Battle of the Bureaus

Oh, how I would like to see the Battle of the Bureaus with my Great Aunt Kay. I am sure the footage is forever lost, but come on—she carried a potato on a spoon and won five bucks! Can't get any better than that!

I think it is interesting that nylons were in short supply during the war. I just never thought that would be something that was rationed. I guess that explains why my grandmother would take such good care of her hosiery—and wear them until they would fall off her legs (as long as the run didn't show—she wore them). My other grandma also wore hose all the time—except she would usually be sporting the "knee-high" version under her dresses! Even if she was working around home—down on the farm—she still wore the hose! I don't know any women who wear pantyhose on any regular basis. I wear skirts in the summer (sans hose) and on the rare occasion that I wear a skirt in the winter, I wear cotton tights.

Vol. 10, No. 7 [Kay]

Tuesday, May 2, 1944

Dear Family—

Dan’s idea is probably to save some time in the circuit of the chain, and if Paulie and I should duplicate some items, at least there’s not as much time lost. It’s a good idea. She is whipping hers off at the office today too, but staying at R and H’s tonight, so we’ll have it in the mail tomorrow.

Things are a little lull at the office today—i.e. dull from a personnel view. People are still so hard to get, especially in the lower brackets, and the persons needing them hammer away at you and don’t seem to understand WHY you can’t get them. The high schools and business schools will flood the market in June for a short period but the demand still exceeds the supply—Oh my—I’m sure you are all glad that your troubles are along other lines.

We had a letter from Dick yesterday in which he said that he might be going to Santa Ana, Calif. soon—their lives are so subject to change that it’s hard to tell where he’ll be shipped next. He also said on the other hand that there is a great possibility he will stay put for awhile. We also had a letter from Donald last week—still somewhere in England—but a new APO number.

Did Paul tell you about my radio appearance a week ago Sunday. I believe I mentioned it in a letter to Sadie recently. Was on a program called ‘The Battle of the Bureaus’ sponsored by a department store here. War Shipping vs. Housing Agency. A quiz program, a very simple quiz program, so that I was able to assist our team in upholding WSA. We won, I happened to get high score, so I won a $5 mdse certificate from the department store and each on the winning team received a $5 cash prize. It was fun. They had a silly quick-trick at the end of the quiz that the high scoring pair had to do—you should have seen me scooping up a big Idaho on a tablespoon and carrying it across the studio—to the glee of the audience—it must have looked funny.

We were going to a Navy band program Thurs. nite—an annual thing that is always worth seeing, but they have called it off on a/c Knox. This war is killing them off on the home and battle front isn’t it? I see that Roosevelt is ‘much better’ and will be returning soon from his vacation in the South. I reckon he won’t have any trouble holding the throne for another four years. I know how the very thought of it pleases you Shan.

Bernie and a friend of his went to Juarez on a three day pass recently. He spent an hour or so with Bease and Mare Guernsey. Maybe Paul told you the story Mike told us about Bease. You know how she has been confined to bed. Eleta, Mike, and another person sent her a bed jacket for Xmas—at which point Bease got pretty mad I guess and decided to get up—and has been up ever since. Bernie sent me two pairs of pure silk very beautiful stockings from Juarez—had planned to send nylons but apparently couldn’t get them. I see by the papers that we’ll will be able to get them again in the Fall— 6 prs a year per each. I have been going without socks since April 9—rain or shine—and intend to until Fall.

Dan, your house looks charming. Thnx for the invite to any and all who want to come. The mountains are such a delightful rest from the D.C. heat that I rather think I’ll hit them again someplace this year. Rose and H are surely looking forward to their week in June, and you know how we are looking forward to Helen and Dave’s coming at that time. We hope to steal Dave for a few extra weeks—course I would like to steal him for good.

This is about comparable to a two-pager letter when penned—and besides I better git to work.

Love to all until the next round.

Always,
K.