Sgt. Stanley W Safford 39539976
5th Auxiliary Surgical Group
APO 339
c/o Post Master
New York New York
Holland
January 10, 1944
Dearest Mother:
Will get this off to you today and
hope it reaches you as soon as it would have if mailed yesterday.
Outside the window this morning there
is a beautiful scene of winter. The
large trees and the smaller evergreens are all as they would be seen on a Christmas card and the dormant shrubs
are simply beautiful with the ice and snow here and there are a few little
birds sitting in little groups of chirping now and then.
We are now through with the inventory
and I am rather glad as we have done the same thing about three times
previously and it is becoming worn out by inventory.
Received a letter yesterday from Ray Coates in San Antonio. He had a nice
idea for a Christmas card on V-Mail which he made himself. The design was of two deer holding up a sign
entitled Camp Mystic and above “Greetings from”. In all a very nice block print accompanied by
his photo small size. At the base he
wrote his letter.
As to the plants which I want saved I
will start at the side bed on the East side of the house. I want nothing saved from there. The East front bed you can save the spider
lily and the other bulbs to the right of steps (snowflakes and scilla) also the
tuberous if they still exist and take a few of the white crocus aloud the
border.
In the West bed front and the
driveway strip between house and drive I want nothing saved since there is
disease in there and should not be transplanted anywhere. I can think of only the narcissus and the
roses along Miners’ fence and would like some double poinsettias. They should all be pulled up if you
leave. In the rear bed you can save some
of the cacti and the red rose. Along and
around the garage I certainly want the gerberas and perhaps samples of the
carnations and I would like the grapes. In
the rear bed along the fence I want the yellow Iris and a few of the purple
ones. In the beds along the fence I want
the bulbs. They perhaps are coming up
now and you may have to take them up if so merely heal them in somewhere.
And above all the Iris (Dutch) that
are at each end of the bed. The tree
should be destroyed. The cymbidiums of
course should be taken up. That is the
two which are in the ground and placed in pots.
The Caladium (elephant ears)
should also go along and also the Nile
Lily and the ground orchid next to the Belbergia, the one I had stakes
around. Also the Belbergia (Poor man’s orchid) I want some of. Otherwise I can think of nothing else other
than potted plants and of course things you want. You should prime back everything you
move. If the bulbs have not come up yet
and you are going to move. Take them up
and put them in wooden boxes with soil as they very likely will leave started
to sprout. Then tear the box apart and
set them in the ground elsewhere. This
is about all for now on the plants so enough of this.
I saw a very interesting any good
picture the other day, entitled “Old Acquaintance”
[1]with
Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins and found it very good for a change. That is from the old type of silly card, same
old story type.
Well this is now about all I can
think of for now and will write more later.
Enclosed find some *4) German stamps which you may add to my
collection.
All my Love,
Stanley
