Erika’s 90th
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The
air travel, for which we needed to interrupt our second circumnavigation of
New Zealand, was to New York for Tom’s Mum’s, Erika’s 90th Birthday
celebration – an occasion not to be missed even if it did mean having to
brave the dreaded LAX – Los Angeles airport. The upside was that the
transpacific flight was practically empty, so that we were each able to
spread ourselves to sleep extravagantly across as many seats as we could
find, waking to the delightful sprawl of sunny LA. |
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We
arrived in New York to an apartment full of flowers from Mum’s many
well-wishers. It was wonderful to find her as full of mental vigour and
interest as ever. So much so that we middle-aged children banded together to
buy her a new computer for the occasion and Tom worked for several days to
set up her broadband and wireless connection. There aren’t many 90 year-olds
managing their emails. All we need to do now is to get her blogging! |
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Inge’s
and the Jackson family’s dearest friend Emily Rafferty managed to take time
from her incredibly busy schedule as President of the Metropolitan Museum of
Art to put together a wonderful party for Erika to which a life-time of
friends were invited. Erika’s
account of the delays and frustrations of post-WW2 emigration to the USA even
on board the ‘Queen Elizabeth’ were a revelation to most of us. It
is some years since we have had the opportunity to get the whole family
together for a photo op and this was a particularly appropriate one. Many
thanks again to Emily. |
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Erika at 90 Many Happy Returns of the
Day |
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Though
it had been pretty cool at times in Stewart Island even during the largely
theoretical ‘summer’, in New York it was definitely winter, with the odd fall
of snow and generally freezing temperatures. Despite this we had several of
the long walks that seem to be encouraged by New York streets. We also had
opportunities to experience again the incredible variety of shopping that
exists in the cramped city stores. This is a small part of the cheese counter
in Zabars, a West Side delicatessen in Manhattan. |
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Though
we had seen Chris and Susan’s home from the outside when they were in the
process of buying, this was our first opportunity to see the inside of a
typically comfortable suburban house. Its most wonderful feature is a huge
living/family room at the rear of the house overlooking the garden and the
wooded banks of a small stream at its foot. It is a delightful spot and they
are lucky to have found it. Vicky had decided on a New Zealand wool theme for
family pressies. Elizabeth became particularly attached to her gloves of
merino wool mixed with possum fur. |
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