British Columbia
Jan 21st, 1935

Dear Classmates:-

I am in the unique position of one who is to 'welcome the coming, speed the parting guest' or 'The King is dead, long live the King' or what have you! - for I have received from Alice the *** letter of 1931-1932 (my last letter I think was 1929) to be consigned to the archives, and the little new letter started Sept 1934 to be speeded on its way - I have been out of luck in finding a perch for robin - my letter to Nancy was returned unopened and my letter to Laura has just had an answer. She has asked me to repeat in this letter what I had written for the reunion last June 1934 as so few of you would have seen it; so those of you who did see will bear with me if you are bored. The past few years, life at 'Garranard' has progressed smoothly and normally - the major event, I would say being the marriage of our elder son Ted (by the way, this day is his birthday!) in Nov. 1931. He was not yet 21, nor had he finished his university course, so we were a bit started at the suddenness of the event. However, he managed very well, finished his course as civil engineer, and is now with the B.C. Nickel Mines and expecting to take his exam, for mining engineer in April. He has built a home for his family at the mines, and has one dear little girl just past two years old, and they are expecting another baby in February. So you see Mabel, Mollie is not the only grandmother, and although I can not claim twins, pretty soon I can claim two grandchildren. Our second son, Jamie is still at the University, and expects to get his degree in mechanical engineering in April. He and three other lads have an apartment near the university, and they do their own housekeeping. They manage splendidly, work hard, and have lots of fun. Last February, our eldest daughter, Kathleen, went to Victoria to take a nurse's training at the Royal Jubilee hospital. She got her Junior *** but did not go to University. She likes the training on the whole, but, of course, finds it very hard and not much leisure. We miss her sorely in the home. And that leaves just the two 'little' girls at home, Jean and Margaretta. It seems a very small household. I said 'little' girls, but they are both taller than I and both big strong husky girls. The younger one, aged 12, is especially keen on outdoor sports. Her great delight is to go hiking up the mountain across the inlet from Vancouver where Jamie has built himself a log cabin- May can stay there over the weekend and have great fun skiing, skating, tobogganing etc. They may have so much as twenty feet of snow there while in Vancouver in a mild winter such as we had last year, we never even saw snow. In contrast to last winter yesterday and today, Vancouver and vicinity is experiencing the worst storm in its history. The thermometer was down to zero on Saturday , and yesterday came a big snow storm bringing from 18 in to 2 feet of snow on top of what we already had which was about 8 in. and today torrential rain with a Chinook blowing and the thermometer up to 40 - we are snowbound entirely or rather 'slush' bound - to get down our hill to the road we would have to wade through about 30 in of soft ice cream - no street cars were running in Vancouver till late in the day and no inter urban cars - the streets in Vancouver are running water 3 to 5 in deep. Schools are all closed, no milk deliveries, etc. etc. I've cooked dinner tonight over our open fire place, as we were asked over the radio to use as little electricity as possible to conserve the power on the street cars. Its great fun, really! Of course there is no mail, so dear knows when this letter will get off! My husband has recently had a trip to California, and he has come home with the beauties of the state. We are seriously thinking of going to Cal. to grow flowers. If anything happens that he is out of a job here, that is what we shall do. One feels so insecure in any job during these days of depression that one must look ahead and be prepared - I am sorry I am not experienced in typewriting, so I hope you will all be able to read this scrawl. With best wishes to you all for great happiness and prosperity in the new year.

Handwritten Excerpt (40 KB)