October 19, 1963 Terribly Dry & Real Hot, A Hard Trip, Short Stories & Baptism

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Everyone is at school except me.  Bob has gone to the weekly movie, Ann is having a committee meeting about a party & it is too early for B to be home.

It is sprinkling a little so the cat came in with me.  It likes to go outside now but so far, it hasn't gone out of the yard.  Ann is so afraid a car will hit it.

Everything is so terribly dry that we welcome even a sprinkle.  It has been real hot but today is cool & cloudy.  Maybe we'll get some rain before the weekend is over.

I had a nice letter from Beulah and she sent me 2 tablespoons like my stainless.  I was so thrilled with them but she never mentioned them in her letter so I don't know why she did.  I also had a nice letter from Bessie.  I finally got the scraps sent to her but was so long doing it I was afraid she wouldn't want them.  She is still making dolls, though, & said she was especially glad to get the pink.  She asked us to come for Thanksgiving.  I haven't answered her letter but I think we'll probably stay home this time.  It is a hard trip & all of us are always so tired we need a day to really rest.

University Christian Church, November, 1963

Our church still has lots to do before the building is done but at least we are there.  We couldn't even get in the basement but the rest is fairly done.   Some of the plumbing still isn't finished.  The sanctuary (I can't spell it) is very pretty.  It is lots different but they kept the stained glass windows on one side & I like them.

The bird of paradise plant doesn't seem to grow at all.  I have it in the dining room where it gets lots of light but I don't know how to make it bloom.

Our book club has started to meet again but I haven't had time to read the books.  We have two new books on France that we got as a trial offer for $1.00 but I haven't read much in them.  I've been writing speeches instead of stories.  Tuesday night I had to make a committee report to the Faculty Women's Club & yesterday I gave a talk to the Bloomington High School Short Story Club.  Sunday I have to be on a church panel & my part is on baptism.  I've been doing a lot of reading for that.

I want to make a tuna loaf for supper so I'd better get it in the oven.  The kids are always so hungry at suppertime.

Hope you both are fine."

                      Lots of love,

                            Bonnie

NOTES:  The image at the top from the November issue (1963) of Good Housekeeping reminds me of a conversation I once had with Mom.  We were reading the police notes in the newspaper about some kids getting in trouble.  Her comment,  "Well, teenagers just do those things.  They'll be o.k."  I remember feeling encouraged by that attitude in case I ever experienced a normal lapse in judgement!

As for the tuna loaf, one would have to be very, very hungry indeed to eat it.  The tuna puff was slightly better.

Robert Brome, pictured above, was our high school English teacher.  He was widely published in the 60s.  Whether true or not, we always thought he wrote episodes for the Twilight Zone.  Among his writing was an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's The Cask Of Amontillado.