Once the Thanksgiving turkey is eaten, the year is about over, except for Christmas. Getting ready for that crowds everything else out, so for newsletter purposes, the year can be reported before the calendar says it's time to do so.
As usual, Les got in quite a bit of travel. It started in January. The '52 Chrysler was drinking gas at 6 mpg, so it was traded in on a new Hillman- Minx 4 door sedan, bright red with gray trim. Les took delivery at Houston, Texas, then swung over to New Orleans for a few days of balmy sunshine as a short winter vacation. Coming back to work refreshed, he dug into the boron fuel fire research program, where after a long series of frustrations, a breakthrough finally came. The job was successfully completed in May, and an Air Force Technical report appeared in November. The little car was a big success, even though a collision put it in the repair shop awhile. The police report blamed the other driver, whose insurance company paid all
costs.
The travel highlight of the year was a trip to Eastport, Maine. The event was a symposium on foam, and Les described the work done for the Air Force. Meetings were held on Campobello Island; the hospitality was outstanding. The Roosevelt cottage, now owned by a well known New York art dealer, was next door, and Les lived there for several days. The house is to become a memorial soon. In 1958, his book, "Engineered Hydraulics in Fire Protection" was
looking for a publisher. It still is. John Wiley and Sons came close to accepting it, but couldn't be sure of enough sales. Now it's being completely expanded and rewritten to include considerable new material, so in 1960 the search for a publisher will resume. Les is finishing the
year by driving his little red "tomato can" to Detroit for a few weeks of school fire safety surveys. The tragic fire in Chicago really woke up a lot of people. There were a number of interesting fire and explosion investigations during the year. That sort of job is like a "whodunit' except that it's "whatdunnit" as well, and there's no obliging author to supply answers on the last few pages.
The house didn't get as much attention as in previous years. In June, the back yard was roto-tilled and planted with Zoysia to get a good tough lawn. It didn't take too well. We hope that next summer it will. Walls were chopped open to install a laundry chute. Upstairs a closet was coaxed into yielding enough previously useless space for a built-in chest of drawers and linen cabinet. The mess was horrible, but eventually cleanup, plaster, and paint restored the status quo ante, and Polly's good nature with it. Bit by bit, the hi fi was changed. First came a stereo tuner kit. Then a stereo preamplifier and control kit appeared on the scene. Later on, a second amplifier was added. The next step was to be a record player with stereo arm, but the old TV quit working, and a new set took priority in the budget. The old set will eventually be patched with chewing gum and hairpins as a second TV for use when the family disagrees on what program to watch. Larry was hoping for a tape recorder, but got tired of waiting and bought his own.
Year after year, Polly seems to spend more time at the piano. Last year she played for the boys' choir at St. Andrews. This year she added the girls' choir. At Southwest HS in the spring she played for rehearsals and performance of Carousel. This fall, she did the same for the Revels, a variety show. In between she played for many students in various competitions. At the start of the school year, she played full time for a few weeks at one school to help out. Now she has several days every week at a private school plus paying for special occasions. As relaxation, she sings in the St. Andrews' adult choir, and is Secretary and Librarian for the Cantata Singers, a carefully selected group with high musical standards directed by Dr. William Lemonds. When she can find time, she studies organ with Dr. Lemonds. In the spring, just to keep things interesting, she had Pixie bred, so that 4 puppies were underfoot awhile. For a little while, the piano took second place.
Larry ran into scholastic trouble at Gettysburg. Late in '58 he began to get all keyed up with nervous tension, and at midyear he had to drop out so he could get back on his feet again. He was a wreck for months, then began to work as Dr. Lemonds' secretary in exchange for organ lessons. That helped a lot. When summer came, he went to work on the Swope Park golf course as a cashier. That helped some more. Now he is working at the Public Library downtown, taking bassoon lessons. It begins to look as if by next September he should be back in school again. In the meantime, books are his dally companions.
Edward spent much of the summer as a YMCA staff member teaching swimming 5 mornings a week at three nearby pools in Kansas. His coat of tan was a marvel to behold. The only way to get there was by car, so Polly did a lot of chauffeur duty. By August, he was 16 and got a driver's license, but the program was over by then. Ed was in ROTC last year, but Southwest dropped it this fall, and when Ed went back as a junior he felt lost without lt. Music is filling the gap somewhat. He's first trumpet in the school band. He was also persuaded to take Orchestra. Trumpet lessons were resumed after a long layoff. He toots a mean horn these days. At home he acts as the handyman, doing a lot of repair jobs Les hasn't time for. He gets better at it all the time. He and Larry are mixed up with gadgetry these day. Strange wires criss-cross their rooms. Only they know what is involved, and sometimes they aren't sure either.
Daniel turned 13, so now we have three teenagers at the same time. The chances are that we will live through this harrowing experience. He's in 8th grade now and attends Southwest HS too in a junior high arrangement. This year, 8th graders are being started in a language. Dan takes Spanish, so Les and Larry who also have studied it, find themselves shuddering at his strange sounds. Espa?ol a la Daniel is like his early efforts on the French horn. During the summer he took a typing course, swimming lessons, played in a YMCA summer baseball league, and also kept his French horn busy in a summer school orchestra. He's still a choirboy at St. Andrews. Whenever he could which was frequently, he went to see the Athletics play. Even during their losing streaks, Dan was a loyal rooter for the home team.
Mother came down for a visit on Columbus day, just as in '58, and stayed on until early December. The she headed back to Buffalo to get ready for Christmas with the rest of the family. Les put her on the plane just before he started for Detroit. It was nice to have her with us. Her skill as a cook seems to improve over the years. Waistline control is difficult during her visits. Having been with us for 3 years in a row every fall, Kansas City is like a second home to her now. Airplanes sure make it easy to get places in a hurry with little effort.
We still have Buffy, Pixie, and Peter the cat. All manage to rule the house in their own quiet (?) way. The dogs support of the doorbell is an ear-splittlng classic.
