January 30, 1976 The School Nurse, The Quilt Stuff, The Wiggling Baby, The Stiff Bedspread and The Tulip Tree Seeds

Dear Mother,

"I don't quite know where the day has gone except I went to the grocery store and to a nursing home to see an old friend. She has been there a long time but I didn't know it so I felt badly about that. She was the school nurse for most of the years our kids were in school here and we are all fond of her. She was so glad to see me and told me she would be 82 in March. She's an old maid--has only a niece and she lives in another state.

I've spent most of the week on the quilt stuff and that's all I get done.

Bob called one day and said they were fine. They had put Bobby in the crib to sleep because he wiggled around so much in the basket he was bumping the sides. He weighs over 10 lbs. now and Bob said he followed them around with his eyes and smiled a lot. Pat's grandmother is still there. They talked her into staying longer than she planned but I don't imagine they had to talk very hard.

I imagine Marjorie has gone home by now. She said in her letter that they had the dining table piled high with dishes. Roger collected plates--some very expensive kinds--and they were washing those. She said they cleaned up real well. I'm sure they'll keep all the old things and valuable things. He had told them that he wanted Michael to have one group of plates if anything ever happened to him. Maybe he had mentioned other things, too, but one of the girls told me that--Marjorie, I think.

What kind of curtains did you get for the bedroom?
I finally got my bedspread from Sears and it looks nice. It's awfully stiff but maybe it will soften up after it is used awhile. There have been all kinds of sales but I don't pay much attention to them. It has been so awfully cold for all of January that I'd rather stay home.

We went to church last Sunday in a snowstorm and came home in one. So we lit the fireplace and read all afternoon. It was nice to stay at home.

I had to take my driver's license test this week. It is the first test I've ever had in Illinois so I was a little nervous about it. It was all written and an eye test so wasn't as bad as I'd expected. B took his 3 years ago but they didn't get around to me until this year. Everyone in Illinois is being tested within a 9 year period.

I've been quilting on the baby quilt but can't work too many days in a row because my fingers get so sore.

Did I tell you about the tulip tree seeds I have? They are from a tree which George Washington planted at Mt. Vernon. I read an article about the trees while I was at Bob's and sent for some of the seeds. Now I'm going to plant them in pots & see what happens. If they grow I'll put one in the yard.

I hope you are fine and that it isn't too cold there."

                       Love,

                          Bonnie