Thursday, October 15, 2015

October 15, 1971 The Nuts, The Bread, The Quilting Lady and The Christmas Present


Dear Mother,

"B has gone to Eureka College for a board meeting so I'm alone today. We have no idea when he'll be back but hope by mid-afternoon. There were a lot of things going on since it is homecoming weekend there but I don't think the board has to attend any of it unless they want to.

It is such a beautiful, warm day--a nice day to pick up nuts. Jeanette is pretty ambitions if she plans to gather a truck full of nuts. I would hate to tackle that. I still have nuts in the freezer from last year but I use them very sparingly so they will last a long time. They never get rancid if they are kept in the freezer.

I'm baking bread today and wish you could have a loaf of it. Pen Women club is having what they call a creative auction tomorrow. Everyone takes something she makes and then the rest of us have to buy the stuff. It's a way of making a little money. Lots of them bring jelly or something like that or handwork. I haven't had any time to make anything but I know they'll like the bread.

You are really doing well with the quilt tops. My quilting lady and I had a misunderstanding about my quilts and she thought she was doing the last one for me and put in one for another woman. So she had to put my name on her list again. She was sorry about it and sorry I have to wait for her to get to me again but it was really my fault because I never did tell her how many I had.


When she starts on mine again I'm going to be sure she knows exactly. She keeps a list and takes the names in turn so she'll get to me again one of these days. I'll bring Bob's top home with me and get it all together so when she starts mine again I can have her do it, too. I have some pieced tops B's mom gave me and I'd like them done too besides the ones I brought from Beulah's. The lady will call me one of these days and I'll start taking them to her. She takes only the one she's working on and keep s the name and address of the owner pinned to it until it is finished.

I'm getting an early Christmas present this year but it hasn't come yet. B bought me a black Persian lamb jacket when we were in Chicago last time. It has a gray collar on it so the man is putting a black collar on it, and my name inside it. It had to have fasteners put on and the lining shortened. It was to be mailed in about two weeks so I'm watching for it. I think I'll use it a lot for school and club affairs.

I haven't written to Aunt Nora in a long time but I must do that soon. I'm glad Doris Ann is back in Richland. She should be a lot of company for Aunt Nora and I hope she will be.

Bob & Pat are fine. Pat's dad had been to see them and stayed over night. He was on his way to Salt Lake City to see his mother again. She isn't very well and they don't expect her to live very long. Pat keeps wanted to go see her but there never is a time when they can go.

Ann called Sunday night to visit. They had talked to Bob's mother, too. She sounded so good. She really enjoys her job but I think she is terribly busy. They have Sundays when they can do some sightseeing. They had been to Washington, D.C. and had a good trip. The only thing bad about it is that she has no time off except Thanksgiving Day & Xmas Day. So they won't be coming home. Bob won't have many days off either so I guess they will find something special to do those few days.

My bread is about ready to make into loaves so I must stop & get my pans ready.



Hope you are fine."

                   Lots of love,

                        Bonnie

NOTE:  The nuts mentioned would have been Missouri black walnuts, plentiful and ready to harvest in the fall. Having a very hard husk and even harder shell, it would be lots of work to crack them. That was most often done by running over them with a truck and then painstakingly removing the nutmeats.


2 comments:

  1. Black Walnuts abound in Kentucky, too. Nothing stains as completely as the juice of the husks. I like the technique of running over them with a truck. My grandparents generally kept a flat rock and a hammer to break them open. Nothing better in Derby Pie, though pecans suffice.
    We're on the road in western North Carolina w/ another couple and hoping for some decent fall color photos today.

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  2. I had to look up Derby pie, but figured it must include bourbon and nuts of some sort! Good luck finding some good foliage! It's a great time of year for a road trip with or without the color.

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