Last weekend I had to take time out from blogging to deal with various problems caused by my mobile phone suddenly dying on me. I've got a new one now, but am still waiting for a new SIM card (of the right size) to be sent to me. And we only get mail delivered every second weekday here now...
It was a different world for my grandparents back in 1930. During the year before their wedding, when Sally was still living at the farm, but Gustaf in town because of his job, they had to rely on paper and pen for their communication. But on the other hand, they obviously trusted a letter posted one day to arrive the next - Saturdays included.
Storegården 7-2-30 [Friday]
Darling Gustaf
My heartfelt thanks for your most welcome letter. Well, this time you can't say I'm letting you wait for a reply, as I'm writing back so soon! And I really also love to do so, when I can find the time.
I suppose you're enjoying the lovely winter weather – you who like the cold. Or is that not so? Yes, today it's beautiful – but I don't like how cold it gets at night. Last night I felt so cold that I was shivering, and I find that quite uncomfortable.
Speaking of the cold, I'll let you know that Gustav is in town today, and bringing you firewood. I don't suppose you have much left now. But perhaps you won't think of looking for sacks of firewood today as you did not know he was coming in this week. But check tomorrow, and they'll be there – unless someone ”nicks” them before then! But we must hope no one will.
Will you please ask Nilsson if he'll be able to come on Sunday, and at what time. If he can't come then, he'd be welcome another Sunday. And if Nilsson is not coming this Sunday, I'd like us to go to Komlösa then – that is, if you'd be so kind as to accompany me. They're having a celebration there, starting already at 4 p.m., so we'll have plenty of time together afterwards anyway, before you go back. [1] [2]
I do hope you won't have to stay in town on Sunday. If you do, I can't promise I'll come in to see you, as I don't know if Hildur will be home in time for milking in the evening. I was away last Sunday, and there is an evening service in the church she might like to go to.
Well, as I don't know anything definite about any of this yet, we'll just have to see how it turns out. But I still hope you'll be coming tomorrow evening.
Today the whole family here received an invitation to the wedding of Verner Abrahamsson and Anna-Lisa Elgström at the school in Långaskruv. Gustav said (jokingly) that Långaskruv [~'Long Screw'] is a Long way away, and we'd have to get a bus! Joke aside, I suppose Nils will be the only one going. And he wondered if you hadn't got an invitation as well – he seemed to think so. [3]
Nils needs to use his desk, so I'll have to stop writing now. More when we meet. Welcome tomorrow!
Heartfelt greetings from your Sally
[1] Nilsson probably refers to Karl Nilsson, editor of the newspaper where Gustaf was working as journalist at the time. I think he was also Gustaf's friend and mentor before G. became a full time journalist.
[2] Komlösa is another hamlet in the area around Fristad. (The hamlet where Sally & family lived was/is called Längjum.) Sally mentions Komlösa in several letters and I get the impression there must have been some kind of chapel there. There were lots of "mission" chapels around the countryside back in those days.
[3] Wedding invitation: Långaskruv is indeed a long way away from Fristad - around 250 km (155 miles) to the southeast, in the province of Småland. And I think Verner was the brother of Nils' fiancée Carin - which is why it was likely that Nils would be the only one to actually attend that wedding. Even if they had hired a bus, they would obviously not all have been able to leave the farm (animals and all)! Nils may actually have been qualified to drive one, though; becuase if memory serves me right, he did work both as bus driver and taxi driver. (If all his working life or just back in those days, I'm not sure.)
I've shown this photo before in some other context, I think. It's probably a "fake" (i.e. Nils just posing for the photo), but I think it's the only one I have of him at the wheel... ;-)
A photo of poor quality, but probably from around this time. At the back, Gustav (older half-brother), and Hildur (Sally's older sister) with her fiancé Olle. I don't recognise young woman furthest to the left. Must be Carin next to Nils, though - so maybe the one to the left is one of Carin's sisters. (I think I see a certain family resemblance?) And on the right, Selma and Sally. (Selma = mother to Hildur, Sally and Nils.) Photo probably taken by my grandfather Gustaf.
Storegården d. 7-2-30 [fredag]
Älskade Gustaf!
Innerligaste tack för Ditt efterlängtade brev. Nu kan Du väl ej skylla mig för att jag inte besvarar Dina brev, när Du får svar så snart. Ja, det gör jag ju förresten också så innerligt gärna, då jag får så pass tid så det är mig möjligt att hinna.
Nu är Du väl riktigt förtjust över det härliga vintervädret, Du som tycker om när det är kallt. Eller är det inte så?
Ja, idag är det väl förtjusande, men vad kallt det skall bli till natten. Förliden natt låg jag och frös och det tycker jag alltid är lite besvärligt och obehagligt.
I samband med kölden skall jag låta Dig veta att Gustav är inne i stan med ved i dag. Du har väl ingen vidare kvar nu tänker jag.
Kanske Du inte tänker på att titta efter några vedsäckar i dag när Du inte visste att han skulle komma i denna veckan, men titta då efter i morgon, då finnas de där, för så vida ingen ”knycker” dem till dess. Men vi få väl hoppas att så inte är fallet.
Vill Du vara snäll och ta reda på utav Nilsson om han har tillfälle att komma på söndag, och vid vilken tid. Skulle så vara att han har förhinder då, är han välkommen en annan söndag. Om inte Nilsson kommer ville jag så gärna att vi skulle gå till Komlösa på söndag, om Du vill vara så snäll och gå med mig förstås. Där är fest. Den börjar redan kl 4, så vi ha ju god tid sedan ändå innan Du reser.
Jag vill så gärna hoppas att Du slipper stanna i stan på söndag. I så fall törs jag inte lova att jag kommer in, för jag vet inte om Hildur är hemma på kvällen till mjölkningen. Nu var ju jag borta i söndags och så är det Ansgarsvesper i kyrkan och då kanske hon vill gå dit.
Jag vet ju inget bestämt om detta ännu, det ändras ju så mycket, som Du vet. Vi få väl se hur det blir, men jag hoppas Du kommer väl i morgon kväll.
I dag har hela familjen här fått bjudningskort till Verner Abrahamssons och Anna-Lisa Elgströms bröllop i Långaskruv folkskola. Gustav trodde det var långt dit. Obs namnet! Han sade att vi kommer väl knappast ifrån det alla, men så sade han också att vi få väl ta en buss. Skämt naturligtvis. Det blir väl ingen mer än Nils som reser. Nils undrade om inte Du också var bjuden. Det lät som han trott det.
Nils skall använda sitt skrivbord så jag får sluta med detta nu. Mer när vi träffas. Jag fick så ”bråttom till sista slutet”, som gubben sa! Nils väntar. Välkommen i morgon!
Slutar nu med hjärtevarma hälsningar från Din Sally
As always I enjoy the correspondence of your family with photos as well. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe do still get one mail delivery a day, including Saturday. Timing is often erratic. Back in my grandparents day they had two deliveries a day. You could write in the morning and get a reply in the afternoon. That was before my time though.
ReplyDeleteAnother fascinating letter to read. I like how Sally's country life is full of events and activities but she has responsibilities too, like making sure the cows are milked. She seems very organized. I bet she was a list maker. Both my mother and grandmother made countless lists of things to do, places/people to see, shopping, etc. It's a trait that sadly I did not inherit. :–(
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying keeping up with Sally's correspondence to Gustaf - a delightful peek into their relationship, and the photos are helpful in idenifying who she is writing about. :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. Funny - I just had to order a new SIM card for my husband's phone.
ReplyDelete