In writing my mother’s story, I am now in the 1950s and reviewing a letter my mother received from her sister, Hetty Outlet. who was living in Fredericton.  It is undated, but from the content I have narrowed it to the fall because she asks if the potatoes and everything from the garden have been harvested and the year to 1954.

Unfortunately, when I asked my Aunt Hetty about the letter and where she had been living, she did not remember living in Fredericton.  A clue in the letter  is a connection to the McEwan garage, but the owners likely lived in a different part of the city.

Marie Louise had already her first birthday party at the neighbours across the street. They have a 10 year old daughter, their last name is McEwan, they have a garage, you sometimes hear them advertising over the radio for cars, etc., nice people and quite young.  Stephen does not have anyone his age here. The MacKnights, also across the street, have a 10-months old baby boy, maybe next year he will play outside and then Stephen can play with him. 

I am hoping someone will remember where the McEwan’s  or the MacKnights lived in 1954 because Oscar and Hetty Outlet lived across the street. The  letter suggests it was outside the city.

Even if I am unable to pinpoint where they lived, the letter contains an interesting glimpse of 1954 prices . . .   We have 2 cinemas, the Capitol costs 36 cents and the Gaiety 50 cents. We go by bus to the city for 81/2 cents, 12 tickets for $1. A taxi costs 35 cents. 

And a message of acceptance. Oscar  was from Belgium and did not have a good grasp of English but that didn’t matter. . .  Last week Oscar went to watch a football-game from the students and they were short one man, so Oscar got a Jersey and played too. The whole week he had sore muscles.  Would they have played soccer in Fredericton?  It is unlikey Oscar  had any experience with American football.

Note of appreciation:  The letter was translated from Dutch by the late Ytse Boonstoppel.

 

 

 

We spent today cleaning up after the weather bomb that piled snow high, swept away every footprint and created a pristine canvas for tree shadows and snow sculptures. This isn’t our first storm this winter and today isn’t the first day I  heard people say This is the kind of winter we used to have.  

 

When I went outside, the sun on my face reminded me of the joyful exuberance that snow creates in children.

 

And my mind then drifted to simpler times  when I played in the snow with my brother.  Some things never change.

 

But some things have changed. We didn’t have bird feeders hanging in the yard when I was a kid but today the birds flocked to our feeder after the storm. We had the usual Chickadees, Hairy and Downey Woodpeckers,  Nuthatches and a single Junco but they flew away when a bigger visitor approached.

We didn’t chase her away and she didn’t leave until it was empty. Then we refilled it for the birds. I don’t play in the snow any more, but I still enjoy an old-fashioned storm.