January 26, 1974 The Slow Thaw, The Dirty Windows, The Formal Initiation, The Spring Sewing and The Fried Pies

Dear Mother,

"It looks as if it is going to pour rain any minute and it is supposed to rain today. We still have snow because it just doesn't stay warm long enough for it to melt. The thawing has been slow but it is a good thing. We haven't had a drop of water in the basement and if we'd had a fast thaw we'd probably have had water everywhere.

This has been a real busy week. As You Like It Club met here Thursday so I had to get ready for them. It was a beautiful bright day and all of the dirty windows showed up but no one cared because we had such a good time. One of the women brought her husband to show pictures of Norway so that was interesting. They went last summer.

I am being initiated into a sorority along with a lot of college students and this week has been full of things to go to. Sunday night I went to a party where the girls live and met them all. I'll never learn all their names. Tuesday night there was a barbecue supper and I left that early to go to a ballet at school.

B met me there and that was a beautiful program. They were all Mexican dancers and their costumes were so bright and beautiful--flowers, feathers, embroidery, lace and all kinds of pretty stuff was used. Last night there was half of the formal initiation at the church and then a reception. The rest of the initiation is this morning and a banquet tonight, and tomorrow will be another reception. B will go with me to the reception tomorrow but that is the only thing he's been in on. I thought about this a long time before I said I'd do it but it is a chance to work with students and this is the only time the sorority can take in honor members.

I'm getting ready to do some spring sewing so have the dining table all spread out. Yesterday I cut out a suit with a long skirt. I wish I had enough material to make a short skirt too but I don't and I can't get any more since I bought it last summer. Maybe I'll get the pieces pinned together sometime this afternoon.

B has taken the Mustang out to Sears to have the muffler fixed. It should be in good shape when that is done. We had the transmission fixed and that was a big job and took several days. It has been a good little car and this is the first big job we've had to do.

Your letter came right through this time. I guess the weather made the difference.

I tried making Aunt Nora's fried pies with the canned biscuits but am out of practice, I guess. I fried them too fast so had to put them in the oven awhile. They tasted good though and I'll make some more one of these days.

Daylight savings time doesn't bother me too much but I guess it is a problem for little school children. It would be a simple matter to start school at 9:00 like we used to do and I don't see why that idea hasn't been used. It is just silly for little ones to get out in the dark.

I'm glad you got to church last week. It helps the day go by. We went in the rain. The weather here doesn't seem to keep people at home.

The Watergate hearings are supposed to start again next week. I hope I can listen to them. If Nixon loved this country as he says he does he would resign and fade away so we can get ahead with our other problems. He could have ended all this long ago if he'd answered questions himself but he's put the country thru all this agony instead. I have more admiration for Agnew even if he did some bad things. At least, he didn't keep lying and string it all out as he could have. Maybe it will all end one of these days. I hope soon.

I guess I'd better get myself ready to go to church. I have to be there at 10:30.

Hope you are fine and that the weather is better."

                   Love,

                       Bonnie

NOTE:  As the University continued to grow, more student housing, including sororities and fraternities were built in the neighborhood. Two of them were directly across the street from our house. This was both a blessing and a curse to B & Bonnie. Tri-Delta sorority invited Bonnie to be an honorary member, as a good-will gesture I'm sure. After a couple of years she commented, "I'm not so sure about that sorority business."