A Problem Solver

The instincts of the spy and the thief are not so different: both trade in stolen goods, on similar principles. The value of information depends on the buyer’s hunger, but it is a seller’s market. Slowly at first, and with great care. The spy began to build up a stock of secrets that would be of supreme interest. --Ben Macintrye, AGENT ZIGZAG 

My eye feels good. I’ll be glad when the other is done because I don’t want to go around with one eye closed. Ha-ha 

It’s always a special treat to hear from Grandma M (aka Mary).  And she amazes me that she still feels a need to send me a $20 bill note for my Birthday.  I wonder where she found the creative stationary card.  Is it a code?

6-5-1996 

Dear Grandson,

Hope you are fine.  I am late with your Birthday.  I didn’t forget with Carol’s wedding, Baby showers and the weather, so hot!  And next month to Las Vegas with Ray, your mom and Betty.  So Glod Bless you. 

Love, 

Grandma 

 Cousin Carol sent a Thank You card for her cash gift and photo frame.  I guess her honeymoon is over, but they say she’s still a bride for 6-months after the wedding date.   

June 11, 1996 

Michael, 

Thank you so very much for the money and for the Beautiful Picture Frame!  The money will go toward our future house (whenever that will be).  It was so nice of you!   

Thanks for sharing in our day.  Despite all of the excitement and uncertainty due to the rain, weather and flooding the day went perfect.  I can’t wait to show you some pix I’ve received from Family and friends. 

Love, 

Carol & Ryan 

And another belated—but beautiful card—from Barbara Reynolds in Berkeley: 

11 June 1996 

Have a ball on your Birthday!  Dear Mike.  A belated Birthday.  Guess your trip to NYC was your celebration. 

Did you see KING AND I?  you have probably seen MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.  It’s not yet playing in Berkeley but I will be sure to see it.  Alice and I saw COLD COMFORT FARM last Saturday, so refreshing and sweet. 

By the way, THANK YOU for your cards from May 22nd.  I just re-read and thanks for the reminder about cultural overload.  Yeah, I got my photos together last week.  Lost so many shots cause of careless ness.  Ah well, I do have so much to be thankful for.  The night train was surprising and fine even slept.  Hooray!   

I must agree with your friend...lots of poverty and low income that is very familiar to me and yep...guess MOSCOW has 12 million (St. Petersburg 5 million) people, such large cities.  I usually avoid yet I like LONDON and PARIS and S.F. to visit briefly...but prefer Berkeley with 180,000 folk which is up form 120,000.  I grew up with here.  The METRO in MOSCOW is the biggest and has some beautiful stations only is MOSTOW two days timing not good since the day before I left even Red Square and the Kremlin were closed, so we walked around and enjoyed the sun and warmer aria as opposed to St. Petersburg which was very gray and snowy.  I had just begun to get warm air the last two days there and saw some budding trees and crocus blooms.  Mocow had lots of greener and such a difference in temperature and faces.  People looked a lot happier in Moscow and I have no idea if it was the weather that made things different.  I miss David more than I miss Russia.  Yet, I thought I would not care to revisit Russia but since this trip I realized I could travel through other areas of Russia and would be happy to explore more. 

By the way, did you catch COLD FEVER?  It’s a new film from Iceland.  

Could you send me a Xerox of your astrological chart? I figured yours when we met. I may have had it done, too. Gemini, of course; Aquarian moon, and Capricorn rising! My study of astrology is ongoing and mostly for my self-understanding, getting more refined mentally. I had so many interpretations, so it impacts more than others. You are enterprising and full of surprises and reliable. My handbook of Chinese Horoscope says GEMINI BOAR, “the twins' whirlwind activities will sometime leave poor Boar lightheaded in this combination; but while the boar invests goodwill and honesty in this way Mercury will provide initiative stimuli and quick logic. The Gemine Boar will be sociable and very popular and a problem solver. He sees the whole picture with scientific clarity, yet, never leaves out the humane aspects in his final consideration. He will want life to be spicy and is at his best where there is frequent change of scenery. Yeah, I agree with this analysis of YOU. 

Yosemite must have been a treat with all of the water. I had family with a farm in Oakhurst, my Uncle Roy and Aunt Fanny. When I was a teen, I would go there. They are both gone now but I know Oakhurst, a pretty area. I’ve been recovering. I came back with a cold and now I’m on antibiotics. Guess I need to slow down. Yet, I want to be out and about and get our garden growing and sorting old stuff. I got our retrofit happening now. Later. 

Love, 

Barbara 

 

It seems to me that one way to understand a person’s character is to understand what he thinks of others, especially, those like oneself. --Viet Thang Nguyen, THE SYMPATHIZER, a novel