EZ pop popcorn must be a new invention, and the girls received some from their Aunt Pete. I can just picture them giggling while they figure out how it works! They have had their last Thanksgiving in Japan, received their Christmas box and Peg was introduced to a 4-star General. Great 50th Episode!

A Peg quote from this group of letters "I still feel that looking at a typewriter for 8 hours a day is 20,000 times better than looking at some silly man for 50 years!" Wow Peg- how did you really feal about marriage?

Bern visits a lovely resort (Kanaya) and the temples at Nikko. She sees the famous "See No Evil" monkeys, rants about cheating officers, Peg talks about "hush-hush" war games called "Texas Ranger" and their friend Kathy leaves for the States.

Their friend, Kathy is breaking her contract and going home to San Francisco. Bern describes a typical Saturday at Zama in great detail. Their Christmas gifts are on their way to Pennsylvania and they include an article explaining how schools run in Japan.

So the diet didn't provide the "metamorphosis" they wanted- just hallucinations. The typhoon season was harsh but they made it through and this episode contains one of Peg's funniest letters ever!

Peg downplays the effects of one of the most dangerous typhoons to ever hit Japan- "we are OK", MIGs shoot down a jet, and Labor Day festivities are a bust.

Gladys provides us with a detailed description of the Mount Fuji climb, there is a spat of some sort going on back on Maclay Street, and Bern actually breaks the rules (sends home a picture taken at work)..

The Aunts go on a diet (which is very successful it seems)! Peg weighs in on the political climate and Bern describes a lovely night in Atama. There are two typhoons to deal with "Grace" and "Helen" (which Bern never mentions....).

It is finally time to climb Mt. Fuji! How could Bern miss this adventure?

Peg goes into detail in this episode about her plans to climb Mt. Fuji! An event I have been eagerly anticipating! The podcast has brought me more treasures to go through as I have recently acquired many more letters- these from the late 1950's- early 2000's from Peg's Japanese friend, Sally.