October 28, 1951 Homecoming, Busy B, Hectic Week, A Freak Accident and Still Climbing

B's slide, homecoming float, ISNU parade

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Today is Homecoming here so the town is alive with people.  The parade was nice in spite of the rain last night and the cold today.  It looks like it might pour rain any minute and I'll bet they all get wet at the football game this afternoon.  B always sits in the broadcasting booth so doesn't have to be out in the rain.  He goes to a luncheon at noon and we (the kids and I) will be alone all day.

We are going to a re-dedication service at the Unitarian Church in Bloomington on Sunday afternoon.  B and Jim used to go there once in awhile and I've always wanted to go once.  B likes it and we were invited to this affair so we are going.

My tailoring class is coming along fine and if I don't forget I'll send you a scrap of my suit and the nylon dress that I finally finished.  It is disappointing.  It is too tight and too plain.

This has been a hectic week.  One of us or both have been somewhere every night and we are having company tonight.  You probably remember our telling you about our friends going to Pakistan.  They are leaving tomorrow and are coming either for supper or later to say good-bye.

Watty's brother lost an arm in a freak accident this week.  He was driving home from work and got his car sideswiped by a truck.  It hardly scratched the car but he was driving with his arm in the window and the truck bed just practically tore it off.  They took almost the whole arm off.  He is unmarried and lives with his mother.  We all felt terrible about it.

Ann is still good and still climbing.  She gets into the worst shape and can't get out.  I just pulled her out of a drawer.  She empties them and crawls in.  Bobby has a little cold but is fine otherwise.  I made a Jack-o-lantern out of a real little pumpkin and he's had more fun with it.

How is Daddy?  Did he have the flu?  There have been so many people sick with colds and sore throats.

Ann was getting into so much trouble that I had to stop.  Now they are both in bed for naps.

I hope Daddy is all right now.  Take care of yourselves."

                  Lots of love,

                        Bonnie

 Source:  ISNU, The Index, 1951.

NOTE:  Although home television was gaining popularity and becoming available to more people, radio was still the common vehicle for entertainment and news.   One of the popular evening programs was an espionage adventure series, featuring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.   Loosely based on his own experiences with a WWII special operations unit, The Silent Men program ran for about 9 months.  Listen to the Oct. 28, 1951 broadcast, "The Case of the Rubber Gloves":  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy7ZpCdMfTQ