Monday, October 20, 1952
Dear Andrew and John,
We've started around on the virus again. Arlene was running a temperature Saturday and Sunday but wouldn't stay in bed. Yesterday was such a beautiful day, though, that we didn't want to wait any longer. Before I went to church with Arlene at 10:30, I gave the Boehms a call and told them we would pick them up about 1:00. Came back from church a bit piffed because I missed Communion for the first time since New Year's 1945--on a Sunday, that is. Don't know what happened; when the bells rang at Communion time the altar boys hopped up and went for the water and wine instead of the plates. The people looked at one another but no one attempted to do anything about it. We left home at 12:15, just Ann, the little ones and myself and went in at Cousin A's and Cousin C's for a minute to see their newly decorated kitchen. We were back at 2:30, gave them a tour of the place and sat around and talked. They stayed and ate with us and didn't leave till 7:15. I made the round trip taking them home, taking my time, and was back in the house at 9:10. I'm glad we did it yesterday; it was 65° and the route all the way is lined with trees that have just turned. You no doubt had a quick glimpse of autumn as your winter set in with a bang. Over night the temperature here fell to 40° and when I called Ann this morning to tell her Aunt Til had called me to say hello, Ann said it started to snow at 9 this morning and at that time - 12:15 - it was still coming down. I'm sure it won't lay. Tonight, the weather man says 26° so we're getting into your territory. The only thing is, yours is there to stay and ours is so changeable. I think Cousin A and C. liked the place except they wouldn't want to live out there. They acknowledged that with a car town was very accessible. Cousin Anna even took a glass of our special blend $1.69 a half-gallon sherry.
Arlene got her pup on Saturday morning and I have to admit it's a pretty nice hound. Four months old, housebroken, even though it stays in the cellar, and all white with black dots and a black ear. Name of Lady MacBeth but we call it Mac for short as everyone refers to her as him. Mike tolerates him, I mean her; Kathy loves her and leaves her; but Stevie eats it up. He trails it around the yard and shares his cookies with her. I don't think it will grow as large as I mentally predicted as we find it is dalmatian with just a dash of bird dog. In her gallops around the yard, every once in awhile she'll stop, raise one paw, straighten the tail and point a bird perfectly. Maybe you'd get used to her.
We did the usual grocery shopping in Jacksonville on Saturday, I mean Friday night, but drove in as far as Parkville Saturday afternoon to the 10-cent store. We got around to TV promptly at eight so as not to miss Jimmy Durante with Frankie Sinatra. It was a very good show and Frankie kept out of it most of the time. Somehow Show of Shows continues just as good and the guest hostess was a bit different this time - Alicia Markova, the ballerina. She did a 15 minute bit toward the end from Les Sylphis or whatever that ballet is. Gunther's Playhouse had another 2 hour film "International Lady" with George Brent, Illona Massey and Basil Rathbone. It was an A, with nothing but familiar supporting actors but I managed to see a 1942 copyright date. A little earlier in the evening we missed "Bicycle Thief" which I told you was presented last summer for the first time on TV. So, as I've said, they're going around again and you'll be just in time for some good ones.
In one of the envelopes or in with the movie review of the Times I'm going to put a review of Bette Davis' new "Two's Company" show I mentioned not having heard when I wrote about Tallulah last week. Coming in to town in the car this morning - I have the radio on for the news and heard that Bette collapsed in Chicago last night where Two's Company was putting on its first performance. She had to be carried from the stage in the first scene by two stagehands, the commentator said, but was back to finish the end of the show and made a curtain call to tell the people "You can't say I didn't fall for you."
Streett Baldwin died yesterday afternoon; was only 58, the papers say. He was coming around Saturday even though he couldn't speak but contracted pneumonia and that finished him.
That last paragraph of yours, Andrew, about the visit from our mutual "cousin" was something. The letter just came this morning. I couldn't resist telling Ann about it lunchtime. I asked Cousins, A & C if they had heard anything and they said no, their trip to Chase never materialized. We'll have to have Aunt Hannah out sometime and see if she will tell us the score because I'm sure she knows.
The postman dropped by the house the other night to ask if I would buy stamps or if I could buy stamps for Doctor from them and not here in town. I told him Ca-Ma-Sil used a postage meter and that the rest of the stamps didn't amount to more than 10 or 15 a month. He said that strange as it may sound that would mean a lot of business for him. So I've gotten permission to get most of our regular stamps out there. I noticed they have an Esso gas dispenser next to the store so I dropped by Friday, being pretty low. Mr. Sewell was coming out of the store with a pan of something as I went in and I said I wanted to get some gas. He said just to help myself and give the money to Ma; that if she wasn't in the store, just to yell and she'd answer. And that's what happened. I also found the mail doesn't come out on the Ma and Pa. It comes twice a day, delivered by truck, morning and afternoon. The postman's route, he told me, measures a little over 50 miles and he has 1,475 stops or potential ones. That's really something and I'm glad we're about the first on the list.
Stay well till you get the heck out of there and I'll get off a few more letters until I hear from you that you're sure you're moving out the end of the month.
END OF LETTER
Next Posting: October 21, 1952
Copyright 2012 Stephen A Conner
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