Tuesday, September 4, 1979

Dear Teri:

It's back to work after the long Labor Day weekend. It would be nice not to have to go to work but how else can you attain the means to do what we like.

I just spoke to Mrs. Ty (my piano teacher) and she was delighted to learn how well you were. There never was a question in her mind that you would adjust. She really respects you in so many ways. She has not yet heard from Sharon and as soon as she does she will give us her address to forward to you. Ralph is bringing your address when he goes for his first lesson this year, Sept. 10. He'll be going at 8:00 PM through football practice. It's going to be tough for him to get back to the piano. He hasn't touched it for weeks. Remember all the sheet music and books we picked up almost every week for a while. I have no regrets. You did real well with them and to say the least we enjoyed listening including Dad especially the classics. I was pleased to hear you had practiced an hour and a half.

Teri, you made my day last Sunday when you told me you went to Church. You need this faith especially when you have things on your mind. You've got to express yourself and who better than God, the Blessed Mother and Jesus. Teri, don't worry I'm not trying to psych you up. I never talk about this but I do feel this faith, especially when we have been so blessed. We do have a wonderful family - Look at the grandparents, the aunts & uncles and cousins. Everyone are great. Aunt Ginny & Uncle Johnny asked Grandpa about you and they even gave Vince $5 for when he was in the hospital. They wnated to be sure he got it before he went to school.

Wednesday-
Well, it has certainly been great to receive your two letters. I was so fascinated with your experiences. Aren't you happy to have this opoprtunity- meet new people and have new challenges? Are you taking judo yet? I think we have all the arrangements made now to send you a suitcase with your winter clothes. JP is leaving for Japan Tuesday. If he can't find someone in Tokyo to deliver the suitcare to Miyazaki, he will have it mailed from the I-R office in Tokyo. Teri, he will be making a phone call to you, just to say Hello. Incidentally he knows some gentleman by the name of Inoue. Is it possible there might be a relationship with your host family? He will probably be asking. Then, Teri, when you are through with your winter clothes, you can mail them in the suitcase to the IR Tokyo office and someone will bring it to the states. When the time comes, we will firm up arrangements. Look for your books in the suitcase along with the tea bags. Why are you asking for the tea bags?

Ralph started school today. He really misses you. I stopped at Grandma & Grandpa's tonight. They are doing pretty good. Grandpa wants to know if you can get some information on "square" melons. They are sold in Tomoyuki Ono in Tokyo. I think he would like the seeds. I don't know what you can find out but it would surprise Grandpa is you did come up with so mething. He read about it in the Sons of Italy Times. The Japanese discovered it.

Romana and Lisa received your notes today. They were really pleased and interested in what you had to say. Compared to where you are, Sayre is boring. What about the environment? Are there a lot of flowers there? Is it as beautiful as we pictured Miyazaki?

Teri, we love you and although we miss you, it doesn't seem so far when we know we can talk to you and the letters keep coming. It's fun to discover your new experiences. We really enjoy reading about them. Give our love and regards to your host family and convey our appreciation for taking care of you.

Love from all,
Mom, Dad & Ralph

My mom actually loved her job and told us often how much she loved working. She always encouraged both my sister and me to work; she thought it brought women confidence to have something outside the home to excel at. She was highly respected at her work, secretary to one of the VIPs at the plant. She was extremely proud of her children's careers many years later. 

My mother's family was very close and there were lots of us in my hometown --- Italian Catholics who spent alot of time together and enjoyed parties, cooking, and eating. I have fond memories of Sunday dinners on my Grandmother's porch - homemade wine, pasta, roast chicken and potatoes. My brother Vince bought my grandparents' home when they passed away, and we had a few get togethers there on the porch in the summer.

My grandfather was a great gardener. He had immigrated to the U.S. in his early 20's, newly married to my grandmother. He always had a big garden. I google'd square melons and discovered that they were "invented" by a Japanese farmer around the time I was in Japan actually. Japanese have small refrigerators and had problems fitting round watermelons inside. So one farmer thought to grow them inside square tempered glass containers. There are no seeds for square melons after all, just a clever Japanese technique!