May 12, 1945 V-E Day, Mother's Day, Scarce Goods and Three Pounds of Lard

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Tomorrow is Mother's Day and I hope it will be a very happy day for you, Mother.  It will be a happy one for many mothers who have boys in Europe.  It seems like a dream that the war is over in Europe.

We all should be so very thankful.  Of course I had to go to school on V-Day but our class listened to Truman and Churchill.  Stores here all closed and it was a very quiet day.  People seemed to feel that there shouldn't be any celebrations until Japan is finished.  That will be a glorious day.

My school work has eased up a little since I got most of my reading out of the way.  I'm hoping that I'll have a little time next week to start the sack dress you sent me.  I need it because it's about too late to wear winter clothes.  I bought a yellow rayon shirtwaist last week.  It is very pretty and looks real nice.

I don't guess I'll plan to go to school this summer.  We want to get that dissertation done more than anything else and I'll probably need all my time for that.  We want to come home this summer but that depends on the dissertation and the transportation.  It couldn't be till late summer if we do come.  We want to bring back some more of our things if we plan to stay here.  Maybe when the war is over you could come to see us if we're here and you could see some of the things we have seen.  It wouldn't cost very much to make the trip in the car and would be so nice for you.

Cotton goods are awfully scarce here.  There isn't much of anything else either.  I haven't done much shopping lately but I don't think the situation has improved much.  The sheets I bought were very nice but one hem was narrow and I like the hems both wide.  That really doesn't matter much though, and they were real heavy and were 91 x 108 size.  I gave $1.89 for them.

My towel supply is getting thin too but I haven't shopped for any.  They are really high but I'm going to buy some along till I get a good supply.  It takes three weeks for laundry and it takes a lot of linen to last that long.

There doesn't seem to be any scarcity of lard here.  We buy three pounds at a time and it lasts a long while.

Soap is beginning to be scarce but I think people are getting scared and are buying too much of it.  It will probably be plentiful soon.

Sully took us to a movie last night.  We had a lot of fun.  I've run out of news so bye for now.

                                 Lots of love,

                                          B & Bonnie

Thanks a lot for the stamps.  We get along all right but they will certainly come in handy."