So let's see if we can get this confusion sorted out. In order to save some money I sent out a hatch of Christmas cards via surface and so I literally put yours into the mail about one hour before I received your letter of Oct 22 advising me that you were shifting to Austin. I assume that it has been forwarded to you, so when I now respond to your Christmas note we should be square. Okay here goes: return to States - not quite yet. We just couldn't survive financially without guarantee of jobs - so we would only move if forced by circumstances. Still want to move to AZ for a few years "working" holiday where we would stay as long as the money held out and we would see as much as we could take in. Just doing odd jobs once in awhile. Or failing that move there for retirement. I don't want to take up a lot of space going into the whys - just say we can't afford to do it now. instead of losing S30,OOO or so in exchange rate on our savings I'd rather use that money and make as many trips back and forth as we want to do over the next four years. So yes, I may still show up this year to join my father on a trip to Europe. I sure ain't gonna be well enough to work for awhile yet. If Gail can find a job in Waiuku, where the Whites live, we will. move there with hopes that the sea air will be better for us.

Pretty funny, you blaming old age for broken, wow, vertebrae. So I'll tell you my story now even though it will be in a future Malley-gram. See my left Knee was hurting real bad, I couldn't go for our walk, it would keep me up all night. So went to see doctor. And he said: "you're getting old". Four clays later as I got up from kneeling in the garden my cartilege tore...so I was right that something was wrong and he is probably right that its just old age catching up with me. I am 46 after all. And you are 78. What were your favorite 78's? Which do you remember from the war years? What is your song"? What does broken v. mean to your lifestyle? Aside from the pain. Has it all been fixed?

You mention Mary Ellen Nudd once in awhile. Ask her if she remembers me. I was the blindfolded fellow she led about on campus for a meal, that first or second day in San Jose.

You asked how I spent my birthday in Hawaii. real funny, Bette. I got violently ill from that luau pig, totally dehydrated, got larengitis (from the acid in all of my retching). So I was at the Nambu Hotel in Kohala, in my bed the whole day so, I made that mistake that was after my birthday. On my birthday, it was a school day. the females at the .Nambu baked me a cake and we had a party after dinner.

Speaking of Hawaii. Just heard from Jane Fujioka that the Ookala mill is being closed after three years in receivership. Going to affect a larger area than just Ookala. Says that the school is completely overgrown and can't be, seen from road. So all the makings of a real ghost town now.

But that is nothing compared to poor Fiji after the two cyclones went through. Every single bridge on Viti Levu, aside from the Nausori one was destroyed. 1st time a cyclone has gone down east coast and hit Suva. Sugar mills destroyed, but can't get crop to mill anyway since the bridges are out Worst damage in past 100 years. Levuka hit badly too.