June 4, 1961 The Picnic, The Percolator and The Play

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I have actually been home all day until after supper and we went to the grocery store.  It has been so nice to be home I've almost worked my sox off.  I worked in the yard most of the morning and really enjoyed it.  Summer seems to have come all at once but I like it.  A friend gave me some different iris and I put them out this morning and moved some others.  The iris are beautiful right now and the peonies are just starting to open.  There weren't any out on Memorial Day.

We didn't do anything much that day.  It was a holiday, of course, but I didn't feel good so we just loafed.  I had intestinal flu, I guess, and it just knocked me out.  I spent Monday in bed and part of Tuesday but was all right Wed. and collected money for the Mental Health Drive that afternoon.

Yesterday I went to two teas and had to miss Ann's music program at school.  The PTA board had a tea and meeting and then the education department entertained three educators from Ethiopia and I had to pour coffee.  Things are beginning to slow up for me but B is as busy as ever.

We will have the last two weeks in July for our vacation and he'll be ready for a rest by then.

The picnic last Sunday topped all parties I ever heard of.  The day was cloudy & chilly but we were outdoors most of the time.  Everyone was given a number when we got there & then they drew numbers for prizes after lunch.  B got a Sunbeam coffee maker--a chrome 10 cup.  Then we won a big box of candy and a wool shirt playing Bingo.  Other prizes were as big or bigger.  One student had 6 or 7 things including an electric blanket.  The picnic lunch included roast beef, ham and turkey with the usual picnic stuff like potato salad & baked beans.  We were invited because B is the Dean for I had never met the people before.  The people had worked hard planning this thing.  The students were simply flabbergasted--and so were a lot of the rest of us.

This letter has been written in pieces.  Here it is Sunday morning and I've been trying to finish this since Friday.

Yesterday morning I took Ann to recital practice & then we cleaned closets all afternoon.  I stopped and fixed some Swiss Steak to take to Sorensen's to potluck and we didn't get home till late, of course.

Edna is getting along fine.  She hasn't gone to much this year but they have been finishing a book and I think that is the reason.  She has some new medicine to take in August if the asthma starts again.  It is experimental and she is more or less a Guinea pig for it for a hospital in Chicago.  They think it will work.

The children will be out of school next week.  I will be glad.  They will both go ahead with band this summer, Bob will take typing & Ann will take piano thru June.  I probably told you this before.

The Children's Day play I wrote so long ago is out now.  I'll try to bring a copy when I come.

I must get ready for Sunday School.  I'll be short one helper this week and we've been running over with little kids.  I'm going to have to hunt some help some place."

Hope you both are real fine."

          Lots of love,

                   Bonnie

NOTE:  In our Dad's photo collection, there are hundreds of slides of flowers but only a handful from our own yard.  One of those is pictured above.