Sunday, November 15, 1953

November 15, 1953

411 Bonnie Dr

El Cerrito, Calif.

Dear Father & Mother

It’s about 8:30 this Sunday evening and I’ll pen a few lines before it’s time to go to bed. Jean says she is going to write a letter telling about the wedding, reception & trip south so I’ll omit saying anything about them except to note that everything seemed to come off in a very satisfactory way and the honeymoon trip was quite enjoyable. The weather was a little on the cloudy side but that’s to be expected this time of the year.

This evening so far we have been out and returned some dishes that were used in the reception and visited the Knocks briefly. We left rather early though since tomorrow is a back-to-work day and the end of the week after the return from Santa Barbara was again somewhat strenuous getting things somewhat in order in the house. Rev Knock said that he had written a letter to you regarding events so you doubtless had heard some of what transpired from him. They were at the reception so had the chance to meet Jean’s folks.

In the mail which had accumulated while we were gone was a notice from the railway express agency of a package which I would guess was the one from U. Carl. The office is closed on weekends so we will have to get it sometime during the week; however it has arrived safely. We also had a letter from Clarice and a gift waiting for us on our return.

As you gather we are now established at 411 Bonnie Dr albeit disorganizedly yet. The only thing to complete this purchase is for us to receive back the deed from the county recorded which should occur shortly. This afternoon I signed the papers selling the house in Seaview so that should be complete this next week; it will be a relief to have these all finally complete. Friday night was the first real story of the season here (we were driving home in part of it) and I wondered if it could have been enuf to blow sone shingles off at 931 Seaview. I looked around tho and everything seemed o.k. so maybe it didn’t do any damage. Shortly before I bought it quite a few got blown off in a storm so I wondered if it would have happened again.

Jean has just reminded me (again) that I didn’t get around to getting addresses for 3 wedding invitations so in case Uncle Milton’s, Uncle Serenus’s or Under Verner’s wonder why they didn’t receive any that was the reason. They probably wouldn’t have been to interested anyway I’d guess.

This is all for now.

With love

C.P.

Wednesday, April 29, 1953

April 29, 1953

931 Seaview Dr

El Cerrito, Calif.

Dear Brothers & Sisters —

It’s about 10 minutes to seven this Calif morning and inasmuch as I’ve had the round robin some 5 days now I guess I should get my contribution written & the letter sent on its way. Today is starting out partly clear but the forecast is for showers so perhaps we shall have some more rain to add to the downpour we had on Sunday. Sunday’s rain was just about the heaviest on record for this time of the year but I guess it was quite welcome to the farmers because of the dry weather in January & February (or was it Feb & March?). As a consequence of the rain things look quite green outside right now.

With the coming of daylight saving time I shall be spending a larger part of each evening outside working on the lawn & outside of the house. Last night it was close to eight before I came in and, even then, it was still light enough so that I could have stayed out a while longer. The evening was rather cool tho, so coming inside felt rather comfortable. I had spent the time digging some weeds out of the yard (dandelion fashion) and getting strip of ground along the edge of the lawn ready to put in a hedge. This latter project I had anticipated finishing this week, but if it showers today & tomorrow I won’t be able to get done. However, there’s always work to do upstairs so the time won’t be lost.

Work at Shell follows its more or less even tenor. The work I am doing is sort of winding up the project I’ve been working on for several years but other projects of a temporary nature keep intruding all the time so the pace of work accomplished isn’t too great.

Earlier in the month I went to hear the Augustana choir on their western tour. One of their concerts was given at the Berkeley high school auditorium which is conveniently accessible. I rather enjoyed it altho occasionally I thought it seems a little long. Probably my musically-uneducated ear didn’t realize all that was transpiring. The concert was fairly well attended but I noticed a fair number of vacant seats around so it wasn’t a full house by any means.

I have also seen recently a U of Calif production of Henrik Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt.” If any of you ever have a chance to see this I would certainly recommend it, since is so certainly unusual to say the least. The play lasts kind of long tho (from 7:30 to 11:30 for the presentation at the Univ) and the seats are kind of hard so I had wished for a pillow-a-la-Tiny fashion. Since seeing it I have meant to get the play & read it, & also a commentary since much of it I couldn’t fathom but haven’t done so yet. However, there is so much else on my reading list that perhaps I’ll never get to it.

