Rose speaks of a fuel shortage in 1942. It is apparent that they may not have enough fuel oil to make it through the winter on the rations allowed at the time. This was not a poor rural family that didn't have the funds to buy oil. Rose’s husband Howard was an attorney with the US Government in Washington DC. I also think it is interesting that their Christmas first for their new little one was a rattle. I doubt any parent in the present day would buy only a rattle for their baby for Christmas!
Vol. 3, No. 7 [Rose]
Washington, D.C.
December 22, 1942
Dearest Lala —
Yesterday was my first day on my own with the baby, and while he managed to survive my tender ministrations, it didn’t leave me much leisure time, and I’m feeling the effects of my exertions today.
Remember, you once told me that if I ever had a baby, it would cut into my reading time? You were right! I couldn’t even get through a short story in a magazine, between doing thing for him on schedule, and dancing attendance on his whims, washing his clothes, etc., the rest of the time. I think we should have named him Adolf, judging by the amount of personal liberty he allows us.
He really is thriving now. He gained a pound last week, and I am satisfied that he is on his way. He now weighs 7 lbs. 1 1/2 oz. His eyes are still blue and his ears still flat. But he is very self-willed and has a devil of a temper. I cannot understand where he got that, can you? Also he is very unreasonable; chews his fist when his bottle is right in front of him, rams his fingers into his eyes, etc. But with all that, he is so precious, I have all I can do to keep from eating him. I do wish you could see him! And I want you to know that we are not spoiling him. He keeps hoping we might, and is diligent in his attempts to make us pick him up, but we firmly restrain each other.
What sort of Christmas are you planning? Ours is going to be extremely quiet. All our resources are at present tied up in Master John David, but he is enough Christmas for us. We have a little tree, and are going to buy him a rattle. Howard’s father is sending us a turkey, and Paulie and Kay are going to spend the day with us. As for the materialistic side of it, I think it is high time we returned to simplicity in our celebration, and I’m sure this year will prove that we can be well content with the company of our families, a moderately bountiful feast and a nip here and there.
You all are lucky that you have no fuel shortage staring you in the face. We were allotted (?) what we think will be an entirely inadequate amount of oil, considering the nipper, and are getting ready to do some screaming. I don’t know how much good that will do, because by the time the Ration Board has moved in its ponderous way to a conclusion on our appeal, it may be spring, and we all may well have perished. There is so much sickness around already—I shudder to think what the overcrowded conditions and inadequate and sanitary facilities will produce before the winter ends.
I hear that Sean’s feet and hand prints were in the chain, and I regret that I didn’t get to see them or read the proud father’s paean. The hospital gave us David’s footprints, and they are so cute, but they’re on the other side of his birth certificate, so I can’t very well send them around. However, maybe Howard can have some photostatic copies made later at the office.
We certainly enjoyed seeing Gene, but our time with her was all too short. She was a brick, and stayed with me and took care of the baby one Saturday night, so Howard could go home for the week-end. And isn’t Roberta the doll? She looks so much like Esse, I all but died the first time I saw her.
It’s time for me to lie down now, and I’m ready, for since I started this I took time out to bathe and feed the baby, and bathing him is still quite an undertaking for me. He wiggles so, and besides he’s a real boy and hates his bath. He usually protests vigorously during the process.
Love and a Happy New Year to everybody, Rose
in the present day…
I have a wasp problem. I have owned my house for a little over three years and have had to continously fight this. I had a tree at the side of my house where they would lay their larvae. They destroyed this tree to the point where I had to have it cut down last year. The wasps built one of their little honeycomb hives in my lightpost near my front sidewalk. I think I have eradicated that infestation. They build their hives in my playset in the backyard, under the eaves of my house, under the rails of the deck and I am sure they have a very large hive under my deck. Well, I got stung the other day out on the deck—and now they are all going to wasp heaven. I used every can I had to spray around the deck and it didn’t begin to kill them all. So I called pest control. It cost me $300 to have the perimeter of my house sprayed. And they only guarantee that the wasps will be gone for 3 months. All bets are off after that.
