Don's other life (1944)

Q. Have you both found the secret of happiness? Kay: Mutual tolerance, respect, and love of children are working well for us. We think the relationship between parents and children is an important and beautiful thing. We look forward to the time when our youngsters will be 15 or 16 . . . when we can sit down with them and have a frank talk about life . . . believe me, we expect to learn plenty. Don: The one and only argument we ever had was last summer. It was just a little personal matter about the home that went on for about a week. We are quite proud of our lawn, and the grass had done right well for the first year, too. Well, she bought a sand box for Robert Patrick to play in and put it in the middle of the backyard where the grass grew the thickest. I protested and said it could be in some other spot where it wouldn’t spoil the grass. She said there was no other spot where Robert would get the morn¬ ing sun all morning, I said . . . well, why spoil the grass? She said . . . do you think more of the grass or of Bobby? And it went on like that for a week. She’s a stubborn woman in some ways, you know. But all you gotta do is use a little logic and keep talking to her. And you know the sand box doesn’t look so bad right in the middle of the back yard at that. Q. What would Don do if the stork brought him a girl to brag about? A. For the last two years we have all been praying for twin girls. The boys have promised to take good care of them. Anybody would be very happy to have a baby girl and we hope God will bless us with one who will turn out to be twins. Q. How does Don find time to get in touch with the celebrities he brings to the studio? A. It’s really no problem. Most of them are acquainted with the program and contact Don when they arrive in Chicago from Hollywood or New York. They are always very happy to appear on the show. Q. Does Don really catch fish? A. Yes, he docs very well at it. But he should, for he has a mighty fine teacher in his father. That’s Don and his dad entertaining Nancy with stories of the ones that got away ... or are they measuring beards? I’m the one who urges Don to get away once in a while on a fishing trip, for I feel he needs a change from the wear and tear of a 6-day a week pro¬ gram. Usually he is able to combine a fishing trip with a bond-selling tour, a visit to a disabled veteran’s hospital or to a camp. His health is very im¬ portant to all of us and if he didn’t rest and relax occasionally, he wouldn’t be able to continue his work. Q. Where does Don get his material? A. From here, there and everywhere. An artist friend of ours sketched the accompanying illustration which is far more descriptive than I could hope to be. Q. Does Don like to wash dishes? A. He doesn’t like to wash dishes and he certainly doesn’t like to wipe them but he always pitches in when I ask him for help. He’s very willing — it says here. Q. W'hat are your hobbies? Kay: Golfing, gardening, sewing, weaving and canning, but my favorite hobby is my hubby. Don: Fishing, hunting, painting, golfing, drawing cartoons, writing, and Kay. Q. To what do you attribute Don’s grand person¬ ality and even disposition? A. To his mother and father. He had a fine start in life. Q. If he has no script, how does he judge the time so accurately? A. There’s a big clock on the studio wall, and he wears a stop watch on his wrist to guide him as he wanders around with the mike. Q. W'hy in heaven's name isn’t Don on a long evening program? A. He has been asked to do several evening programs, but that could mean giving up the Breakfast Club, which is unthinkable. Someday he might do a night show, if it didn’t interfere with the good old B. C.