The Art of Letter Writing

The art of letter writing has not died out in the Charles clan. I'm so glad.

And evidently, neither have aerogrammes! (Are they still called that? The letters that are one sheet of paper, folded, with the address on the outside.) These two below arrived in the last few months.

After our family emigrated to Canada in the '50's, my mother sent aerogrammes to her sister back in Austria

Our Dad was a great letter - writer.  This is the oldest letter of his that we have, and it's from the early 1930's.  He's a university student, and he has just arrived in his rented room in Graz.  He's been on a walking vacation in Dalmatia, Albania, etc. and he writes twelve enthusiastic pages to his parents about his adventures.

Why do I like letters so much? Lots of reasons. Most of them sentimental.  Letters connect us.

           Growing up, family life was colorful, a little complicated, a little dramatic, with many interesting
twists and turns. Old letters to trusted relatives offer clues and happy memories and sometimes a totally new perspective; thanks to to those who cherished the letters enough to save them.  Franz's letter above was saved first by his parents, then by his sister, Tante Trude, and then by TT's daughter, our cousin, who recently gave it to us.  This particular one causes us to wonder, though:  Dad studied in the southern city of Graz? When? We always thought he went directly to Innsbruck to study medicine. Hmm... A new mystery for us siblings and cousins to discuss and try to solve....

Two Birthday Boys

Jean and LC, in Jean's room, to which he is pretty much confined at the moment due to some small strokes lately

We are celebrating two special birthdays today, on April 9, 2014!  For one, the age is 12. The other, 99.

Jean had a happy birthday. He received many phone calls from family, a visit from his physical therapist, and a visit from his and our friend, Roy, who sang a new country song he had composed just for this occasion, honoring and admiring Malcolm Jean Charles and his long life. It was the best part.  A joy.

In the evening, we had a party for LC at the very cute, old-fashioned roller skating place in the nearby town of Bloomfield. It's the Old Bloomfield Meeting House. The children and youth from the branch came, and it was a great time. Lots of fun.

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,  GRANDPA JEAN, AND LC!

May this new year of your lives be a happy, healthy and blessed one for you both, and your families.

              

Little brothers and baby sister were on roller skates, too