January 19, 1946 Typing 51 Pages, The Show, The Old Gang, Getting Tired of Strikes and Banana Pie

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Your nice long letter came yesterday and B's mother's came the day before so I guess we won't have any mail this morning.  My school work for this semester is all over except one more night class next Thursday.  It is nice being home in the daytime but we have both really been working.  B finished another section of his thesis and I have been typing that.  It was an awful job and I hate to type so much.  We got it finished and he took it to the department this morning but I don't know whether he got to see Dr. Brubacher or not.  He reads each section and give suggestions and advice.  We're real anxious to hear what he says about this one because it is 51 pages long and it would be awful to do it over.  B is on study hall duty again this morning so he won't be home till afternoon.

We went to a show last night.  We had been working so hard we decided we needed a treat.  It was snowing a little when we came home but today is bright and sunny.

You have been working too hard, Mother.  You had better take things a little easier.  Are you feeling any better?  I hope so.  How is Daddy's rheumatism?  He is probably working too hard too.

David certainly gave you all the "dope" on all the kids, didn't he?  It will seem so nice to come home next summer and find the old gang there.

I'm getting pretty tired of strikes too.  Some of them do need more pay but it seems to me they are carrying it to extremes.  The radio keeps howling about the meat strike here.  They think there is enough meat in storage to last several days and there is plenty of chicken and always fish.  Chickens are so high though, they always cost about $2.00 and there isn't an awful lot of meat in one.  The meat situation isn't bothering me because there are so many other things I can cook.  

Would you give $104.00 for a White machine something like Bessie's?  One of the stores has them on display now and I noticed that price.  I don't know how long you would have to wait--probably put your name on a list.  I imagine you would have to pay the freight bill too, if they would ship it.  The stores here are pretty independent.

You sent plenty for the stockings.  I don't know what the postage was but I know it wasn't much.  I looked for some flannelette for Beulah the other day but there wasn't any white.  They had a sickly blue for .49 a yard but it looks dirty.  I'll keep looking and maybe I'll run into it.

Come over and I'll give you a piece of banana pie.  It looks pretty good.  I had some pecans so I put them in and put coconut on top.  How's that for a mixture?

Can you tell me how you used to make blackberry dumplings?  I tried to make some last night but they weren't good like the ones you used to make.

I'll probably still be working on my afghan next summer but I'll bring it home anyway.  I want you to see it because it really is going to be pretty.  Write us another long letter."

                       Lots of love,

                               B & Bonnie

NOTES from Ann:  The show that week was the musical comedy, "The Harvey Girls" with Judy Garland and Ray Bolger. 

The strike wave of '46 was in full force by early January.

"The war integrated the American economy more than ever before. The conditions affecting workers in 1946 cut across industry lines, leading to the closest thing to a national general strike of industry in the twentieth century. The potential capacity of the workers to paralyze not just one company or industry but the entire country was demonstrated. At the same time, even simple wage settlements affected the entire economy. Therefore the government took over the function of regulating wages for the whole of industry. In this situation, the trade unions played an essential role in forestalling what might otherwise have been a general confrontation between the workers of a great many industries and the government, supporting the employers. The unions were unable to prevent the post-war strike wave, but by leading it they managed to keep it under control. Nonetheless, they were unable to prevent wildcat strikes and other direct challenges by workers to management control."
From:  http://www.prole.info/texts/strike_wwii.html  

For news footage on the strike situation:  http://www.youtube.com/v/Jb-1IqaQSq8

Bonnie's Royal Banana Pie

Separate 1 egg and beat yolk with a fork.  Use a pastry brush to coat the inside of an unbaked crust.  Combine remaining yolk and egg white with 1 more egg, 1 c. sugar, 1 T vinegar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla and a pinch of salt.  Beat together well.  Fill coated crust with thinly sliced, firm, ripe bananas (5 or 6).  Sprinkle with chopped pecans.  Pour egg mixture over bananas.  Sprinkle with coconut.   Bake 55 min. at 350 or till light brown.