May 25, 1957 The Sun is Shining, The Scouts and Costumes are Out of the Way, The Manuscript is Back and Words of Wisdom from B

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"The sun is shining today and I've got my house cleaned for the week-end so I feel pretty good.  It has rained so much this month that everything is about to mold.   If the sun will only shine a few days and dry things out a bit they will really grow.  My rose bushes are budded and the iris are still blooming.

Last night was the first night of the pageant.  It was after 11:00 when Bob got home but he slept late this morning and doesn't seem to be any the worse for it.  We are all going to see it tonight but I doubt if Ann will be able to stay awake so late.


Tuesday is the last day for scouts and that is a big relief.
With the costumes and scouts out of the way I want to do some sewing for myself.  Your material is real pretty but it is unusual.  I'll bet it makes up pretty and looks cool.


My manuscript finally came back this week.  I could hardly believe it but I had written about it again.  The agent wrote a long letter of apology for keeping it so long.  It had been two years on May 5.  It was a nice letter and she claims she had been in the hospital twice and lost her secretary.  She had shown it to some people but had no luck.  I intend to fix it up a bit and send it to a publisher when I get around to it.  I'm invited to a writers' club meeting and plan to take it there for criticism.  Maybe I can get some suggestions.  The agent sent back the postage check & the addressed envelopes I had sent her and said that was the least she could do to make amends for her keeping the manuscript so long.

B has a commencement talk in Lexington next week.  The club he sponsors at school had a picnic last Wed. evening & got rained out.  They brought all their food to our kitchen and it was much too much for them to eat.  We gave food to the boys next door (students) and have eaten hot dogs and baked beans till we are sick of them.

The kids are going to a Sunday School party tomorrow afternoon.  For once, I don't have to send any cookies.

Toni and Watty are getting their clothes ready now and having their shots.  It won't be long before they start their trip.  They have arranged for a teacher to stay with the kids.  She was Ann's kindergarten teacher and she'll be fine with them but I really feel sorry for her.  She is going to have three sick kids when Toni & Watty leave.

It is time for Ann to be home from school so I'll say bye for now."

                   Lots of love,

                          Bonnie

P.S.  We finally got the anniversary pictures back.  They aren't dark enough but B thinks the negatives are all right if we wanted more.  He thinks he's going to have to make his own to get them to suit him.

NOTE:  Our Dad's speeches and published articles most often dealt with philosophical issues encountered in the classroom.  He often talked with pre-admissions' college students about the importance of not merely learning what was directly taught, but of experiencing learning in all activities.  He once told us of a meeting he had with the parent of an ISNU freshman prior to the start of the school year.  The father of this boy had made an appointment to talk with Dad about what to expect from college and how much money the boy would need to get through his freshman year.  After going over the budget the father had prepared, Dad noticed a yearly allowance of only a very few dollars for spending money.  His comment to the father was, "Now if you want your son to come to college to learn, he'll need extra money for an occasional movie, sporting events, dates, bus fares and all the other important experiences a young man needs to have in order to truly learn from his experiences away from home."

To teachers, he often talked about the personal characteristics and philosophies that provided the potential to expand their students' learning.  The excerpt below from one of his articles on "World-mindedness", is one such example, and one of my favorites.