Dear Folks,

One trouble with writing home at irregular intervals is that often I can’t remember just when I last wrote, but the last time was some time ago, it seems to me.

Poor Wigginses, especially as Uncle Peter apparently seemed on the gradual road to recovery from last winter. I’ll write to Aunt B.

I have some sad news too. Phil Field is missing somewhere in the South Pacific; no details. This came from his father, who returned a letter to Phil I just sent to his home to be forwarded. Very likely it was after one of the raids on Rabaul. Perhaps I told you he was flying a TBF. He was probably based in the Solomons. One can only hope.

Details of the St. Marks game make it sound like the Great Lakes–Notre Dame game (former by terrific long pass in last 30 seconds after latter had scored at end of long drive less than a minute before!).

Ma, I think you have scored twice as a heroine recently, first entertaining Betty, then seeing Grandma’s show, but then that’s just like you, isn’t it, Pa?

Hey that must have been quite a storm—or was it mostly rain in Groton? Too much winter for Nov., I guess, but it sounded nice to a “naturalized” Floridian.

There isn’t much local news. My present squadron is about through, and though, as before, I’ve already been assigned to another, this time there will be a week or two before the new one is formed. Again I’m hoping for a couple of days off and have in mind a trip to the part of the state Aunt Edith apparently frequents, only a little further down—Sanibel Id. or Marco Id., both famous for their shells. My collection could stand some new specimens (no recent ones to speak of), and though I don’t need a change of air, such wouldn’t do me any harm. Actually things have been pretty easy for me since returning from the ferry trip.

The last two bike trips, both one in the vicinity of Stuart (a little north of Palm Beach) and one yesterday down to Ponce de Leon Inlet and back, were pretty uneventful except that on the last a deluge caught me miles from home and helped bring on a cold. Stuart was just a new place to explore, but didn’t prove too interesting. The inlet is usually a good place for shells (for the east coast), but I found nothing new.

All for now

Love

Toots

P.S. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner here, but many of us were somewhat under the weather from one of the ingredients the next day!

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