October 21, 1961 The Thanksgiving Plans, The Yard, The Birthday Party and The Usual Full Week

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We have been talking about Thanksgiving & then Buddy called me this week and talked a long time.  He said he'd asked you to come to our house with them & we think it's a wonderful idea.  Don't you think you could come if you started planning now?  He said he wanted you to come to his house on Sun. & then you could all come here on Wednesday.  Even if you didn't go to St. Louis till Tuesday it shouldn't be too tiring since Daddy wouldn't have to drive all the way to Normal.  I told him to bring Francis Jr. & his family, too.  We'll have a wonderful time & we have plenty of beds & plenty of room.  It has been so long since you were here.  Dorsey can take care of things just fine & if you have milk customers just tell them ahead of time that you are coming & they can either get extra milk ahead of time or buy at the store.  It wouldn't hurt just once.

Bonnie, Beulah, Buddy & their Mother, 1937

Ann & I have been to piano class & Bob is raking leaves.  They are wet but we want them off the yard.  The city had a tree cut down & the crew is supposed to repair the yard.  They made some big holes & we want them to see what needs to be fixed.  I get so mad.  You give them permission to use your yard & then they take over.  They ran over our garbage can lid & ruined it & broke a block in the sidewalk.

It is misty & cold today & I'm afraid our Indian Summer is over.  We drove to the lake last Sunday but the leaves weren't turned enough to be real pretty.  The trees in town are prettier.

B is working at school this morning & had a dinner meeting last night.  Ann had a Halloween party last night.  We decorated the basement & the kids had a wonderful time.

This has been the usual full week.  I've tried to squeeze in my ironing but haven't finished yet--may do some today & tonight.

Monday was Etta's birthday so we gave her a party.  I took the ice cream & we all went together and bought her a sweater.  She was so overwhelmed and happy she didn't know what to say.  She stammered & her eyes clouded over & then she began to pray.  You remember that she was the old Catholic lady.  She prayed a beautiful prayer.  It made us cry & I told B that was the biggest dollars worth I ever had.  She lives in a nursing home & is so bright and pretty.  She must be almost 90 but we will never know.  No amount of teasing will induce her to tell.

Then we each went to two dinners, a tea & the PTA meeting & I went to a dessert for the wives in our department.

Ann has a flute lesson at noon & some Scouts are meeting here this afternoon so I'd better think about an early lunch.

Hope you all are fine."

                   Lots of love,

                          Bonnie

NOTE:  I loved it when either or our parents got together with their siblings--always fun and entertaining!  The above photos are 2 of only 3 I have of them together.  We'll see the 3rd one when they get together in 1962.