Jan 1, 1973
13119 Hermitage
Dear Family,
The new year of 1973 is starting
out wet and rainy here in Texas — I woke a couple of times during
the night to hear some thunder rumbling way off in the distance and
to hear the rain on the roof, and the rain is continuing as the day
gets started. Generally it’s sort of a light rain but there was a
brief heavy shower as we were having breakfast. Jean & I went to
bed well before midnight and more or less slept in the New Year,
altho I dimly recall being awake about then and being surprised at
the lack of noise and commotion outside which was usually the case in
El Cerrito. Laurel was baby-sitting for the family behind us and I
don’t know just when she got home — she’s still asleep as I
write (about 10 oclock AM), I also don’t know when our other two
daughters got to bed, altho Muriel was up and around about as so soon
as we were.
The year seems to be starting on
a sort of optimistic note, as judged from the news in the morning
paper. Nixon has ordered a halt in the bombing
and hopefully the new negotiations
may lead to the long hoped for settlement. The oil workers’ union
and the oil companies appear to be headed for an agreement which will
avoid a strike and all the accompanying inconveniences. Mr. Shultz
says the economic picture is good for the year ahead.
As far as our family here is
concerned, we seem to be pretty well over the flu or colds which have
been afflicting us for the last week or ten days, altho I still have
sort of a stopped up nose today. Today of course is a holiday and I
at least will be watching some of the football games; tomorrow it’s
back to work at Shell after a week’s vacation and it won’t be too
easy getting up at a quarter to six, after getting pretty accustomed
to a considerably later rising time. Palma & Laurel start school
again on Wednesday or Thursday of this week but Muriel won’t be
going back to Austin till the middle of January.
Our Christmas was generally a
happy one despite being far from the family contacts of all our
previous Christmases as a family. Christmas Eve we spent at the
Johnstons — two of their children were at home and Elsie’s mother
was visiting with them also; before we went to their house for supper
Palma & I went to a Christmas communion service at ~5
PM in the afternoon — sort of a candlelight service which was quite
meaningful.
We
had our Christmas presents on the morning of Christmas day and we all
received many worthwhile gifts & happy surprises. In the
afternoon the Johnstons stopped by for coffee & cookies as did
also the Kruegers (I ride to work with him) and we also had a visit
across the bayou fence with some Shell acquaintances in the
neighborhood who had gone for a walk there. In the evening we went to
an open house but didn’t stay too long as the girls were suffering
from their respective colds and weren’t too interested in the
company; my bout with the flu didn’t really start till the next
day.
In
between times during the rest of the week I did get a few jobs done
when I felt like doing something. Friday we went to see a traveling
art exhibit at the Houston art museum (part of the Norton Simon collection) which was pretty good. Saturday we had breakfast at Brennan’s
(a delayed birthday gift to Muriel because Jean was in the hospital
on her birthday last August) and we then went to ITC where I work and
made free phone calls to Calif and other points. Yesterday was the
usual Sunday, then we had the Guthries for lunch and a good visit.
All for this time
With
love, Carl
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment