PAPA LEE’S Typewriter…1942
Some of you will remember that I wrote recently about being contacted by the man who bought my grandparents house in 1968. He mentioned that the small upstairs room off the big bedroom had been made into a nursery for his newborn.
That little room was my grandfather’s office and I remember it well. When I was nine years old my sister Peggy and I spent a month with our grandparents in Plainfield, New Jersey. We had traveled by train from Boston and it was a grand adventure for both of us.
My Grandfather (Papa) was a writer and I often sat with him in the evenings and on the weekends when he wrote in his little office on the 2nd floor. It was crowded with papers and books and all sorts of fascinating office paraphernalia and smelled of his pipe tobacco. I loved it.
It was especially exciting when Papa would allow me to peck away on his old typewriter. I had visions of writing “the” book of the century, but if read my letter you will be able to see that I had a long way to go !
posted by Ginnie at 4:30 PM
13 Comments:
Plainfield, NJ is my hometown.
That's a pretty good letter for a nine year old!! I found a few letters I had written from summer camp when I was 9-10, and they aren't half as good!
I think you did a fine job both in writing and typing (or typewrighting). Since the letter still exists, I think it was quite appreciated.
What a precious letter!
And how sweet that it has been saved all these years!
Some of us are so lucky to have good memories of our grandparents. Mine raised me for the first almost 9 years... if there is anything good about me, I give them credit.
What an adorable letter Ginnie. I had to click on it and than enlarge it to read but you sounded so grown up when you typed it. I loved how you told your mother twice that you loved typewriting, that was cute. I'm surprised that you still have the letter, that's neat!
Love Di ♥
I clicked on it but the print is still too small for my old eyes.
That you could type with out strike outs is impressive.
How neat he let you use his work tool.
Isn't it funny how we remember the scents and smells of childhood? Pipe tobacco always smelled so nice to me, unlike cigarettes or cigars which stank.
At least your Papa was an example to you of writing as a way to communicate. Your postings on your blog are always carefully done and clearly written.
One had to be such a good typist to type on a typewriter. I can remember all the time it took to correct my poor typing. Do they still sell correction paper.
And, I was born in Muhlenberg Hospital too!
Thanks, I read it quite clearly this time.
Impressive for a 9 year old. You certainly were the social butterfly on the phone.
Awww--very sweet. So dear to be able to recapture a sliver of childhood.
I especially like your girlish--tell my bed I miss it.
Don't we all, when we're away from home.
Hello,
I must say the old world charm will never come back. They were slow days but always exciting. You did a wonderfully well in typing and perhaps you could have become a well known writer if you had to pursue that as a career. Some where along the line you must have got diverted from writing and now it is a dream unfulfilled. But then writing a blog is as good as writing a book and you have many enthusiastic readers. I enjoyed reading the flash back of your interesting early life.
Best wishes,
Joseph
Great letter, Ginnie. It reminds me in a way of the way that Bill W. wrote, using words like swell time. Great job. And you still have it which is so neat.
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