25 April 44

Dear Jean:

Your letter didn't come yesterday, so I worked last night (there is always plenty of that) and today along came yours of the 15th, as I was hoping it would, also parcel of biscuits and jello. Sent off some of the jellow and some lemon powder to Haywards tonight, by post, Bill Hall expects to go down there next week en, and wanted to make sure there would be some lemon pie, so I agreed to get some "lemon pie powder" off in good time. Wish I could get down, but we cant get quite that far away these busy days. The biscuits are swell, You mustn't use up all your butter ration making biscuits to send. Also I forgot that honey would probably be on the ration list, so don't bother with any of that. We get plenty of food here, and don't need rations from home.
It sound like a wonderful picnic you had in the park, it must be beautiful there now. They say "Oh to be in England now that April's here", well I've never seen anything to compare with the Spring in Victoria. It is lovely here too, and the sun is getting a bit of oomph now, when it has a chance to shine. I suppose the dreary winters are in a way a good thing, to make us appreciate the joys of the sun and summer. Bill Hall was remarking how in Egypt every day is the same, bright sun and blue skies, and people seem to lose their sense of time, there will always be tomorrow, the same as today, until they find suddenly that many days have slipped by, and theyre old, and near the end. With the seasons, such as we have, each spring seems to bring a resurgence of youth.

So you've had the flu. You probably try to do far too much. Guess I ought to be there to look after you. I hope you are rid of it by now, the warmer weather should agree with you better, you really ought to drink a pint of milk a day - oh yea?

Glad the books arrived safely. I hope you don't think they are just a lot of crazy junk. Some of them are a bit mediocre, but a few of them are really worth while. Guess the house has been in a turmoil with the carpenters and painters there. Glad you are pleased with the result, and am sure I will like the change too. Not so sure it isn't all just an excuse to have some men around the house, and don't get too chummy with them, even tho they are from California.

I don't know what you could send for Ann Elizabeth, she is still very tiny, but I find myself quite interested in her, she is a very dainty little mite, dark hair, and skin, and of course black eyes. Have a feeling that I would like her to someday think that her Godfather was rather a nice old fellow. Will find out from Col Meuser her birthday. Will have to start a social calendar I guess. I always intended to send the Basso's a little note or something on their wedding anniversary, but it came during my trip home last fall. May be next fall I will remember in time.

One day in town last week, a lot of things to do, and lunch with Bill Hall. He is instructing at a school for American Officers just now, but it is only temporary he thinks. I wish they would let him come down here and help me. He feels he isn't really needed badly where he is. He and Axel came down here for Sat night, we all had dinner at a little country inn, and it was fun. Ax is in town too, and had to go back after but Bill stayed with me over night and went back in the afternoon Sunday. It was a perfect day, we had a sun bath on the lawn after lunch. I just couldn't stay inside, so after Bill got his train, I biked over to Morris's for supper Bert Hammond was there, Ecila likes Bert, so it was nice. The bike ride there and back stirred my blood up a bit, and after a good hot bath, slept like a log. During the week I concentrate on the work pretty well, and find that if I don't take advantage of Sunday afternoon and evening to get out, the work suffers. Got the workshop of a nearby unit to make a high bar for my boys and they made it very well, it can be set up anywhere, taken down and made into a compact bundle when we move. One of the chaps is quite good at it, so is going to teach the rest of us some stunts It is excellent exercise, run, and out in the fresh air. It doesn't require a large field, or court, or a formal team, or any equipment. In fact it is just the thing for a small unit. The Capt and I made a small donation to the craftsman who made it, and he was very pleasant.

I'll be on the look out for Bob Richards, hope he is able to find me. Just now, I don't have any time at all for personal matters, I should drop young Bob Rennie a note to try to arrange to see Donnie, but every minute of the day is occupied. It is one of the most interesting jobs I've had to tackle so far, so it is easy to stick at it. Give Ruth Macdougal my best wishes, and tell Doug I hope he will recover completely and speedily. It is a recurrence of an old trouble he had 10 or 15 yrs ago.

Well dear, a hug and a kiss for Mary and her mother,

LOVE

----Ger.