12 Aug August 12, 1945

Letter
from: A. Shonkwiler
to: PFC George W. Shonkwiler
August 12, 1945, Sunday 11 o’clock p.m.

Hello, honey

Saturday morning I decided to skip cleaning house until later in the day and Ronnie and I went shopping on the Avenue. I wanted a black suit, as you well know, but just couldn’t find one anywhere.  I eventually decided to get a black dress and looked and looked. Everyone was $19.95 or $26.95 and so on and even then they didn’t suit me, so as a last resort, I stopped at Gordon’s (although

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I vowed never to go in there after the mix-up my fur coats were in) and I finally bought a dress. Navy and white instead of black however. It was a $19.95 dress reduced to $9.  So I really got a buy and it fits nicely too. Then I brought a navy hat for $4.00 and a pair of non-rationed navy blue shoes. All in all, pretty nice and for only a fraction of what I expected to pay. so if possible, I still hope to get

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that suit. I’ll bet by now you don’t believe it. I’ll surprise you someday.

When we got home at 5:30 Ronnie and I had dinner, or I should say supper, as we had our dinner at People’s store lunch room.  We actually had roast beef, believe it or not.

Well, at 6:10 p.m. Eda Sweeney called and said she’d take a 6:50 train to spend a weekend if I were going to be home.  I left at 8:00 p.m. and got to the Union Depot

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at 9:15 where I proceeded to have her paged.  We got together eventually and from there we went downtown for a sandwich at the Triangle Restaurant, then checked her bag and decided to see a show, but gave up as we’d have had a two hour wait in all the theaters.  Then as it was quite warm, we decided to have a drink, but even a chance to sit down in a cocktail lounge was impossible

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About that time we gave up and came home. We did stop at the Macambo (a new tavern at 111th and Mich.) for a glass of beer, but left in a few minutes. When we got home we had some cookies and coffee and went to bed. Exciting evening, wasn’t it?

This morning (Sunday) Ronnie went to Sunday School as usual and brought home a candle cut out of paper.  (Another souvenir for

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his scrapbook.) Bobby and his parents left for their cottage in No. Wisconsin Saturday morning for a two week vacation.  Pretty nice having your husband home for a whole summer from June to Sept. and when he does work he starts at noon and except for baseball and basketball seasons, he gets home at 3 or 3:30. Not bad!

I s’pose after a while you’d get sick of seeing him around.

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I’d like a chance at it for a change however.(what am I saying?  You’ll get the idea. I’m wholesome.)

----- Well, I am! -----

Darn it!

As Eda came unexpectedly  and I hadn’t planned on company she’s had to eat the little bit I had on hand.  For dinner yesterday, I had only two lamb chops (broiled) with some extra hamburger (for Ronnie), mashed potatoes, buttered peas, jello salad with a peach haves in it

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lettuce and lemon chiffon pie and iced tea and coffee.  All in all, it wasn’t too bad for an unexpected guest, was it?

After Ronnie’s nap we went to the Parkway and saw "Flame of Barbery Coast" with Ann Dvorak, John Wayne.  And a lousy Laurel Hardy picture. I just can’t stand their type of comedy. Too silly, I guess.

We got home at nine o’clock and after had a meatloaf

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sandwich. ( Meatloaf left from Thursday when Chuck and Betty were here.)

Now here I am still writing to my honey.

If you promise not to show this to Dan Sweeney, I’ll describe his wife to you.  She’s about five feet six inches and weighs more than Dan (she says). and she must weigh about 175 lbs, at least, and has real fat arms and legs. She has hair somewhat on the red side, but just a bit lighter than my hair.

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According to her snaps of Dan, he looks quite handsome. Is he? She’s nice, but not a beauty. She works as a inspector in defense plan (GE).

She doesn’t mention Dan’s drinking at all, so I haven’t either. She mentioned that he drank beer once in a while, but that’s all. I haven’t the heart to tell her he drinks so much.

She claims she’s always been heavy, so guess

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Dan likes her that way.

You keep telling me to gain weight, but I wonder if you’d like me at 175 pounds or more. Even if you did, I hope I never get that heavy as I’d hate to take the chance. Besides, I wouldn’t know how to sew for myself if I became larger than a size 12. At present, the dresses I buy are size 9.

I don’t

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know how much I weigh, but I s’pose about 106.

Eda is going home tomorrow night, I think. I hope so, as I need to wash clothes so badly, Ronnie hasn’t a thing to wear.

Well, good night, darling, and tell Dan, if you see or write to him, that his wife is pretty nice. The pictures of her kiddies look cute. They’re thin like Dan, I guess.

Bye now love Mom and Ronnie.