February 4 and 11, 1950 In the Kitchen, In the Snow, In the Cave, Stuffed Beef Heart, Rolls, Coal and Mad as Hops

Bonnie in the cave, 1938

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It's almost lunch time but B & Bobby have gone to get Bobby some rubbers and haven't come back.  We have neglected getting him any boots and now it is so muddy he can't walk anywhere.  It will probably stay that way a long time now.  The snow is almost gone but Bobby loved getting into it.  Of course his shoes were wet and he had to wear house shoes the rest of the day but we let him play anyway.  He would walk, look at his tracks, sit down and then taste it.  He loved it.  He has seen lots of snow but we never gave him a chance to play in it.  His cold is gone and wasn't too bad.  I took it but it was light.

I meant to have dinner at noon and have been in the kitchen all morning but am baking a beef heart stuffed with dressing and it isn't done so we'll have it tonight.  I have a roll recipe I want you to try--will try to send it today if I don't forget.  We think they are real good.  It takes me about an hour to mix and get them ready for the oven, but 30 min. is plenty for raising.

B has been home a little more this week but has an 8:00 class so we have to get up earlier.  It is still a little hard to get up but we like it.  I'm not used to the long mornings, yet, though.

Toni and Lynn have been over a few times this week and we went to Wheelers yesterday.  We have all had to stay apart for so long because if one kid didn't have a cold another one did.

Toni is fine.  The baby is due in about three weeks.  She is anxious but not uncomfortable or very misshapen.  She is RH negative--if you've read anything on it.  That can be very serious but her tests show that everything is perfect and there is no danger to her or the baby.

We are quite worried about B's Dad but hear often from his mother.  Apparently the operation was bad but we really know very little.  We feel that she doesn't know either.

I had to stop for lunch and now Bobby is asleep so maybe I can finish.  He is so proud of his red rubbers.

The clipping was real interesting but I'm not sure where that cave is--near the Waynesville spring?  I know I've been there.

We had to put about $15. with Bobby's money for the bond--a $50. one but there was a little change left.

Glad your colds are better."

           Lots of love,

                B, Bonnie & Bobby

Stuffed Beef Heart (Joy of Cooking, 1946)

Wash a beef heart.  Soak it in cold water for 1 hour.  Cut away the hard parts.  Dry the heart. Prepare a stuffing of 2 T chopped onion, 2 T chopped green pepper browned in 2 T butter and added to 2 cups boiled, seasoned rice.  Fill the heart with stuffing.  Tie it with a string.  Place it in a casserole.  Pour around it 2 cups diluted canned tomato soup or stock.  Cover it with 4 strips of bacon.  Cover the dish and bake the heart in a moderate oven, 325 from 2 to 3 hours or until tender.  Drain it.  Thicken the stock with flour and serve.  

From the Yukon's Best Flour Baking booklet

February 11, 1950

Feb. 2, 1950

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I thought I'd better write tonight since B is going to be gone all day tomorrow and I might not find a chance to write.  He is going to a meeting at Rockford, Ill.--up near Chicago.  He and some others are going to represent the college at a club meeting of professors.  I thought it nice that he was asked to go.

We went to a potluck supper of the Newcomers Club Tuesday night.  That is a club of faculty wives who are new--one can belong only two years so this is my last.  We didn't give Bobby a nap so we could put him to bed early and he was sound asleep when we left at 6:30.  We got home before 9:00 and he was up and having the time of his life--had been awake since 7:00.  I didn't care and was glad to find out how he would act if he woke up and found us gone.  Rosemary had put his house shoes on and he had followed her around while she worked.  She had done everything I had asked her to do and said Bobby was good.  He seemed happy enough.

You heard right about school being closed.  Classes ended today and everyone (including the President) is mad as hops.  The state board just told them to close without asking advice or considering all the problems of the schools involved.  We have more coal on hand now than at any time since the shortage started but they will take it for the pen and asylum.  The school calendar is a mess with all the things having to be cancelled or re-scheduled.  We don't know how long it will last but it will have to be made up later.  We plan to stay here and do nothing but most people are going somewhere.  Jim and Eve are starting to Texas tomorrow.  We'll probably get bored with one another but it all came so suddenly that we haven't had time to think of doing anything.

The snow is all gone but it sure is muddy and messy outside.

Toni is fine.  The doctor says the baby is likely to come any minute but she hasn't done anything toward getting ready for it so doesn't want it soon.  Course, she has all of Lynn's things and they are ready but she wants to get a few new things.  She's just slow like that.

B's about to eat all the popcorn so I'm going to have to stop.  Hope you both are fine."

               Lots of love,

                         B, Bonnie & Bobby

NOTE:  Many months of failed negotiations between coal mine operators and workers caused Truman to intervene.  Some states had declared state-wide emergencies, others took coal-saving measures and shut down non-essential organizations.  http://www.trumanlibrary.org/publicpapers/index.php?pid=669&st=&st1=    Images from Trove Digitized Newspapers