Mrs Alvin L Ormsby
9817 East Howland Drive,
Temple City, California U.S.A.

From: Alice Ormsby Andreani
Viale Carso 63, Rome 909
Italy
Viale Carso 63, Rome 909
Sept 1, 1956

Dearest Margaret:

I am bowed down with shame at my long silence and after such a darling letter from you too. I shudder when I see it was written on the first of Feb!!

Once upon a time I was an excellent correspondent. I remember I had 23 regular correspondents when I was first married, but I am getting old and night seems to be the only free time I have and then I am too tired to get down to it so the letters pile up in the "unanswered file and I receive no mail myself!!

Eve and Valerio went up to my sister-in law's mountain summer place for three weeks and now are in Venice. Gio went up to join them last week and they will stay there until the end of Sept, but Gio will be coming back before as he has to get to work on some architectural projects with his group.

I suppose it is hard for any young architect to get started any where but it seems especially hard here in Italy and when the work is done the Government is so slow in paying, Eve has been doing a lot of translating for the Embassy (from Italian into English) and I have been helping her. Fortunately they live just across the street so I would go over at night and we would work until 12 or 1 to get it done. It is most interesting work but tiring.

I have been wondering about Scott. I think he was to go back this summer wasn't he and was planning to go back to college on the GI bill and marry. Do write and tell me how and where he is and what you are all doing. I know I don't deserve it but I do want to know.

You are a precious to want to send Val things but I must warn you that the postage for the Gift Packages comes to more than the articles themselves from California at least. George and Jo Daily send me a package of food stuffs now and then and they have told me so.

Val does need woolen shirts and pants and under woolies too. I make him his knitted sweaters usually but he catches cold so easily that he has to wear long pants in the winter and light wool shirts. Boys are beginning to wear rather gaudy shirts now but not too brilliant- no sad, bright plaids as the American boys wear.

Yes Val is crazy about cow boy things. He had been longing for a tepee to play Indian and when he went through Florence on the way up to the mountains one of Ev's American friends there had one left over from her son's childhood which she gave to Va. You can imagine his joy- and how convienent it was to add to their already numerous bags and baskets! But he did have a glorious time with his little Italian cousins up at Gamberaldi- all day long out in the woods with the tepee and I don't doubt that he has mounted it on the beach at the Lido. Fortunately Giorgio brought them down to Venice in his car so it was easier. Giorgio is one of my Italian nephews, married with three young children, Val comes in the middle between the first two. Oh by the way, Scott and his friends took some pictures of us all when they were here but he has never sent us any copies. Do remind him there was one of Scott and Val together I should love to have.

One of these fine days I am going to send you the family tree on the McGrorty side so you can see where the family comes from. Scott's name comes form that side the Alvin Lysander is the Ormsby side, the Alexander Scott is my grandfather, Scott's great-great grandfather as you know probably as Alvin must have all the family tree and records which my Scott had gathered together.

It is already 12 and time for little Alice to get to bed, but I shall give you Val's measures as of March last- Goodness knows how much he has grown since then!! I was planning to write you then and never got around to it.

No 10 shirts neck to waist 13 inches, waist 26- I can't find my American tape measure anywhere, we measure by centimeters over here but I am sure I measured him with the yard measure at the time. Anyway he is nine years old (June 15th) and is growing steadily and is tall for his age.

Blessings on you all and so much love and all my regrets at my long silence.

Affectionately

Aunt Alice

P.S. I would like Bradford's address Please.

A