This morning I went to the computer store and bought a scanner. It appears that when my Grandfather got thrown out of the army for being allergic to his uniform, thus sealing my existence on the planet, he brought all of the letters my Grandmother had sent him back to Brooklyn.
Once he settled back in, the two of them proceeded to organize the letters by the dates they had been written and the dates they had been received. For example, my Grandfather, Robbie, wrote a letter on May 12th that was received on May 15th, right after my Grandmother, Lillian mentioned that she had just received all of his letters that morning, so the May 12th letter from Robbie is next to the May 15th letter from Lil.
Im sitting at the kitchen table reading them from beginning to end, scanning them into my computer and loving every minute of it. I feel like Im back in 1942, at their apartment on Lenox Road in Brooklyn. Its amazing. My Grandfather passed away when I was five and my Grandmother when I was 14, she used to say all she wanted to see was my Bar-Mitzvah and she passed away about a year afterwards, but they were truly two of the most wonderful people on the planet. Of course, a grandchild always believes that, what Im amazed about is that in reading their correspondence I feel like they could have been my friends, not just my grandparents.
Anyway, I havent gotten to anything else I was supposed to do here cause Ive been engrossed in my grandparents love affair in 1942 for the past couple of days. I havent gotten past the attic, but since I promised an update, Im going to include some of my favorite passages from the first week or two they were apart in May of 1942.hope you like it.
May 14th, 1942: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Robbie writes;
I hold you in my arms each night I sleep, darling. I always shall. I love and miss you terribly. I sincerely believe that we will not be apart for long.
Please write news to me about yourself and most of all about the progress of world events. I believe that the newspapers we might be able to get here might not be very complete.
Monday, May 18th, 1942: Brooklyn, NY
Lillian Resopnds:
I found your letter when I got home tonight and read it over and over again because I felt that as long as I did that I somehow had you close to me.
****THIS IS WAY TOO CUTE****
Sunday, May 17th 1942: Brooklyn, NY
Lillian writes;
"Do you know what MAJOR TRADGEDY has overtaken New York, darling with you away? THE BAGLE-BAKERS HAVE GONE ON STRIKE! That's right- Sunday morning and not a bagel to be had for love or money. Imagine Sunday lox with TOAST! Doesn't that give you the shudders? And yet, that's what I was reduced to. I certainly hope those men win whatever they're striking for and start the bagels rolling again."
May 18th, 1942: Brooklyn NY
The first report was from Kharkov, where the Russians had put the Nazis to utter rout-not just retreat. They were in such a hurry to leave that they abandoned the tanks, machine guns, ammunition and loads of stuff that the Russians appropriated. And the Chinese smashed two Japanese columns advancing north of the Burma Road and sent the reeling back. And then, after the news report, the orchestra swung into the My Darling waltz, and it was almost like a promise that youd be here soon with all this rotten mess behind us and forgotten. Thats what I live for now. Every day that goes by brings you one day closer to me, so Im first wishing them away as fast as they can go.
***OK, thats it for this installment kids.I hope youre enjoying it, and if youre notwell, that sucks, don't read it. Just so you all know, Im having a pretty good time in NY despite how sad this all is. These letters make me feel like my family is with me through this ordeal.
Oh, and I think Im going to turn this into a book of some kind, so stay tuned.
Once he settled back in, the two of them proceeded to organize the letters by the dates they had been written and the dates they had been received. For example, my Grandfather, Robbie, wrote a letter on May 12th that was received on May 15th, right after my Grandmother, Lillian mentioned that she had just received all of his letters that morning, so the May 12th letter from Robbie is next to the May 15th letter from Lil.
Im sitting at the kitchen table reading them from beginning to end, scanning them into my computer and loving every minute of it. I feel like Im back in 1942, at their apartment on Lenox Road in Brooklyn. Its amazing. My Grandfather passed away when I was five and my Grandmother when I was 14, she used to say all she wanted to see was my Bar-Mitzvah and she passed away about a year afterwards, but they were truly two of the most wonderful people on the planet. Of course, a grandchild always believes that, what Im amazed about is that in reading their correspondence I feel like they could have been my friends, not just my grandparents.
Anyway, I havent gotten to anything else I was supposed to do here cause Ive been engrossed in my grandparents love affair in 1942 for the past couple of days. I havent gotten past the attic, but since I promised an update, Im going to include some of my favorite passages from the first week or two they were apart in May of 1942.hope you like it.
May 14th, 1942: Cheyenne, Wyoming
Robbie writes;
I hold you in my arms each night I sleep, darling. I always shall. I love and miss you terribly. I sincerely believe that we will not be apart for long.
Please write news to me about yourself and most of all about the progress of world events. I believe that the newspapers we might be able to get here might not be very complete.
Monday, May 18th, 1942: Brooklyn, NY
Lillian Resopnds:
I found your letter when I got home tonight and read it over and over again because I felt that as long as I did that I somehow had you close to me.
****THIS IS WAY TOO CUTE****
Sunday, May 17th 1942: Brooklyn, NY
Lillian writes;
"Do you know what MAJOR TRADGEDY has overtaken New York, darling with you away? THE BAGLE-BAKERS HAVE GONE ON STRIKE! That's right- Sunday morning and not a bagel to be had for love or money. Imagine Sunday lox with TOAST! Doesn't that give you the shudders? And yet, that's what I was reduced to. I certainly hope those men win whatever they're striking for and start the bagels rolling again."
May 18th, 1942: Brooklyn NY
The first report was from Kharkov, where the Russians had put the Nazis to utter rout-not just retreat. They were in such a hurry to leave that they abandoned the tanks, machine guns, ammunition and loads of stuff that the Russians appropriated. And the Chinese smashed two Japanese columns advancing north of the Burma Road and sent the reeling back. And then, after the news report, the orchestra swung into the My Darling waltz, and it was almost like a promise that youd be here soon with all this rotten mess behind us and forgotten. Thats what I live for now. Every day that goes by brings you one day closer to me, so Im first wishing them away as fast as they can go.
***OK, thats it for this installment kids.I hope youre enjoying it, and if youre notwell, that sucks, don't read it. Just so you all know, Im having a pretty good time in NY despite how sad this all is. These letters make me feel like my family is with me through this ordeal.
Oh, and I think Im going to turn this into a book of some kind, so stay tuned.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
Little Italian for you, pal.