the paper changed so you should get it out there before very long. I am glad you sent the last letter airmail as they take a week to come by ordinary mail. This one came by air in two days, which seemed wonderful after waiting so long.
I will send your clothes right away as I’m sure you are needing them. I am overjoyed at the idea of your having a leave sometime this fall. Do you plan to be here when the baby comes? If you wait until (she?) is a month old maybe I could go back with you.
Do any of the men have their families out there? Just what does the housing situation seem to be? Sam and I miss you dreadfully and while I’m sure that no sane doctor would give his consent to such a trip I’m sure I would attempt it if you could find us a place to live. I know I must be mad but if you’re going to be there six months I surely would have to be there with you. Of course you can tell much better than I possible could know just what our problems would be. I like to dream that maybe it’s possible. It’s pretty hard on you to have us move about so much, the expense and all that. I wish we could have stayed on where we were in Pittsfield. Please write us all you can about the place you’re staying. It helps a great deal to know where you are and what you are doing.
I have been canning a little but not enough to hurt me. Peggy had a grand garden with plenty of butter beans, corn and tomatoes. You know how I love butter beans I find it very hard not to eat too many of them. We have put some in the locker so you can have some when you come home. I think it’s perfectly wonderful that you are going to get to come. You had better wait until I’m able to be up and around again. We can have lots more fun than if I’m in the hospital. I will try to pin a doctor down and make some one tell me for sure when this baby is due to arrive just as soon as I possibly can.
Sam is writing you a letter too. You know how he hates writing so you can easily see it is a labor of love when he attempts anything so difficult.
Yesterday, Mother, Timmy, and I went to town to see “The Corn is Green” with Bette. I enjoyed it very much but I guess I was in the mood for a serious movie. Sam stayed with Patsy while we were gone and they had a lot of fun. He enjoys playing with Patsy more than any child I know.
I am glad to hear that John is out there. I know you will enjoy your cribbage. I am delighted to hear that they are expecting. Is Edith there with him? How many wives made the trip out there with their husbands? Are many families planning to move out? Will you continue to study the Japanese language? Do you have a golf course near you? I know you miss having the car. Too bad you couldn’t take it. I may really need it here however as the tires on Mother’s car are shot.
Mother is having her tonsils out Wed. and I can’t tell anyone how much I dread that. She will have Dr. Freed in Waynesboro do it and will be in the hospital several days may be longer. I wish it were safely over. The doctors consider it necessary and she seems anxious to have it over with. I know she dreads it terribly. She has been having trouble with her blood pressure but that is a little better now. The Dr. has been giving her medicine for it all summer and it is still a little high.
Darling, please write me if there is the slightest chance of our being able to come out there and if there is I ask the Dr. if he thinks it’s completely insane of me to attempt such a thing. In the meantime I can dream of coming anyways. Sam and I both miss you terrible and want so much to be with you. As long as things are so uncertain we are very lucky to have a place to stay here so I’ll try not to be unhappy about not coming to California.
All my love,
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Dear Daddy.
Do you live near a beach? I want to hunt seashells and try to catch a crab. I love you very much. Sam