October 10, 1965 The Fast Trip, The Melody, The Noise and The Pope

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We are really lazy today. The kids are both gone and we didn't even get up in time for church. I don't now when we have just ignored the time and slept. B said he could use a week of it and I guess he could.

Ann stayed all night with a girlfriend and Bob went on a camping trip with Malcolm. There is a teachers' meeting Monday and they won't have school. They were going to sleep in Malcolm's station wagon. I wasn't too happy about them going but they went and will be back tomorrow afternoon. They didn't start until after 5:00 because we were in Chicago. Malcolm was here waiting & had hunted up most of Bob's stuff and they took off.

We made a fast trip to Chicago to get Bob a guitar. There wasn't much choice here except the real high priced ones and we wanted to talk to someone that would tell him something about selecting one. We found a beautiful one and he's real thrilled with it. It was used, but you couldn't tell it. Bob likes classical guitar (something with a melody--not just noise) and couldn't get very far with Ann's electric. He got interested in Florida when one of the professors, (a physicist) talked to the group about guitars and music. We are happy that he has stayed interested for I think he needs something in the way of music. He enjoys the lessons and practices every day.

Ann has been asked to play with a group (one of those noisy guitar bands) but she would have to have a portable organ. We looked at them in Chicago but didn't find anything we could buy. She didn't go with us because she had to accompany the chorus. They were singing for a retired teachers' meeting. She didn't want to go since there was a big school party last night and she had to wash her hair and such.

This was homecoming weekend for the high school so a lot has been going on for the kids. Bob didn't care about it but Ann went to the football game Friday night and to the party last night.  She had to have a dress of course and I spent a lot of the week making it. It was green wool with a white collar and really was a beautiful dress. It wasn't hard to make but took a long time because it had to be lined. They really hold their shape better when they are lined.

B has been up on the roof looking for a leak. It wasn't hard but it's there somewhere. First it's the basement then the roof. I asked him if he wanted to sell the house and move into an apartment.

I hope the apples are worth the stiff backs. They would keep better if they didn't have worms in them but the worms were bad in the ones I brought home. I don't know what can be done about it, though. One of the orchards here sprays 12 times during the spring & summer.  That's real work.

Things are still a mess around the high school. There is a shorter way to drive now but it's between barricades and I'd probably knock all of them down. Progress is wonderful but it seems that streets here are torn up half the time.

I didn't see the Pope on TV but I guess he really sobered the entire U.N.

One of these days, I hope we have a little portable TV so I can watch when I iron or get the news when I'm in the kitchen. Our TV is operating on borrowed time, I think. B and Bob keep coaxing it along but one of these days it's going to stop and stay stopped.

   I must stop and fix some lunch. Ann has come home and the kids will start coming or calling soon."

                      Lots of love,

                           Bonnie


NOTE:  The caption for the Pope's address to the U.N.:

U.N. SPEECH.  The Pope's next stop was the U.N. , where he made the plea for peace that was his main purpose in coming to New York. There he was met by statesmen from 116 nations and, among other notables, an incandescent Jacqueline Kennedy...

In his 30 minute speech in the assembly hall, the Pope--speaking in French--quoted President Kennedy's words of four years ago:  "Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind."  To an assemblage troubled now by the war over Kashmir, the Pope advised: "If you wish to be brothers, let the arms fall from your hands."