Letters From New York
19th February 1968
Dear Mum,
This will be a somewhat hurried attempt this week as I’m labouring under extreme pressure what with the social duties involved with our boarder plus a concerted attempt at long last to get some data and enquiries off to prospective employers in Australia. The past two weeks have been hectic as you can well imagine in our overcrowded household but its been pretty good fun and the “housekeeper” has been performing marvellously. She’s certainly had her hands full and picked just the right time to be laid up with a wog when she succumbed to a 24 hour gastric virus the weekend Athol was away in Washington and when the weather wasn’t all that bright anyway. Pleased to relate she’s back to normal – if anyone can ever be termed “normal” in our mad house – and going great guns.
Your epistle arrived on Saturday and we were very pleased to hear from and of you again. Sorry to learn that the T.V.’s still on the blink but delighted by your reaction to the tape. Thought you’d all be tickled pink by the childrens’ voices and their Americanisms. Note that Lindsay has found his way to cold Wagga Wagga and read in one of the papers recently that Normie Rowe has also been drafted, in Victoria, too. Let’s hope they don’t get too enamoured of Lindsay’s talents and want to send him auditing the spoils of war over there in Vietnam. From what we hear the only places where some quiet and order prevails are those controlled by the Australian forces.
All the children are over their woes and are actually sporting rosy cheeks and generally healthy appearances. The two little girls have slight colds but Helen’s was somewhat occasioned by the fact that she had a first triple antigen needle last Thursday. Really the weather, though still quite cold, has been on the improve and the days are quite bright and clear. We’re still assailed by very high and freezing winds and its an awesome sight to see many of the waterways about the place iced over and the lakes everywhere turned into natural ice-skating rinks.
You certainly sound like Little Orphan Annie with all your family broken up and scattered about the countryside. Don’t worry about the birthdays too much. I’ve given up remembering mine and Jenny’s far too young yet to worry. We went to a dinner party at Bartels on Friday night and celebrated a double birthday – cake and all – with Arthur Travis whose birthday was on the Saturday (17th). We took Athol along and everyone had the whale of a time.
Been quite busy of course since Athol’s return last Tuesday night even if it’s merely been to sit up and chew the fat till the late hours. He’s been driving himself almost to a standstill and some of it, naturally, has worn off on us. We’ve had him all over the place seeing the sights and doing over the shops and he’s been running about town every day on business. We had a few trips out on Saturday at various stores and I managed to invest in a couple of pairs of shoes for myself. We also purchased ice skates for Anthony and Catherine (Phillip already had a pair given to him some time ago) and now they’re dying to wear them. Phillip had his first experience of it on Thursday afternoon when he went to Central Park rinks with the school. He took to it like a duck to water & went very well.
Yesterday we had a day out to the Kellys at Port Washington and felt very clever taking another Kelly along as a visitor. Then, in the evening, Athol and I went to the movies to see “A Man for All Seasons” (a wonderful show). Tomorrow night we have our long awaited night out to the Broadway hit “Mame” and share in the Kelly swansong. He flies out for Los Angeles on Wednesday. Still working hard & long at the U.N. and seem to be going along quite fine with the hierarchy. ‘Tis getting late so I will hand over to Joan.
Love & wishes,
Bill
Dear Mum,
It is very late, have had some awfully late nights over the past few weeks & with “home time” coming up I sometimes wonder if I will have all done on time. I didn’t know where to start. Please don’t worry about sending birthday presents over, its not the presents so much as the postage and seeing that we will be home in a couple of months I don’t think you need bother. If you like we can give Jenny a little something from “Nanna Wire”. As Bill said I have been kept very busy lately & don’t see much of a let down for a while yet.
God bless, my love to you,
Joan