Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.
Thanks to John Newmark at Transylvanian Dutch for providing the idea for Amanuensis Monday.
I found the lists I have transcribed below along with letters sent from family in Warsaw during the mid to late 1940s. Basic food and personal items that we take for granted were in short supply in Soviet occupied post World War II Poland. I have a card from CARE which indicates that a blanket was sent on August 7, 1947. Several letters ask for aspirin. Letters from other family members in a DP camp in Germany mention items like cigarettes were sold on the black market to provide money for other needed goods. Lists include things like socks, underwear, children's clothes, aprons, hose, and ribbon.
Sometimes I think it's all too easy to get caught up in everyday annoyances and trivialities. When I read the items on these lists and think about the recipients of the packages and their experiences with deprivation and hardship, I think about how lucky I really am. I have a lot to be grateful for.
1 lb. coffee .29
1 can bacon 38
1 " sardines .15
1 " spam 34
1 " tuna .30
1 " evap. milk .10
2 soaps .10
1 pkg. tea .15
1 can malted milk .27
Hershey Chocolate .50
$ 3.48
Henick
Apr. 6 - 46
1 prunes 23
1 coffee 40
1 tea 25
1 cocoa 24
1 noodle 10
2 cookies 38
2 cereals 40
1 rice 23
deviled ham 13
spam 39
1 beef + gravy 59
1 lg. fig bars 59
1 beans + franks 18
1 tuna 35
6 sou.[?] soup 60
2 1/2 lb salamis
chocolate bars
3 kipper snacks 30
$5.00 in cash
2 face cloths
bullion
1 aspirin
Henick
Feb. 5-47
received
Helen
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3 comments:
Reading your post really makes me count me blessings! So poignant to think of all that your family went through.
So many memories of shopping and shipping packages off to family! Those were such difficult times across Europe - even in the West. But in the East, another world.
Beautiful job putting the lists in context.
Dorene and Susan - Thank you for your comments.
Dorene - You are so right. Reading these lists does make me want to count me blessings.
Susan - The East was another world. A great way of putting it. One of the lists I have includes canned peas. I hate canned peas. The recipients of these packages were no doubt happy to get whatever they got. It kind of puts life's hardships in perspective.
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