Friday, August 21, 2015

July 26, 1970 The Dress Sale, The Older Man, The Suitable President and The Dangerous Medicine



Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It seems that I haven't done much today except go to the store. I went to a dress sale early this morning but didn't find anything. I really need a dress but it is just a waste of time for me to look for one. My dress up clothes are in bad shape and we have been on the go so much. Some of our friends are retiring and moving away and there have been a lot of dinners. We still have some more next week and I've been wearing the same thing to all of them. I have a dress cut out but don't know how long it will take to make it.

We are going to potluck tonight so the kids have fixed their own hamburgers on the grill. It all smells so good. We wish we were just eating with them.

Patty had an interview at Elmhurst but they hired an older man. She didn't care much after she had the interview and learned something about the faculty there. She was pretty mad when she came home and really felt they discriminated against young women teachers. She went to Kenilworth, Illinois (north of Chicago) on Wednesday and came home happy about that interview. She won't know whether she gets the job until Tuesday. The people were very nice to her and called Friday to tell her she still had a good chance but they were interviewing others for the job, too. She would love to have this job. The school is small and she'd be teaching 7th & 8th grade math. If she doesn't get this job they'll keep looking.

It is hot here and we need rain!

Bob doesn't have to start school until the last of September so they still have quite a bit of time. They keep hoping they won't have to pay rent until Sept. 1 but I think they'll have to take something when they find it.

Our president leaves Sept. 1 and we'll have an acting one from Northern Illinois University. He starts work in August I think and will probably be here at least a year. It usually takes that long to find a suitable president and may take longer this time.

Tony's children are all at home and all go to ISU. Lynn is in a special education program and still has one semester left to do. It will be practice teaching and part of it will be at the School for the Deaf in Jacksonville. She won't have any trouble getting a job.

Jimmy Wheeler is still fighting. He's getting a dangerous medicine which may give him T.B. but they hope not. They grasp at anything but I don't see how he can win unless something new is discovered. There is always that hope.

Maybe Aunt Jane could come to Richland and all of you could be together. Wouldn't that be easier?

Hope you both are fine."

                 Love,

                   Bonnie

NOTE: The featured book in this month's issue of the Ladies Home Journal was Michael Crichton's portrait of individuals being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital, Five Patients.  Although not necessarily known as one of his best books, most readers probably are aware that Crighton was responsible for the eventual creation of the TV show, ER.




2 comments:

  1. A couple of years ago, I found the hospital bill from when our daughter was born in 1975. The total for three nights in a semi-private room for Emilia was $360.82, three nights in the nursery for our daughter was $96.25. All inpatient care.
    When I had my two cataract surgeries four years ago, the hospital billed my insurance $10,000+ for each 3.5 hour outpatient use of the "surgical pavilion", plus the surgeon's and anesthesiologist's fees.
    When Nathan was born on Britain's National Health System, we had excellent care and it cost me $25.

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  2. You know, Mike, I've been thinking a lot about health care costs over time having read these articles from 1971. It's one area where the media is spot on when the refer to "the staggering cost of health care". It's interesting that beginning in about 1965, there was a lot written in the popular magazines about rising healthcare costs and potential solutions, so it seems to have been a predictable problem. Emilia's $360.82 wouldn't pay for the "grooming kit" today:-) Thanks for writing!

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