Lad in Venezuela
July 2, 1939
Dear Lad:
Uncle Sam is an old meanie. He did not bring one single word from you this week, and only a brief half page note from Dan, the latter informing us that he has succumbed to Maxi’s blandishments and been persuaded to stay on and work through the month of June, in return for a clean bill of health and fare home, IF MAXI’S WORD IS TO BE RELIED UPON. Wait until I see Dan and razz him about falling for that line, after all he has seen. I am beginning to think that Max IS a Super-salesman.
That will mean Dan won’t sail until July and will therefore not arrive home until sometime in August, making it quite uncertain, what with the rainy season and all, whether Dan will be able to take the time to visit your camp, unless of course the air route is in operation and arrangements can be made for a round trip passenger.
Last Wednesday Kemper (Peabody) came up for Grandma (Peabody). She had all her things packed and we loaded them into Kemper’s Buick after unloading the things he had brought up to us, consisting of several rugs, an old portable radio (very poor), some draperies, candlesticks, doorstops, etc.
I have added to my other jobs that of chef, with the help of Dick and Aunt Helen Helen (Peabody) Human, wife of Uncle Ted and sister of Grandma Arla). Today for Sunday dinner we had Virginia baked ham (Ted cooked this as his specialty), fresh peas, baked potatoes, grape juice and lemonade mixture, banana salad with ground peanuts like mother used to make, and homemade ice cream and cake.
I have sent for a new cookbook that I like and think I shall try to develop into a real cook. They say it is good to have a hobby, and under the circumstances, that of preparing tasty meals should prove a very useful one.
Who knows but what someday, Dan out prospecting, may run across a gold deposit, you will have to be drafted to take charge of the erection of the machinery, Ced will be the Sales Manager and contact man, Dick can keep the miners in good spirits and amused and Dave, who now intends to be a lawyer, can handle the legal side, and then your old Dad will be right in line to take on the responsibilities of Camp Cook. Whoopee !!
Thursday Dave went down with a group of other scouts and Mr. Keating to visit the World’s Fair (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_New_York_World%27s_Fair ). Last night I took Dave to the majestic to see and hear a Technicolor production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s MIKADO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado. It was very good, beautifully staged and well worth seeing. Dick had seen it the night before and Ted and Helen expect to go later this week. Arnold (Gibson, Lad’s best friend, also fascinated with anythig mechanical) has been up here for the last couple of days doing some work in our barn, on Mr. Reyom’s (he and his wife, Alice, rent the caretaker’s cottage on the Trumbull property) car, a burned-out bearing, I believe.
Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, I will continue this long letter to Lad from Grandpa. On Friday I will post a letter from Uncle Ted Human to his attorney in Caracas with interesting information from Dan, in Caracas, Venezuela.
Judy Guion
"Greatest Generation" Life Lessons 