December 1988

Dear

Another cataract operation with subsequent enforced idleness or at least limitation of activities induces me to compose a "canned " end-of-year letter which we really dis like but which turns out to be quite useful under such circumstances . Our family seems to beat the statistical odds for the prevalence of cataract in this country while also bearing witness to the surgical skill of ophthalmologists and their technical progress. Janine and Eleanor ,who had their operations some years are rightly envious of my lens implants as they struggle with their contact lenses . I hope that Ralph and Shirley will be spared this experience .

Now to less traumatic matters in our livesI The most joyful bit of news is that we expect to attain grandparent status in January. Margaret , Ralph's wife , is full of anticipation and so is the rest of the family in fact we can hardly wait. She wants to work until a couple of weeks before the due date and then take some time off. They are still living in Arlington and continue to work for the same legal publishing house . Unfortunately, Shirley has been laid off after eight years with Virginia Power but she got good severance terms and is optimistic about the future . Eleanor has become a headhunter in San Francisco and really enjoys the job. She is working for a large firm that matches middle level job seekers with appropriate positions . Our own activities have not changed in the past year. Aside from the inevitable frailties of advancing age we are in a reasonably good state of health .

We have also travelled quite a bit in the course of the year. In late winter we cruised around some Caribbean islands . Then in May we attended the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Montreal . The beginning July found our entire family on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where we had rented a cottage for a week and had a great time . In September Janine and I visited diverse places in Switzerland , such as Engelberg, Leukerbad, Bern , Luzern and Zürich. The weather was very kind to us and we also had the pleasure of seeing several old friends Now time has come again to think of the many the friends whom we have not seen for a while and to whom we want to extend our very best wishes!