Sunday, October 31, 2010

August 6, 1966 "I will send this letter to Bilbao and then the others to Asturias."


Dear Mom and Dad,

Received your postcards departing from London. Glad to hear all went so well there. I will send this letter to Bilbao and then the others to Asturias. What is Jesusa’s address now? I can’t remember Pacita’s husband’s name or I would send it there.

Things are moving along very fast here. We have been busy. Jim and I went out to Carm’s house for dinner and Neva and Mildred babysat for us. They said the baby was good. Anita K and Ester came to see us – brought a beautiful sweater for Nancy and a bottle of Champagne. Last night we went out to see the Petry’s. They have a nice old big home in Webster. Jo Anne H_____ was there. She is staying at her mother’s waiting to have her baby already 4 days late.

Tomorrow Mil and Julious are going with us over to Alice’s house. We have been using Tala’s car constantly. I feel so obligated to them.

The kids are having so much fun playing and going out and drinking soda etc. They’ll really hate to settle down to school again.

Everyone we’ve seen certainly looks good. But of course every home has its problems. You’ll certainly have enough to keep you busy when you get back. Just visiting Trina, Lola and Tiá Maria will be enough. Lil says the only time her mom feels better is when she is talking with someone.

Tuesday August 9th we are going to Pana for a week. Monday Douglas’ girl gets baptized and Mildred is going to be her god mother.

I finally called Florence D________ and she might stop by this afternoon. Ran into Gertie Jean and she is married to Mel Z_______. That really completed the break with her family (who are now sure they won’t get her money).

Bessie C____ called me and wanted to take me out to lunch. I told her I would call her after I get back form Pana.  Carmen B___ also called me.

Jim’s hay fever has been pretty bad but he is the only one to feel sick. All of us are great and Nancy has gained weight and gotten so smart. I’ll never get her back in the playpen. She crawls all over the house.
In between times I have been going through the chests and drawers. Yesterday was so cool I did some of the attic clothes bags. I have been finding a lot of nice things – but still haven’t found all those clothes of Donnie’s which you said were here. The ones Lil gave me now are size 14 and I’m sure there were some here that were smaller. Are there any clothes in those boxes in the attic? I don’t want to start in there if there are no clothes in them.

Please greet all the family in Spain for us and thank them again for the gift for Nancy.

Love from all,
Jim and Dina


Saturday, October 30, 2010

August 2, 1966 " We still haven’t gone over to Dover Pl. Boy, the time just flies by."



Dear Mom and Dad,

We received your letter this morning and are so glad to know how enjoyable your stay in London went . Here we are all fine and really having a ball.

I knew you would enjoy the Byrne’s.  Jeanne is just as you see her – straightforward and so interested in people. Her husband has always appealed to me. He’s the kind of man I like. Quiet and very very nice and simple.  I know Jeanne is quite a housekeeper. Isn’t she marvelous?

Glad you got in some shopping. I also went to Famous and bought a suit and car coat and black dress. Also bought 2 pair of shoes at Stix. Boy do those clothes in the stores look marvelous! I don’t think I’ll need anything for the kids except shoes. Last night I went through every chest and drawer in the room downstairs. I found lots of stuff for the kids and Betty and Lily brought me a big sack full of stuff too. I still haven’t looked upstairs but I think the kids have quite a good supply.

One thing you can say for the English people. They certainly are courteous and helpful. I see you got the same treatment. People think of them as cold and reserved but they are certainly decent folks.

Everyone in St. Louis really enjoyed the last game. We all looked for you in the crowd. What a crowd.
I just called Tiá Lola up and she says she feels better every day. Yes, she knows her heart acted up in the hospital but as she says – she could last for many years. So far she has no pain and she says she just feels very lazy. She has lots of company and that helps her a lot.

Sunday Carolyn brought Tiá Clorinda and Trina and picked up Tiá Mariá too.  We had a nice little visit with them. Tiá Trina is pretty forgetful but still very good company. Clorinda said she never saw Julio so happy in his life now that Billie is back in town.

The kids haven’t played too much with the Bogdans because they had their tonsils out.

I called Donna F___ and will see her after we get back from Pana as she was going to Ohio for a few days this week.

We still haven’t gone over to Dover Pl. Boy, the time just flies by. This afternoon Esther and Anita K_____ are coming by. And tonight we must go to Donna Lee’s.

I priced beaded bags at Stix. One like you sent Corona was $70.

Will write more later,
Love
Jim and Dina





Friday, October 29, 2010

July 31, 1966 "Mary Chick has already sent over two cakes"


July 31, 1966 (St. Louis)

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hope all is well with you. We watched the last games of the World Cup Saturday morning at 11A.M. by Telestar. It was a great game! We looked for you in the crowd.

