October 2, 1946 The Apartment, The Material, The Food Situation and Bonnie Demands the Answers

Rainy Day Meat Line in Manhattan. Oct. 1946

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Well, we have an apartment.  It is unfurnished so we're going to bring our furniture from New Haven and make it do until we can afford some new.  There are some things which we plan to buy after awhile--a rug, breakfast set, etc.  At first we thought we'd get all new things till we looked around and saw the cheap stuff at such awful prices.  An electric stove is furnished but we'll have to get some sort of ice box.  A new refrigerator is out of the question for every store has a waiting list of several hundred and they only get 2 a month.  There are three nice rooms, bath, pantry and hall on the second floor.  One of the college teachers bought the place and lives on the first floor.  They are young people and have two children.  He is going to sand the floors and fix it up for us.  People were living in it when we went to see it and so I can't remember much about it.  We plan to move Fri. or Sat. of this week.  The house is in the country really but the little town is called East Berlin.  It is a residential town with only a few stores.  There is a post office about the size of your garage and two grocery stores.  Our shopping will be here in New Britain or Middletown because we're just between them.  It is 6 miles to New Britain and it is going to be nice to be out where it's quiet.  Write to us at the college as you have been doing because we have to go to the post office for the mail if it is sent to East Berlin.  When I get our apartment fixed up I'll tell you more about it.  Oh yes, the rent is only $35. a month and it is heated.  That sounds almost impossible but it is right.

We're having real cold weather.  It rained and then got cold.  People are wearing winter clothes (overcoats) and we have heat all the time.

When we go to New Haven this week I hope I have time to ask about the machine again.  If I should be lucky enough to get one I'm going to keep it awhile if you don't care.  I would like to make a new slipcover for our couch.

By now you should have the material.  It was just luck that I found it and there is lots of it in this one store.  Let me know if you want more.  I bought some white rayon for a blouse but haven't done anything to it yet.

I left some curtains in my cedar chest this summer.  There are some cotton panels and some rayons--three pairs of sash.  Will you send them to me?  Keep postage out of the money for the dress material.  You can send the Journal when you are all finished with it but there is no hurry at all about that.

Tomorrow is Beulah's birthday.  I have a package ready to mail to her.  I seem to be late with everything.  Tell her to write to me one of these days.

The food situation here is pretty bad.  Of course we haven't done any shopping but everyone complains about no meat.  We have meat at the restaurant though.

You didn't answer any of my questions.  Didn't you have the letter yet or did you do it on purpose?  Do you intend to live in town or on a farm?  Why sell the goats?  When do you have to move?

How are you both?  I hope you aren't sick over selling the place.  You must not be.

Mrs. Wampler asked me to go to a club meeting today but I'm going to Middletown with B to look for a breakfast set and rug.  We want a plain grey rug and they hardly exist.  One store has a sample and a promised deliver in a month or two but we are a little afraid that it would be five or six.  It was $108. which is a little steep but it was an all wool twist broadloom and real nice.

I haven't been doing much on my afghan.  I got so tired of it I got out my table cloth and have been crocheting on it.

I'll write you next week and you write soon."

                       Lots of love,

                                  B & Bonnie

NOTE from Ann:  Nuremberg Trial verdicts were in the news on October 1, 1946.  Use the link for details:  http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/nuremberg/NurembergNews10_16_46.html