March 3, 1974 The Pretty Card, The Shopping Mall, The Warm Weather, The 8¢ Postage and The High Gas

Dear Mother,

"I had a lovely birthday yesterday and thanks so much for the pretty card and the check. I'll probably use it for some materials for my jewelry class which starts next week. I don't think I'll have to buy much and I certainly don't want to buy any gold. The price is so high it is just silly. Last week it was $188.15 an ounce and when I started my first jewelry class it was $42, I think or a little less.

I have lots of birthday cards and Ann called me. That was a treat. She is fine and really sounded fine. Bob & Pat had given me a casserole when we were in Chicago. It is yellow and very nice. B gave me some earrings. We had seen them in the hotel last week but I didn't dream he'd buy them. The Hilton has several little shops with real pretty things.

We went to a play Thursday night but didn't do anything but watch TV last night. I went out to the shopping mall yesterday afternoon to see a craft show but didn't see anything very interesting. There was a lot of pottery and leather belts and most everything else was bazaar type stuff like pot holders and knitted things.

My needlepoint pillow is all worked and I'm blocking it now. I wet it for the third time this morning to get it straight. When I took it off the board it still looked a little crooked. It is funny how mine work so lop-sided.

Today is supposed to be sunny and mild. It really looks like spring and the buds on the trees are big and fat. A few days of warm weather and the blooms would pop out. We may wash some windows later today. My hair is wet and I don't want to get out until it dries some.

Can Uncle Francis be up any? They sure have had a bad time.

I had a nice card and letter from Beulah but haven't had time to answer. I guess I should have written a lot of letters yesterday while I could still send them for 8¢.

We still can buy gas. It is terribly high and the stations were supposed to be short this weekend. we don't need any so I don't know if they really are. I think all of this gas and oil business is make-believe. It doesn't make sense that oil companies are making so much profit if there is such a scarcity of it. I'm beginning to think Simon doesn't know very much. I guess time will tell.

B has come from the office so I'd better get a little lunch. Hope you are fine and that it is really getting warm there."

                         Love,

                              Bonnie

NOTES:  This post is the letter #1,605 and the postage rate increase on March 2, 1974 was only the 4th one since 1941 (from 3¢ - 10¢).  From this point on, it began to rise every few years.