Everyone here is fine. I still haven’t seen Clorinda or Trina. Billie was moving this weekend and they were quite busy. He found a house a block from Margaret’s house. Carolyn said they might take a drive over today if the weather stays cool. I figure it’s better for them to come here as Tiá Trina likes to get out and Nancy can take her nap in peace.

Last night we went out to Rosemarie’s. O’Bee and family came in town and we visited with them.

Mary Chick has already sent over two cakes and Anita has offered to babysit. I might take her up on that as Carm asked us over and I wouldn’t want to take the kids out there.

We still haven’t gone over to Dover Pl. but I hope to today. This time just seems to be flying. This week is pretty well dated up. So I think we will go to Pana after August 7th.

I think if I mail this this morning you still may get it at Jeanne’s.

The kids are all well and having a ball. There has been a break in the weather and we were wearing sweaters sitting out at Rosemarie’s last night.

So glad everything went so well for you in London. A nice place to stay and tickets for those exciting games. Sure hope the shopping went well too. I must get started on mine as I can see it is not so easy when you are hard to fit.

Haven’t heard from Don but no doubt we have mail going to Brussels yet.

I must get ready for Mass. Hope to hear from you soon again.

Keep in touch.

Love
Dina and all

July 24, 1966 "there are no other people in the world like our family!"

In 1966 we Ryans were still living in Brussels. Welo and Wela came to stay with us in Brussels for a few months (years?) after my grandfather retired from the bank.  That summer we traveled home for a visit.  Welo and Welo went on a trip to London and Spain before they came back to the States.  I am posting a series of letters my Mom wrote from St. Louis to her mother in Europe that summer (see the Archives from 2007 for the initial 1964 series of letters that started this Blog).  Even though Mom was on vacation and had a short amount of time to visit with friends and family she still managed to write to her mother almost every day.

Enjoy,
MB


July 24, 1966
Sunday

Dear Mom and Dad, (Hi Jeanne & Barney)

It is now 7:30A.M. and I am going to write this letter before anything. We had a wonderful trip home. I called Tala from Chicago and she told me that she and Betty D. would meet us. (Jo came to see us at the O’Hare and we had  good hour to talk.)  When we got off at Lambert – there were  - Mildred, Julius, Chick, Mary, Anita, Doggie and kids, Donna Lee & whole family, Tala & family, Bentons, Dameris’ with a huge sign Welcome Home Ryans .  We had our choice of cars for the ride home.

The house looks marvelous. Mildred, Mary Chick, Margaret & Angeles have it looking like you just stepped out to the bakery. Everything is back in place. Jim said it looked like a welcome home for a honeymoon couple. They all said it had been left terribly dirty. They shampooed the rug twice. But at least there is absolutely no permanent damage. 

When you get home you’ll have to paint the kitchen and repair that damn crack in the dining room. That’s it.  Glen D___ had hooked up the dryer and he said he can’t figure out how Jim Ryan can get out of doing that every time.  Mary Chick had baked a huge cake and cup cakes, and they had ham sandwiches and beer and soda. Tala and Bob had bought a supply of groceries and I would say that there are no other people in the world like our family! They all stayed quite late and when everyone left Jim and I looked at my watch on Brussels time and we had been up 26 hours. But it was worth it!

Saturday at 7:30A.M. good old Gloria was at the door with bakery goods for breakfast. And throughout the day Mildred, Neva, the Dameris’, Lil and Bob and Gas dropped in. As a result I’m still not unpacked but it’s been great. Wait ‘til you get back – you can’t imagine how wonderful St. Louis will look to you – even though everything is really dry and brunt up.  The weather has been great. Between the fan and attic fan we have stayed really cool.  Mildred has already adopted Patricia.  P. says “you are not Aunt Mildred, you’re Wela.” The kids are having a ball.  We did go to the doctor with Mary Beth who got up vomiting I was sure she was just exhausted but ever since Jim had that scare in Malaga he was afraid. So we took her and Nancy. The doctor gave her something and an hour later she was fine. He looked at Nancy’s leg and said it will be all right and she was fine, he thought. He gave her the oral polio which is good. We called Jim’s mom and we told her we’ll try to get down after a week as we have so much to do here.  Everyone I saw so far looks wonderful. Exactly the same.   I talked to tiá Lola and she might come by today - but last night talking to Lil, she tells me her mom had another heart attack in the hospital and is really failing. I might call her and ask her not to make the trip. We’ll try to get over there one day this week. Tala and Bob let us use their Ford also for today and yesterday. 

Well I must feed this baby. Everyone thinks she’s cute . I’ll try to write tomorrow. Let us know how you’re doing. My love to the Byrnes.

Love,
Jim and Dina

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Dina circa 1932

Dina and Donna Lee Dancing
Who can tell me what kind of car that is?