July 2, 1949 The Heat, The Inefficient Kitchen, The Sewing and The Watermelon Pickles

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Another scorcher!  But not quite so bad as yesterday.  We have had some terribly hot days and the upstairs is like an oven.  We keep the downstairs closed up till evening and it doesn't get so uncomfortable.  Then we leave the house open all night.  It certainly helps to do that.

I made 5 pts. of watermelon pickles this week.  B had bragged about Faith's pickles last summer so I got her recipe.  If I don't forget it, I'll send it to you.

I finished my red striped dress and have it on today.  It is real pretty and cool.  I made it like the plaid one.  Now I want to make a brunch coat out of that blue Beulah gave me.  It is too hot to sew upstairs at night so I can do only a bit at a time while Bobby rests in the mornings.  I want the machine moved downstairs soon.

We rented the place I told you about and it will be vacant July 15.  It is on the second floor with front and back entrance.  The people who live there now bought a place and helped us get this.  An old couple own it and live downstairs.  There is a nice yard and garage.  At least, everything will be on one floor.  I hate being upstairs but we were afraid not to take it.  It is $55. with heat and water furnished.  There are six rooms and the full, floored attic for storage.  The living room and dining room are lovely, big, airy rooms.  Two bedrooms are big and one is quite small so we'll use it for a laundry room.  Water is piped into it and we'll get an automatic machine.  That will help a lot.  The bath is big and antique (has a marble topped lavatory) and the kitchen is small and inefficient--no built-ins, a small sink and no drainboard.  There is a hall down the center of all this and there are lots of big windows and closets.  The floors need re-doing and we may sand them.  We'll probably move about the middle of August after summer school but will work over there soon after it is vacated.  We'll get our rocker and cedar chest when we come home.  The cedar chest will have to be crated so I wish Daddy would save enough crating for it if they get any at the store.

Buddy, Bessie and Roger are coming Thurs. and stay overnight.  I guess the other kids have to work.

Hope everyone is all right."

         Lots of love,

                B, Bonnie & Bobby

Faith's Watermelon Pickles

Cut rind from 1/2 melon (2 qts.) in 1" cubes.  Cover with alum water (1 tsp. powdered alum to 1 qt. water).  Boil in alum water till rind is transparent, about 1-2 hours.  Let stand warm for 2 hrs.  remove rind from alum water & chill in ice water.  Make a syrup of 5-3/4 c. sugar and 1 pt. vinegar.  Prepare a spice bag of 2 T whole cloves and 2 T broken stick cinnamon.  Bring the syrup to boil & add rind.  Cook 10 min. from time it boils.  Put in stone jar for 24 hrs.  On the 3rd day, pour off syrup.  Bring to boil.  Add rind to heat.  Put rind in jars, fill with hot syrup, seal.

NOTE from Ann:  July 2, 2012 and it's another scorcher here in the Midwest just as it was on this day, 63 years ago when Bonnie wrote the letter!