April 11, 1959 Leveling Off Dirt, Caught in the Rain and Looking for the Right Man

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It's a beautiful day but very cold.   They are even talking about snow.  The kids covered their garden with plastic bags the other night when frost was predicted.  Their lettuce is really growing and they would be disappointed if it should freeze.  It stays so cold that nothing can bloom.  There isn't a tulip or jonquil any place.  Last Saturday was a beautiful day and we almost worked ourselves to death.  The people who put the sewer in last winter left things in such a mess.  We spaded the whole space between the walk and curb and leveled it off before we seeded it.  It looks nice and I'm glad we did did even it it did take all afternoon.  Other people along the street just leveled theirs off where the pipes were laid but that will look terrible when the dirt settles.   We have cleaned leaves out  of most of the flowers but still haven't raked the yard.  Bob's willow is leafing out and the roses are leafing out in spite of the cold.

I went to a women's party on Monday night and we had the spring dinner of the Faculty Women's Club on Tuesday night.  That is piano day and then B had to make a speech in another teacher's place because he had the flu.  That was in Galesburg, Ill.   So Tuesday was a terrible day and to top it all off the rain began just as I was all dressed up to leave for the dinner.  B went to Decatur as usual on Wed. and that was Ann's choir practice evening.  I spent Thursday cleaning the house from upstairs to the basement.  Bob had a Scout meeting and I was supposed to go to Quill Club but things got so complicated I just stayed home.  We had two families coming Thursday night to be interviewed for jobs at school.  We didn't know when they would get here and B had to meet them and get them settled for the night.  One came from Ohio and one from Nebraska.  Then yesterday B had to look after the Nebraska couple all day.  There was a luncheon for them at noon, a tea in the afternoon and they came here for dinner last night.  They had left their children at home and wanted to take them presents so I took the woman shopping between the lunch and the tea and somehow I had dinner on time.  There were ten of us altogether and everything went fine.  B helped with the dishes after they all left so we got in bed about midnight.  B had to see them again this morning so he went to school early.  The job is a very important one and the school wants to be sure this is the right man.  That's the reason for all the extra things.

I'm so glad Beulah and Nobel are looking better.  Bob is fine and in school again.  Daddy had better watch that flu business.  It seems to get people down and there has been quite a bit of pneumonia.

I hope you never have to take the store business to court either but I do think it would help if you knew what was legally right or wrong about it.  I don't think things will ever be right until you do that and Cooks know you have done it.  They seem to think you don't know a thing about the business and they can tell you anything or do anything and get by with it.

I found this picture in the paper and thought it such a pretty pattern I was tempted to buy one for you but decided I'd just send the picture.  I'll get you one though if you want it.  It comes in even sizes--no half sizes.

Don't work too hard and take care of that cold, Daddy."

                   Lots of love,

                          Bonnie

NOTE:  The commemorative stamp (photo above) was issued on April 1, 1959, in honor of the 10th anniversary of NATO.  For detailed information about the April session and discussion of the international situation in 1959, use the link:  http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-4542AED7-CA029E1A/natolive/official_texts_17724.htm?selectedLocale=en

Image courtesy of mysticstamp.com