Letters From New York
“Our Place”
21st November, 1966
Dear Mum,
Whilst our letter arrived earlier (and quite surprisingly so since it was posted at the normal time) than usual, your arrived a day late – Saturday morning instead of Friday and was most welcome indeed. We had heard of the rather hectic week of weather you’d been having in New South Wales and of the havoc which it had left in its wake. Indeed, the world seems to be plagued with flood damage of late what with the Welsh & Italian tragedies of recent weeks. As always, it was good to hear from you – it brings you so close to us and gives us some feeling of still being “with it” at home. Glad you like the photos, but disturbed that people should take my little princess to be a boy.
You’ll know by this that Catherine’s party was an unqualified success, and Phillip’s beginning to look forward to his already. Our next big feast will be next Thursday – Thanksgiving – when we’re due (weather permitting) to visit the Kellys and have an all-Australian Thanksgiving Day Dinner – turkey and all – a la American style. The yanks make a big thing of the day and we’re hoping the weather will hold good for our long trek out (and back) to the Kelly home. My big dinner last Thursday night went over very well and I was given the royal treatments as the Australian-visitor from down-under who’d come 11,000 odd miles to join the great N.Y society of purchasing men.
Glad to hear you’re keeping in touch with Roger’s and hope that, when she goes over, Bern will be able to show you the latest batch of slides we sent over to them. Pleased too that the boys found their end of year examination papers to their liking and trust the results reflect their pleasure with & confidence in them. Bad luck about Lindsay’s accident but pleasing to know there was no physical damage done. Our vehicle is going quite famously – Joan is going through the reading requirements prior to applying for a permit – and I had my longest drive yesterday afternoon, finding the experience quite enjoyable. Indeed, I’ve already chalked up something like 300 miles. Joan is having it a little tough at the moment as she’s developed an annoying back complaint (she says it’s akin to the one she gets when carrying the babies – but rest assured that’s not the trouble this time!!) and last week had an accident with one of our camp stretchers which fell out of its box plumb onto her right big toe. It came up like a balloon; she’s hobbling around like a cripple; and whilst the swelling’s now subsided, the area under the toenail (which I’m tipping she’ll lose) is quite black and sore.
Everyone else is literally blooming with rosy cheeks and very good complexions. Jenny’s coming along like a house afire, having now cut two bottom, front teeth and (this morning) taken her first two steps – to me. She’s walking, supported, all over the place and can often be bluffed into standing alone. With the teeth, she’s been rather unsettled over the past few days and, with her ninth month still a week away, she’s pretty advanced. Michael’s in the pink and sporting new clothes from head to foot with shoes, pants, socks, snow jacket, raincoat & hat. He’d developed a great friendship with Michelle Bartels, the two being inseparable and so often taken to be twins. Catherine’s coming along wonderfully at school and is the perfect second mother to Jenny. Not a great deal to say on the boys – they’re lapping it all up and enjoying life to the full.
Sorry to hear about the fall – it’s quite obvious that you should be putting more ice and water with the ginger ale! I’ve been as busy as ever; becoming quite involved in the work situation at the U.N. and what with all our socialising – find little time for some many other things that I ought to be doing. Couldn’t emulate my nephews and performed quite poorly in a French test at the end of the week. Find I have little motivation to study now and find alternatives too easy to undertake. The weekend, as usual was pretty well taken up with shopping, driving lessons etc/etc/etc and Sunday morning presented me with a most interesting experience.
Greg was invited to a Holy name come Catholic men’s meeting (Mass & a Communion Breakfast) at Irvington, some 25 miles to the north of here, with the purpose of giving a dissertation in Aust. And he took Dick Roberts and I along for moral support. The proceedings proved to be something to remember – a quaint little Church; a most interesting Monsignor; old but as modern as they come, a wonderful speaker himself and the perfect host. Greg, of course, did us proud and went miles out of his way to drive us back home through some glorious country in New Jersey (along the Hudson river). All being well, we’ve more in store next Sunday as we have plans to motor up to West Point Military Academy for the day. Hope the weather holds good.
It is, of course, getting colder with 30°+ being quite common now, though the days are really glorious – even if nippy. Westchecks, a short distance from us here recorded a 14° this morning and we experienced our first frost. That’s all for now. Will leave the back for Joan to give you the interesting news.
Lots of Love, your find son Bill xxxxxxxx
Dear Mum, Have been trying to do a bit of sewing but have not too much time really. I am making Cathy a skirt to wear out on Thursday. I should get it done in time. I find I can manage everything pretty well by myself but still find the ironing mounting up and up. Then I spend 5 or 6 hours all at once catching up. Sorry you are going to lose Joan and Ron, Gay too. It is a pity they do not like Sydney it would have helped the time pass till we bring the Dwyer mob back home.
Fondest love, Joan xxxxx