December 1975

Talofa, y'all,

Well, we're still in Samoa, having renewed the contract which brought us down here more than a year ago. The 365 days which have passed since our last card have been filled with adventure and excitement and few heartaches, for which we are extremely grateful.

Sharon continues to enjoy her work for the library, supervising the processing center she designed and also restructuring a multi-media resource center. Ken was promoted to chairman of the department of English at Samoana High School and complains bitterly of how overworked and underpaid he is!

Travel was the highlight of the year for us.  Last Easter, we spent ten glorious days in New Zealand, a splendid little country whose beauty can be compared to Switzerland...but with beaches. We thoroughly enjoyed the snow-capped mountains and glaciers, a stark contrast from the tropical lushness which is our lot here in Samoa.

Ken was able to fulfill a boyhood dream last summer by sailing in a 40 ft. yacht to various islands in the South Pacific.  He left Samoa in early June and, after a bit of heavy weather, made a landfall at Suwarrow Atoll in the Northern Cook Islands, inhabited solely by 75 year old hermit, Tom Neale.  After spending a week diving among sharks and eating lobster for breakfast, he sailed south to Rarotonga and finally ended the voyage in Tahiti, where Sharon joined him just in time for the Bastille Day celebrations.  A truly unforgettable experience!

In August, we returned to Lanai, Hawaii, to check on our house, do some repairs, and visit with old friends.  Since we had purchased the cottage upon leaving for Samoa, this was our first opportunity to live in our own home and was well appreciated.

We have acquired a 14 ft. Hobie Cat sailboat for scooting around Pago Pago Bay and nearby islets.  We joined the local yacht club and have been very active in its regattas and social activities, as well as continuing our SCUBA diving and lazing around the Rainmaker Hotel pool.

Artistically, it's been a good year for both of us.  Sharon has been busy with traditional Samoan tapa painting and recently sold some of her work at a show.  Ken took up freelance writing and had a couple of newspaper and magazine articles published and has several more in progress.

This Christmas, we shall return to NJ for a visit after an absence of three and a half years.  We expect to catch up on some of the culture and food we've missed sorely, as well as renew familial ties.  And after that?  Who knows? Tonga?  Fiji?  Australia?  We think we'll just see what happens!

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous New Year to all!!