April 4, 1970 The Package, The Sewing, The Ideas, The Museum and The Sun

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Happy Birthday, Mother. Your package is on the way but in my rush to get it mailed I forgot to gift wrap it until I had already mailed it. My age is beginning to show, I'm afraid. I'm always doing something like that. If the gift isn't right, mail it back and I'll see what I can do about it.

I've been trying to straighten things up a bit but can't get very far. Ann is sewing and you know what that means. Her machine is on the dining room table and the ironing board is up in the study so things aren't very neat. She had bought cotton suit material a long time ago at school and decided she needed help so that's what she is doing. I doubt if we can finish it though, for she goes back Tuesday.

She has gone to practice some music with another girl who is in a program at school in May. This girl is a freshman at Wm. Woods. Her dad teaches at ISU too.

B is in Chicago again for a meeting today & tomorrow. If Ann hadn't been home I'd have gone too but didn't really need to. All of us were there Monday and now it seems a month since then. Pat talked to a lot of people about jobs and got lots of ideas, I think. She seemed very happy about the interviews and was going to do some letter writing.

Bob went with her to the meetings and the rest of us just looked around. All of us met for lunch & then we took Bob & Pat and got Bob a suit we'd promised for his birthday. Ann & her Bob went to the Art Museum. All of us were going to the museum of Science & Industry but it was closed when we got there so we ended up in a big book store. We browsed a long time & I found a nice book on making jewelry. Pat bought some math books to use with her classes. Then we all had a nice dinner before we started home. Everyone had a good time and it was a beautiful, sunny day for a change.

B took Bob & Pat to the airport in Chicago Tuesday afternoon late and their plane was only 30 minutes late getting off. Bob called a few minutes after B got back to say they were already home and had even stopped at the grocery store. It was a relief to know they were home. They really had a time getting here and almost gave up. If Pat hadn't needed to go for the interviews they wouldn't have tried to come. They drove to Richmond to get their plane & it had been cancelled. They got another plane to Baltimore where they got another flight to S. Louis. It was all crazy but they were happy when they finally got here.

Saturday morning Pat talked to her brother at Chanute Air Base & they went after him. Then Bob K. came Sunday afternoon.

The Bone family stopped Sunday evening to visit a bit so it was quite a weekend. Sunday afternoon we had a kitchen full of kids playing games--Polly & her boyfriend & Malcolm & all of ours. It's nice having them all around again.

I hope you feel better, Mother but why don't you ask the Dr. to come to the house when he can find time. I know he would and maybe he could give you something for that pain. If it ever gets warm enough maybe the sun will bake out some of it. Keep getting lots of rest, too.

Take care of yourself, Daddy, and don't try to make too big a garden."

                Love,

                      Bonnie