July 30, 1937

Dear ones,
As you know we finally moved to a 2½ room apartment on the 19th floor of the LaSalle Towers.

La Salle Towers

On Leonard’s birthday, July 4th, I arranged for a little party, the first time in my life alone and in my own home. Leonard, who always told me he won’t have anything to do in the kitchen, has been a very big help since we moved here.

Although the apartment is cleaned by the building – maid service is included in the rent – he uses the carpet sweeper frequently and most of the time washes the dishes. He also went shopping for his party, going out 3 times and coming home with help since he could not carry everything, including a stepstool, carpet sweeper, can opener, etc. Besides enough food for a regiment instead of just a buffet dinner, well, we had enough to eat for a week. He is really very neat and clean except for his cigar ashes.

Trudel’s First Party

Doddo’s recipes and cookbook arrived just in time since I am preparing a big dinner every night and as you know I never cooked at all. Last week I had 10 people for dinner which consisted of the following:
Appetizer: tomatoes stuffed with egg salad, topped with anchovy and a little parsley, followed by real homemade chicken soup, then wiener schnitzel with white asparagus, Cucumber salad made with sour cream which is very hard to get here.

Best Tasting Frankfurters

Flora, Madge and the Welches at 73rd St. Beach

For dessert I tried to make my favorite chocolate cake. Since I did not do my shopping in advance, I used a cigar box instead of a cake pan, lined with plenty of wax paper. Also I forgot to get plain wafers and had to use salt crackers, besides without a kitchen scale I had no idea of the difference between a German or an American pound. Well, by that time I was so tired and angry at myself that I just made a Jello, too. And the cake did come out so well that Madge asked for the recipe. I made It again when the Weils had dinner with us. I never thought I would enjoy cooking so much.

73rd Street Beach

Madge gave me the recipe for Leonard’s favorite while driving, but I remembered enough to look it up in my new (old) cookbook. I made it that evening and Leonard emptied the whole platter of bread Krimselchen without leaving even a little crumb for me. I never taste my food while cooking.

The next evening we were at the Welches on their beach. Enclosed sending you 18 photos, most of them on the beach at Welch’s building. One day we went to the South Shore Country Club, one of the biggest, most elegant country clubs in the U.S. We had lunch there as guests of Aunt Flora.

South Shore Country Club

South Shore Country Club from Friend’s Apartment

Luncheon at South Shore Country Club

One evening we had dinner at an old beautiful farm house a few miles outside Chicago.

I do not play any cards and have no intention to learn it. I rather sew and find many other more interesting things to do. After Leonard’s family left I spent an evening at Samuels again. They know of so many people who have come here lately.

Fortunately I am on a 3 week unpaid vacation. Otherwise I could not do all that.

In 6 weeks I will be a citizen!!

Please send me a silver toothpick for Leonard, but no electrical appliances – they are better and cheaper here.

Love,
Trudel

Beach Party at the Welshes

73rd street and the lake

Parties at the Edgewater Beach Hotel and the South Shore Country Club

Movies from Trudel’s Sumter trip

In March, 1937, Trudel wrote a letter about her trip to Sumter, where she first met members of LJG’s extended family, many of whom came to Chicago and are included in the photos and video above. My cousin, Al, recently found the film I included in this post and a film of some of the events Trudel wrote about in March. I have added that video to the March letter.

Trudel originally began this letter by asking,” How do you like my new stationery?” Unfortunately I don’t have a copy of the original stationary.

http://wp.me/p1yA95-p9