August 13, 1949 One Hectic Week, One Wonderful Car, Three to Six Days and 30 Issues for $4.00

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"This has been one hectic week.  It is the last week of school and that always means rush, rush, rush to get papers graded and records turned in at the office.  Then one of the professor's wives died and B took his classes and exams.  B was at school from 7:30 till 5:00 almost every day and then Bobby got sick on Tues.  He has had a bad cold and still feels bad.  The doctor came yesterday to check on him and said it was a sore throat and we're giving him sulfa.  He said Bobby should be all right in 3 to 6 days.  It seems this has been going around but with the polio scare we wanted to be sure.  Of course we have had to stay in the house all the time and the days were so long but Bobby has been real good even if he did feel bad.  I've almost read my tongue off.  He will sit quietly for so long while I read nursery rhymes.

B plans to finish up the necessary painting this afternoon and our furniture will be moved on Tuesday.  It will probably be two or three days before we go into the apartment to stay.  Our rugs nor dining room suite has come yet so that may hold us up for awhile.

Spiffy linoleum

I finally got the slipcover finished but haven't started on the footstool cover.  That shouldn't take long.  I bought unbleached muslin for Bobby's curtains and will put red fringe on them and tie them back.  The walls are Kemtoned light blue and the linoleum we bought is mostly blue, red, and tan with animals, letters and numbers all over it.  His room won't have much in it but that will be more room to run in.

Commencement was yesterday and Dr. Brubacker was the speaker.  Mrs. B. was with him but I didn't get to see them.  I felt like I should have had them here for dinner but with Bobby sick and the curtains down I didn't see how we could.

Our car sure is wonderful.  I drove it last Sunday for the first time and it drives very easily but is so much bigger than the little red one that I ride the shoulder too much.  I want to give the other fellow lots of room.  I'll have to learn to park it, too.  It just won't fit in the same amount of space as the Chevy.  It goes in the garage but we can't shut the doors.

Address our next letter to 505 South Fell Ave.  We'll have a telephone after Sept. 1.

I have subscribed for the Journal through Sears.  Did you notice the special offer in their fall catalog?
I get 30 issues for $4.00--.15 a copy.  You should subscribe too.  That offer is good till Oct. 1, I think.

I hope you are all fine."

                Lots & lots of love,

                         B, Bonnie & Bobby

NOTE from Ann:  Special thanks to a loyal reader, below is a video about the spraying of DDT in hopes of preventing polio outbreaks in Texas, 1945.  This practice apparently continued for several years in other parts of the country as well, with authorities believing that flies were responsible for the disease.  The highest incidence of polio thus far was in 1949.  Illinois was one of 9 states that experienced an increase in cases from 1948.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yagO9jngMWk

 What was new in August of 1949?  See below, from American Home magazine.