June 14, 1969 The Big Day, The Wonderful Trip, The Tolerable Snakes, The Good Things and The Little Animal

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Tomorrow is a big day in our hearts. It is Dad's Day and we hope it is a nice day for both of you and it is Bob & Pat's first wedding anniversary. It hardly seems possible.

Our trip was just wonderful. I was like a little kid the day we started and woke up real early & couldn't go back to sleep so we just got up and started earlier than we planned. We had a long day's drive that day but the Mustang is real comfortable to ride in. We were in Wheeling, W.Va. by 4:00 so stopped at the Fostoria place to look around.

Everything has gone up in price. There was one bowl I would have bought if we'd been driving back but I didn't buy anything. We drove on to Washington, Pa. & stayed all night & the next morning drove south to Morgantown, W.Va. where there are two glass factories. I've always wanted to go there and they did have some beautiful things. Seneca glass makes cut lead glass and had some beautiful goblets a lot like my Irish ones but they were around $10. a goblet. There were tours so you could see the work done but we didn't take time for that. The Morgantown glass works has a plain pattern they call White House, I believe it is, that was designed for the White House. When Mrs. Kennedy moved into her Georgetown house after the assassination they sent her a set for herself and her thank-you letter is hanging in the showroom at the factory. There were some pictures of Mrs. Johnson around a dinner table set with the glassware, too. It was absolutely plain & very pretty. It wasn't real expensive as I remember--about $2.00 a goblet.

Morgantown is quite a bit south of the Pa. Turnpike so B asked about the road at a filling station and we went on thru Maryland on a different road from any we'd been on before. It was two lane so much slower than the turnpike, but thru very beautiful country. It was rather late when we got into Fredericksburg, Va. that night. That is an old town too, and is a tourist place because George Washington's mother lived there. His boyhood home is here. We had hoped to see a few of the places but it was too late & they were all closed.

Saturday morning we were anxious to see the kids, of course, so didn't stop anywhere and got into Williamsburg about 10:30. We unloaded the car and went to their apartment but no one was home. We decided to drive thru campus and find a quick wash place because the car was rather dirty but we saw Pat walking across campus. She saw us at the same time so we stopped & went to Bob's lab to see him. He already has some of his tests going but I can't tell you what he's looking for. He tried to explain it but I don't know. We met some of their friends & his chemistry prof. that he is working with. Bob made all A's this last semester. That's almost the first thing Pat told us. He is still waiting for his Medical test scores but has written for application blanks from 8 medical colleges--Yale, U. of Rochester, Duke, U of Virginia & four in Chicago (U of Ill, U of Chicago, Chicago Medical College & Northwestern). Surely one of them will accept him.

Pat's family didn't get there until Saturday evening so we had all day to visit with Bob & Pat. They took a swim in the motel pool & then we all went over to her father's aunt's house to see her family when they came. From then on we were all together almost all of the time. There were nine of us so it took a big table when we ate.

Graduation was at 4:00 Sunday afternoon & it was hot. It was outdoors though & we had a shady spot so it wasn't too bad. The service was real nice. B took some pictures but we were a long way from the stage so we don't know what we'll have.

Bonnie, Pat & B

Monday the kids wanted to go to the beach so we drove about 60 miles to Virginia Beach. They couldn't stay in the water too long because a storm came up. It barely sprinkled but the wind blew & the sky got black. They had fun though & all of us enjoyed it. It is a summer town so it was full of souvenir shops & sports wear shops. We bought Ann a blouse & that was the extent of my buying on the trip.

Our plane left Richmond at 4:15 so Bob & Pat took us there & then went on to Charlottesville to visit some friends. This couple graduated from Wm. & Mary last year & he is in law school at U. of Va. They were all going into the mountains to camp & then were going to a wedding today.

Ann called yesterday just to talk. She is enjoying her work so much & sounded so happy. Her office in the church is the Asst. Minister's Office. She laughed & said it sure was nice but she didn't know what she is supposed to do. She won't have more camp work until July so part of her time now will probably be planning. She said camp was real fun but she came home muddy & grubby every day and even learned to tolerate snakes.

She had spent last Sunday with Garners in Fulton. He is the adult choir director & her chorus director at Wm. Woods. They had gone to a concert that one of his former students gave & then to the boy's home for cake afterwards. The boy is a priest now, so I guess he's really a man but his mother is registrar at Westminster in Fulton. Garners are sure nice to Ann & she gets a real kick out of their little children.

I'm sorry Uncle Floyd is having to have another operation. Are these skin cancers? If so, they aren't bad, are they?

Bob & his new pet

Patty was so pleased with the money you sent. She didn't expect either one and a card would have been plenty. She & Bob both told us about it. They are very saving & spend very carefully. They don't need our help now that both of them are working but we still plan to pay Bob's tuition next fall and the fees for medical school applications. We promised this long ago. They were so happy over the car & so funny. Bob would pat it like it was a little animal. They kept us all laughing. Pat's folks won't help them anymore either, but they gave her $1000 for graduation. She bought a savings bond with it so they have a nice nest egg. Isn't that wonderful? They are lucky kids but they are also such good kids that they deserve all of these good things.

Since we got home I've been trying to catch up on things I've left undone for so long. Believe it or not, I got my spice rack all painted & ready to hang. It looks real pretty but I was afraid I couldn't hang it straight & left that job to B.

He was in Springfield all day yesterday & has been at school all morning. The college budget has to be approved by the state legislature & they aren't very easy to please.

We are going to a wedding this afternoon so I'd better get lunch started.  It's cool enough for a suit today.

Hope you both are fine."

                            Love,

                               Bonnie