"If we had expected all of you to get so excited about this Calif. business we would not have written it but would have waited till we came home to tell it. I thought I made it plain that our going was so very doubtful & thought it would be fun & interesting for you to hear about it. It has been interesting for us & exciting to talk about the possibilities but we are not going to be enticed by the glamour of California. We have too much here to give up lightly & the job will have to be a really superior one before we would begin to consider it. B had a letter from the President saying they would have a new salary schedule next year & asked B to write him a note as to whether he'd meet him in Chicago. B had the letter typed & ready to mail saying he would not be interested when he got a telegram from Dr. Houston in Calif. urging B to at least meet the President in Chicago & talk with him. Dr. Houston is a Mo. man who was head of the education department here when we came to Normal. He went to Chico, Calif. from here. So B met the Chico President on Monday & had a long talk with him about the college. B made it clear that he was not anxious to move & the man may have been interviewing others, too. We don't know.
The job actually is not vacant yet. The man now holding it has heart trouble & has been told to give it up. He hasn't made up his mind when he'll quit yet. It is all very indefinite. The main thing was for B & the President to meet one another. They will be writing about the job later. Naturally, the thing is in the back of your minds but we have never mentioned it to the children & only two or three friends know about it.
The Upstairs is coming along fine. We have a student working up there & he has a lot of the framing done. He & B are figuring on the heating ducts now & they plan to start with the bath tomorrow. The student is moving out of town soon & B wants him to help as much as he can before he moves. B doesn't have any time now to work but his vacation will start soon.
I have been sewing this week trying to make that green dress you gave me. I bought a new pattern & had the waist all done & then it was too little. I was so disgusted but I should have known better than to get a 13. Luckily I had enough scraps to cut another top & I was using a gathered skirt so I have it about done now. I'd like to get the brown striped one started soon.
There hasn't been time to hear from my manuscript. I hope I can go to the Quill Club (that's the writer's club) tomorrow night. Everyone is supposed to have something humorous written for this meeting. They have different assignments each time & after those things are read & criticized then other things can be read. They criticize & make suggestions on selling the material. It is real helpful & enjoyable.
I hope Uncle Floyd is all right & not hurt badly. Maybe you can tell us more about the accident in your next letter.
We had a wonderful rain this morning & it looks like more is coming."
Lots of love,
Bonnie
NOTE: I really should try and get that manuscript published!
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| Clippings included in letter |
I never realized until now that Dad was looking for advancement in 1957- Chico State in Nor Cal would have been great but a very different life for us.
ReplyDeleteSo far from "home". I wonder if they really would have considered it had the offer been right.
ReplyDelete