Thursday, December 14, 1944

Grandma gives her local and apartment news in this letter, and she about fell over when received her letter from Great Aunt Peggy in the mail.

"Well, I have just recovered from the shock of receiving a letter from you, Peggy.  I am so glad that you finally wrote.  I thought you may have sprained your wrist, or worse yet, broke your arm."

Grandma badgers Great Aunt Peggy so much because she misses her family and her home.  Grandma longs for a Montana Christmas.  This is going be her first Christmas without snow, her home, or her father.  This is not going to be an easy Christmas, but Grandpa has not easy christmases the last couple of years himself.  

"Have you put up a Xmas tree yet.  We are having an awful time trying to find decorations.  We got some of those tin foil icicles but that is all.  We want to get some lights and some ornaments, but you can't find the darn things.  This will be Bud's first Xmas in the United Sates for the last 3 years and I want it to be a very nice once for him.  Besides it is our first Xmas.  It is my first Xmas away form home and without snow."

No snow and no home but at least Grandpa is on dry land for the first time in three years.  Thank God for small blessings.

Grandma continues her cooking escapades, but now she has a new supplier.  She even makes her own ice cream!

"Mrs. Maddrix, a lady that works in my office, bought 4 chickens and brought them over to my apartment.  Jeanne Klemm, the other WAVE in the office and her boyfriend came over.  I broiled the chickens.  I had baked potatoes, tomatoes, olives, celery stuffed with creamed cheese, buns, and I made a white cake with chocolate frosting and vanilla ice cream.  I always make the ice cream."

There was always ice cream in Grandma's house without fail.  I distinctly remember the multitude of sherbet that were always int he freezer.  I always wanted the pink sherbet and yelling about it.  I would run down the hall yelling "PINK SHERBET" at the top of my lungs.  However, it was pronounced sherbert when I was 4.  

It's a Miami Christmas

On May 14,1940