The Lansdowne Letters: Grounded Planes and Real Coffee

It's Friday, and time 
for another Lansdowne Letter post.

When my father lived in Lansdowne House 
deep in the wilderness of Northern Ontario,
he wrote many letters that have come to me.

Most of those long ago letters
were written to our extended family,
but some were written to individuals,
like my father's mother, Myrtle MacBeath.

Sometimes his letters to his mother
revealed things I never suspected about my father
when I was a young girl.

This is one of them.

Unsettled Weather ~ Northern Ontario

flickr: Michalis Famelis

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Saturday, October 15, 1960 
My father wrote:

Dear Mother:
This is the first time the mail has been delayed 
since I arrived at Lansdowne House. 
The weather was out all over Northern Ontario, 
and although it cleared later in the afternoon, 
it cleared too late to allow the mail plane to come in.

flickr: Caleb Howell

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Uno and I were lost last night 
and didn’t know what to do with ourselves.  
What creatures of habit we mortals are.  

Ever since we both came up here, 
we have been spending Friday evening 
reading mail and hometown newspapers; 
and yesterday, just because the mail didn’t arrive, 
we couldn’t find anything to do to amuse ourselves.

I figured that you 
will be looking 
for the regular Friday letter 
on its regular day of arrival 
and will be disappointed, 
so I thought I would write 
you this short note 
so you would have two letters 
instead of one.

Myrtle Jane Pratt MacBeath
My Father's Mother
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved






That ought to help make up for the fact 
that the mail was delayed.

The flu and its accompanying discomforts 
have pretty well run their course now, 
and I am beginning to feel human again.  
I should be back to school by Monday.  

All told, I lost about ten pounds during the siege.  
Let’s hope that I can keep it off.  
I am loosing weight slowly, but steadily now, 
and I have had to cut holes in all my belts.  

I should be damned near my proper weight by spring.  
I was awfully heavy when I left home this fall, 
heavier and fatter than I have ever been in my life.  
I guess it was all because of my nerves.

Most people loose weight when they are troubled, 
but I gain it.  I guess it is a case of compulsive eating.
I know I go on terrific candy binges when my nerves get upset.

flickr:  Leo Reynolds   license 

easilypleased

   Some of My Father's Favorite Candies

Brian was over last night, and 
we had a couple of good chess games.  
He’s pretty good, but not in my class.  
The Father and the Brother are more of my caliber, 
and we have had some real rip snorting games 
since I came up.

The coffeepot has been perking 
for quite a time now, 
so I guess I had better attend to it.  
Will be back when I have had my morning coffee.


  

Aaaaah!!  
Now that’s real coffee!!!  
You can float a spike in my cup.


flickr: Charlie O'Shields
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It has started to cloud over again today.  
I hope the plane gets in before the weather goes out again.  

Oh well, if this letter is several days late, 
instead of just one, you will know 
that the plane didn’t get in on Saturday.  
Oh I hope that the confounded plane gets in today.

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I can’t figure what else 
I can put in this note 
to fill up the pages. 









That is one drawback of typed letters – 
one page not is equivalent to several pages of handwriting, 
and anything less than a page looks so mean.
However, mean or not, the well has run dry.  

I include all the news in the regular Lansdowne Letter, 
and the only other inspiration for letters 
is to be found in answering letters that you have received, 
and I have answered all that I have received from you, 
so I am utterly devoid of inspiration at the moment.

Well, by for now, Mother.  
Take care of yourself.
Love, Don


It's fascinating for me to read a letter like this.
When you are a child, your parents 
are monumental figures in your life.

You can't really imagine them as people
who sacrifice, struggle, and worry;
especially when they keep their troubles to themselves
so their children can feel safe and secure.

My Parents and I

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

It never occurred to me,

that my father worried about his weight

or the responsibilities and pressures

of raising five children on a small paycheck.

Dad was godlike in my eyes.

And my mom?

She was unwavering love 

and the bedrock granite of our lives.

I had to live a few decades

and experience rough times

to really understand my parents

and all that they went through.

But I did learn very early on

where my father hid his stash of candy.

Fifty years later, I can still taste 

the sweet, tart, and licorice flavors

of those hidden treats.

I am my father's daughter!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

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