From Freiburg to St. Lunaire

In 1902, Gabrielle was visiting Freiburg, Germany and sent a card to Monsieur G. Kuentz in St. Lunaire in Brittany, land of beautiful beaches and equally beautiful houses.

Here's another view of Freiburg at about the same time.

The back of the second card is blank, but the back of the first card includes Gabrielle's sweeping script and a few cancellation stamps.

Although I felt like a bit of a stalker, I had to look to see what the Villa des Marguerites looks like. Here it is. This is the side view. The front looks out to the sea. The Villa was built in the 1880s, one of the first villas to be built on the point.

Strange Spoon Postcards

 

There were more cards in this spoons series. They were probably printed around 1910, but these particular cards were not mailed until 1941. They were sent to Budd Bankson in Spokane, Washington from Blue (?) in Billings, Montana.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message on the first one reads:

A lordosis curve on the green squash... 

If you are becoming tired don't mention it the worst is yet to come -

Blue

Since lordosis was not in my vocabulary, I will assume it wasn't in yours either. This definition from Wikipedia may help to clarify:

lor·do·sis/lôrˈdōsis/

Noun:

Excessive inward curvature of the spine. A posture assumed by some female mammals during mating, in which the back is arched downward.

The message on the second card reads:

Was Butch an iscream spoon? I think perhaps a soup spoon would be better for size at any rate.

Blue.

Hmm, well I won't interpret these messages, but here's some information on the recipient, Budd Bankson:

Budd Bankson (Norman Ray Bankson) was an Army Captain in Special Services and the son of Russell Bankson, City Editor for the Spokane Daily Chronicle. His brother, Rodger, was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Information at the Pentagon. After his career in the Army, Budd became an author. In fact, his book, I Should Live So Long, which details his time in the Army is available on Amazon. It's really inexpensive too, so if you decide to buy it and read it, be sure to send me your review!

Later, Budd also did some writing for film and television. He wrote for the TV series Rawhide and He wrote a puppet show for kids entitled "The Adventures of Sir Gazooks" and then he developed the somewhat famous character, Teddy Ruxpin.

Budd was born on September 26, 1916 and died on January 21, 1992. He is buried in Riverside National Cemetery, in Riverside, California. This picture is from their site.

A Christmas Poem for Jews

It's not a great poem, but I think it may express some of the Christmas fatigue that Jews endure with Christmas trees, Christmas music, Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations, and Christmas cards throughout the season. Even Santa looks a little fatigued.

It's particularly impressive that this card sent to Albert Kinziger in Utica, New York, was actually postmarked on December 25th.

The message reads:

Here's to you, you lucky Jew. 

Churp up - smoke up

and drink up dew. For they'll all help

to pull your sorrows thro'.

Don't sigh and cry like a boy in blue

But go to bed and 

 dream it's all true.

Will see you soon "a lost Friend"

Of course I had to look for Albert Kinziger to find out who he was. I found an Albert Kinziger who died from being hit in the head with a hammer in 1943 or 44, but (thankfully) he was born in 1896, so I think he couldn't be our Albert. Our Albert had to be born earlier than that to receive a card like this in 1908. Instead, I think our Albert was born in 1871 and died (far too young) in 1929. If so, he is buried in New Forest Cemetery.