April 19, 1959 The Late Letter, The Load of Dirt and The Big News

 Dear Mother & Daddy,

"I'm late again because we've done a lot of extra things and I didn't get my letter written last night because we took the kids to a children's vaudeville show that the Masons of the town sponsor.  Our neighbors gave us tickets and we all had fun.  Today we've tried to do a lot of things without getting anything much really finished.  B has washed part of the windows and part of the screens are up.  It's quite a job because the storm windows have to be taken off and washed and put back.  We trimmed some roses and tied up the Paul's Scarlet that had outgrown its bounds.

We got our load of dirt this week and it took me several days to get it spread out and seeded.  B was gone one day and didn't get home from work the other days early enough to help much.  He carried a lot in buckets one evening so I wouldn't have to rake it so far and that helped.  The yard sure looks better but I hope the grass grows fast.  We put one more little evergreen in front to make it look finished.

Things are really growing now and I can hardly stay in the house these nice days.  When I do start working in the yard I spend as much time visiting with neighbors and people who come along as I do working.

I mailed your pattern today.  It's a good thing I didn't send it without asking you for I was thinking you wore a 14.  I think it's an awfully pretty pattern.

Our big news this week is that I sold my play.  I got a check for $30. for it.  I expected $5. or $10. but just about hit the ceiling when I saw the check.  Ann just about popped.  She sat right down and wrote you a letter but took it to school and forgot to mail it.

My dress is coming along awfully slowly.  The dirt slowed me down a lot and then I had 3 meetings at school this week.  One day I was there from 9:15 till lunch time and then went back at 1:00 for another meeting.

I had a nice thank you letter from the man in Nebraska.  He'll probably be hired for the job but I don't know when.  Several people are retiring so B interviews someone every few days.

I went out to see Granny for a few minutes one day.  She is getting along fine and can push herself around in the wheelchair a little.

I'm so glad Daddy is over that flu.  It has been terrible here.  Our school nurse was in the hospital for two weeks with it.

Did Mrs Hendricks sell her house and farm?  I didn't read about it in the Mirror.

I guess Beulah is awfully busy.  When is their school out?  Is Charlotte making her graduation dress?  It seems so long since we were home.

I must stop so I can get the kids in bed and study my Sunday School lesson."

                          Lots of love,

                                 Bonnie

NOTE:  The pattern pictured was not Grandmother's.  I never saw her wear a full skirted dress.  Hers were typically much straighter, dark colors, often with contrasting cuffs and high collar, always very "proper".   Mom loved traditional patterns with optional details, although she sometimes altered them once the dress the finished, thinking it didn't "look right".