1933-5-05: Touring Glücksburg then Going Solo for a Week

Flensburg
Sudermarkt 4 - IV

May 5/33

Dear Mother and Dad,

Althouth I have a lot to do today, I presume my work can wait until I write a letter.  In as much as I'm all alone I'll be able to type this epistle off in a hurry anyway.

Yes, I'm all alone for the present.  My companion was transferred down into the Cologne District and left on the train there to early this morning.  My new companion isn't here yet and probably won't arrive until next week after their Conference down there.  McIntyre is his name, from Price, Utah.  I'm left alone in the branch at a rather bustling time.  Mother's Day comes up in a week and I find that no program has been provided for the occasion and so it has now fallen into my hands.  Aside from that, we have been having a little rumpus in the branch concerning some committees for which a meeting of the presidency of the branch had been called to settle the affair, which has also fallen into my hands.  I presume I'll have a fine time telling these saints where to head in.  It seems as though there are always one or two in every branch who want to run the whole outfit and who have to be caled on the carpet now and then.

Last Monday was a holiday in Germany, so we borrowed some bicycles from the saints and made an all-day tour up the coast to a little town called Glücksburg.  We got to look over some pretty country aside from seeing an old castle in the town of Glücksburg.  This castle is still being used by a noble or a prince who lives up here in Northern Germany.  It looks just what you read about in Ancient History; surrounded on all sides by water with a small bridge leading to the entrance.  The little tour was quite pleasant at first but towards evening we were so worn out that we could hardly make it home.  Not being used to pumping those bicycles up and down hills we naturally were sore for a couple days afterwards. 

Well, the pictures you sent sort 'o makes a fellow feel lost.  Everyone seemed to me as if I had left them yesterday and yet it has been almost a year.  It makes a fellow wonder what he did with the weeks in between time.  Upon showing one of the pictures to one of the saints, she exclaimed, "Meine Güte!!  How old is your mother?"  I asked her what she thought about it and she said about twenty.  What do you think about that??  I have had two of the saints tell me that, so far.

According to "Hoyle" Earl should be home by now.  What?? I have only received one letter from him since he has been in Denver.  Apparently he has been keeping his head in Books.  Well, I hope he came through OK, or does he take the Board this spring??  I imagine it has been quite a drain on the pocket-book keeping us both away from home aside from being a burden on Dad in that he has to remain at the store so much. By the way, I was sixteen Marks short when my money arrived this month.  The American money has dropped sixty pfenigs on the dollar.  Hoffentlich geht es besser diesen Monat.

I received a letter  from Delwin Clawson today and he says that Grant Robinson is now workin in the mission offices in London.  I also received a ltter from Brother F.M. Layton which I answered and wrote my appreciation for the five dollars.

I haven't time to think of anything else to write so I'll sign off and go to dinner.

Love,
Clarence