November 21, 1971 The Coffee, The Coat, The Taxes, The Lady and The Fall

Dear Mother,

"I'll start this but may not get very far. I'm hostess today for a Pen Women workshop here and they come for the day at 10:00. Everyone brings a sack lunch and I'm supposed to make coffee. I did make an applesauce cake and will serve that at lunch.  Several people have called that they can't come but I have no idea how many will show up.

I don't know where this week has gone. It doesn't seem as if I did much but I guess I did when I think back. Before we left on our trip I got the shower ready to refinish and I've been doing that. I still want to give the ceiling another coat but it smells so strong I decided to wait until after today. The first part of the week was like summer so I could open up the house and the fumes weren't bad. It is cold now, though, so everything has to be closed and the furnace on.

We are planning to drive to Richland next Thursday and come back Sunday. It will be late afternoon before we get there so do whatever you want during the day. If you are gone when we get there we will go to B's mom's or Horace's. Don't worry about the house being locked and don't stay home waiting for us.

I don't know much about taxes but maybe we can help you take care of yours while we are there. They wouldn't go down this first year but they might next year. It probably wouldn't be much though, because the land would be called unimproved probably. I'm just guessing, though.

I know you are happy to have the quilts all done. If you want me to, I'll bring Bob's home with me and one of these days I'll get it quilted. I've been expecting my lady to call most any time but she hasn't. She's still quilting. I do know that.

I haven't written to Ann since we got home from our trip but I must do that today. I don't think she really gets homesick. They call once in awhile and I think that satisfies her and she is so busy all of the time now that she is working. They talk about going back to graduate school in the fall again and even talk about going back to Columbia. Maybe they will be close by again next fall.

We'll see you sometime Thanksgiving Day so by for now."

                Love,

                   Bonnie


NOTE:  Below, next to each plate at the family Thanksgiving tables in Richland, are the reminders of all those things for which we should be grateful. Thank you, Sally B., for continuing the tradition for so many years, for hosting family and friends and anyone who needs to join a family for Thanksgiving. For this, we are all grateful.