All for now

With love

C.P.

Tuesday, February 17, 1953

Feb 17, 1953

931 Seaview Dr

El Cerrito, Calif.

Dear Brothers & Sisters

It’s about 7:00 pm on this quiet evening in Calif and by now the last traces of the sunset are gone altho with the rapidly lengthening days it won’t be long till I can be out working in the yard till this late. The last month or so here has been very nice sunshiny, dry weather for the most part — largely compensating for Dec & the first half of January which were quite dismal months. Today was a beautiful day altho not as warm as some others. Because of the warm weather, fruit trees & flowers are much earlier this year than normal. Several trees (apricot, plum, etc out in the yard) are blossoming now and along the city streets many ornamental cherry trees are flowering. The narcissus flowers are gone by now & the irises are starting (I have about 3 or 4 out). I don’t have any call lilies blooming (all I got is plants from Mrs. Udden newly set out) but in other places these too have many flowers right now. Mother has planted others flowers in the yard too — snapdragons, pansies, marigolds, so the yard should really be a riot of color when they all start in.

I have certainly enjoyed having the folks out here — & as would be expected — they have certainly done much to improve the place since they arrived. Inside mother has got curtains up, waxed the living room floor & succeeded in creating a real “homey” atmosphere. Outside, pop has been cleaning off a big tangle of underbrush on the slope north of the house & has almost got done. This summer I plan to terrace this side to keep the slope under control.

My work at Shell continues in more or less its normal course. As usual I am quite busy, right now finishing up one experimental investigation by a “catchall” final report covering numerous minor tests that were run. I should have this completed in a month or so at which another program will be inaugurated. I also have promised for me an interesting literature & theoretical problem later on which will occupy much of my time after the middle of the year.

I have been spending some time working on the “attic” putting up figured building paper on the walls, which looks like wallpaper if you don’t get too close. This project is about ½ finished & when it is complete that part of the house will be quite presentable. After I get the linoleum in upstairs & the bedroom where the folks are sleeping painted or papered, the inside will be just about finished — at least I think so. Probably other things will turn up that need to be done.

Tonite I am rather tired having attended an AIChE meeting last night. The talk was interesting & was worthwhile but the meal was too large & I missed a train by two minutes so that the evening was rather tiring. Guess I’ll hit the sack early.

With love

C.P.

P.S. I’m really getting out of practice in writing letters as long as the folks are here.

Sunday, November 30, 1952

November 30, 1952

931 Seaview Drive

El Cerrito, Calif

Dear Brothers & Sisters

Today is a rather different day, as I see by looking over my previous contributions to the round robin, than the one on which I wrote last time. Today is partly cloudy here in Calif, altho right now the sun is trying to break thru. Later today and tomorrow it is scheduled to rain according to the weatherman. This was also the forecast for last night but not very much materialized. This morning it was rather nippy out, but by now (9:30 am) it is probably warmed up to 45° or 50°F or so. Because of the rain some two weeks ago, the wild oats on the hills is starting to sprout so they are beginning to look green. However the trees have lost their leaves & the lawns are rather static right now, so the overall green hasn’t changed.

As you all doubtless know I am eagerly awaiting the visit of mother & father, who will becoming next Saturday. I guess they’ll be glad leaving all that snow and cold for a warmer clime. I have finished the downstairs in preparation for their coming, but a fair amount of work remains to be done upstairs. I also have now all the necessary furniture to accommodate them. Probably I have missed some things that will be needed but mother will have better ideas on that subject than I. Outside I haven’t done too much recently having concentrated on the inside of the house. However, right now the lawn doesn’t grow too fast & the weeds seem a little slow too. The daffodils along the curb are starting to come up now; I was wondering if they would make it since I had filled in dirt along there so they were considerably deeper than before.

At work, things continue about as usual. There is usually plenty to do — sometimes it seems like too much. The latest rumor going the rounds is that Shell Development is going to buy the Western Electric building across the street — what for I don’t exactly know. It’s a great big concrete barn of a place, 5 stories tall, but it would take a lot of changing over to make it suitable. However, things are fairly crowded here, so perhaps there is something to the rumor.

