March 10, 1962 The Twist, The Men in the Basement, The Birthday Money and Yelling for Lunch

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Ann has a new twist record and the kids think they have to play it real loud so this letter may not be sensible.  Bob has a friend here for the weekend so I won't get much done.  Two big boys can get kind of rowdy.

The men have worked so fast in the basement I can hardly keep ahead of them with things I want done.  In fact, they couldn't work one day because B was gone & I wouldn't pick the paneling by myself.  I have never seen men work so fast and do a good job at the same time.  They have worked four days and have the partition all paneled, new stairs made, a couch built in, the furring strips up on the ceiling & part of the ceiling tiled.  I've ordered some foam cushions for the couch but will have to cover them.  My work will be cut out for me for quite a while.  I'm so far behind now, but maybe I'll get caught up before next fall.  We will take our vacation in July & the kids will be in summer school.  That means no trips except weekends but I guess we should stay home now that we're doing the basement.  Charlotte will have to tell us about the Seattle fair.  I'm still disappointed that we can't go but we can't always do the things we want & summer school is more important to Bob now.  He wants to take a chemistry class if he can and I wouldn't want to talk him out of that.

I'm still working on the skirt of my suit.  It won't take long to finish it if I can get at it.  I wanted to take some of the fullness out.  It didn't hang right after I shortened the jacket.  Don't try to make a suit.  It is a long and tedious job.

Ann and I are fine but it sure took my head a long time to clear up.  I hate to hear people talk about their sinus trouble but mine were sure blocked up.  I am sick of winter.  So is everyone else.

I spent my birthday money for a new patent purse.  I had hunted one for a long time.  I also got a black hat--kind of a Jackie Kennedy pillbox.  Beulah sent me a nice pin and a pair of white gloves.  I think she splurged a bit for either one would have been a nice present. 

Our book club is real nice.  We change books once a month at a coffee.  Each person put in two books and we all take turns being hostess.  I am way behind with my reading.  We get a book from the Book-of-the-Month Club fairly often and I haven't kept up with them.  Maybe I'll loll in the sun and read this summer.

The kids will be yelling for lunch before I know it so bye for now."

                     Lots of love,

                          Bonnie

NOTE:  Turn up the volume and enjoy!