Hello everyone.  This is my first post since the whole social distancing “quarantine” has happened and I surprisingly haven’t had much time to write.  But it certainly has been a time for reflecting.

My thoughts and good vibes go out to anyone whose age or underlying conditions make the virus much more of a deadly threat to them.  To people who must see their grandchildren through windows, people working in direct care who must come home and worry about getting their family ill, people who take care of elderly people they love who must worry if their hands on love will bring something so dark with it…there are so many more people to think of. Writing about it has started to get my heart heavy.

There are many positive things to focus on.  The most important is how I see us all, all over the world, concerned for how we care for each other.  Like never before we are weighing our personal needs over what others might need.  From where I’m sitting, which yes, day in and day out is my little couch in my tiny corner of the world, we seem to be acting more considerately and being more thoughtful about making our love for each other known even though we must be physically distant.

Since I must tie this back into Babu somehow, March, 1941 isn’t going to write about itself, I think about the year Babu was born, 1918.  The year she was born the world was struggling with another pandemic, the Spanish Flu.  I wonder what Babchi and Dziadzio felt like, bringing a baby into the world that might get immediately and desperately sick.  What a terrifying thing to worry about.  But, of course, even if they deeply felt those fears not a bit of them came true.

“Now” Babu is about to turn 23 and has many years ahead of her.

And I feel like I’m getting to know the Babu of back then.  She loves cars, especially terraplanes:

The End of January, 1941

and she loves Scarlett O’Haras.

Retro Wednesday: Cocktails

I’ve got to make me one of those and try it out!

Sunday, March 2, 1941

The day was gorgeous.  Eddie, Stretch, and J.C. came home from camp.  J.L., I was told, did not want to come cause he has nothing to come home for.  Nat, Stretch, and Jake and I went driving. I drove. We got a screw in the tire and while we were getting it fixed, we took out a ’41 Hudson for a drive.  Edmund registered his car Sat, and Fila, Jake, and I went to Hartford with him to break in the car. Had a Scarlett O’ Hara there.

I often wonder about “J.L.”  I’ve told this story before, but Babu often mentions a boy who wrote a letter to her during the war and asked her to marry him but Babu had already married Jake.  I’m not sure exactly how accurate the story is and she could not remember the boy’s name, but I’m thinking more and more that it must be Johnny.  We are soon to find out.

This month Babu references that her mother has not been feeling well yet, as usual, we never know what she was sick with.  I don’t know why I worry as I know she lived well into her 90s.  I have heard family stories about an illness Babchi had and cannot connect the dots so far with this lack of information!

Wednesday, March 5, 1941

Mom feels no better.

Thursday, March 6, 1941

Mom had the doctor again today and has some more medicine.  

But here is big News!

Friday, March 7, 1941

Got a ride to work from Jakey and he kissed me when he drove off.  He and Chet took me to lunch. I was eating supper when he rang the doorbell.  He was so happy. He passed the mental exam for a flying cadet. He, Chet and I went to see “Adam Had Three Sons” and “Blondie goes Latin.”  The three of us drank Scarlett O’Haras at the Peter Pan and felt wonderful. Jakey and I went to the airport for the first time in ages and we didn’t come home till two.

One step closer to his dream!  I bet this is the day Babu always told me about when she remembered him being so happy about passing a test to be a pilot that he came over to tell her, threw himself on the floor, and kicked his legs in the air.

Tuesday, March 11th, 1941

It was a regular winter snowy day.  Mildred bought me a box of chocolates for my birthday – 23.  Ernie and I got home late from work and got right busy working on our buffet supper.  Jakey came first with two bags full; one with mixture for Scarlett O’Haras and the other of presents for me -all from him.  Zosh, Nat, Natalie, Cazimer, Edmund, Fila, Ernie, and I. I got loads of lovely presents. We played parlor rugby, etc. Ed came back and the 4 of us finished the Scarlett O’Haras.  Peach and I got to bed after 3. One of the best birthdays I ever had.

Oh my! 23!  There is nothing like being stuck at home during this time and reading about her 23rd birthday – full of friends.  I wondered what “parlor rugby” was and I can only assume they were horse playing around.   Anyone know any different?  Either way, it does not sound like there was much social distancing that night.