Dear Pilot,
My cars think U-505’s Christmas story to be a bit crass, so that your Goddesses were so enthralled is a pleasant surprise for him. He says if they like gross stories then he has another they might enjoy, but as he said it, my helpful guide started clearing his throat in that way that means he’d like to change the subject. Another time then perhaps, haha.
Winter cold seems to freeze time as well as earth and water, particularly for those of us left outdoors with both. It’s slow for us out in our yard as well, but much is happening indoors as ever.
A new tree for Lithuania was added to the “Christmas Around the World” collection at the very end of December. The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture donated it to us in honor of one of their countrymen, Simas Kudirka, who has just come to America after a lot of difficulty. The guides brought out the newspaper with a picture of the tree to show me the ornaments their museum had made for us. They’re built of small white sticks arranged into triangles to make shapes of things. It’s hard to explain, but maybe we can send the clipping along so you can see too.
We also broke our all-time attendance record in December, both for the month and in a year. You were right that the oil shortage did make it harder for people to visit us too. We certainly had fewer school field trips since they have to charter buses for them. The CTA started running a program last March where fares were reduced on Sundays though and I’m sure that helped get people out to see us. I hope the CTA trains know what service they’ve done for our museum. I suppose they must, but it’s just in the course of the work for them.
We had an exhibit on Puerto Rican art just close and now they are setting up for the fourth annual “Black Aesthetics” exhibit for black artists. They’ve done that one every year since 1970. Mr. MacMaster, the museum president, says that Chicago is made of all kinds of people from all over the world and so doing cultural exhibitions like these attracts new people to the museum who might not otherwise come. Clearly, it’s working!
I’m looking forward to getting to meet the people again once it warms up and our yard is open. Maybe Venus is right about being impatient, but I get that way too around this time of year. By February, one is weary of all the cold and gray and quiet. March can’t come soon enough.
Your museum seems quite determined and industrious, if I may say. They got both you and Frisco running again. I don’t think it’s out of place to be optimistic for further improvements for the both of you and your streetcars too. Once your volunteers get past February, I’m sure they’ll be just as reinvigorated to work as you are.
Your friend,
Pioneer