October 30, 1966 The 300 Chickens, The National Game of Canada, The Old Dining Room Suit and Waffles

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We have been on the go all day long but are home for the rest of the day, I hope. The parade started the day. Then we went to the University farm for lunch and on to the football game. The agriculture boys barbecued 300 chickens & made cole slaw, baked beans & potato salad to go with it. Everything was just delicious.

The weather has been perfect all week but turned cool last night so it has been real snappy all day. People didn't seem to mind for there were 14,000 at the ball game.

Ann is going to a party out in the country tonight. It will be cold for a wiener roast but it will be fun.

Bob's address is Box 2490, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185. He writes that he has met a lot of girls at school and is interested now in a pre-med student. He says she is really smart. He hasn't mentioned going to Washington for Thanksgiving but Carol did go to Williamsburg for the homecoming. Bob said they had a wonderful time. Carol could stay with her sister who is a student there. Bob is working awfully hard but enjoys it and for the first time in his life he's enjoying the physical education. The course is all about the game Lacrosse. I had to look it up in the encyclopedia. It is the national game of Canada.
I finally sold my old dining room suit quite by accident. I just happened to mention it and the girl next door said her brother was looking for one. She called him and he came after it last night. I got just $25. for it but didn't need the thing and can always use the money. I'll save it and buy some more pieces of sterling one of these days.

Ann and I went to the Bloomington church Sunday to see how their service went. It is very much like ours and used lots of music so Ann will have to be on her toes. The minister had her stand up and told the congregation how well she had played when she first sat down at the organ. They will be expecting a lot. Her organ teacher is working with her on the music especially for church services and that helps a lot.

My washing machine is fine as long as I remember the right buttons to push. It has a 14 lb. capacity but Consumers Report says none of them can hold as much as they are supposed to.

I worked in the yard a bit more this week but it all needs to be raked all over. I also cut off the drapes in the study that have needed doing since we got the carpeting. They are washable and when the weatherman predicted that our good weather was to be over, I got busy so I could hang them out. It took all morning to cut them off and hem them and the rest of the day to get them back up.

I got a permanent one day, too, so this week has been a busy one.

We're going to have waffles for supper. Come over and have one with us. Hope both of you are fine."

                         Lots of love,

                            Bonnie

"Have you noticed that Christmas comes on Sunday this year? Ann will have to play at church that morning so it means we'll have to be here. Choir practice is Thurs. night so we couldn't come home before Christmas and I just don't know how we can manage it after Christmas. We'll just have to wait awhile and see."

NOTE: I am reminded of the increasing television coverage from Viet Nam in the fall of '66, but more so of my parents' conversations and shared looks during the nightly news. They would often look at each other, shake their heads and Mom would turn off the TV merely saying, "All of those kids. All of those kids." In the next couple of years we would learn about the deaths of 22 local boys including a friend whose tour of duty lasted only 4 months. I often wondered about the fate of the service men and women pictured on the news or in the press.
Listen below to a conversation between Ike and LBJ in which Eisenhower clarifies his position on the war.