Thanksgiving I spent at the Uddens — together with some of the Knock relation. They all think, Marold, that you & Jeannie should be married out here because so many of the relation, both sides, will be out here right then. Of course, the principals won’t be, but that’s a small matter!

Yesterday I listened with considerable joy as Notre Dame beat USC. Out here the football scribes are freely predicting a win at last for the west in the Rose Bowl (as they have 6 previous times). I hope this USC loss presages their fate in the Rose Bowl, despite their vaunted might.

I should drop a line to the folks so will stop for now.

With love

C.P.

Tuesday, September 30, 1952

Sept 30, 1952

931 Seaview Dr

El Cerrito, Calif.

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

I should be out in the kitchen painting but it’s a rather warm evening and I haven’t too much ambition so I’ve been dawdling around all evening. These 85°F days that come ever once in awhile (like today) really take the starch out of a person, particularly when you’re used to the 70°F kind. I suppose that you, Verner, tho would think it a very mild sort of day. Come to think of it, seems I’ve heard in various & sundry letters that its been rather warm in the midwest at times too, so I guess I should be talking.

Like Vivian, I’ve got one thing that’s its very easy to write out since it occupies so much of my time. With Viv its Ruth Laurine but with me its my house (My in a certain be-mortgaged sense). So, for a time I’ll write about the house. As I mentioned I should be in the kitchen painting or I shan’t have things fixed up the way I would like by Christmas when I hope the folks will come for a visit. The kitchen is going to be yellow with black trim and I’ve painted enuf of it to know that I’m going to like it. The trouble with me as a painter is that I don’t get a nice sharp line between the yellow & the black — it sort of wiggles around etc etc. Usually by going back with either color alternately I can straighten it out fairly well but its no professional job. Outside the house I have about 2/3 of the lawn in; the rest will wait till next year. On the schedule before winter are some shingle repairs both on the sides (which are cedar shingles) & the roof (asbestos shingles). These shouldn’t take too much time so perhaps I can accomplish a few other things too.

I have decided geraniums are my favorite flower since they grow so easily. Along the road next the curb I have been trying to get some ivy started but without too much success. Last night I dug a slip up to see if [it] had taken root at all & it didn’t look like it had. That particular one looked pretty dead like most of the others, but a few still look like they might make it. If they don’t begin to show progress I think I’ll try to find something else nice & hardy like the geraniums.

My work continues to keep my quite busy and indeed last Saturday I had to spend working on a rush project. Needless to say I regarded this with a singular lack of enthusiasm since I had a full day of work on the house planned. I’ve moved to another office so I can no longer see the Calif Contained Co activities; this is definitely a hindrance to spending a leisurely contemplative day at work — the pilot plants that I can now overlook aren’t nearly as interesting.

Right now I feel very virtuous having penned my contribution to the R.R. [round robin] so soon after I got it. I feel moved to go upstairs & sit in the bathtub & cool off.

With love

C.P.

Saturday, July 14, 1951

July 14, 1951

411 Bonnie Dr

El Cerrito, Calif.

Dear Brothers & Sisters

Last round robin letter I related to you the typical morning schedule of C.P. Strand. This time I shall describe the usual working day. As you may recall my early morning activity ends after finishing reading the Chronicle and gazing out the window for awhile viewing the Calif Container Corp using the street as a loading zone for their trucks. This company regularly using ½ of the street to park trucks while they load cardboard containers (unassembled) on them. They have little fork lift trucks that cart the containers out to the regular trucks. When everything goes smoothly, there is usually room for one-way traffic along the street. When, however, trucks are being loaded, other trucks are being unloaded, little fork lift trucks are beetling around, the mail truck is stopping at the mail box, various & misc passenger cars & other trucks are trying to get by, some real classy jams develop. So far all the minions of law have done is give tickets to passenger cars who are double parked; I guess since Emeryville is an industrial town, the police don’t want to tread on any tender industrial toes so they don’t do much. Now, if I were a cop things would be different. . . .

One thing has changed since my last letter and that is that I now have 3 morning passengers whom I charge bus for; this about keeps me in gasoline.

