December 25, 1932 - Sunday

Christmas Day. Up early at seven-thirty. After breakfast the tree. All very exciting. Huge, wonderful dinner at two. I slept then. Tonight went to Play Box with Mrs. Green & Otto Pitcher. Very interesting.

My dearest sweet heart,

You are so sweet and thoughtful. I have always wanted an Alpha Phi blanket. Ever since Edee got one when I was a freshman. I love it dear and will always be so proud of it. It is twenty minutes to four, dear, so I will finish this tomorrow but I couldn’t go to bed without thanking you, darling, and saying good night to my sweet.

Christmas afternoon

I just woke up from a lovely nap under my handsome new robe. I couldn’t have slept half as well without it. Thank you again, dear, I just love it. Mrs. Williams and I have certainly been the owls the last two nights. Last night during the first of the evening we did other things until eleven like going to the puppet show and receiving guests that came in to see the decorations. Then we had to get everything finished up and there were so many packages to wrap and last minute things to do until it was three o’clock before I came to bed and then I had to open all my presents and that’s why it was so late. I saved your present to open last. From my family I got the most beautiful pair of satin pajamas, a pina tea set (table cloth and napkins), a purse, some Chinese slippers, handkerchiefs, and telephone pad. June sent me a beautiful silver bracelet and a pina dresser scarf. Your mother sent me a pair of the sheerest, most beautiful hose. Jeanne Hankins gave me a lovely pair of earrings. Mrs. Earl gave me a pretty white handkerchief. And Mrs. Williams gave me a box of candy. Mrs. Williams can make a gift package look handsomer then any other person I know.  That is why our package wrapping took so much time and why we stayed up so late. There were so many to wrap up. I never saw children so well remembered.

After going to bed so late I had to get up early this morning of course being Christmas morning. We had breakfast at eight and then went in to the tree. It looked beautiful with the morning sunlight slanting thru the branches. Then the presents were distributed and opened. Then there was much excitement from then until about two o’clock of getting presents, opening them, and playing with them. At about two we had dinner and what a dinner. At first the turkey was stuffed then we were. I have never seen turkey so beautifully done. I was so big and fat and was the loveliest shade of brown I have ever seen. After that big meal and last night I came up stairs and dropped. O, me!

Then tonight I am going out to a play at 10:30! It is a usual Christmas play at the Play Box. It traditionally should be played at mid-night but they moved it up to eleven. I am going with Mrs. Green an art critic friend of Mrs. Williams. I hope the time between now and Friday will go fast. I love you - Ann

Christmas Night

Dearest George,

Surprise, I am getting to bed early tonight. It is only ten after one. I went to the Play Box with Mrs. Green and a young man named Otto Pitcher. They came after me at about quarter after ten and we went. The Play Box is a private stage behind the home of Mr. Alexander Brown who is the director of the Community Play House here in Pasadena. The Community Play House is quite well known in dramatic circles for trying new plays and ideas in stage design and Mr. Brown is quite a famous director. This Play Box is a very exclusive affair and you go only by invitation. It is rather a peculiar arrangement. There are stages on three sides and Mrs. Green says that you never know quite what to expect. It was quite an honor that I had of attending. Mrs. Green seems to be quite an authority and she has many friends among young actors and playwrights who take her criticism quite seriously. But to look at her you would never imagine her in that role. She looks like a quiet little old-fashioned old maid but from her conversation I guess she has had quite a colorful life. Mr. Otto is a struggling young play write. He looks like his name ought to be Otto. He has black curly hair that sticks up quite high on his head and looks like a German and talks like a Canadian. He chooses his words rather carefully and seems to like to use unusual words. After the play (it was very short and entertaining) we went to Mrs. Green’s for coffee and fruit cake only I had cocoa. There was much conversation which was very intellectual but not dull. I was astonished to see Mrs. Green smoke a cigarette. Then Mr. Pitcher brought me home. The play was funny (ha! ha!). It was one of the old miracle plays of England. It was taken from the description of one in Thomas Hardy’s “Return of the Native.” Here was where I had my big surprise of the evening. In the first part of the play a group of villagers come romping into the scene and who should one of the first ones be but Wally Boyle. Do you remember him? He was an SAE at school and was on the Basket Ball team and was also in several plays. He was the fat officer who had been a grocer in “Journey’s End”. Was I ever very surprised. He graduated last spring and then came down here and seems to be getting along nicely. I talked with him a while after the show.

All in all I had a very enjoyable evening. It is interesting to know people like these and to see these things but it makes me realize more than ever how glad I am that I have the sort of sane life that I do. If this all sounds sort of stiff I hope you will pardon me but I have been trying to keep up with Otto and Mrs. Green all evening. In other words I went highbrow on you this evening.

It’s another day nearer the thirty-first, dear and I want to be near you. I am going to sleep under my robe tonight. Good night sweet.