January 7, 1967 The Cold, The Choir, The Vase, The Book and The Prophecy

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It is terribly cold today and the wind is blowing a gale. The snow is real fine and if it really snows hard we'll have a mess with the drifts. B is working at school today and Ann is practicing the organ. The choir will be singing old gospel songs this month and she's working them. She has two weddings coming this month and that will be something different. Did I tell you she played for the New Year's Eve services at Second Presbyterian Church? The minister called at noon that day and said their organist was sick. She practiced about two hours on the music and did all right.  At least they sent her $10. for it. It's a three keyboard organ and is supposed to be the best one in town.

This week seems a month long. We went after Larsen's on Monday afternoon. Their plane was a little late but they were fine and had a marvelous time. They brought me a beautiful vase.

Bones had their usual Swedish party that night and the kids went there for supper and we went over after we got home from Chicago.

Then we took Bob back to Chicago Tuesday afternoon.  We waited until after school so Ann could go with us. Bob met a friend from school as he got on the plane so I guess they sat together. He was anxious to get back but I sure hated to see him leave.

I'm trying to read a book on Southeast Asia for a review but it is going to be awfully hard to review. It's like a geography lesson, almost.

I read part of that Jeanne Dixon's prophecy but wish I'd read it all and saved it. I've heard a lot of people talking about it.

We really enjoyed the clippings. SMS seems to be doing just fine now but the clippings made me wonder if Traywick wasn't to blame for a lot of the trouble. Something is wrong somewhere.

Ann's kitten is doing very well but I still wish we didn't have it. We've been letting it upstairs when we can watch it closely so it will learn but it cries a lot to come up all of the time. It is a loving little thing and wants to be petted.

I've started knitting on another sweater just to have something to take to meetings and to Ann's music sessions. It is raspberry colored mohair. Ann wore the one I just finished to school and I guess it was a hit with the kids and some of the teachers. One woman wanted the pattern but she'll have to copy it by herself for that's too much trouble.

I still don't have all the Christmas decorations put away. Most of them have been carried to the basement but they aren't in boxes. Bob couldn't get everything in his suitcase so I mailed a box of things to him.

I had my eyes checked yesterday and have to have stronger glasses but just for reading. I thought I might have to have bifocals but he didn't want me to wear them all of the time. Maybe I'll get some of the half-glasses one of these days.

Hope both of you are fine and Daddy is over the cold."

                      Lots of love,

                         Bonnie


NOTES: The little clipping was from the local newspaper, The Normalite.  We would often gets calls asking if there was any news to share.  Mom would shout to us, "Anyone have any news?" If all 3 of us were there, the response was always a resounding, unison "No!" The paper was notoriously inaccurate no matter what was reported.

Pictured above is the green vase the Larsens brought back from their trip to Denmark.

Leland Traywick was the President of Southwest Missouri State College from 1961-64, but I don't know what the "trouble" had been on campus.

As I recall, I wasn't too thrilled at the prospect of interrupting New Year's Eve plans to play for that late night service.