1635 Granville Ave.
Los Angeles 25, Calif.

December 28, 1945

Dear Joe,

Received your string of post cards and the continued letters. We certainly are glad to know you had a swell trip & time at the wedding. I know you were very anxious to get home for Christmas but it just didn't work!!! But even tho' you couldn't come home you did have a nice Christmas just as we did here at home! It was a strange Christmas for us, too! By that, I mean, it was different without you and Tor being home with us. One of these days when we're all together again we'll just paint the town red, won't we!!

On Christmas we had our dinner about 2:00 pm. I was never so starved! We had Roasted Chicken, peas, carrots, sweet potatoe, rolls, celery, rice, mince pie & etc. The three of us ate all of the chicken up at one time and nothing but bones were left on our plates when the dinner ended. We left the dishes till 5:00 p.m. because we were too full to do them. Supper was just a little bit of that chazuke and koko stuff! You get it don't you?

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For Christmas we had no tree but it didn't make any difference though. Trees are so expensive and ornaments are so hard to get! Wow! I think we were wise to go without one. Trees cost $1.00 at a foot! Our place mom works had a tree clear to the ceiling but it only had the icicles and the rope like stuff on it. What a tree!!! Anyway, we saved a lot of money by going without a tree. I wanted one but mom said "no" so I said "okay".

For Christmas mom made a lot of roses and daffodils for the people she worked for. Mom got a couple pairs of stockings, material for a dress, and $18.00.

Pop got a shaving bowl with soap, and $13.00. These presents all came from their employers. I'm glad they were happy at Christmas.

As for me, Mom gave me a sweater and a blouse which amounted up to $10.17. Pop gave me ten dollars and a real dear old lady mom works for gave me a pin and ear ring set. Well, I guess those presents aren't much but they mean a lot to me!!

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Gee, on Monday afternoon I was taking a bath & I heard someone at the door but I couldn't answer. Later, I went to get the mail and found your package at the door. I was so excited that I hurried & ripped the package open & found the towels! Wow, was I ever glad. Towels are so hard to get and here we were using the last strips of our old rag towels. Gee, we're really thankful! Really, those towels were the best gifts you could of thought of giving. The nuts certainly do taste luscious! The little box with the scarf had me baffled. I just couldn't make out what it was. I thought it was underwear for a while & I pulled it out slowly and much with a relieved sigh I saw it was a nice pink Hawaiian scarf! Thanks very, very, mush for all of the nice gifts and Christmas cards & anything else to be included.

I hope the manju and dates didn't get all smashed up while they were being

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sent to you! Well, I guess that's all for Christmas conversation.

Before Christmas it rained two days & nights continuously and after it actually did stop the whole backyard was like a mud pool. Just trying to walk in it was awful. Good thing it didn't rain on Christmas!!! Today it's as foggy as ever for the first time since being back & right now I can't see across the street and it's past 11:00 o'clock! What nice weather!!

Chester Johnson sent us a Christmas card & also has been here previously. First he came sometime in August in uniform and last time in Dec. he came in civies as mom said. I didn't see him the second time. He's very nice and holds up a wonderful conversation of tolerance to racial discrimination.

Well, got to close now --

So long,

Mas

P.S. Shall we make up a resolution together that we'll both write each other at least once a week in 1946?