May 5, 1945 The Flying Letters, The New Haven Symphony, Ibsen, The Navy Exhibit and The Tame Porcupine

Yale News Digest, May, 1945

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I have really been making the letters fly.  This is the fifth one I've written this morning.  I have an awful habit of letting letters accumulate.

The sun is at last shining.  It has rained everyday this week and not lightly either.  It has poured.  You probably aren't the only one that will have to plant a second garden.

I guess you and Aunt Cliffie are all curled up.  My hair is awfully long but I haven't thought much about a permanent.

My vacation is about over but I've really made the most of my time.  I've hardly been out of the house but I read a book, wrote a term paper and three book reports.  It is such a relief to get those things off my mind.  Maybe the other five weeks of school won't keep me so busy.

B is the speaker for his class today and he was going to tell some of the stuff he will use in his dissertation.  They all make so much fun of the teacher because she talks so long that I told him not to be too gabby this morning.

He can't seem to make much headway on his dissertation but as soon as my school is out I'm going to start helping and take notes.  That will help a lot.  It takes so much reading before even a page can be written.

Last Sunday afternoon we went to the Art Gallery to look at some official navy photographs of the war.  They were huge things and showed battles, sailors, ships and some of the wounded.

USS Pennsylvania, Jan., 1945

Rescuing survivor near USS West Virginia during Pearl Harbor raid

USS Utah capsizing at Pearl Harbor

Monday night I went to a concert with Miss Hallowell (the secretary of the Education department).  It was the New Haven Orchestra and is quite large.  It was very nice.

Wednesday night one of the professor's wives had a party for the Dames.  We ate soon after we got there and she had the table fixed real pretty.  There were lilacs for the centerpiece and a silver coffee service on one end of the table and a big silver tray for serving the ice cream on the other end.  She served crushed strawberries with the ice cream and tiny fancy cakes, mints and nuts.  I poured the coffee and one of the other Dames served the ice cream.  After we ate, her husband showed us some movies they had made in Canada and of some birds and a porcupine that they tamed.  All the girls had a real nice time.

Tonight we're going to a play, Ibsen's A Doll's House.  It is a very famous play but I never have read it.

I guess I better clean up the house a little bit.  I haven't done anything except make the bed and wash the dishes.  Write soon."

                              Lots of love,

                                      B & Bonnie

NOTE from Ann:  For outstanding collections of Navy photos, use the links below:

http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/photos/#navy
http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/org11-2.htm