October 12-13, 1964

Return Address:
D. Ryan
c/o P.T.T. I.
Schwarztarstrasse 7
Bern, Switzerland

October 12, 1964 [I think this was really written on the 13th]

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well yesterday was quite an exciting Columbus Day. The Am. flag flying over the Embassy next door and we received two letters from you in one day – also the Cards won the crucial game in the 10th inning. I am glad to know that you called the realtors – maybe they were just being lazy since they know we are out of the country. This way they know someone in the city cares. If we don’t hear that it is rented soon, Jim will write to them. Please Daddy, call the gas co. and turn on the furnace there – if you keep it at 60° - at least nothing will get damaged with the cold weather coming on.

Your house sounds very nice and I’m glad you were able to fit in all our belongings –Thank you for Fina’s address. Her name is V. Menendez isn’t it? When you finish reading Fr. Rahm’s letter please send it on to me as I would like to read it. I presume that the picture of Don looking thin was taken in Brazil. You’ll never be happy ‘til we all look like blimps. If it makes you feel any better everyone here is eating like horses. I mean everybody – even MB is eating meat and we polish off 3 chickens at one meal with no trouble. Yesterday they ate two loaves of bread and a dozen rolls. The bread and tomatoes are very good here. Everything else is about like in the U. S. P. is getting fat again with a double chin and everything. I guess it’s the mt. air.

I’m sorry that Chic is still not feeling well – it’s seems when one trouble starts everything goes wrong. I hope he gets better very very soon because not only he suffers when he’s sick but Mary almost as much. I’ sorry too about Tia Clorinda - I’ve thought so much about her since I’m here because how much harder it was for her to leave – leaving some of her children and them going with a sickness which is such a burden. Please give Tala and Bob and Bobby our best and tell Mil and Jul I will write to them soon.

I hope you both will be thinking very seriously about making the trip over here – not only for my own selfish reasons which is I would give anything to see you both but also for the reasons you gave in your letter. Bad luck, bad health can strike in a minute. Mrs. Rushlow, who is quite a character said she and her husband decided to give their children this year of school in Switz. Instead of making the trip when he retired. She said “I’ve seen these people – traveling when they can’t see the sights because they can’t walk anymore. They can’t sleep because they need their own beds. They can’t eat the food because they’re all on diets and they can’t be that far away from their doctor for long – he’s their best friend.” She said people wait to travel when they can’t enjoy it. You know she is right. Anytime you want to come we are ready for you and waiting anxiously.

I received a very nice letter from Donna Lee today. In it she mentions Alice. I have put off writing to Alice hoping that Betty would came back but I can’t hardly think about Alice without crying. All the nicest people have the rottenest luck. Give my best to Neva – I hope she is feeling better.

Today we are moving out. I have most everything ready to go. This morning a girl from Holland who has lived in the U.S. for 6 years took Kenny and MB with her three children for a walk to the Zoo. I got quite a bit done while they were gone for almost 2 hrs. She is a very nice girl. She loved Wash. D.C. and hated to leave again. Her husband is with the Dutch Embassy. She speaks Dutch and German (but prefers not to speak it) speaks French to her children and speaks perfect English. Her little girl 6 yrs. old speaks English with our children and switches right over to French when she talks to her little brother. The people here are fantastic with languages. I hope our children can learn French in Brussels. One of the Sp. Maids from Galicia said “Yo nunca podra aprender otra idioma como tengo la cabaza tan mal. El espanal es il idioma mas facil de aprender- el italiano pues unas pocas palabras se como son como el espanal. El aleman ni probar y el ingles – ya se sabe que no hay quien lo aprenda.” She said two of her nephews lived in Germany and learned German very easily. She said pointing to P. “Ya versa –esta chica – en una patada lo aprenda.” I hope so because it’s very rough when you’re grown. I went to the milk store to pay the bill and tell them to stop deliveries but the girls didn’t’ speak English and she and I just stood there for ten minutes but I never did get through. That is so frustrating! I left a note – I hope somebody there can read English.

Well I must get packing – Take care of yourselves and give everyone our best regards,

Love
Jim and Dina