Newsletter 1973
A year ago, the appearance of Newsletter 1973 was promised as a definite maybe. Well, we made it, but this will probably wind up the 32-year series. The chances for Newsletter 1974 are awfully slim. It takes energy to get out a package like this, and energy is in short supply these days, particularly for the older members of this family! So, if it doesn't appear you'll know inertia finally caught up with the editorial and publishing staff! We don't say that it will happen, but it certainly is apt to. At least, that's what the crystal ball tells us.
As usual, Les was involved with a wide range of projects. The Air Force fuel vapor concentration study, a carryover from 1971 and 1972, finally appeared in report form, and the study on water spray as a defense against flammable vapor released was finally finished up. The current major task an unusual one, involved development testing of concepts for external fire protection of offshore floating nuclear power plants This is probably the most interesting task to have come along in many years It is so far outside the state-of-the-art that it represents a real challenge to figure out practical approaches.
Les, tho, is hoping to start slowing down in 1974, getting toward a less demanding way of life, Last December he found that some occasional chest pains were actually angina pectoris An occasional pill, as needed, keeps the situation under control. So, it in no great problem More of a nuisance than anything else! Just the same, he wants to enjoy a more leisurely life, hopefully to get in some "space available" travel via military aircraft. For example, to exotic Thailand. Ed's descriptions of the country made Les want to get there too Also, he hopes to return to Europe. The trip last year just whetted his appetite for sightseeing there Perhaps by next summer, a semiretired status will make this possible. In his spare time, he continues to stay active in ceramics and ham radio No painting for the moment. There's no space left on the walls to hang new pictures, and more than a few stored in the garage.
Polly, as you would expect, spent lots of time playing the organ at weddings and as substitute organist at various churches She's avoided permanent jobs, since they tie her down too much. She gave up teaching piano for just that reason. Polly loves to travel, For some years she's wanted to get back to Kansas City for extended visiting. So, her gadabout schedule this year was based on getting to the American Royal Stock Show there. The trip took two months in all, with over 3000 miles of driving, mostly around Kansas City. Most of this was before the energy crisis got to be a problem and gasoline in short supply. She left in early October and returned early December. Her next hope is for a 10-day charter group trip to the Holy Land which was scheduled for February 1974. That was before the war started What will happen to the trip is anybody's guess. If this doesn't materialize She'll probably come up with something else. While she wonders about it she can play her new harpsichord, now being assembled from a special kit by a musician friend. The movement is playable and the cabinet work almost ready for finishing. What with her piano, the little pump organ and the harpsichord, you can have almost any sort of sound you like. Polly has had her medical troubles. The cancer that grounded her in 1972 re-established itself and spread to the liver. An exploratory operation in June showed surgery couldn't do much for her, but chemotherapy might do the job. So now she's on a weekly dose of 5 FU. She feels good, and as far as we know now, the treatment is doing a good job. For a while she was hesitant about the Kansas City trip, but since she could get treatment in military facilities wherever she went, it was a completely successful affair. She felt good and really had a ball !
Larry had hoped to get his degree this year up at U of Missouri, but it didn't work out that way. Money became a problem, outside jobs a necessity, and now he's putting his army talents as a medic to good use full time at the University hospital. Hopefully, the few credit hours he still needs can be picked up part time in 1974. Let's hope he graduates at last and pleasantly surprises us all. Sooner or later, the day will come. His musical activities continue as an organist in Fulton, serving on the Commission as Church Music, and as a guest with the Missouri Band. He's rebuilding an organ for use in a new church building in Fulton. Larry has a new address now - 1723 W. Worley - 6A, Columbia, Missouri 65201. His phone is still (314) 445-4638.
After some hectic and exciting years, reported in the past few newsletters, such as his sojourn in Thailand and getting a Master's degree, Ed has settled down into a relatively humdrum way of life. On occasion, this happens to all of us. He commutes from 4725 Boiling Brook Parkway, Rockville, Maryland 20853 to Annapolis where he runs computer analyses on various Department of Defense communications problems. The radio frequencies around the world are so heavily used that the Electronic Compatibility Analysis Center (ECAC) is kept busy all the time to coordinate what is done, act as a sort of traffic cop, and try to keep all systems working. It's a real challenge, as Ed finds out every day. In his spare moments he's involved with two little theater groups, and discovering they are lots of fun. You can still reach him at (301) 949-3513.
Dan, still teaching at Jefferson Davis School here in San Antonio, finished his course work for an MA in History last year. The thesis, though, had still to be completed so during the late spring and summer he worked hard putting it together, draft after draft. The subject was unusual: "Portrait of a Young Artist. " It was the life history of Shawn Phillips, a rock singer ! Shawn, incidentally, is getting better known all the time. Finally getting it finished and accepted, Dan put on his cap and gown again, becoming a MA in August. Les just missed getting a ticket for speeding on the way down to Kingsville, but it probably would have been worth it! On paper, at least, he's now qualified to teach high school classes, although the prospect doesn't appeal to him. The middle grades seem to suit him very well. So why change? At least, until there's some good reason for doing so. Right now, he's well suited to his assignment. He finished his teacher's certification, too, getting this done in July. For years, Dan had a nice apartment not far from his school, but when the landlord sold the property he had to seek new quarters. The solution proved to be a mobile home on a private site out in the country. It's working out very well for him. The new address is Route I Box 366 EE, San Antonio, Texas 78223 and Dan's phone is (512) 633-0585. He's still active in hot air ballooning whenever the chance arises, although his thesis work somewhat limited his activity there last summer. Eventually he'll wind up with a balloonist's license, but getting the necessary flight time is a slow process, especially in somebody else's balloon. It's a sport heavily dependent on favorable wind conditions.
Some changes have occurred in the animal population. Buffy the cavorting cocker, had to be put to sleep in the summer because of a serious illness. For a while we had only the three cats, Kit, Ming and Taffy. Then a Siamese kitten was offered us as a replacement for Dan's cat Natasha, lost or stolen down at Kingsville last year. But, through a weird mixup, he found himself owner of two other Siamese kittens, named Archie and Mehitabel. A third cat was the last thing Dan needed, so we kept the kitten, naming her Mai Tai. Ming was full of mischief before. Aided and abetted by Mai Tai, things are never dull. It's like having a pair of monkeys around. If you think one Siamese can wreck havoc on a house, you should see what two can do! They seem to inspire each other in deviltry. Taffy has always been an oddly shaped cat, and with her bobbed tail she's somewhat unusual. This year, we were advised by the Vet that she's an American Manx. It came as a surprise, but there really is such a breed! Kit is more and more getting to be a sedate old lady which is not unexpected, since she's now around 12 years old.
Well, that's it for newsletter '73. Later than usual, but we expect it will get thru, at least before New year. And, if next December, a '74 edition doesn't come along, we'll do our best to reply to cards on a smaller scale.
The Egglestons
230 Montpelier Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78228
(512) 734-0698
