September 19, 1946 The Grand Nuisance, The Housing Shortage, Thrilled To Pieces and Planning to Fish

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We are still in the room and see no chance of having another place at least till after Oct. 1.  The trailers will be ready then and we have applied for one but I guess the rest of the 34 families (new) have too.  Our hopes of getting one are pretty thin.  We also have a chance at a furnished place for the winter.  That would mean another move June 1 so we'd rather have a place where we could stay.  We would take it though if nothing else comes up.  The room we're in is small but real nice and we use the whole house--course we have to eat every meal out and that is a grand nuisance.

We unpacked the bare essentials and everything else is in boxes.  One more load will bring everything from New Haven except our furniture and we still don't know what to do about that.  The people in the apartment are using part of it and the rest is in a classroom.  They are worse off than we are by a lot--have three boys (8 mos., 7 and 9) and can't find a house.  We don't care how long they use our furniture but we want to sell it all at once if we don't find an unfurnished place.  We're storing our other things in the basement here and the lady said we could bring our furniture but I wouldn't want to do that unless we had to.  She just charges us $7. a week which is real cheap now.

My days aren't so long now.  I guess I'm getting used to being lazy but I sure worked at my afghan for a few days.  Another strip is almost done but I'm wanting to work on something else for awhile.  Tell Beulah to send me a sample of that yarn like Jerry's sweater.  I may look for a leggings pattern one of these days unless we suddenly find an apartment.  I gave the eggs to my landlady and she sure was thrilled.  They would have rotted by the time I had a place to cook them.

Did Beulah get her telephone put it?  It will be so nice when you can talk to her anytime.

I told you we went to the reception.  The hat I bought was black off the face with some feathers on it--real pretty but almost broke me up.  I have been invited to join the faculty wives club and the first meeting is tomorrow.  Two women are meeting me so I won't have to go alone.  I finished the velveteen dress and plan to wear it if it isn't too hot.  I took it to a tailor to have it pressed and he wanted to know where I got such nice "velvet".  The faculty wives club sounds very much like the Dames.  Mrs. McLoud (my landlady) has offered to take me to the New Brit. Women's Club one of these days.  I don't know about that yet.

B comes home from school thrilled to pieces everyday.  He really enjoys his work and the other faculty members.  He teaches four classes of psychology--3 at the college and one in Middletown (14 miles from N.B.) to an extension class of the college--two afternoons a week.  I've been going with him to Middletown.  He gets expense money for driving.

We drove up to see Sully and Bea Sunday afternoon.  It's only about 35 miles to Willimantic.  We planned a fishing trip for next Sunday if the day is nice.

It has been cool enough to have a fire in the house but has warmed up now.  The days are beautiful, sunny ones and all the leaves are turning and falling.  This is the nicest part of the year in Conn.  I love it.  Summer flowers are still blooming but fall flowers are out too.

Write to us.  It has been so long since we heard from you and I begin to worry about you when I don't hear."

                     Lots of love,

                               B & Bonnie

Saturday Evening Post, 1946 Humor in the midst of the Housing Shortage