January 27, 1945 The Fire Escape Comes in Handy, Two Chapters Down, College Enrollments Down, Plenty of Meat and Cashew Chicken

Image courtesy of Northwestern Univ.

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"A week of school (this semester) has passed and I think my new schedule is going to be fine.  I have every afternoon free but am thinking of taking a music appreciation class on Tuesday evenings.

We have really been having cold weather.  It has been so cold that we froze ice cream on the fire escape.  I mixed up some ice cream powder with evaporated milk and put the bowl on the fire escape.  It froze and was real good.  Wednesday afternoon the weather was terrible.  It was so dark and the snow just flew for a while.  Then the sun came out bright and then it got dark and snowed a lot.  Today is nice but cold.

Tonight we're going to eat out and go to the Yale-Princeton basketball game with the Coggers (our Xmas guests).  We plan to eat in a little Chinese restaurant.

I hope by now you have the Bemberg and I hope you like it.  I was a little afraid you would think it too high but I thought it was such a nice piece of material.  My dress is only partly made.  I'm making it on my fingers and haven't touched it all week.  It takes so long to make anything that way that I may get it done by spring.

You asked what kind of time we had at the big dinner but for the life of me I can't think of any big dinner we've been to.

We have two chapters done on the dissertation and there will probably be five or six more.  There isn't a chance of finishing by March but B talked to Dr. Hill and he thought it would be better not to try.  He said future references from Yale would be based on the dissertation and for B to take his time and do a good job.  He said his assistantship would be renewed this year in case B couldn't finish this summer.  Then we would have something to live on if we had to stay another year.  B doesn't think that is necessary because he's pretty sure of finishing this summer.  Then he can go ahead with a job in some college, we hope.  We probably won't know till late in the summer where that job would be because college enrollments are down a lot.  We hope there will be time between finishing here and beginning a new job to come home the last of the summer.

I feel much better since I've had my tonsils out.  We never have colds.  I had one attack with my throat early this winter (that was the day of the fire in the apartment) but it kept me down only one day and I've been fine since.  I know that if I had my tonsils I would have been sick most of the winter.  I have lots more energy this winter, too.

There seems to be plenty of meat here, but not always what you want.  I have to go get something for dinner tomorrow so write soon."

                                 Lots of love,

                                        B & Bonnie

NOTE from Ann:  Yale, 50 - Princeton, 30   Yale enjoyed a 14-1 basketball season in 1945,  winning the New England Championship title and losing only to Harvard, by 2 points.
http://www.freeebooksdl.com/07/YALE-D20.html

Bonnie's Favorite Cashew Chicken

Mix and let marinate at least 30 min., 2 chicken breasts cut in 1" strips, 2 T soy sauce, 2 T sherry, 2 tsp. cornstarch and 1/8 tsp. pepper.  Heat on high heat 2 T oil in wok.  Add 2 stalks celery, sliced thin.  Stir fry 1-1/2 min.  Add 1/2 c. bamboo shoots, 1/2 c. sliced water chestnuts and 1/4 lb. whole snow peas.  Stir fry 2 min. (keep crunchy).  Remove from pan--keep warm.  Add 2 T oil to wok & heat 1/8 tsp. garlic powder and 2 chopped green onions.  Stir fry 30 seconds.  Add chicken and marinade.  Stir fry about 5 min. till chicken is done.  Add 1 c. cashews.  Mix in veg.  Serve with rice.