Well, many days have passed since the last entry on this blog. During this lapsed time 70 years ago, our young lovers were enjoying a long-awaited and much needed vacation together. First, Dart went to Greenwich where he, Dot, El and El’s friend Nancy packed a car and headed for Sunapee, NH for Dart’s introduction to lake living – Chamberlain style. After a week in this idyllic spot, they returned to Greenwich for a brief interlude before Dot joined Dart for his return trip to Cleveland.

The lovebirds’ letters to one another resume in a couple of days, but I thought it would be fun to ponder some of the burning questions that go unanswered in the letters. I can supply the answers to some, but for the others, I’ll need to rely on Dot’s memory as I query her later today.

Let’s begin. Were Eleanor and her friend effective chaperones? Well, I’ve been hearing the answer to that question for most of my life. Let’s just say that El took her responsibility so seriously that Dot and Dart were scarcely able to hold hands. She was so intent on keeping these kids out of trouble, that she nearly squelched all their fun. When Dot spoke with her about perhaps relaxing her grip just a tad, El responded with , “But what would I ever say to Mother and Dad if I failed in my duties?” Consequently, the young couple was never alone for a single moment! The “trauma” of such close monitoring may explain why Mom was always fairly liberal about allowing me private time with my would-be husband when we vacationed with Mom and Dad at Sunapee prior to our marriage. After all, how much trouble can two people get in to while swimming in a frigid lake together or tramping through mosquito-infested woods?

That brings us to the next question: Did Dart actually get in to that lake? When I asked Mom that recently, she recalled that he did put a toe in the water, but he mostly admired the wonders of Sunapee from dry land. Remember, Dart was not, by any stretch, an accomplished swimmer. In his defense, the underwater boulders at the end of our dock have been intimidating the uninitiated for generations. The clarity of the lake and the magnifying effect of the water make them seem much closer to the surface and a bit larger than they actually are. In truth, some of those rocks are the size of a Volkswagen! It took me years of swimming in the lake with Mom at my side before I finally trusted that they were not actually sleeping monsters who would awaken and pull me under. As for the water itself, one can charitably call it “brisk,” even in the heat of high summer. After Labor Day, when the New England autumn nights bring temperatures in the 30s, the lake temperature drops to downright bone-chilling.

Ever Dart’s champion, however, Dot is quick to point out that Dart always loved his time at the lake. Eventually – and by that I mean when he was in his early 70s – Dart learned to swim well enough that he willingly got into the water, sans flotation devices. Just this month, Dot was reminded that he actually came to love swimming at Sunapee. While she was at the cottage, Dot completed her yearly ritual of reading through all the old guest books that have been signed by all who have visited there over the decades. Sometime in the 1990s, Dart wrote that he had finally come to appreciate what Dot had been saying for years about the glory of a pre-breakfast dip in the lake.

Did this hearty group do the hiking El had planned for them? Yes. They drove cross-state to Franconia Notch and did some rigorous walking through the surrounding woods there. They also visited Sunset Hill, just behind the Chamberlain cottage.

Mom told me a funny story yesterday that I don’t recall ever hearing before. On the way back to Greenwich, Dot, Dart and Eleanor stopped at a roadside hotel for the night. The hotel was actually a number of small cabins of either one, or two bedrooms. (Think of that great Hollywood classic “It Happened One Night” with Clark Gable and Collette Colbert) Since the 2-bedroom cabin was far cheaper than two 1-bedroom cabins, our little band of frugal travelers opted for the larger place. Needless to say, the sleeping arrangements were strictly on the up and up! Before leaving in the morning, the group took photos of their overnight accommodations – with one minor deception. Dot and El posed in front of the 2-bedroom cabin and Dart stood in front of a smaller single-room version. He was sure his parents would blow a stack if they thought he had stayed with the girls. How silly this seems. I mean, they all stayed under one roof while at the family cottage, but sharing a “hotel” room would have been scandalous!

My last Sunapee-related question is whether or not they were able to make contact with Hal Martin and collect on the wiener roast bet. Sadly, the Martin family had closed up their summer place by Labor Day, so the Navy buddies were unable to meet up. That eventually happened a few years later.

