November 7, 1959 Soggy Leaves, Rattlesnakes, Stamps and Coffee Cake

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"It is blue cold--in the 20's--and everything is frozen.  Yesterday morning was warm so I raked a few leaves.  They were soggy wet so I couldn't burn them and I put them in buckets for the garbage man to take.  They froze overnight and he couldn't empty them.  The mums were pretty and I thought I'd leave them out another day to open a little more.  I cut some this morning and put them in a bucket of water but they probably won't be any good.  It has snowed all day but not enough to cover.

We got the porch done just in time.  It looks nice but we'll have to wait awhile to get the rails on or the yard cleaned up.  There is a pile of dirt from the footings and the truck tire tracks have to be smoothed over.  Some of the neighbor kids thought we had to tear out the porch to get rid of our "rattlesnakes".  Our garter snakes have taken up winter quarters under the back porch for we caught a little one on the patio last week for one of Bob's friends.  We had promised him one and we found this one in the sun so we just put it in a fruit jar and took it to the boy one noon hour.  He has it in a big fish aquarium.  When the workmen tore the porch out I asked them if they found our snake family.  They looked at me like I was crazy and said they hadn't seen them.  The hamsters both died.  We don't know why.  The kids didn't seem to care much.

Bob is still working on his stamps.  He has so many I really don't know what he has but he's always thrilled  over any he gets even if he already has it.  One of the men at the post office said he was one of their best customers.

This week hasn't been too bad.  I've been making a shirtwaist dress for myself and it's about done.  Next week is full up.  There is something extra every day and we have invited 14 people for supper Sat. night.  Our family will make it 18 so that will mean a lot of cooking.  If my letter is late you will know why.

It's about supper time and I'm making a coffee cake for a church bake sale so I'd better check on it.

Hope you both are fine." 


                      Lots of love,

                            Bonnie