1950s: A New Year and new beginnings.
On Boxing day, the family all comes over to visit baby Kenneth and celebrate his birth. While it annoys her a bit, Grace realises that this will likely be the case from now on. Being born on Christmas Day is impractical, especially with Michael being born on Christmas Eve. For the family it will simply be easier to celebrate his birthday the day after and keep Christmas for Christmas. Not much to do about that.
In San Sequoia, ripples are going through the little collective on Manzanita Terrace. Norm has decided to move out! With going back home to great aunt Emily's funeral, and the fact that he never really embraced the lifestyle of the others, he has come to the realisation that he misses home. His younger brothers are now all in high school, and he himself feels as if he's missing out on their lives. And so he's applied for a job with Newcrest bank and is getting ready to move out of the little house.
Barbara is not at all happy about this. "But you're apart of us!" she protests. "You've been a part of us since uni."
"But I'm also a part of my family, and I don't want to be so far away from them. What about when it's my grandma's time? I don't want to miss more time with her, or not see my brother's graduate. Louisiana is too far off."
"But when will we see you again?"
"When you have a big opening in the gallery with all your art, I promise I'll be there."
Then it's time. 1954 is about to turn into 1955 and there are lots of New Years Eve bashes to choose from. Barbara opts for the jazz club, Alice parties at the Biltmore and Hazel and Warren at the Solar Flare Lounge, but after a Christmas holiday filled with parties, family gatherings and being away from home, Betty and Thomas chooses a quieter and more private New Years Eve at home with just the five of them. Instead of live music and dances and having the kids at sitters, they have a nice dinner, a drink to toast the new year and watch the first ever televised New Years Countdown to midnight together.* Thomas loves being allowed to stay up to midnight! It's the best day ever.
The next morning is a quiet day for the family. Thomas plays with his brother and get a rare chance to go to the swings with his dad who has the day off. Betty cleans the house and tends to her babies, and after dinner, on the first day of the new year, Carl takes his first steps, although Betty miss them as she's feeding baby Susan at the time. Later in the night Thomas takes the chance to practise sitting with Susan. She almost makes it but isn't quite there yet, but she does say her first word.
The next morning is a quiet day for the family. Thomas plays with his brother and get a rare chance to go to the swings with his dad who has the day off. Betty cleans the house and tends to her babies, and after dinner, on the first day of the new year, Carl takes his first steps, although Betty miss them as she's feeding baby Susan at the time. Later in the night Thomas takes the chance to practise sitting with Susan. She almost makes it but isn't quite there yet, but she does say her first word.
But all holidays come to an end, and on Monday it's time for Michael for his first day of school! Betty and Thomas both ask him if he's looking forward to it at breakfast, and shower him with good advice before sending him off to the school bus, hoping he'll be okay.
After Michael leaves Thomas gets ready for work, only to be delayed and end up late, because Susan decided this was the right time to sit up on her own for the first time. With Betty in the shower at the moment, how could he not stay to watch this? Even if it does mean he's late for work.
The rest of the day, Betty is alone with her two youngest ones. She reads to Carl, tries baby food for the first time with Susan, and try to keep the house tidy and clean. It's definitely enough to keep her busy.
When Michael returns home, he brings the neighbor boy with him. His first friend! Betty is delighted. She cooks dinner and send the boys out to play marbles on the patch of grass next to the house, then let them eat alone, get some homework done, and start on Michael's first school project together while she tends to the little ones. All in all, it's a great first school day, and at bedtime all the kids are happy, well fed, tired and ready for bed. Betty herself is exhausted, but then she is always the last to bed as she cannot bring herself to go to bed with unwashed dishes in the sink.
In Britechester, Arthur is starting his third and last term. It's a lot of homework, but that's what Arthur likes the most with the education he's getting. He's already lined up for a job when he's finished, at NACA High-Speed Flight Station** at Edwards Airforce base, researching high-speed and high-altitude flight. While he loves his studies, he can hardly wait to start working properly.
In Britechester, Arthur is starting his third and last term. It's a lot of homework, but that's what Arthur likes the most with the education he's getting. He's already lined up for a job when he's finished, at NACA High-Speed Flight Station** at Edwards Airforce base, researching high-speed and high-altitude flight. While he loves his studies, he can hardly wait to start working properly.
But for all the hard work he puts in, he also makes sure to have time for some fun. He likes listening to the Foxbury debate team members practice, and sometimes he plays foosball with his dormmates. That, unlike his studies, is something he's really bad at. James beats him 6-2.
In San Sequoia, ripples are going through the little collective on Manzanita Terrace. Norm has decided to move out! With going back home to great aunt Emily's funeral, and the fact that he never really embraced the lifestyle of the others, he has come to the realisation that he misses home. His younger brothers are now all in high school, and he himself feels as if he's missing out on their lives. And so he's applied for a job with Newcrest bank and is getting ready to move out of the little house.
Barbara is not at all happy about this. "But you're apart of us!" she protests. "You've been a part of us since uni."
"But I'm also a part of my family, and I don't want to be so far away from them. What about when it's my grandma's time? I don't want to miss more time with her, or not see my brother's graduate. Louisiana is too far off."
"But when will we see you again?"
"When you have a big opening in the gallery with all your art, I promise I'll be there."
That night the trio that is left behind has an unusually quiet night in. With a "new" thrifted sofa and a coffee table they found on the street, they have sold the murphy bed they no longer need but the home looks odd without it. It's even hard to truly enjoy Gordon becoming known as a "hungry new artist" in the papers and his promotion that came with it without Norm there, even though they try their best to celebrate anyway (it does take a few bottles of nectar to get in the mood).
And as a new year brings new beginnings, it also brings a new family tree of Abigail's descendants:
And as a new year brings new beginnings, it also brings a new family tree of Abigail's descendants:
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