The Free Spirit

California Sunshine, 1960 (Part Three)

"The best way to live in California is to be from somewhere else..."

It was early May when Don and I returned to the states. We landed at the New York International Airport, called Idlewild, in very early May. I suppose now is as good a time as any to describe commercial airlines in the early 1960s, as this period of time was considered the golden age of air travel. There was so much room on the plane, there were incredible services, fresh pillows and blankets, full meals served on trays and charming air hostesses with beautiful faces and proportions. I didn't think much of it other than it felt like a very relaxing way to travel and air travel certainly went down in the years after that. I miss the days when passengers were treated like royalty but now, I'm lucky if I get an aisle seat.

When Don and I landed at the airport, we had about an hour and a half of layover, so Don went ahead and rang his father while I brought Stacey and Elton to the bathroom to change their nappies. When it was time for us to start heading to the other gate, I was surprised to find that we were going to board a plane bound for Los Angeles, California. "Don, aren't we going to Nashville?" I asked him as he struggled to pull his boarding pass out of his pocket while he held Stacey.

"Not this time, honey. We don't live there no more," he replied. "I moved our stuff to Los Angeles, California already. We can't stay in Nashville if our job's in California."

"Oh... Well, that would have been nice to tell me. 'By the way, I moved us while you were in England'. I've never been to California before, not even with you on tour. I think the farthest west I've been is Canada," I replied.

"You'll like it. It's beautiful, warm, doesn't snow, doesn't really get all that cold and the sun is always shinin'!" Don said cheerfully. When we arrived, it was not sunny and was in fact pouring rain. "Well, it usually is, just not today."

"No, today it looks like home," I said, referring to the constant cloudy London weather.

"Look, there's Daddy!" Don said, pointing out his father, who was coming towards us. "Dad!"

"There they are! How ya been, son?" Ike asked his son as he pulled him into a hug. "Sorry 'bout the weather, it ain't so good here. Hey, there, Catherine!" Ike then pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry 'bout your mama, she was a fine woman."

"Thank you so much," I said in response.

"Now this little thing must be my granddaughter! Stacey, right?" Ike asked the two of us, and we nodded.

"Feel free to hold her, she's been quite fussy. Nearly three weeks old and already flying halfway across the world," I said, handing Stacey to her grandfather.

"She's beautiful! Everythin' went okay with havin' her?" Ike asked as our little family started walking towards the main doors.

"Like clockwork," I replied. "Probably the most normal pregnancy I've had so far. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Margaret and I thought it best to stick around and help you and Don adjust to the new home and the new baby," he replied. "Plus it's nice out here. A nice vacation for Margaret and I."

"That's good, you both work so hard. You need it," I told him. Don climbed into the driver's seat and I sat in the back with the kids, while Ike sat up front discussing things with his son.

"They say Mr. Kennedy's gonna get elected president this November," Ike was saying to his son. "Nixon'd be a better candidate."

"Kennedy's a good guy, Dad. He knows what he's talkin' about," Don replied.

"He knows how to make an audience fall in love with him!" Ike told him.

"It ain't just the television, Daddy. He's got some good views too, and he's makin' good promises. He's got my vote," Don replied.