Ulm, 16 March 1942
My love!
What a glorious day it was today to receive so many signs of your love for me! And despite the fact that this morning the mailman brought back two letters that I had sent to you. I didn’t let that scare me--instead I just put them into another envelope and back into the mailbox. They had your old Feldpost number on them and I’m sure they’ll still make you happy even if they’ve been passed by many other letters since. The package mail brought two packages from you, dear Papa, and we are thinking about you and sending you many kisses for those. The children and I were extremely excited about them. The cream is wonderful--if you could get any more for me, I would be very thankful, as I am for everything else. In the event that you can find some shoes for me, my size is 39 or 6. I’m going to bake a cake out of the hazelnuts on Saturday evening and will make coffee to go with it, and then I’ll invite Franz over and everyone will get a little bit of something. The dates tasted great to our girls and I divided up the two oranges for them for dessert after lunch today. My dear, please don’t save up things from your own rations to send to us! Those should be kept for you! I’ll divide up the little cookies as needed.
The afternoon post brought two letters from you with it, one with the picture. Now I can at least make a rough outline of your surroundings when I picture you in my mind. The days go by exactly how you imagined them in your letters and in your memories.
Last week we had the big washing day and thus there was a lot of fixing and mending. This morning I lengthened the children’s pajamas--my, how they’re growing! Yesterday morning, both of the big girls laid down in your bed and I told them about their beloved Papa. When I do that, it’s greatest joy. Irmgard likes to spend the whole day writing and drawing for you. Elfriede is really so quiet. I’ve been worried since last Saturday that something’s wrong. Brigitte’s doing well, sie schlägt die Grossen her und das Spielzeug zusammen. She runs around the coffee table singing, “Lalala.” This afternoon I was invited to Liesel Knödler’s for coffee. I took Irmgard and Elfriede with me. Ludwig and Irmgard made an awful ruckus together and Elfriede just sat with us and played single-mindedly with her toy. Tomorrow morning I’m going to the Employment Office. An inquiry came as to whether or not Agathe is still with us, with a return card. I think it’s better if I go there myself and take care of the matter--I don’t want it to occur to them that they could take the girl from me, since I need her now more than ever. Then I’ll go straight to the Tax Office and finish the matter. You know how it is for me--I like having everything in order. I’ve gone over to the Hollerbach’s so often lately about the bathtub and no one is ever there. The family is away, and him as a member of the fire brigade! Recently I left a handwritten message for him that if he can’t take care of this for me, he should please let me know who is taking care of his customers for him aber nicht mal das ist er [?] but we can’t bathe or go into the laundry room. Tomorrow I’m going to send him a note with a return card in it and if I don’t hear anything back from him, then Franz will find someone for me. I just think that he knows how to do it best since he laid down the piping. Your aunt wrote me that she’s doing well and that she received the cake. On Sunday I’ll write her again and when the snow’s completely gone, I’ll go visit her. It’s just that my feet have been giving me so much trouble lately--I hope Herter can still drive, otherwise it would be a bit too hard for me to go.
My dear Josef, I wish for you to get well soon and come back as soon as possible to your Emilie, who loves you from her innermost being.
My love!
What a glorious day it was today to receive so many signs of your love for me! And despite the fact that this morning the mailman brought back two letters that I had sent to you. I didn’t let that scare me--instead I just put them into another envelope and back into the mailbox. They had your old Feldpost number on them and I’m sure they’ll still make you happy even if they’ve been passed by many other letters since. The package mail brought two packages from you, dear Papa, and we are thinking about you and sending you many kisses for those. The children and I were extremely excited about them. The cream is wonderful--if you could get any more for me, I would be very thankful, as I am for everything else. In the event that you can find some shoes for me, my size is 39 or 6. I’m going to bake a cake out of the hazelnuts on Saturday evening and will make coffee to go with it, and then I’ll invite Franz over and everyone will get a little bit of something. The dates tasted great to our girls and I divided up the two oranges for them for dessert after lunch today. My dear, please don’t save up things from your own rations to send to us! Those should be kept for you! I’ll divide up the little cookies as needed.
The afternoon post brought two letters from you with it, one with the picture. Now I can at least make a rough outline of your surroundings when I picture you in my mind. The days go by exactly how you imagined them in your letters and in your memories.
Last week we had the big washing day and thus there was a lot of fixing and mending. This morning I lengthened the children’s pajamas--my, how they’re growing! Yesterday morning, both of the big girls laid down in your bed and I told them about their beloved Papa. When I do that, it’s greatest joy. Irmgard likes to spend the whole day writing and drawing for you. Elfriede is really so quiet. I’ve been worried since last Saturday that something’s wrong. Brigitte’s doing well, sie schlägt die Grossen her und das Spielzeug zusammen. She runs around the coffee table singing, “Lalala.” This afternoon I was invited to Liesel Knödler’s for coffee. I took Irmgard and Elfriede with me. Ludwig and Irmgard made an awful ruckus together and Elfriede just sat with us and played single-mindedly with her toy. Tomorrow morning I’m going to the Employment Office. An inquiry came as to whether or not Agathe is still with us, with a return card. I think it’s better if I go there myself and take care of the matter--I don’t want it to occur to them that they could take the girl from me, since I need her now more than ever. Then I’ll go straight to the Tax Office and finish the matter. You know how it is for me--I like having everything in order. I’ve gone over to the Hollerbach’s so often lately about the bathtub and no one is ever there. The family is away, and him as a member of the fire brigade! Recently I left a handwritten message for him that if he can’t take care of this for me, he should please let me know who is taking care of his customers for him aber nicht mal das ist er [?] but we can’t bathe or go into the laundry room. Tomorrow I’m going to send him a note with a return card in it and if I don’t hear anything back from him, then Franz will find someone for me. I just think that he knows how to do it best since he laid down the piping. Your aunt wrote me that she’s doing well and that she received the cake. On Sunday I’ll write her again and when the snow’s completely gone, I’ll go visit her. It’s just that my feet have been giving me so much trouble lately--I hope Herter can still drive, otherwise it would be a bit too hard for me to go.
My dear Josef, I wish for you to get well soon and come back as soon as possible to your Emilie, who loves you from her innermost being.