January 25, 1975 The Look of Spring, The Last Half, The Book Review, The Quilt Blocks and The Little Dinner Party

Dear Mother,

"There is a look of spring outdoors but it doesn't feel much like it. The grass is still green and after a lot of rain last night most of the snow is washed off. The days are getting a little longer and that's nice. I don't like it to be dark at 4:00.

I've had two meetings this week but we've had to go out only one night. That was to a play at school and I slept thru the last half of it. It was very good but I simply couldn't keep awake. It was disgusting. I did finally get my book review ready to give so that's off my mind. That will be given in about two weeks and it will be all over. All I have to do now is read it over a few times.

In every spare minute I work on my quilt blocks. I found some old fashioned print that looks like calico so I'm making some old patterns up. I have three blocks almost finished and they are so pretty. They are variations of the oak leaf pattern and are applique. I think I'll make pillows out of them because the blocks are big enough for that. I remembered that Beulah was piecing a quilt and knew you had given her your scraps after I wrote last time. No one seems to sew much cotton anymore so no one has scraps. I gave my scraps to Bessie when the kids were little so I don't have any either.

Just let your furnace run and keep warm. The flu is raging here and this kind goes into viral pneumonia very fast. Four people (young ones) died in Peoria and one in Normal within the last few weeks. If you should get it call the doctor and get some antibiotics. Don't fool around with it.

We're having a little dinner party Monday evening for a man who works for B and is leaving for another job in Springfield. I tried to get all my groceries yesterday but couldn't find some things where I went. That is always the way, it seems. I can never get all my list of things at one store.

The enclosed recipe was in our paper and I thought it interesting. You probably have seen others like it.

B has an ingrown nail that is bothering him so he's going to see what the foot doctor will do this morning.

I must get some cleaning done so I don't have to do much on Monday. If I leave things until the last minutes before company, I'm in trouble. The phone would probably ring all day and I'd run out of time.

Tell Beulah I'll write to her soon. The days sure go by fast."

                     Love,

                         Bonnie