December 3, 1967 The Sweet Parsnips, The Funniest Thing, The Christmas Shopping and The Nasty Day

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I'm so sorry Daddy was sick after we left. He probably worked too hard getting my parsnips and the apples and all the other goodies we brought home. I fried the parsnips and they were so good and sweet without any sugar. The apples are sure nice, too. I made some apple cakes and froze them but still have an awful lot of apples. Maybe I'll have time to use up more of them next week. They make awfully good apple salad with celery & nuts.

Anna in our basement

We've been having a lot of fun this weekend for we have an Italian girl (Ann's age) visiting us. Our high school & the Normal High School are entertaining the foreign high school students from around the state. We were asked to keep one and she came on the train from Beardstown yesterday noon.

She is the cutest and funniest little thing. Her father is a college professor in Milan. Last night they went to a ball game and a pizza party. Today the State Farm Insurance Co. showed off the computer center and then the kids went ice skating at the family recreation center in Bloomington. They have gone to another party tonight.

Anna is Catholic but she wants to go to church with Ann tomorrow so she can hear Ann play and so she can see a Protestant church service. Then she has to leave on the train right after dinner.

This has been a terribly busy week. There have been two or three things to do everyday for both B & me. I have a teachers' meeting at church tomorrow afternoon and then I hope things will slow down a bit so I can get started on my Christmas shopping. My Christmas letters have to be written, too.

I haven't had a chance to any time to look for the oak plywood. Maybe I can get that done this week.

Today has been a nasty day. It has rained most of the day. Then it turned to sleet and now it is snowing.

Don't worry about getting my books read. I've read them both and won't be back to get them very soon. So read them when you can really enjoy them.

I hope Daddy is all right by now. Both of you take care of yourselves."

                    Lots of love,

                         Bonnie