October 28, 1947 The Leaves are Gone, The Dentist is Done, The Coat Won't Button and The Risk Isn't Worth It

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We are having wonderful weather too.  We have to have heat during the day but the sun is bright.  The leaves are practically gone.  They didn't last long this year and the woods are almost bare.

Yesterday we drove over to Richards but they were gone so we spent the rest of the day reading.  Saturday we went to New Haven to the dentist for the last time.  My tooth is finished and he did a nice job. 

I had gained two pounds too much this month so I've had to cut down on my eating.  That really hurts but Dr. January was very firm about it so it has to be done.  Other than that I am fine.

I finally got the robe finished but haven't pressed it yet.  It is real pretty and will be so warm this winter.

If nothing happens to make us change our minds we plan to go to N.Y. on Saturday.  B has Friday off--teacher's meeting but he won't go--but Saturday is a better day to be in N.Y.  It is less crowded then.  I hope we have a nice day like we've been having.  I'm still wearing my spring coat even it if doesn't come anywhere near to buttoning. 

I'm invited to a luncheon tomorrow for Mrs. Rollins at Mrs. Wampler's (her husband is head of our dept.).  B is taking Mrs. Richards and me and Dr. Richards will come after us since B has a class.  I try to make myself look as well as possible so I already washed my hair this morning.  it is quite easy to do under the shower but I don't know what I'd do if we didn't have one.

B is adviser to the assembly committee again this year and he's inviting them out here after supper Wednesday.  There will be eight students and after their business we'll have some sandwiches and cokes.

I never did think to tell you that the publishing company wanted B to invest $900. in the dissertation and they would put up the same amount.  That would be paid back from the sales of the book but it's too much money to risk.

B has a student from Missouri who went to nursing school with Era Arnold.  She married someone up here, I think.

Thanks for sending the pictures of the purse.  I'll see what I can do.

Hope you are all fine."

                Lots of love,

                        B & Bonnie

NOTE from Ann:  The growing "red fear" was still in the news.  Although many associate Sen. Joe McCarthy's name with the HUAC activities, he wasn't really a key player until the end of the decade when his influence was significant.   Bonnie once referred to McCarthy as a "nut case" with "absurd" ideas. 

Also in the news this week are the forest fires in New England.  Armed services personnel were called in to help fight a huge fire in Maine:  http://www.usslittlerock.org/Acadia_Maine_Fire.html

From Eleanor Roosevelt's My Day entry, Oct. 28, 1947:
 

NEW YORK, Monday—"When I am in New York City, I do not fully realize the impact which forest fires have on everybody, but I do in Hyde Park. There, we have great piles of leaves and we do not dare to burn them!

My son's house is surrounded by trees, and when my daughter-in-law heard someone at the door the other day inquiring about forest fires because the lookout had seen smoke in the valley, she was terrified and at once went scurrying over our land to make sure that no careless person had dropped a lighted cigarette anywhere. The dust is thick, and under our pine trees the deep, soft pine-needle bed is as dry as it can be, so you know that a fire would run through those woods in no time.

I haven't had to tell anyone who lives in the country not to light a match or a cigarette out of doors, but if I have city visitors at Hyde Park, I worry about them every minute.

This long drought is not so good for the winter wheat, but like all farmers I am an optimist and hope for rain soon. There was an old saying which was current among the farmers in my childhood—that before we have a deep freeze all the springs must fill up, so I hope they will begin that process immediately!

When one reads that $30,000,000 has just gone up in smoke in New England, one cannot but realize how helpless people are in the face of nature or divine Providence."