June 5 and 12, 1944. Anna writes two letters to her brothers. Little Terry continues to grow month by month and is always learning new things. The upstairs neighbor has bought a “jalopy” much to mama’s consternation. It looks like wedding bells are in the air for cousin Eddie Morawski who is home on a 60 day leave after having been wounded in battle.
It continues to be a daily struggle just to get everything done that needs to be done in the day. “It’s the same as ever and time keeps on flying as fast as it did before and …things just don’t get done like they should.” Little Terry has another tooth coming in, and she is learning more Polish. “We have taught Terry how to say Stasiu and Antos and she goes around the house saying the words and mama showed her your pictures… She gave each one of them big hugs and loud smacks. You can’t say she doesn’t love you, fellows. As small as she is she likes the men folks.”
Terry is also learning how to eat with utensils and do other grown up things. “She looks so cute sitting there mastering the art of feeding herself and she enjoys it too. I wish you boys could only see her the way she sits in the chair and puts the food into her mouth. She also refuses to do her business in the potty in the high chair but since she saw that we all use the toilet, Terry runs to it and I have to sit her on it so that she too can be part of the home crowd which makes use of the toilet bowl.”
Ralph, the upstairs neighbor, bought “a jalopy, a Model A Ford coupe” for $37. “Mama told me that the car is a disgrace to our house but I told her it wasn’t as bad as she thought. Anyway, we can always hear when Ralph goes away or comes home. The darn thing makes so much noise.” Apparently someone has already offered him sixty dollars for the car so he might sell it and buy something better. As Anna observes, “After all, cars don’t grow on trees and especially nowadays you can’t even find any to buy and if you do you pay a fortune for it.”
Cousin Eddie Morawski will be getting married on July 2. Anna and Eddie took him and his fiancé, Rose, bowling at Hoffman’s on Central Avenue. Rose came along for company and didn’t bowl since she is recovering from an appendix operation. Anna writes that they “…had a nice time and bowled three games. On the way home we stopped at Howard Johnsons on Central Avenue because Eddie wanted to have a few beers and talk a little and relax. I had a wonderful time and they said that they did too and that’s all that counts.”
In other news:
- Daddy has a new work shift at the train station and now has Sundays off.
- Mrs. Phelan from up the street died. The funeral was “quite big with many cars” and almost a car load of flowers.
Lastly, there is a mystery which Anna hopes one of the brothers can help to solve. “I received a picture of Nelson Eddie. The darn thing cane in a big envelope with two card boards on each side and it was addressed to me. I don’t remember ever sending for anything like that. Did any of you boys send it in my name? …I thought that maybe Anthony sent it in my name because he liked Nelson Eddies singing. I either of you boys is guilty please let me know if you did it.”