Dear Mother,
Here I am in PHX at the Skyriders Hotel, which is right by the airport. It's December and I am at the pool! It is so funny to hear Christmas music while we are just sitting in warm sunshine. The Captain said, "We just have to do something about these working conditions." We all laughed. Sure is a tough job sometimes. I could get very used to feeling warm sunshine in winter.
December 15, 1963 MKC-PHX
Dear Mother,
This flight is so easy I have time to jot a note. Of course, since it's Sunday, there aren't many passengers. We have a lot of old people going west to visit their relatives for the holidays. They're already starting to bring their shopping bags filled with presents. (Oh my..."old people flying west"....I was only 20, going on 21 when I wrote this...now I resemble that remark.)
I'm getting ready for my trip home. So far, I have two suitcases besides my crew kit full of Christmas presents. I'll have to put three more large gifts in a refuse bag I guess. The hostesses are sure going to like me when I get on!!! (The good old day without restrictions. Check two suitcases..no charge...carry on my crew kit and a huge trash bag full of gifts, no charge and no "authorities"with concern about what they contain.)
December 18, 1963
Dear Mother,
My trip home went non-routine on our very first stop out of PHX at Tucson, when we reversed engines, #4 engine wouldn't "un-reverse". (Lockheed 1011 - piston engines) We were stuck there for five hours and I knew I would be late for our big party. We all went in the terminal and ate delicious Mexican food.
I didn't get home until 10:00 instead of 5:00 and to top things off, Mack wouldn't start so my flying partner gave me a ride home. (Mack was the name of my 1953 Packard for which I only paid $50. I called it Mack because I thought it was like driving a Mack Truck. It was very "temperamental", especially in the cold weather. I sold it to another TWA gal for $50 and it finally "died" as she was crossing the Broadway bridge on her way to the airport for a flight.)
I was sad to have missed most of the party, but a few people stayed. It was a big success. Sarah bought fresh shrimp and shelled them (50!), plus cheese dips, crackers and chips. They made a punch out of Hawaiian Fruit Punch, vodka, and I think club soda. Anyway, it was delicious. They bought holly and had two big sprigs of it in the punch bowl and around the candles on the table.
Everyone in the whole apartment house was invited and came. One man is quite good at magic tricks and brought some and performed. Mrs. Able brought of bottle of bourbon and Larry and Helen brought a bottle of Vodka. (Notice no one brought wine in those days). Bill gave the four of us a bottle of "White Shoulders .Too bad I can't stand the stuff. (Introduced in 1943 and very popular in 1963, it can still be purchased today.)
Two more days I will be 21.
December 27, 1963
My Hallmark Contemporary Thank You card to my mother.
Tish,
ReplyDeletereading your letters to your Mom, helps me to imagine Life @ TWA in those days.
In those days, my Father (Mimmo/Domenico Mollo) was Flight Dispatcher @ FCO.
About a year later from your letters, I would come into this world.
Through your letters, I can "visualize" how things were, how things must have been when my Father was in his mid 40s.
Through you, I can "see" what he must have seen.
Thank you.
I miss him very very much.
Kind regards, Stefano Mollo.
Thank you, Stefano,
DeleteYou have no idea what your comment means to me. I have friends who enjoy my letters because they know me, but I had no idea that that they would affect someone I did not know. Thank you so mucch for sharing with me about your father.FCO was my favorite destiination. You will read more of that in letters to come.Thank you again. You truly touched my heart. Are you living in Italy? Tish