Tuesday, June 3, 1952
Dear Andrew and John,
I'm afraid some of our letters are not getting through to you for you ask, Andrew, whether we saw Bette Davis with Jimmy Durante and I recall describing a couple of their scenes; one where Jimmy is shooting down Oscars as they run along the oposite wall a'la shooting gallery style; and again she comes downstage and gives with a lot of this long handkerchief and cigarette puffing stuff and fast talk, ending with "See, I too can immediate Bette Davis." I'm sorry. Yesterday we received a letter from you, John, with the picture and that's the first good Kodachrome, or is it Printon, finished product that I recall seeing. It's what I expected and still think the transparencies of Mike and Kathy sitting on the couch and a few others should look like. You mention Bob's uncle; is he a professional as I note there is no stamp on the back as the pros usually identify their mess. Back to Andrew; we also received your picture with the specs over the weekend. I'll have to get out a few of the back letters for I don't remember whether you said you wear them all the time or only for paper work. They look pretty good, anyway, and I believe the Doctor just got a pair like them down Bowen & King's with only the top part as it appears in your picture. Kathy picked up Momnie's a little too hard and snapped them across the middle ridge so they're being held together with bright green Mystic tape until circumstances permit... She doesn't wear them much but I make her keep them on while doing all this sewing lately.
I had Friday - Decoration Day -- off, believe it or not but, in keeping with the past month, it rained. On Sunday they boxed in a special item on the back page of the paper showing that it rained 23 days of the 31 in May. It rained again Saturday and still on Sunday morning so except for driving Ann to the dentist Saturday morning we didn't take the car out till Sunday afternoon. Ann told Dr. Sherrard you both certainly missed a good dentist. Because the banks were closed Friday they were open Saturday morning so I deposited your allotment check, John, which had come on Thursday and took the card you signed, Andrew, and had them put your name in your book. Having the books at hand I should have jotted down the amounts you have. I am sure of your balance, Andrew, of $110 even but yours, John, is either $139.54 or $149.54. The fifth Bond we are holding came on Saturday morning, as it is usually postmarked around the 27th of the month.
There're a fellow at school named Santos Natale Nastasi I've known about five years. He's really a chemist and graduated from Loyola College with Al Fitzgerald, the one we talked to that day a couple of years ago on the streetcar, Andrew. Anyway, we got an invitation to his wedding and reception scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Our Lady of Lourdes. We declined the reception but took the three little ones to the wedding. Stevie fell asleep on the way over and I carried him into the church and we were seated with him pounding away. They had a big messy-soprano with Mrs. Garvey's looks and twice her blast. The organ started softly and when she came out with her first shriek of Ave Maria Stevie's head snapped up, his mouth drooped open and during the whole service he lay around my neck with that slobby look and fixed expression. I think it scared him so he hasn't gotten over it yet. We came back and ate about four, then sat inside while two hours of solid water fell. Show of Shows went off Saturday night till September 6 and All Star Review, also Saturday evening, had Spike Jones in a very good program. We started the Gunther movie of David Niven in "Bonnie Prince Charlie" but couldn't stand it after 20 minutes so switched to the end of the Hit Parade and saw Dorothy sing Kiss of Fire for No. 1. Back to Sunday evening, at 7:30 Jack Benny was scheduled for TV, followed by Herb Shriner on the Comedy Hour, a good Philco, then Red Skelton. Precisely at 7:30 Gerry and Ellen walked in and I hope I didn't look too disgusted. I got one kick out of their stay. Gerry asked if we had seen the Continental, which we hadn't. He then said they always saw the Dagmar show late on Saturday which I've told you about. Ann didn't hear him and he must have thought she didn't know who he was talking about so he added, "you know her, she's got the..." Ellen swung around in her chair and he quickly finished, "She's a big woman".
A copy of the Journal of the American Medical Association (from whence came the bull story I sent you yesterday) which has been thrown away had a pretty cute one in it that went something like this. Hope you haven't heard it:
The manager of a Baltimore plant was a great believer in using psychology to hire his employees. So he called in a noted local psychologist and told him he had three prospective girls, one of whom he would like to choose as his secretary.
The psychologist said he would choose a simple test and asked each girl this question, "How much is two and two?"
The first girl immediately said "four".
The second said it could be "twenty-two".
The third said maybe it's 'four" and then again maybe "twenty-two"
The psychologist turned to the manager and said there you have it, "the first girl said the obvious thing, the second smelled a rat, while the third didn't want to have to decide which." He added it should be obvious which was the best qualified.
The manager didn't hesitate. "I'll take the blonde with the blue eyes,' he said.
I don't imagine anything will come of it, but I submitted an entry to the Reader's Digest. It is the one Dotty pulled; Dotty being the girl Annie Clapsaddle's brother married. They now have two little girls but this happened when Dotty was in the labor room when the first was born. When the severe pains started coming near the end the nurse walked in to find her shouting, "I've changed my mind, I've changed my mind; I want a divorce."
I think we've had enough of me but I just remembered that this Al Fitzgerald I mentioned above is married to Virginia Horn and they have one child so it's been for several years. She is a sister of Carl Horn.
I saw Dee and Virginia at 8:00 on Sunday. We all overslept as Stevie pulled the electric alarm of the TV and Mommie went to 9 with Arlene. Ann told me at noontime that she got the kids haircuts this morning and heard that Tommy Cimino is heading home. He has been at Pusan and Koje and has the necessary points or something, but I don't believe he has been in as long as you have, has he? Haven't heard any comments on the Sr. S.S. play which we didn't get to see and didn't even ask if anyone we knew was in it. Abe took his car and went to Wildwood, New Jersey and Atlantic City for the long weekend and isn't back yet.
END OF LETTER
Editor's Notes:
Annie Clapsaddle is a high school friend of Ann's.
Virginia is a friend of John's.
Gerry and Ellen are friends of the family.
Abe Scop is a lifelong friend of Charles.
Next posting: June 09, 1952
Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner
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