Dear Andrew and John,
Today is Maryland Day with most of the offices and schools closed. You will notice I'm double spacing to make it seem like more and it's easier to read. The weather won't give spring a chance. I wrote of the balmy conditions last Tuesday and that night it went into the twenties; then Friday it shot up to 80° but was cold and rainy over the week end and all day yesterday. The plum blossoms are ready to break but they're always early. Mommie was working on a letter to you last night when I got home from school and she mentioned she was including news of the first crocus. Actually, in a walk around the house Sunday between showers, I could count more than a dozen in various colors and some just coming up. The group of tulips under the kitchen window looks strong and shoots are on the way. We noticed some forsythia in full bloom but ours is still in the bud stage. I got down on my hands and knees at the two spots where the azaleas held forth but no green. Otherwise, the yard is a soggy mess. Ann picked up a bag of humus in the ten cent store and has something planted in the green box on the kitchen radiator. Little green flowers are quick to appear and Kathy is just as quick to take each one to Ann. I told Ann it was foolish to get the make-things-grow stuff when we have Stephen every hour on the hour and the Fuller Sweet-Air spray. One of the little monsters living in the old engine house and one of the Ives reduced the front hedge to a shambles. I had a few words with them in the front yard and sometime within the next 24 hours all the air caps on the car's tires were lifted.
For some reason we've overlooked a medium sized catastrophe when no doubt some of your other correspondents have related. Two Fridays ago - no, it mast have have a Thursday because I was beginning my last Class at school about 8:30 p.m. when we heard sirens and bells screaming and ringing from all directions. We guessed an air raid practice but it was still going on when I headed for home at 9:30. I switched on the radio and heard that one of the stands in the 5th Regiment Armory had collapsed; full of people waiting for the start of the Sonja Henie ice show. The final result was 300 injured but in some miraclous, make it miraculous way, none was killed. Sunday's paper stated the lawsuits against Sonja and company have now reached $5,500,000.00. It was the fault of the contractor who either tours with the company or subs the work from city to city. The inspectors found they had no cross beams in the stands; had used nails much too small and the overload was twenty times what they considered normal. Sonja was scheduled to open in New York last week but cancelled her whole run for N. Y. city when the bond was required to be increased from $300,000 to one million dollars. She says she is continuing the show for a time around the country. She split with Arthur Wirtz (?) you know and this is her own set up. It was fully covered with Lloyds of London.
I forgot to mention above that one hyacinth was fully formed and ready to burst over the week end and, to take it out of the hands of Jane and/or Edward, Ann brought it into the house where it has been smelling up the kitchen since Sunday.
I'm still working on that roll of Kodachrome; only eight left. I thought we were going to run them off Sunday but we all went to a basketball game. It was the Maryland finals for Arlene' s team at St. Elizabeth's and they won - the kids are really good. There was a small balcony whose only occupants besides ourselves were another husband and wife. Stevie didn't want to be held and as the space up there was cleared of seats and the railing was very low, I covered more ground than either team.
It was a good TV week end. Jimmy Durante, Saturday at 8:00, had Margaret Truman as guest. One amusing skit had her as a contestant on his quiz show. Blindfolded she was to fill in lines on a blackboard puzzle. Then Jimmy came up and turned the thing sideways where it spelled out "I Like Ike". Her voice was terrible but her acting good and she did a buck and wing with Durante and Eddie Jackson. Maybe you'll see it as they are constantly saying, "this show is being broadcast to the armed forces overseas". Show of Shows was very good as it was Sid and Imogene's return from a mid-winter vacation and the hostess was Virginia Grey. We also saw our third Gunther movie of new English film selections and again did not fall asleep. You can tell they are "A" pictures and this one lasted from 10:30 till 12:20. I can't remember if I mentioned the name of the second one, but to repeat, it was Richard Todd and Valerie Hobson in "The Interrupted Journey". Dagmar is on with a canteen show from California each Saturday night from 12:15 to 12:45 but we have not taken this one in. Sunday evening was Martin and Lewis. Jerry's father, Danny Lewis, did a five minute spot of song but wasn't so much. Cousin Claire 'phoned during this program; said she was writing you a letter but couldn't find much to say; also that she hadn't shipped your package as yet but had the ingredients at the store but someone suggested that she not send sweet stuff - I hastened to say to the contrary even though you might have a temporary surplus.
I had to take some papers down town last Friday and dropped in on Aunt Hannah; told her we were over a few Sundays back to pick her up and she said she has been spending the weekends with some relative or friend. She looks very bad and right then had a severe cold.
Ed and Marie Pierpoint had baby girl last Friday and Ann is just about as tickled as they for she briefed Marie with pictures and experience through the last two weeks and with Stevie getting to be the big slob, she can't wait to get her hands on another. As far as we know, there's nothing in the offing, if that's the word. Stephen is, just as John says, at that stage when you can throw 'am around and they like it. The other two roll all over him but he doesn't take anything off them, good natured as he is generally. And you should hear little button nosed Kathy when she climbs on the couch where Mike may be sitting reading, smooths her dress down while she turns to him with her little voice and says, "Want to fight, Mikie?"
I've been pretty lucky this year and haven't missed a day of lent. Of course, a couple of days I had to walk with the snow and bad weather but the car makes it so much easier. I just have to
get Ann her license so she will be able to get away from home with the kids. Abe is going to buy a new 1952 Plymouth. His Dodge is pretty well beat and he is getting a pretty good deal from Biemiller. But you should hear the prices. He is going to have a four door Cranbrook which is equal to ours in general outward appearance. Without seat covers or radio or any of the extras it will still cost him $2,100.How about film? I sent off a couple more flash bulbs to you and will try to get more in the next package. I was so disgusted with that Polaroid film, that I included in last week's letter after I got home. I took those three if I may use the word pictures and pushed the buttons down for the fourth; when I pulled the remainder or approximately three feet of combination sensitive paper stripped right out leaving the pods somewhere in the works. I haven't even taken the camera out of the drawer to see the mess it must contain. For you, John, I could get 50 or 100 feet of 35 mm. and make 36 picture rolls for 10c or 15c a throw. And Andrew, if you could use some 616 or whatever size you suggested, can I get it easier. There's no trouble and Wards or Sears is always available by mail. I have always wanted to go over to the new Sears store on North Avenue and had to pass up a chance on Saturday to go with Ed Pierpoint because Mommie was preparing supper. Let me know; I have plenty of substantial shipping containers.
We received your letter about the National Geographic picture on yesterday. I'll see tonight if I can locate the rest of the article and whether there are more pictures. Ann says there is another letter home today.
I am also forwarding another article if I can suitably package it. For the many years I have been here at the office, we have been using, in lieu of corncobs, reprocessed wallpaper with the paste left on. The Warrington has gifted us with a carton of soft-weaver and I am mailing a sample to use in conjunction with your honey buckets and spring colds.
END OF LETTER
Editor's notes:
Aunt Hannah is the former wife of Charles' Uncle.
Claire Boehm is Charles' cousin.
Ed and Marie Pierpont are neighbors and friends of the Conners.
Abe is a lifelong friend of Charles.
The "old engine house" is across the street from Charles' house. It was the firehouse that operated before 1930 and was reconditioned for apartments.
The "last class at school" refers to classes that Charles taught on evenings at the Baltimore Institute.
"A" pictures are movies that had a big budget as opposed to a "B" movie.
"Buck and Wing" is a solo tap dance emphasizing sharp taps.
The Warrington Building was owned by Charles' employer.
Next posting: April 1, 1952
Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner
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