Make Friends With Some Service Wives

Lt. (j.g.) Gilbert Steingart

U.S.S. Ocelot, F.P.O. San Francisco

Wednesday 20 December 1944, 1:15 PM

My darling Wife,

          Got eight letters today.  One from Libby and the rest from you. Please clarify what you mean when you said, "Uncle Lou underestimates the hell Ida...".  Tell me more about it in your next letter.

          Talking about houses. $26,000 is a lot of money for three bedrooms and I don't care where it is.  Don't forget that  taxes and interest go on regardless of economic conditions.  Our new home will be ours after we buy or build and not some finance company's or bank's.

          It would be nice if you could make friends with some service wives.  Your problems and interests would be similar and you'd enjoy each other's company.

          Don't worry about the mail.  It'll probably all come at once and then you'll have lot of reading.

          You still seem to worry about money.  Your monthly expenses seem high but I suppose the $131 in taxes cover the house tax and that is for a whole year.  Besides I have about $175 on the books and another $59 due on the first so I'll probably save some of the excess over our income that you are spending.  Besides Xmas only comes once a year and I do want the kids to enjoy it.

          Talking about grey hair. You should see my five day old beard.  There is plenty of it there.  Did you find the gray hair in your head or?

          I see you did a little more teaching.  That also should help balance the budget.  Seems like most of your teaching is a cinch.  You're making money a lot easier than I ever did.

          I explained about your corsage in another letter but here goes again.  It was ordered through the Army Exchange Service and it they can't deliver they send a check for the amount involved.  My guess is that it got mixed up with the Xmas orders and you'll get it then.

          The movie last night was just fair.  "The Climax" with Boris Karloff and some gal with quite a singing voice.  I can't recall her name.

          The Temple Tattler looks quite good.  Looks like they are progressing in spite of themselves.

          I gave up Keats.  His poetry certainly is mild and does not express my feelings in the least.

          Deb wrote about the mouse incident and it did sound funny although actually it certainly wasn't.

          Some phases of the war don't look very good, but Germany can crack at anytime without any warning.  Here's hoping.

          Darling, do you remember the Mother's Day we both went to see Linda at the hospital?  Just now it seems so long ago.

          Going to close now.  With all my love.

Devotedly,

Gil