Dear Pearl,

A freak snowstorm has changed everything here, Pearl! The Ladies' Auxiliary has decided to make the best of things and is gamely sponsoring Snow Days for all. It's a very odd place, Sopshire, even when the Sops are nowhere to be seen. . .

I Remain, As Always, Your Devoted Miss Blue

Dearest Pearl,

The Sunday funny papers arrived this morning, Pearl, and the girls have already fashioned most of them into their Supreme Pointy Bonnet, available in both child and adult sizes. Louise thinks they should add rick rack or small birds' nests to make them Super Supreme, but Alice and Fanny think they are just fine as they are. Tomorrow they will push Linguini's wheelbarrow loaded with their creations up and down the neighborhood streets. They have been warned to avoid the Sops who sometimes still come out after a hard night rain. Not that a Sop would actually harm a child. They are themselves like bad tempered children. It's just that they can be so annoying!

I Remain, As Always, Your Devoted Miss Blue

Dear Miss Blue,

Hats of Paper! Ingenious, of course. I will immediately ship all of my Sunday paper comics section because it does make perfect sense that the more colorful newspapers will make darling little hats for the little children as well as once in a while story time. You know, Miss Blue, times when the hat can come off and the paper can be spread out over the table to follow the adventures of Little Orphan Annie and her Dog Sandy. Folding and cutting while sitting cross-legged on their calico bed covers creating the ship-shaped hats, the favorite for all ages, easy to fold into any and every size. The Striking Milliners will be weeping bitter tears when the Hats of Paper sweep the fashionable neighborhoods there in Sopshire. Would you tell Fanny and Alice that orders could be taken to include whichever comic strip the customer of fashion would prefer; so forward thinking of course. Now, off to the post office around the corner and the package will be sent on its way to Sopshire for Fanny and Alice.

With Love, Pearl Again

Dear Pearl,

Fanny has traveled down from the city with her little friend Alice to spend the week with us here in Sopshire. The train ride was trying but Fanny is the one in the family with the sense of humor and she debarked laughing. I can only imagine how frayed poor Melba's nerves would have been in the event! The girls are hoping to capitalize on the paper hat fashion of their train mate as there is a most unfortunate strike of the milliners here in the country. Linguini has been dispatched to collect The London Times from all of our neighbors to load into his old wheelbarrow so the girls can have their very own traveling hat shop! Oh I do hope it catches on, Pearl! It would make Fanny's stay so pleasant! Heaven knows she deserves a happy time after all the trouble at home!

I Remain As Always,
Your Devoted Miss Blue

Sparrow in the Snow

This Morning, the Latest Snow

Words To The Very Darling Dearest Nunu

Dear Nunu,

Morning letters are the best letters, Nunu;
all filled with the exciting stories that have happened
at your house so that I feel that I am right there
with you doing everything together. it is true,
Nunu, that the silly Dancing Bunnies made me
giggle, I loved the picture of course and I will
post it alongside my computer all by itself for
an occasional but not too loud giggle because I don't
want to hurt the bunnies' feelings.

Sometimes, just to help the Easter Bunny, beause
he has so many baskets to fill, I hide easter eggs in
the meadows and woods, behind trees and rocks,
so the boys and girls can never never find them; only
so that the Easter Bunny can find them to add to his
so quickly depleted basket. The basket sometimes
is attached to his shoulders by colorful straps; it is
a very long basket, almost as long as the Rabbit is
tall for he moves on his back legs nimbly of course, for
he is very graceful. The Easter Rabbit and his whole family
of many young ones, color and color and color eggs the whole
day before Easter choosing their paints from the many early
flowering plants, especially tulips and daffidils and irises, shelterednear little caves to stay out of the sometimes rain or snow. It is
Mother Nature's present to all of the dear little children because, ,
Nunu, Mother Nature Loves little children.

Love from G.G.Ruthie
Hansel sends his love to you and to all of the toys in your little bed.

My Dearest Great Grandmother Ruthie,
Oh what a wonderful morning I've had. Not long after I woke up my Momma brought me a card and a package to open, all from My Darling G.G. Ruthie. The card bore a cunning little Easter Bunny, whom I love ever so much. And the package, my oh my! It contained two books from you, both as wonderful as can be.

Momma already read to me about the naughty Tom Kitten -- and promised she will read me all of Beatrix Potter's stories of mayhem and mischief in the beautiful compilation you sent. And the other present, The Golden Egg Book by my most favorite Margaret Wise Brown (many of the books Momma reads with me are by M.W.B.), made me giggle and laugh! How I loved the part when the baby duckling jumps on his furry bunny friend and throws a little rock at him to wake him up! I giggled so much that I told Momma I wanted to make you laugh, too, and asked her to send you this picture of some silly dancing egg bunnies.

Thank you for the card and books and thank you also, G.G. Ruthie, for telling me more about seahorses and snowmen. What a wonderful world we live in! Today Momma put me in a swing for the first time and gave me a little push. I felt like I was flying through the air -- just like the crow and the sparrows outside your window! I would, of course, be much more like one of your dear little brown sparrows than like the big old bully crow. Tee hee!

I love you so much and think of you always.
Your Very Nadia Ruth
The Apple of Your Eye

Gift From The Ocean

Words to The Very Darling Dearest Nunu,

This very morning at half past the hour of eight, just in time for the birds in the back yard to gather by the bird feeder and daintily peck at the grain that the Bird Lady strews on the snowy ground so they won't be hungry on this cold March day I noticed a crow hanging around in the tall pine tree nearby the feeder. Can you imagine, Nunu, how frightening that must be for the smaller little birds like the dear little brown sparrows. Just a tap tap on my porch window high up on the third floor soon sent the crow flying away and all was safe and sound once again so early in the morning here in Minnesota; so far away from where you are, Nunu.  How many stories you will tell me, Nunu, all about sailing with your mama and walking in the warm sand on the beach with all the grownups. I once found a Sea Horse washed up inside a strong wave and just as I watched the wave disappear I saw at my feet the most beautiful creature a SeaHorse, a present from the Ocean. I brought it back with me all the way back from the Island where you are now, to Minneapolis, where I am now. And I still have it. When next you visit me, I would like to give it to you, A present again and again. Thank you for your letter about the Easter Bunny card, and Nunu, it is true, I did see the Easter Bunny once, when I was still a child. You wait, Nunu, for you too will see the Easter Bunny as he quietly fills your Easter Basket with all the candy eggs and colored eggs you love. You must find the most lovely of baskets for the Rabbit to fill and leave a carrot with the green tops on, for him to nibble on as he make his rounds all over everywhere.

Love,
ggruthie
Hansel sends greetings