Well, to resume my account of the working day. The first thing I usually do is formulate my work for the day. In general my responsibility consists of:

a) Supervision of experimental work on the expt’l column

b) Working up and keeping a running summary of the data as it comes in; establishing correlations of data

c) Formulating & suggesting the best direction of further tests, and when approved, arranging for equipment etc.

d) Writing reports

e) Giving advice on column design proposals etc

Having outlined the program for the day I proceed to follow it more or less; routine items can be disposed of on some kind of a schedule, but other items are apt either to be prolonged or shorter than anticipated. Occasionally there is a pressure to get some work done by a given time, but in general time limits are very flexible so that things can be worked on whenever opportunity affords.

Naturally all this work is very tiring and requires a cup of coffee in the middle of the morning & the afternoon which I brew every morning & take along with me in a thermos bottle. Also I find that reading magazines, keeping a weather eye out the window to see how the gardener is doing etc helps keep me from getting exhausted; unfortunately these latter are at times a somewhat curtailed activity despite their beneficial effects. Noontime is spent in eating at the Shell cafeteria, in the building her and watching the bridge game in the next room, or in taking a walk. I shall describe this further the next letter (including the story of how R. Shiras went down 7 tricks at 4 clubs doubled).

With love

C.P.

Wednesday, May 2, 1951

May 2, 1951

411 Bonnie Dr.

El Cerrito, Calif.

Dear Brothers & Sisters —

I should learn to keep my big mouth shut I guess. Last round robin I related the beautiful weather we were enjoying here, far from the cold & snow. Since that time we have been plagued here by cool cloudy damp weather. It hasn’t rained much to speak of altho the last week or so it has started in, so out climatological discomfort has not done the farmers much good. I’m hoping we get a good rainy spell — then it may clear up for a change.

Life at Shell Development continues its usual pace. Every morning — every week-day morning that is — I rise with alacrity at 6 am and am off in my shiny satin-green automobile at 7:30 ± 5 or 10 minutes. At the corner I stop to get a morning paper and a couple of blocks further on I pick up my rider. Then on to San Pablo where fenders clash, bumpers scrape, brakes squeal & all & sundry have a merry old time jockeying the other fellow out of position. After 15 minutes of this the relative quiet of 45th St is reached & then it’s only a minute or so to the parking lot. This strip of road is resourceful tho as a trouble breeder despite its innocuous appearance. Full of chuck holes, double-parked cars and barely wide enough for 2 lanes of traffic (both sides are lined with parked cars) it calls for iron nerve, a quick eye — and keep your hand on that horn!

Having reached 3039 in the office building at 8:05 approximately I spread out the paper on the desk & do my morning reading of the SF Chronicle. Naturally I start at the back, feeling that the comics etc are more important than national affairs. First to be perused however is the want ad section on country real estate. This done (& my agricultural ambitions satisfied for the day), a turn of the page brings the sports page& tales of the SF Seals, firmly ensconced in the PCL cellar (they started out the season with 13 stee-raight losses). Then a quick glance at the financial & editorial pages and on to the comics where I read “Dick Tracy,” “Terry & the Pirates,” “Gordo,” “King Aroo” and Joe Palooka” if he isn’t engaged in a periodic fight like he is now. Right now the center of attraction is Dick Tracy who is shooting it out with “Empty” whilst his wife is being hurried to the hospital for you-guess-what.

This finishes the back section of the paper so remaining is the bridge column, the movie section, “Grin & Bear It” and if any time remains, the front page. However this is old stuff since I’ve heard it on the news already before leaving home. So with a sigh, I fold the paper, carefully survey the scene outside for items of interest calling for my attention and at last tearing myself away from the congestion in front of the Calif package making company (I will discuss this in detail next time) begin my daily labor. This too I will cover in future letters.

Right now I am patting myself on the back (figuratively) since it is only a couple of hours since I got the r.r. [round robin letter] & here I am answering it. The reason for this is that I am very high-,inded about letter writing & I realize it takes a long time for a letter to travel betwene here & Iowa (which reminds me of a story that I must tell you also). All for now.

With love

C.P.