September 18, 1943 The Smell of the Sea, Food Problems, Chess and Still Apartment Hunting

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Time really flies.  Here it is the middle of September and it won't be long till we will have been here a year.  Today is just like it was when we first got here.  The sun is shining, but it's cool and is a typical fall day.  Last night as I came home I could smell the ocean.  It's a peculiar smell, sort of fishy, but it's a good smell.  Sully always liked to smell the sea, and I wondered why, but now I'm beginning to like it too.

I guess we'll spend tomorrow looking for an apartment.  There just aren't any vacancies anywhere.  We have looked all month and spent all last Sunday looking.  My boss asked us to go to the country with him and his wife, but decided we had better hunt a place to live.  They have a brother that lives about 35 miles from New Haven and go there just about every weekend.

We had company (and a blackout) last night.  One of the men B used to work with at US Motors is a music director at one of the churches here and he has been after us for months to sing in his choir.  He gives a weekly private lesson to each choir member and we'd like it, but we like Battell Chapel and we may put our membership there this fall.

You really splurged on your crystal, didn't you?  You got a really pretty pattern.  Mabel Ann had a chop plate in that pattern that she used for many things.

I hope the Doctor can help you and straighten out your neck.  How long will it be before you can see they are helping you?

Our food problems are just about the same, but since you sent the stamps we get along fine with meat and butter.  Prices are awful.  Eggs are .60 and I paid .19 a pound for apples the last time I had any.  Are you going to have many pears?  They are .05 to .10 a piece here so we haven't had any.

We've been having lots of fun with our chess.  It is a lot like checkers only a lot more complicated.  One game can last for hours and hours, but ours never do.  We don't know enough about it.

I'll have to get ready for work, so write soon."

                                                                Worlds of love,

                                                                               B & Bonnie