Wednesday, December 18, 2013

November 26, 1959 The Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, The Cranberry Uproar and The Christmas Cards


Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We have had an old-fashioned Thanksgiving with snow and everything.  It has stayed so cold that none of it has melted and it has stayed clean and pretty.  The kids are talking so much I can't write with any sense.

Our Thanksgiving was real nice.  The Blankenships have the one little girl about Ann's size so she came early that morning and they had a big day together.  Ann went home with her, stayed all night and then all day yesterday.  Bob went sledding both days with Dennis so he has had fun too.  The heat and lights are cut off at school while they are connecting a new building to the utilities so even B has had a vacation.  He did interview a man for a job yesterday but he came to the house so we have been quite free this week-end.



We had turkey and the trimmings on Thursday & we're still eating scraps.  We didn't have cranberries though.  I have two cans of sauce but I think I'll throw them away.  It isn't worth the chance.  Bob was sure disgusted about not having them but there has been such an uproar about them that there must be something to be concerned about.




I'm glad Daddy's shoulder is healing so fast.  He'll have to be careful at first because it will be weak until that new bone can harden.

Poor old Granny Watterson has had a time.  She walks but has arthritis in the back so badly that the pain almost kills her.  Now she has something else wrong--they don't know what--they were to x-ray yesterday.

I hope Eva's boy is better.  I don't know what I would do if something like that happened.

Did Aunt Jane say she had my note?


I cut Ann a dress yesterday but when the teacher called that he was coming to interview I put it all away so didn't do any sewing.  I went into the study and worked on Christmas cards.  I made a good start on them but have a long way to go before I'll have them all addressed.  I ordered them in Oct. but I don't think I'll have enough.

Have you made any plans about Christmas yet?  Does Buddy and his family plan to be there?  We don't know yet when we'll get to come but we are hoping to come even for a day or two.



I have to get some materials for my Scouts to work with so I guess I'll go to Bloomington this afternoon.  Hope you both are fine."

                          Lots of love,

                               Bonnie

NOTES:  Housewives were told not to use cranberries for the 1959 holidays.  The adults in our family preferred "real" cranberry dishes, but Bob and I loved the slimy stuff out of a can.  It was especially fun to cut.  Use the link to read about the cranberry crisis of 1959:  http://repository.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2010-12-8794

When turkey tetrazzini came on the scene, Mom was thrilled to make it from our turkey leftovers.  She was really the only one who liked it and she took a lot of teasing from our dad who sometimes called it "Terrible Tetrazzini".   She always used the same recipe, the one pictured above. 

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