Paris, France

December 26, 1945

Dear Mom,

It must be that I am just a "Sunday painter" after all for I seem to do my best work on Sundays and holidays and at night. Oddly enough, the stuff I work on during the week seems to fizzle while that which I do at night or on Sunday invariably comes out better.

Yesterday was no exception. In the afternoon I began a half-length portrait of Mme Lequien (who has been my patient model for many sadder ventures) with which I am most enthusiastic and last night I batted out a small head portrait also of Mme Lequien. This was nothing extraordinary but represented a decided improvement over my earlier work. Paulette wasn't very happy with the red background I put in which I liked, so I compromised by scraping it off this afternoon and not painting it again at all. This leaves a kind of pink color which pleases both of us.

We had chicken for dinner yesterday (for supper, too, as a matter of fact). Both Paulette and her mother are excellent cooks. I don't know which one fixed this but it certainly was good.

You remember that I wrote I was saving one of the packages for Xmas, and so I did. But I was a little embarrassed and chagrined on opening it at the Lequien's (somewhat prematurely, to be sure, but I thought it might have something we could incorporate in the dinner) to find the shaving stuff. However, the red box of cookies saved the day. (They stayed very fresh and only a few were broken.) I gave the soap to Paulettte, since French soap is miserable. Fortunately I had saved the marshmallows from an earlier packet and I gave one box of these along with two Tootsie rolls, a packet of licorice to Ginette, the little girl. She was quite delighted.

Nothing would do but that we try out the new shampoo. I washed my hair and it cleaned fine but curled in all directions for some time. Now it has settled down to going just one way. Paulette washed hers too and apparently used more of the stuff than I did for it took out some of the color from her hair. She was rather upset for which I can scarcely blame her.

Your letter of the 6th and 13th both came last week, one with the money order as present for the easel. I was a little taken aback at this for I was really joking earlier when I said the easel was a present from all of you. I didn't dream you'd take me literally. Anyway many thanks to everyone for it. I haven't cashed it yet and good thing for today the rate of exchange on the franc changed so that I'll get better than twice as many when I do change it. At least I think so. I don't have all the dope on how this new exchange affects us, but I think we are considerably better off than before for the new rate is 119 francs to the dollar instead of 50 francs as before.

I'm afraid I've been misleading you on the weather. Actually, it has turned into a very mild winter. No snow at all, though considerable rain and most of the days have a few hours of sunshine around noon. It's not cold at all for moving around outside and indoors it's cold only if you stay long without heat. Indeed it's not very good for people who have no coal or wood, but it could be much worse.

Hope my big pictures arrived all right. I'll send the others when I can find some cardboard stiffener.

This week is officially a holiday, but as I have so little time left, I am continuing to work. I don't have any info on leaving yet.

Love,

Bob