November 24, 1941

Dear Mother and Dad,

Just finished another lesson--have got an hour and a half that I don't know what to do with myself in--just read your letter over again--and decided it's about time I was writing another letter. I haven't been writing as much as I used to and I am awfully sorry for that--guess it's my course.

Had a turkey dinner yesterday as part of the Thanksgiving celebration, went to a show with Nelson and Dick Scovelle, another Salt Lake fellow, came home and worked on my course for awhile, and then took off for work.

Am sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling good mother. Hope you are feeling better when this letter arrives. Your letter was swell. Full of that good old news that I like to hear and plenty long which I like. Thank you for the clippings. It was fun to read over them and fun to reconsider and live the memories they evoked. You took good care of my letters and I will send some more as soon as I get them. Thank you for sending them back. I appreciate it. Will give me something to show my grand kids.

Have they started the Christmas celebration in Salt Lake yet? Here, the streets are decorated and lighted, and all the advertising and talking has turned to Santa Claus. Tonight they are having the big annual Christmas parade in Hollywood, which will be loaded with movie stars. A bunch of the boys went over but I didn't have time. Wanted to finish my lesson and write you this over-due letter, which is a lot of fun to write.

Still, we are having sunshine and warm weather. The sky is a chronic deep blue--how do you like that adjective Louis---? The nights get a little chilly but I wear my heavy ski shirt which nothing penetrates. I have been wearing my ski shirt to work for the past couple of weeks. When I first started no one wore them. Now every one in the plant is getting them. Some fellows ridiculed me for the flashy colors but it is beyond that now because the interior of the plant looks like the boys all came in off the slope. Working is still a lot of fun and am still hoping for my instructors rating. We get reclassified some time this month.

Well, tonight is the last night of the week. Then tomorrow when I get up I will read over my next lesson and then Wally Romney is coming over. He has been down her for about tow months. He is fitting ships, or that is he is learning to, at Long Beach.

Will write you a letter Sun. and tell you about Sat.--hm--hm tonight is Fri. That sounds silly. Be good and I hope to hear from both of you soon. Love, Tom

P.S. Am sorry to hear that Louise couldn't make it. She wrote and told me that she probably wouldn't be able to because the people she was coming with lost a member of the family and couldn't make it, but she said she was going to try to make it for Christmas.