Tuesday, July 18, 1944

Is it true that people who live in warmer climes have thinner blood?  Grandma says that Great Aunt Peggy is so sluggish because her blood hasn't thinned out as much as Grandma's.

"The weather has been rather rainy but it has been so hot it is a relief to have it rain.  We go in the ocean quite a bit, and Peggy loves it.  She isn't too peppy but she still is all right.  I think if her blood would thin out she would be better.  My blood is quite thin now."

My blood never thickened while I lived in Chicago.  It was just so bitterly cold all the time that I learned to conserve heat by not opening my mouth.  Complaining led to major heat loss.  One can spare the heat whining in Atlanta as it rarely gets near freezing.

It ceases to amaze me how I can get so sidetracked by one sentence.  The true meat of this letter is in its main paragraph.  (Oh my gosh, wow, REALLY).  This letter is Grandma's realizations that she wants to be exclusive with Grandpa.  She puts it all on him, but I know from first hand experience that the way she describes his love for her is a reflection of the love she has for him.

"Yesterday I got a call from a Lt. that I used to go with and he asked me to go out with him last nigh.  I said I would go, and I guess I hurt Bud pretty baldy by going.  I told him before I went out and everything.  He, Bud, had the afternoon off yesterday, so he went out to visit Peg and I guess he was so lonesome for me that he about died.  I have a pair of shorts that needed washing and some mending done to them, so Bud fixed them for me while he sat and talked to Peggy.  I get quite a kick out of it.  Today he took me to lunch and brought me a present, it is a thing made out of shells that has perfume inside of it.  It is more for decoration on you(r) dresser or something.  He took me out to one of the best places to eat, too.  I had a nice time last nite but I felt kind of funny going out with Don, because I have only gone out with Bud since I have been back.  He is an awfully nice boy, Mother, he goes to church all the time too.  He goes to the Lutheran Church, and he is going to make me go with him every Sunday.  I have gone with him before and it is a nice church, so I guess it won't kill me to go with him.  Bud was overseas for 28 months and has been in 7 major battles.  He has quite a few things to wear on his chest."

I didn't know to what extent Grandpa's military service was.  I definitely teared up with pride over that last sentence though.

Grandpa at Grandma and Great Aunt Peggy's Apartment

On June 27, 1944

Friday, July 14, 1944

For the first time in my life, Great and Aunt Peggy and Grandma disappoint me.  They've been together a week and they haven't gotten into any mischief!  However, I think Grandma is trying to fix Great Aunt Peggy up with her CO.

"Peg came into town yesterday and met me for lunch.  She met Beverly and the kids and I took her over to the barracks.  She didn't get to meet Comdr. because he was out of the office, but she will be in again.  He was awfully disappointed he didn't get to meet her.  I told him I was going to rent a car when she came down here and he said it was too expensive and that we could use his car, he has a lot of gas and so I might, but as yet I don't know.  I thought that was awfully nice of him to offer it though."

After those comments though I take it back.  Grandma's CO might be sweet on her!

Ruth (used to be) Timm's wedding is still a hot topic in Grandma's letters.  Grandma wants all the news she can get.

I am anxious to the paper about Ruth's wedding.  I will write to them and send her a little gift.  I bet she is really happy.  After that Royce deal I a so glad she could find such a nice boy and he sounds os refined and everything.  She sent me a picture of him and he seemed to be nice looking, but I could see Ruth was a little taller than he is."

Her anxiety over the newspaper and her comment about Ruth's Husband height makes me wonder if there's something behind those comments.  Grandma was a master at hiding her true feelings in plain sight.  She is still the reigning queen of the loaded question.  Her implications abound.  It's why we got along so well.  She would imply something and I would cut through the crap.  It worked best when I was little and hadn't perfected my filter.  Grandma thought it was funny.  My forthrightness lost its shine when I hit puberty.

The anxiety and the height comment make immediately think about my Grandfather.  Grandpa towered over Grandma he was at least 6'2".  Grandma was maybe 5'4"?  So, she wants info about a wedding and mentioned that her friend's new husband is shorter than her.  This makes me think that what she is telling my Great-Grandmother is that she is a little jealous of Ruth and her marriage.  That she wants to get married to Grandpa.  I could also be reading waaaaaay too much into this and being crazy.  But as Crazy Eyes says, "I am not crazy, I am unique."

On June 17, 1944

Tuesday, July 11, 1944

Great Aunt Peggy's arrival is  success!  I know Grandma is happy to have her there even after all the lecturing.  You could always tell that Grandma and Great Aunt Peggy enjoyed each other's company.  Their bond was on such a level that a few glances and eye twitches communicated their interpretation of current events over the last decade.  Or maybe they were just commenting about the horrible event someone decided to wear and lamenting their choice.

"I am so sorry for being so slow in writing to you but I have been so busy at the office, and then with Peggy here, my evening are filled and the time seems to fly.  I got to leave work early so I could meet her.  She was dirty but she looked nice and seemed well and in good spirits.  We talked 50 miles an hour I think.  Bud and Andy came down to the depot and carried her bags for her.  We went right to the apartment and she cleaned up.  Then we took a swim in the ocean too. She loves the apartment and likes it so well here.  I suppose that she has written and told you all about it.  She hasn't been in Miami, but just once, and that was to get her reservations.  She will leave here on the 8th of August.  That was the soonest she could get out of here on the fast train.  She is pretty well rested up now so she going to come down and meet everyone."

Although Great Aunt Peggy is visiting, Grandma still misses her mother.  She cannot help but brag about her mother, or as she puts it, "putting on the dog."

Bud and Andy haven been entertaining us and she likes them a lot.  Bud said that you were a very observant woman because Peg was reading one of your letters where you told all about Ruth's husband and since you had seen him only the one time and gave such a full description of him he thinks your are very observant, so I told him you were a very brilliant woman and very well educated.  You can just hear me putting on the dog can't you?"

The wedding Grandma told Great Aunt Peggy to skip took place in Missoula finally.  Grandma is so happy for the Timms and the newly weds.  What I want to point out is Grandma's admission about Grandpa!

"I only hope that you will approve of my choice, and on the QT it might be Bud."

GET MARRIED ALREADY!

Grandma and Grandpa

On June 9, 1994