October 9, 1954 P.T.A., Mothers' Meetings and Typhoon Marie

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"This has been one of those days when I simply didn't get a thing done and yet I'm so sleepy I can hardly stay awake.  It has been cold here so I've spent most of the day opening and closing doors.  Ann can't open them for they stick, and then forgets to close them.

Bobby seems to like school more every day.  They made apple butter this week and he brought a little jar home today.  It was delicious.  He brings home work that he has done at school and is so proud of every one that he's saving them in a folder.  He can't wait for Monday to come after the weekend.  I am so glad he likes it so much.  Ann likes it too and is proud of pictures she makes.  I guess they taught them a folk dance today for she was showing us how boys bow and girls curtsy.  It was so funny.  She is learning to skip and practices all of the time.  She almost throws herself each time for she tries to kick so high.

We have enrolled Bobby in the children's piano class at Wesleyan University in Bloomington but classes will not begin until January.  Wesleyan is supposed to have one of the best schools for teaching children to play.

Last night B & I went to P.T.A.  I went to a mothers' meeting for the kindergarten group last week and there is one this week for the first grade mothers.

Adult Education classes have started and there were so many things I wanted to take but decided not to take a thing since we had so many things to do already.

We had a letter from our friends at Kobe College and the typhoon missed them.  They had some high wind and that was all.  We had wondered about the people there and were glad to hear from them.

Your letter hasn't come this week but probably will tomorrow.  We are still going to Sunday School & church.  Bob doesn't like it but Ann always wants to go.  He'll like it too when he gets acquainted.

Hope both of you are fine."

                  Love,

                       Bonnie

NOTE:  Parts of Japan were devastated by Typhoon Marie in late September, 1954.  Over 1,300 people were killed and 400 were missing.  The commercial ferry, Toya Maru, pictured above, sunk in the Tsugaru Strait and was considered the deadliest ship disaster in Japan.  This ultimately led to the decision to build the Seikan Tunnel for rail traffic beneath the strait.  Completed in 1988, it is the longest underwater tunnel in the world.

Readers will recall that a year before, Typhoon Tess caused severe flooding in the area where we lived.