[Letter from Lyle Creelman to her mother]

              Geneva, July 20*1953.
Dear iother.
m;
Ahis has been a very fine week-end, not too warm and sunny except for a very brief
spell this afternoon* Yesterday about three in the afternoon I took the two Canadian
nurses who are here for a drive up the Jura. I wanted to test out my car as I had
h^en having a little difficulty with the radiator heating* It seemed to be 0*K* yesterday so I guess whatever the garage mechanic did was the right thing* It was very
pretty and the girls got their first view of Mt. Blanc* To—day I went with Ruth
Steinkamp in her new car to Champeiy* Her cat is a Hillman like mine but the color
is fire-engine red. Except for about a half hour we were able to drive with the top
down the whole day* I have a lot more tan—in fact some burn but I expect the redness
will be gone by morning* We went up in the tel^ferique and climbed a little so that
we were up about 5600 feet. $e ft/und quite a few flowers, iay first in Switzerland this
year and as it will likely iie my only time out in the flower season I was very glad..
Have started my pressing. Will see how they keep the color* Put them between blotting
paper and newspaper and then in a magazine and under a pile of magazines. I think
the newspapers are supposed to be changed frequently but I do not think I shall have
time for that*
Glad to know hy your last letter that you have gained back your lost weight. Am
afraid I have gone up to 143. However perhaps if I resist the bread in Finland I can
loose some again* I recieved the Mae&eans and some clippings* Let me know what happens
in the Paul case. Have they any clues yet?
I suppose Annie Eatoliffe is back in Vancouver now. Hopes she comes to see you and
tells you about her visit in N«S*
You mentioned the C»N.A. retirement scheme—I told you in one letter that we would
be getting the detained information but it has not arrived yet.  It is something like the
Government annuity and if it seems better I will take it out and not te&ef- pay in to my
annuity now* Will let you know what I decide to do. You ask if Miss Gray and Miss
Fairley will get it. No, not unless they pay in as one would Ao an annuity. It is not
automatic like the old age pension—it has to be bought*-
I do not understand why you question that I do no t mean what I say about you
coming to Geneva* Of course I dom    I never pressed for it before because you had many
friends in Vancouver and you could get about so much by yourself* Now many of the friends
have gone and you are not feeling so much like going out.  o now I think you would be
quite content here, even with not being able to talk the language of the man in the
street*  he only thing would be no television and not so much radio* This winter, I
will as I said, see what king of radio would be necessary to get the London broadcasts*
I could go home next June on home leave and you could come back with me* If I go home
then I want to see if I can take a short—perhaps three or four weeks—course at some
University. Probably Seattle. so the timing would have to be according to the timing
of the course* If I did not come talX Xmas then I would take three months at the
university in Seattle from Jan. to ^arch of 195©* Would just as soon do it next sunaer*
and then would not have to spend so long and so much mone$*
way?
You said that Mrs* Caird has changed*  or the better or the worse and in what
To-morrow I am going to Bob Bogue*s for dinner* He is having Marty, if she will
feel like going, she arrives back to-morrow morning, Br* Margaret Mead, a sociologist
from London, ai d Dr* Peterson* **o I shall be in highly intellectual company to-morrow*
Last week when I used a little heavier paper I had to pay more than the ordinary
postage. This is a little lighter and I had better not use more than one sheet. Am
going to have a bath now and get some #f to-day's dust off,  hen to bed and read some of
jbhe papers I brought home with me*
Love,
j