Dear Mother & Daddy,
"The coal shortage goes on and we are all so bored with ourselves. There is an occasional ball game when everyone wears overcoats but that's about all. Lots of people have left town but there are several reasons why we are staying here. The main one is that I am pregnant and the doctor doesn't approve of long trips right now. I see him every three weeks and just got back. I am fine and feel so good. The doctor is a very kind man about 55 years old and the best in Bloomington. I think I like him even better than I did Dr. January and that's saying a lot. The baby is due Aug. 1 or 2 and I hope you will be as thrilled and pleased as we are. I would rather have told you when we come home but June is a little long to keep a secret that one is dieing to tell.
Toni has a 6-1/2 lb. boy--David Gordon. We are all so happy that it's a boy. She went to the hospital at 7:00 Thurs. morning and the baby was here before 10:00. She is up and fine and telephoned me today. She will be coming home Tues. or Wed. Her doctor is my doctor too.I finally got around to making my housecoat like the one I gave Beulah. It is all done but sewing in the sleeves. I haven't really needed it for I wear my wool robe most of the time but it will soon be too warm to wear that. If you get any pretty sacks for brunch coats I wish you'd save me 3 or 4. I think it will take 4 for my pattern. It took 5 for the housecoat.
Yesterday was a wonderful day--not cold and so sunny. This morning it sleeted and snowed hard so the walks and streets are slick as can be. It is cold too. We have plenty of heat here in the apartment, though.
I mailed Beulah the pattern. I would have cut it off but thought she might need the instructions. It was a little hard to get together the first time, I thought. You can tell here she needn't hurry with it. If I need it, I'll write for it. I'm going to try to write her soon (and Buddy) about the baby but you can tell them both if you write to Buddy before I get it done. In fact, you can tell anyone (better tell Grandma). It is no secret anymore.
I have a pie in the oven so must go look at it. Wish we could see you but will later in the spring."
Lots of love,
B, Bonnie & Bobby
Jeff Davis Pie
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| Snowy day on campus, The Index, 1950 |
February 26, 1950
Dear Mother & Daddy,
"This will be late simply because I didn't get it written in the time to mail. Bobby is in bed for the night and I just finished the dishes. I've spent my whole day practically in the kitchen. I wanted to go to Toni's awhile this afternoon so had to get supper in the oven first and then I fixed a salad and casserole for Wheelers. They were supposed to come home today but sent us a telegram this afternoon that they'll be in tomorrow. The food will still be good and they will be tired and nothing in the house to eat so I know they will appreciate it. B started the furnace this morning and will try to get the house warmed for them. It has been warm and sunny in Texas and they have had a wonderful time.
We had a little party (6 people) last night and I made a pineapple-upside down cake. It was so good. We are enjoying the nuts Rosalynn gave us. B cracks them and I pick them out in spare moments then we have them to use.I'm altering a dress for Mother Watterson--too long waisted--and have it ready to stitch now. She is staying at Toni's till things get settled. Lynn got along fine with her while Toni was in the hospital and Bobby thinks she is wonderful--calls her "Granny".
I went to Education Wives Luncheon on Thurs. and enjoyed it. Since B has been home I've gotten out quite a bit, even if it is just to walk downtown. The fresh air always peps me up and Bobby loves to walk--especially in the snow.
We have a real snow on now. It is about six inches deep and the streets are slippery.
School still can't open on Monday as we had hoped but B thinks they will about Wed. We have coal if they would only let us open. Our apartment is kept real warm and Mr. Dorland keeps ahead on buying coal so we aren't worried.
We were anxious to hear your reaction on the baby and Beulah wrote right back too. I wrote to Buddy. We don't know whether we want a girl or boy. It doesn't matter. A little girl would be fun to dress but Bobby has been so much fun and two little boys would be twice a much fun. Maybe I'll be the one to have the 5 boys that Bernadine always said she would have. We'll be happy with either. I climbed steps the last time so these oughtn't to hurt either. Anyway, I don't go down much. B takes all garbage and waste paper out so they don't bother me.
It will take 4 sacks to make a brunch coat. I finally got one cut out of some sacks Beulah gave me and it took all 4. Maybe the two of you can get enough for me a wrap around or two. They are so easy to put on.
Toni's baby is so sweet. He has a beautiful round head with brown fuzz all over it. They call it bald but it has far more hair than Bobby had for several months. He is a very good baby and Toni looks fine.
I ordered a navy purse and navy walking shoes from Wards and they are so nice only the shoes are too big. They only came in AA and are far too wide so I have to send them back. I will never match them anyway for the 6.95 they cost. Everything I see here is 10.95 or up. Anyway, the purse is nice and all leather.
Hope both of you and the chickens are fine. When did you get them?"
Lots of love,
B, Bonnie & Bobby
Favorite Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Drain an 8 oz. can of sliced pineapple and set aside the liquid. Melt 2 T butter in a cast iron skillet or baking pan. Add 1/2 c brown sugar, about 1 T of the pineapple juice. Mix enough water with the reserved juice to equal 1/2 c. Put pineapple slices in bottom of skillet with a maraschino cherry half on each ring and in the centers. Thoroughly mix together and beat until smooth 1/3 c shortening, 1/4 c butter, 1/2 c. sugar, 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1 large egg. Sift 1 c. flour with 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt and add alternately with remaining pineapple juice. Bake at 350 for about 40 min. Cool slightly, loosen edge of cake with a sharp knife, place serving plate on top of skillet, wrap in heavy towel and flip cake over onto the plate. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Bonnie's Ham Casserole
Cook and drain 8 oz. of thin spaghetti. Saute 2 T minced onion in 1/4 c. butter or oleo. Stir in 6 T flour, 3 c. milk and 1 c. chicken broth. Cook & stir till thickened. Add 2 c. diced ham, 8 oz. peas and the cooked spaghetti. Add pepper to taste. Put half of the mixture in a large baking dish. Sprinkle on 1/2 c. shredded or thin sliced mozzarella cheese and 1-1/2 T grated Parmesan cheese. Add remaining spaghetti mixture and sprinkle again with 1/2 c. mozzarella and 1-1/2 T Parmesan. Bake @ 350 for 30 min. till golden. Can be divided into 2 casseroles (freeze one).
NOTES: In response to a reader's good suggestion and to help new readers, here's a quick recap of the friends and family who appear regularly in the letters as we enter the 50s. I'll start with the Connecticut names as used most often by Bonnie in the letters. I hope this helps!
- Aggie and Karl, and daughters Jody and Carol with whom B & Bonnie shared a home in CT
- The Richards who were restoring the farm house
- The Wamplers from Connecticut State Teachers College
- Friends, Bea & Sully
- Friend, Edith Swann
- Friends, The Rollins
- Toni and Welden ("Watty") Watterson, and children Lynn, David and Bill, who lived in the other part of the duplex
- The Larsens (Art and Faith) with whom B lived when he first moved to Illinois
- Jim and Eve Wheeler, and children "Brother", Carol and "Baby"
- Rosemary, a student babysitter
- Marge, a student babysitter
- Bonnie's sister, Beulah, and husband Nobel, and children Charlotte and Jerry
- Bonnie's brother, Buddy, and wife Bessie and children Francis Jr., Roger and Marjorie
- B's brother, Horace, and wife Mabel and children Steve and Sid
- B's sister, Rosalynn, and husband Ray and children Gini, Dot and Mary Lou
- B's aunt, Ione, and her son, B's cousin, Bruce
- Bonnie's aunt, Nora and husband Floyd
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