Sunday, November 10, 2013

Monday, December 6, 1943

Grandma's full Christmas leave is official!  They approved the entire amount of time.  I want to yell at her to just go on leave right now before they change their minds!

"I haven't written to you because I have been waiting for my leave to be approved and there was no use writing and keeping you wondering.  I sent you a night letter today so you will know by tomorrow morning that I will be home for Christmas for sure.  I bet the next two weeks will just drag."

Grandma wants to bring some sort of present to Missoula since she is spending most of her money on the trip to and from Montana.  This is also the first time that Grandma brings up WWII rationing.  Mainly she mentions dates, raisins, and some items that my Grandma's old roommate's mother sent to the old roommate and then the old roommate sent it to Grandma.  You follow that? You remember Marvel?  Her mom is generous and sent items to Grandma.

"they have lots of dates and raisens down here.  I am going to try and get some points to get the raisens.  I will try to send you as many as I possibly can."

"Marvel's mother sent her a box and Marvel and sent me some of the stuff on that her Mother sent for me.  There was a card congratulating me on my promotion to 2nd class and there were peanuts, gum, candy and cookies.  I thought that was awfully nice of her.  I am going to write to her today and thank her."

Despite the rationing, Grandma is thrilled to go home.

"I can hardly wait to pull into Missoula.  Of course I will expect the City Band to be there to meet me.  It will seem good to get away from here for awhile.  I guess you can get tired of any place that you are in.  Sometimes the crowded streets and stores get on my nerves so that I could scream.  I try to get down the street real fast and the lazy southerners are all strolling and it makes me mad."

Grandma didn't realize she would have an entire satellite family of southerners in her brood.  Ok, maybe it was only me who drawled on and on about being a Georgia Peach.  I also had a southern five, loved big floppy hats (still do), and head was a two syllable word.  My family asked me to say head so many times that I grew out of it.  In five minutes.  So I understand why Grandma is eager to return to life amongst the yankees.

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