1948 Jean's Letter -Dec.12

1296 W 25th St 

#522

Cleve 13, Oh

December 12, 1948

Dearest Mother & Daddy,

We received your letter and also card with money and gift of a setting of silver – all of which we appreciate immensely.

Thursday evening or rather late afternoon while I was attending the last of my ten pre-natal classes, Harold unexpectedly found a visitor at our doorstep.  Bill Horton had brought up some furniture, rugs, etc. for us from Mother & Daddy Uible.  He has to come up about every 10 days or so to Sandusky to pick up rubber balls for the jack sets and so he combined the trip & brought some things to us:

• Harold's desk
• Wicker chaise lounge with mattress
• Wicker chair with cushion & pillow
• 7 throw rugs various sizes
• 1 small table which H. had made
• 1 library table
• 4 varnished chairs
• 1 cot with mattress
• 2 sheets
• 1 blanket
• 2 pairs of curtain rods
• also cuts of "wandering Jew" & some other reddish purple flower

It really did alot to make us look more settled.  We finally were able to get curtain rods and have had them up since Tuesday.

We also bought two little cardboard chests which we are using in the bedroom with a mirror we had made (11x44) to stretch across them – to make a vanity – real classy looking.

Harold took back the card table & 2 chairs which we borrowed from Frank & Laura Uible & so we are using the library table & 2 of the chairs in the kitchen.  Last Sunday we got the card table which I had taken to 101 ft. [St?].  We planned to use it in the kitchen but its entirely too wobbly.

Saturday after a quick lunch we went downtown, did a little necessary shopping & then up to see "Hamlet" for which Harold had gotten tickets.  It was really excellent – Laurence Olivier in the English movie version of the play.  Be sure to see it if it hasn't been to Pittsburgh yet.  Later we looked at Christmas decorations in the stores & then went out to the "Rosemont" where we had eaten dinner a year ago last night.  The waitress that I had always gone to made a big fuss over us & told us to be sure and bring our new member of the family over for they often have children & babies there.

When we got home last night I opened my packages & it really seemed like Christmas.  Harold had gotten the silver setting from the Post Office & had saved it.  He gave me 2 real pretty pairs of flowered flannelette nightgowns and a pair of scissors which I had been needing.  Mother & Daddy Uible sent me a beautiful brunch coat which I had tried on in Cincinnati thinking it was a gift for Mary.  It is pink, cerise, gray & black in sort of a modernistic print with pretty black tie string at the neck & a black sash.

Today with the aid of a typed map & guide we toured the "Flats" of Cleveland really seeing the industrial section of the city – all the steel mills, blast furnaces, lumber yards, oil plants, docks, bridges, scrap glass plant, distillery, and many other interesting sights – where Moses Cleveland first landed, the old Ohio-Erie Canal, the original sight of Cleveland University and also Vallee-View Housing Project which doesn't compare to ours in any way – location, outlooks, actual materials used in building, people, etc.  Their's really looks just like a housing project while ours seems more like an outlay of a modern apartment village.  Oh, ours is not ideal but much more so than theirs.

Tomorrow our telephone is to be installed, we hope so will let you know our number as soon as we find it out.  Harold called the company a week ago yesterday (Saturday) & they said it would take about a month.  They would notify us before hand.  Then Sunday when we talked to Ellen & Jeanne – they know a girl who works for the tele. co.  Jeanne called her early Monday to see what she could do for us.  At first they told her that we would get one in March, then she called someone else & they informed her that as soon as we paid our $10 deposit we would get it right away.  So on Tuesday we went in & paid that & they said the men would be out on Monday to install it.  We hope it is just as easy as that.

Last Friday, I went down and did our wash.  We are assigned definite days of the week, laundry tubs to use and lockers in which to hang our clothes.  There is a washing machine down there very similar to Mrs. Schendels – 10¢ for 20 min. or 25¢ an hour.  They also have driers which blow hot air around & dry clothes in just a few hours.  

Once a month we are scheduled to clean the hallway & steps to 1st floor.  Our day is the 11th so while I was out using our super new self-wringing mop I met the girl from across the hall.  Her husband is a student at Ferris [?] College & they have a darling little girl just 4 months old – Jane.  Norma Anderson is the mother's name & I think she'll be a real nice neighbor.  They are from Jamestown, NY.  One of their families was here last weekend & looked like nice people too.  

The woman who lives in an apartment on the first floor stopped me on my way out & we talked for a long while.  She is very gabby – lives with her daughter – has been here for 11 years & says she has to move in March (daughter is making too much I guess).

There is a community house just behind us where they have various recreational facilities.  We haven't been inside yet but plan to go soon.  Also mothers can leave their pre-school children there in the morning for $1 a week & they provide for their care.  They have movies for the children every Thursday evening.

This afternoon we threw together a box of Duff's Devil Food mix in cup cake pans & used QT frosting for icing them & they were really quite good.  We had them with canned peaches & milk for our Sunday evening snack.

For dinner today we had stuffed pork-chops, Birdseye mixed vegetables, cole slaw with grated carrots, apple sauce, milk & the remainder of the 24 hour salad that I had prepared earlier last week.

Next Thursday morning I have my appointment with Dr. Weir & then will go on out to the library to work.  They are having their special Christmas Story Hour and need all the trained help they can get.  I just worked Wed. aft. of last week & think that's all I'll be doing this week (one aft. I mean.)

Miss Miller has been home with a bronchial cold for five weeks now – can't quite throw it off & gain enough energy to get back on her feet.  Several were out last week with colds, Miss Grant & Miss Jakway.

We have been looking at lamps – floor models – bridge lamps etc for we do need a large lamp and also at end tables but we have decided that covered orange crates will suffice for us until we know what will be needed & where we will be next June & from then on.  Besides we have plenty of baby things to buy now – things that will be needed before June.  Ms. Bradley gave us an excellent list of things we'll need and the best kind to buy & where to find it at reasonable prices, etc.

We got a card last week inviting us to the Young Couples Club of the First Baptist Church on Dec. 5th (Sunday evening).  We went up & met Dr. Phillips, Rev. Wheaton (the asst. minister) and very nice young people our age.  They were just organizing their group so we got in on the ground floor.  They have decided to meet the 2nd Sunday & 4th Friday evenings of each month.  Afterwards refreshments were served & we sat beside a couple just married in Sept.  He is working on his master's at Western Reserve & teaching speech classes too there.  In the course of the conversation learned that his home is Huntington, WV.  There were about twenty couples altogether & all seem enthusiastic about the new club.

As far as we know now we will try to be home about 6:00 next Saturday (that's the 18th).  Harold has classes til 12:00.  Then he has to come back over here – have lunch & then we'll start.  The Monday or Tuesday after Christmas he plans to go down to New Vienna for a few days & then pick me up on the way back & come back to Cleveland as school begins again on the 3rd.  The Wells Mfg. Co. (the Uible interest in New Vienna) has alot of orders that have to go out by the 1st & so Harold plans to help out & also take care of a semi-annual dentist appointment.

I really won't leave anything to tell you when we get home after having written such a long letter – We will look forward to seeing you Saturday. 

Love, 

J & H