April 4^th [1959]

Dear Mama and all the family,

How are you? This bunch of Paulings is just fine Peter looks fat and pink-cheeked, though every time I say so he assures me he is at death's door. Your grandson is best of all, also fat and pink, and good as ever. It seems to me, I can't help it, that he is so much nicer than all these other children. Maybe I'm prejudiced. Has no teeth yet, but a little tuft of hair, no particular colour, and the same mud-colored eyes. I have had to keep him in a lot because he has had so many colds, but I sat outside with him today for a few hours. He has had two shots for diptheria whooping cough and tetanus and had a very bad reaction. I am casting up whether to get polio shots for him. I probably can't anyway, as there is a long waiting-list, but do you think I should try? He now sleeps on his face with his behind in the air, and this alarms him when he wakes, so he cries a bit. I still have not weaned him much as he is very old fashioned in his habits. He drinks nicely from a cup if offered by Peter, so he has this at supper-time. I don't want to cut down to three meals yet or Peter would never see him.

Peter says you may not be home as he hasn't heard from daddy; but I write hoping just the same.

I think you would approve of this place, it is quite a lot nicer! It really fills in my time having so much more housework to do. I washed 21 diapers today! I do all the washing so it is much cheaper.

We went with Leslie and Alice Orgel to "Petrosshken" at the Covent Garden last night. It seemed like the first time we had been out for ages, so I enjoyed it very much, and it was a good performance. Nadia Nerina was the ballerina, and we also saw Svetlana Berissora in "Checkmate."

Barbara Dunitz is supposed to have her new baby before tomorrow which is 'tax day'. We saw them two recently and she looked wonderful. I wish we lived nearer to such nice people. The women in this house are all right, fairly dull, and - I suppose a common situation - seem dominated by one or two really empty-headed busy and gossiping women, while the more reserved and possibly interesting are harder to get to know.

Love to you all,

Julia