March 30, 1973 The Phone, The Free Time, The Water, The Pigs and The Details

Dear Mother,

"We are back home but it sure is hard to settle down to work again. I've been on the phone most of the morning trying to get things settled about a luncheon and a tea next week. Sometimes I wish I didn't belong to anything.

I enjoyed my free time in Kansas City. The hotel was only a block from the department stores so I could come and go as I pleased. We always had supper and evenings together but only had lunch together once. B worked in the room every evening getting ready for the next day so I just read. I bought myself a spring coat while I was there. It has been years since I've had a new one. It is pale green and real nice. The sleeves have to be hemmed up a bit but that's all I have to do to it.

Your visit at Rosalynn's sounds real nice. That place must be just gorgeous this time of the year. Ray will enjoy watching things grow. I would too.

On the way home from Kansas City we stopped in Columbia & stayed in a motel Wednesday night. It was after 4:00 when B got through and he was too tired to drive half the night. We did get up early and got here about 1:30 in the afternoon. I called Charlotte but she wasn't home so I talked to Shirley a long time. Shirley has a lead on a job for Ann and was going to call her to come to Columbia for an interview. It has something to do with music therapy for children.

There is water everywhere between here and K.C. The Mississippi was higher than we've ever seen it. We have had water in our basement too & I don't think there is anything we can do about it. We finally opened the drain in the recreation room so we wouldn't have to keep dipping. We had it closed up and covered over when the basement was finished. We just dug that all open. It doesn't look nice but it's better than standing water. I doubt if anyone could really waterproof your basement and it sure would cost.

Ann & Bob won't go to Columbia until August. His contract was for a year so he'll work until then. I don't know whether Ann plans to go to summer school or not.

I don't think the calves will smell much. I never minded the smell of cows or horses either but pigs smell terrible.

Pat's mother is flying into Chicago late this afternoon and they'll be down here for the weekend. She has only a few days vacation.

Bob is going to start interning in July. That means he'll be in Chicago two more years, at least. We are anxious to talk to him and learn some details because this is a year short of the usual time before starting an internship. It was offered to him and he took it.

I don't know where March went but it is almost gone. Things are growing in leaps and bounds. We could even tell the difference in the few days we were gone.

Hope you are fine."

                       Love,

                         Bonnie

NOTE:  I can see the change in Grandmother's handwriting from her notation about the plumber on the back of the envelope, and I know she worried a lot about maintaining her home after Granddad died.  She sold some of the acreage behind her home, and I assume her comment about the animals meant that the new owner had plans for keeping livestock there.