Beginning Etymology

26 July (no year)
Torrance

Dearest Mary and Irish,

Thek's brother is planning to drive East to visit in Charleroi and Washington DC.  I'm planning, the good lord willing, to accompany him.

Our tentative plans are to arrive in Charleroi on August 14th, your birthday. If all goes acc. to schedule I'll be seeing you.  I would like to attend Mass at St. Joseph's on Sunday and I can then plan the few days or so I'll be able to spend in Penna.

If Jimmie and Grace are OK and they still drive to Baltimore I would like to drive down with them to visit with Mary (particularly) and the rest of his gang. If he isn't up to it I can make other plans.

Next summer (God willing) Thek and I and possibly Patty and her husband Rod or some of the others available plan to visit Penna.

Give my regards to all of yours.  
Your brother, Pat

I must be Scotch.  I do have better and larger paper.

20 Apr 83
Torrance

Dearest Mary and Irish,

Easter has passed and the rains, that Millay said "is kind to come and speak to me" has spoken too often during the past few weeks and "the broad face of the sun" is laughing above the rain soaked earth" much to our delight.

I don't know whether I told you in one of my letters but I'm teaching a class in "Beginning Etymology" - Seventh graders at St. Margaret Mary School in Lomita. This is the school Aime and Dylan attend and soon Rory and then Cristin (Mark and Zoe's brood) will attend.  (From the looks of the above I should be taking a class in "composition"!! Well I have an excuse -- I'm getting old and I have a tendency (?) to let my thoughts get ahead of my pen. )

Sheila and Jerry and their Michael (10), Jaime (7) and Dennis (4) are currently in Palm Springs visiting Jerry's mom and dad and will arrive here in Torrance Thursday for a week's visit. I probably will go back to Sun Valley with them and spend a month (or longer) with them.

Our family are all fine -- Kevin/Renee's new son is doing fine as are all the others. Give my regards and love to all of yours and I hope and pray that your burden will be lightened.

Your rother
Pat


15 March 84
Torrance

Dearest Mary and Irish,

No we haven't "gone to that mysterious realm where each must take his place etc"--I'm just too lazy to write.

Maureen's Jennifer presented us with our first great grandson a 9# 4 oz. healthy baby whom they intend to christen Cody Patrick (it seems Matt's family has some connection with Wild Bill!) at least the middle name fits -- and mother and baby are fine.

The rest of our gang is fine. All apparently doing well. Kevin teaching, Maureen analyzing, Patty retiring, Sheila skiing, Lou waitressing (enjoying her "tips") an Mark directing. Incidentally Mark is now "Director of International Production - Republic of Korea for Northrup. In fact he will be spending several weeks or months in Korea just after Easter.

All the grandchildren are doing fine and growing like "bad weeds" Thek and I have two cut rate tickets we must use before June 6th so we are planning to fly into DC. Sometime around May 1 - 5th. Since we must return by June 6th we won't have as much time as we would like but at cut rate ($40 each a round trip) who can complain ??

We will contact you from DC and give you our info as to when we will be seeing you and yours.

Your brother
Pat.

3 Dec 84
Torrance

Dearest Mary and Irish,

We certainly enjoyed your letters (not the news they brought but the letters themselves).  I think everyone in the family read and re-read them. I'm almost embarrassed when I write to you, as my scribbling pales in comparison. I just finished writing a letter to Jimmie and told him about my plans for a visit this Spring. You know, when I called him from Sheila's (when Thek called me to tell me of the seriousness of his illness) I told him I had tickets that I could use to fly back for a visit and wanted to know if I should fly immediately from Idaho. He said, "wait til spring -- as far as I know I might die tomorrow or live for twenty more years!" So I'm thinking about a trip back in March 85.

Everyone out here is fine - I had a little trouble when I was up in Idaho - had a cold that I had trouble shaking, but I'm feeling fine now that I'm down out of snow country!