The remaining questions I have of this time period are: Did Dart finally meet the Pecsok family during his brief stay in Greenwich? While in Cleveland, did the two attend a high school football game? Did they go to a concert? Did Dot meet more of Dart’s hometown friends? Most importantly, were Dart and his parents able to convince Dot that the third floor of their apartment could truly be converted to a cozy newlywed nest?

I’m spending part of this weekend with Mom and will ask her to delve into her memory to see how many of these questions she can answer. In fairness, she often reminds me that 70 years is a very long time and that much has happened in her life since then. Still, I’m always gratified by how much she actually can recall from those long ago days.

So now, a little background on Dot’s surprise visit to Cleveland.

She was feeling pretty good after her appendectomy, but her doctor and the phone company would not let her return to work this early because her job entailed lots of reaching and stretching. I suspect her separation from Dart was affecting her nearly as much as it was him. Her savings account was slightly ahead of schedule for her goal by June, so she decided to spend a little on a train ticket and visit her fiance.

When she arrived in town, she called Helen Peterson at the Singer store where she worked. When Helen picked up the phone, she asked who was calling. Dot said, Well, my name could be Mud as soon as you hear where I am.” I assume Helen was delighted by the surprise, and she told Dot that Dart was home, so she should go straight there to surprise him.

Dart, of course, had been up very late the night before, as was his habit. A knocking on the door awakened him from a deep sleep, and he staggered downstairs to see who might be disturbing him. Squinting into the bright morning light, he mumbled that the young lady on his stoop looked quite a bit like a girl he knew in Connecticut. That was Dot’s pay-off for springing on him. Although Mom didn’t tell me so, I think it’s safe to assume Dart was glad to see her.

Even though he’d written just a couple of days before that he thought it was good she wasn’t able to visit because he doubted he would be able to control himself, he quickly reconciled to the situation and they had a very nice week together. His letters written in the days after she returned to Greenwich will give us some hints on how they passed their precious time together this week.

The letters resume on January 22, but I’ll check in a couple of times this week with a quick look back on the corresponding day one, two, or three years ago to see how far these young lovers have come through their letters and their lives.

Let’s take a look back to this week in January, 1944.

Dart has just begun his basic training at Great Lakes Naval Center outside of Chicago. Because of the problem with a cyst on his tailbone, he has been assigned to light duty. Today, however, he spends most of his time in sickbay – once for a shot, once for a vaccination, and once to have his dressing changed. But the highlight of his day was getting three letters from Dot. He seems relieved to have heard from her, and he’s read all the letters several times. It’s almost as though he wasn’t sure her devoted correspondence would continue once he’d left Cleveland to fight a war.

The following day he reports that “light-duty” has so far translated into late night and early morning guard shifts and some painting. He thanks her for the birthday gift, but doesn’t mention what it was. Curiously, he asks the question, “Isn’t it an awful feeling to be in love?” He goes on to say that one in love generally goes around with a feeling of euphoria and optimism, until suddenly, there’s a whisper of doubt, disbelief that it’s really true. That makes the whole world look cold and gray, until in a snap, the doubt is gone and bliss returns. I find this a rather strange little discourse, especially when he doesn’t elaborate much. What I do find fun, though, is that these young people met scarcely three months ago, had a total of three dates, and have built the rest of their relationship on letters, yet they already admit to being in love. Yes, this letter-writing thing is a formula that seemed to work for them, much to my delight.

Dot asked him to tell her about his “shaky leg syndrome” that he’d referred to a an earlier letter. He explains that the only time it happens is at morning and evening mail call when all he can think of is getting a letter from her!

He’s hoping that when she’s in Cleveland the next time, hopefully when he gets his boot camp leave,  maybe she could have dinner with his parents. He’d like that very much. Little does he know that he will soon be going into the hospital for seven and a half long months!

Dot writes a very brief note because it is exam week at Andrews School and she must continue her studying. Besides, she fears any letter she wrote would be just more “pretty talk.”  She writes “It’s all I can do to wait for the time when I can know you better, but until then, I think we’d better cut down on the mush.”