November 17 and 24, 1951 Snowing Again, Still Climbing, More Suits, Cousins for Lunch, A Visit to Santa and A Pleasant Vacation

 Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It's snowing again and has been most of the day but  hope we don't have it like we did the other day.  The kids love it, though.  Ann looks so cute all dressed up in her snowsuit.  Her boots are so tiny and she is so proud of them.  When she wants to go outside she runs and gets them.  She gets worse about climbing everyday.  Now she knows how to move the chairs and I find her dancing in the middle of the table.  She was even on top of the buffet today.

My suit is just about done and I have some rayon for another one but haven't got it cut out yet.  The rayon suit will be just an ordinary one with a short jacket.  These jackets are made different from a longer coat so I thought I'd better find out how to do that while I had the chance.  I have been helping Toni make a coat out of material Watty brought from England.  The only thing I've done is fit it and tell her how to do the extra things that I have learned.  It is going to be real nice.

We had to get Bobby a new snowsuit jacket.  His old one had such short sleeves and he looks so big & grown up in the new one.

Everett Seeber and his family are coming for lunch tomorrow.  He is selling some purebred steers at a sale here tomorrow so we asked them over here.

There isn't much news and it is very late so I must go to bed. Have a nice Thanksgiving."

                 Lots of love,

                         Bonnie

NOTE:  Snowsuit images from a feature in Good Housekeeping, October, 1951.

                       


November 24, 1951


Dear Mother & Daddy,

"This has been a long day.  Ann got up at 5:30 this morning and then we spent the afternoon in Peoria.  One of the stores had a big parade with Santa Claus in his sled.  The kids loved it even if there were so many people we could hardly walk.  We did a little Christmas shopping but will probably order most of it.  It is too big a chore when we take the kids.

We had a peaceful chicken dinner all by ourselves on Thurs.  Toni & her kids went to her sister's in Chicago so we still have the house to ourselves.  It is a pleasant vacation.  They will be back tomorrow.

My suit is all ready to wear and I bought a white shirtwaist blouse to wear with it.  I'll probably have to wait awhile to wear it if it stays cold like it is now.

It was nice today but started sleeting soon after we got home.

Ann is talking more now and will say things after us.  Her favorite words are Oh! Boy!  The other day I was scolding her for being on the table.  She reached out for me to take her down and said, "Oh boy!"  Bobby laughed and I had to. 

I bought some of my fruit for the fruitcake today but will have to wait until we can get some nuts.  One of the teachers at school is ordering pecans for all of us from Alabama.  He sold 700 lbs. to different ones at school.  They will cost us about half what they do in the stores.

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and that you are both fine."

                   Lots of love,

                         Bonnie

Everett Seeber and siblings Jennie Louise, Mary Ione, Daphne Jo and Bruce (B's cousins) about 1940

NOTE:  I don't know whether the fruitcake was considered "a welcome gift for friends or a festive delight for your family", but making it was certainly an annual tradition.  Several fruitcake recipes have been posted on the blog, but here is one of Bonnie's quick and simplified versions.

Icebox Fruitcake Roll

Combine all of the following ingredients, form into a roll, 8-9", wrap tightly in foil.  Chill for 3 days.  To serve, slice and garnish with whipped cream.


3/4 c. evaporated milk, 16 marshmallows cut into 6ths, 1/4 c. orange juice, 4-1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves, 3/4 c. chopped dates, 1-1/3 c. raisins, 1 c. chopped nuts, 1/2 c. candied pineapple finely cut, 1/2 c. candied cherries finely cut, 1/3 c. candied orange peel, finely cut.  Can also be flavored with Brandy before wrapping.