The whole family, with exception of Sheila in Idaho and Kevin who is still teaching at West High and incidentally Girls Basketball Coach (Girls sports are "real big" in S. Cal) is working at Northrup. Patty's husband, who had retired not because of age but because several years ago mgt positions were scarce, went back to work as a consultant on their newest plane called the "Stealth". Mark is a supervisor on their F-20 and (thank God!) won't have to go to Korea (the recent trouble between North and South Korea had me worried). Patty went back to work as a secretary and Gisella Lou is working at Northrop.  Now if I can just get Rod to place Thek in some job --I'll be in heaven!! ha!ha!

I pray that Irish hasn't gotten any more troublesome for you and that all of yours are well. Give all of them my best (not just for the Holidays).

May God Bless you Mary, you deserve and have earned your place "with all the angels and saints".

Your brother
Pat

A room at El Rancho

20 Aug 85
Torrance

Dearest Mary,

Belated birthday greetings! All of my children will be here today (except Sheila - Sun Valley) to help me celebrate my 76th (my how time flies) and when we all get together it is really a crowd (a delightful one - because as James's Bernard always says the McManus's are the greatest!!)

I'm growing old (not too) but lazy (very) but enjoying it immensely. Lou planted a small garden in our backyard (about four feet by 12') and we have had all the tomatoes and zucchini squash the whole family needed and the peppers will soon be showing up! All I did was supply the water every evening! My lemon tree has supplied all the lemons we needed - now if I only had chickens, a cow and a pig I would have it made!!!

I took a few days off and went to Las Vegas - (by myself as Thek doesn't like sitting on a bus) had a lot of fun, didn't win anything but the whole trip including Bus fare, food, and a room at the El Rancho, cost me less than ten dollars. So I was a really big winner!

I think I wrote to Tommy (I'm also becoming a little --haha-- forgetful) and thanked him for the time, money and effort he spent hauling us around the East during our visit. When you see him or write Thank him for me!!

Give my regards to all of yours and I will continue to keep all of you in my prayers!

I miss you very much and am very sorry that I am no closer so I could help you with Irish.

May the Good Lord keep and Bless you!

Your brother,
Pat

Love from Patsy

Torrance
6 Jan 83

Dearest Mary and Irish,

We were so pleased to receive your beautiful Christmas card and message. I know, in a small way, how difficult the Christmas season must have been and I'm deeply saddened by the distance that separates us.  I am also beginning to realize just how much my sister meant (and means) to me, and I know that a just God will give you the strength to bear the burdens you have been asked to bear during the past few years. We pray that you will find the strength, and I know you will, to cope with any burden a just Lord will place upon your shoulders (and heart)! I'm sure that Mike is a good father and that Ann's children will not be neglected.

Our Patty spent yesterday with us and read and reread your letter and she reminded us of happier events during Ann's youth in Roscoe. Naturally your letter as are all the letters we receive from Pennsylvania will be read and reread by all of our children. The Good Lord has blessed us.  I sometimes wonder why as I know I don't deserve it. When I remember all the sadness I brought to Mother when I was "growing up".  Thek's mother will appreciate the Mass you are offering up.  Thanks!

Maureen is doing fine and has a wonderful position (Northrup's only "woman manager"). Stephanie is still in school and Jennifer is happily married -- no great grandchildren as yet. Kevin and Renee are so excited.  They are expecting a baby in March. Lou and her family are fine and luckily Mark got out of the construction business just in time.  Mark, Zoe and children spent the week between Xmas and New Year's with Sheila, Jerry and Mike.

After reading your letter, I tried to think of a quotation that bobs up in my mind from Millay's Renascence.  All my prayers and love for you and yours, Pat

The world stands out on either side No wider than the heart is wide; Above the world is stretched the sky No higher than the soul is high The heart can push the sea and land
Farther away on either hand;
The soul can split the sky in two,
And let the face of God shine through.
But East and West will pinch the heart
That can not keep them pushed apart;
And he whose soul is flat—the sky
Will cave in on him by and by.