April 1, 1956 The Lost Tooth, The Late Plane, The First Cold and The Grey Rugs

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"Ann started this letter several days ago so I'll just finish it.  She is staying all night with David and Bill tonight and Lynn is here with Bob.  She called a few minutes ago and I thought we'd have to go get her but she just wanted to tell us that her first tooth had come out.  She discovered it was loose this morning and was so proud of it.

B got home Wednesday evening and we were all really glad to see him.  It had been lonesome around here even if all the kids in the neighborhood gather here to play.  B enjoyed visiting with Jim.  Eve sent Ann a lot of dresses which I was glad to get.  Jim had flown to Detroit and his plane must have been grounded on the way home because Eve called me late Wed. night to ask if Jim had left when B did.  It had been snowing hard in Detroit so we felt that the snow delayed his plane.  She was worried, of course but it was good to talk to her even for a few minutes.

I worked on the hall while B was gone but he finished washing the paste off of it today.  We are about ready to paint now and thought we might tomorrow but I don't know whether we'll get started or not.  I want to make a cake and get clothes ready for Sunday.  I need to wash my hair but have taken a cold and will have to wait awhile.  This is the first cold I've had this winter.

I wish we had some of your warm weather.  It is bright and sunny but stays so cold.  Easter bonnets will get nipped if it doesn't warm up pretty fast.

I got out my Olson book and looked at the grey patterns.  There are some real pretty ones.  The tone on tone would be easy to take care of but I hope you don't get the solid plain one.

The garage is coming along slowly since the boys aren't here to work much at one time.  Now they are all on vacation but they have the concrete blocks started for the foundation.

Bob and Ann seem to be doing fine in school.  Ann's room planned to get some baby ducks before Easter but they didn't hatch on time.  I don't know whether they'll get them now or not.

Life, May, 1955, feature about the popular school activity

Bob is doing well with his reading and brings a spelling list home regularly to work on.

There have been a lot of extra church activities lately but I haven't gone.  The women's group had a special communion Wed. night and the whole church had one last night.  It is hard to go anywhere during vacation because our sitter is always gone."

                 Lots of love,

                           Bonnie

NOTE:  A late night, long distance phone call would have been a frightening occurrence since both nighttime and long distance calls were rare unless there was an emergency.  The Bell Telephone ad pictured above highlights the results of a survey to housewives about saving money and anxiety by merely using the phone:  Days of Anxiety saved by calling about a relative's surgery; $35.00 deposit saved on a call to a vacation resort to change a reservation; $10.00 saved by calling a store to reserve an item on-sale and saving a pure-bred cow by calling the vet!