September 7, 1974 The Plans, The Porch Rails, The Turquoise Dress, The Mormon Church and The Five Caps

Dear Mother,

"If all goes as planned we'll be coming to Richland next Friday, September 13. We'll leave here sometime in the afternoon and eat our supper on the way. So it will be bedtime when we get there. Then we'll start back home mid-morning on Sunday. It is short, as usual, but the best we can do now. There are a lot of things going on at school but we have told them we'll be out of town and hope we get away. If we have to change our plans we'll call you but we don't expect that to happen.

B is washing the house and windows but it looks like it might rain any time. I want to get the porch rails painted before it does. I undercoated them last Saturday and hoped to finish this week but haven't yet. It was too cold and rainy until yesterday and I ran out of time then.

I'm still sewing and have a long dress almost done for myself. There is a fancy reception coming up and I wanted it for that. The dress is turquoise and rather plain with long sleeves. I bought the material in Minneapolis when we were there for B's meeting.

I went to a Faculty Women's coffee this week and had a hard time deciding what to wear for that. It was too cold for summer things but fall things didn't look right either. I want to make a mid-season dress and have a pattern but haven't found the material yet.

Last Sunday and Monday (Labor Day) were both cloudy, cold and rainy. We went to Nauvoo on Sunday but couldn't take any pictures. You know that is where the Mormon church began and then they moved to Kansas City and Utah. The area is being restored and it is a very beautiful and interesting place. It is just a little tiny town but was once the largest city in Illinois. That is hard to believe but true. We ate dinner in the old hotel and then looked around the town. It had been 3 years or more since we'd been there and they have done a lot of work on the town.

I finally finished five caps for the bazaar. It is this weekend but I haven't been there. I don't like that sort of thing very well. I'm knitting a beret for myself now and hope it comes out right. My knitting is almost always guesswork. I'm never sure how it will finish up.

We picked some apples last night at a friend's house and I'd like to put some pies in the freezer. They are Jonathans but not perfect. Apples are terribly high so I was glad to cut out the bad spots.

I must get busy but we'll see you next Friday night.

            Love,

                Bonnie

P.S. Take those pain pills so your back will stop hurting before we get there."

NOTE: In the era of popular TV mini-series, the one on Lincoln was particularly well-received.