The chronicle., 1962-05-10
Viola races
|Adlai daily
to the stove
BY Polly paffilas

/
If Viola Reardy doesn't &c
to the stove before he does, HI
has the coffee perking.
But Stevenson doesn't have
much opportunity to scramble
an egg. His housekeeper, Viola
usually is at the controls lont
before our UN ambassador ha.
thought of how to scramble
the Russians that day.
| Viola is a mite with a mann,
moth job Of running the US
Embassy apartment, Steven,
sons quarters in the WALDORF
Towers.
Loves East River View
The huge apartment has /:
rooms, plus Az baths.
The French decor is white
with accents Of red and gold
Standing at a window, Viola
says:
"The ambassador loves tc
look at this gorgeous view o1
the East River and we never
close the draper;es. He won,
have it,"
Every niche has the Ada
accent - artistic but yet folk,
sy. Snapshots Of the grand,
children and the photos ot
Stevenson with Eleanor Roose
ivelt and Dag Hammarskjold
lare a sharp Contrast to the
Paintings of Picasso. Sargent
Wood and Matisse.
The ambassador likes tc
have things from home arouro
hiln. Viola gestures to fan lily
silver pieces, statues and fig,
ulnes collected from hls ira.
vels. Home is the farm ir
Ljbertyville, Ill.
| Picking up three ears ol
dried golden corn, tied with e
blue ribbon, Viola remarks
'This is the kind of thing Mr.
Stevenson likes on display
The corn was a souvenir from
some Illinois friends who came
for a visit one day."
He OkaYs Menus
The ambassador is easy tc
cook for, Viola volunteers. RE
is particularly fond of fresh
vegetables and fruits. He likes
good food, simple, and not toe
many courses.
One of Viola's tasks is tc
plan and cook meals for the
many famous guests who
stream into the apartment.
'Mr. Stevenson okays every
menu and many times will
plan the entire meal" Viola
says.
A weeks entertaining sche.
dule might run like this: Sun
day, cocktails for 80; Monday
breakfast for 6; lunch for 4;
Tuesday, lunch for 8, dinner
for Is; Wednesday, breakfast
for 6, cocktails for 8 and may.
be house guests the rest of the
week.
Somebody back home, ir
Boyne City, Mich, once asked
her how she handled all these
fancy affairs. 'It's easy, just
make plenty of plans and be
prep ared for plenty Of
changes.
Frets About His Health
"The ambassador is most
considerate and thoughtful and
tries not to disrupt things y
she explains. But sometimes
he does call up at the last
minute to say he's bringing
four home for lunch or three
more are coming to dinner.
AS any homemaker, Viola
often has to set another place
or take one off. "Why, one
noon we kept changing the
table so many times ! wasn't
sure whether we were serving
four or eight"
Viola is constantly fretting
about Stevenson's health. He
goes very light on coffee,
sweets and liquor. He doesn't
nibble between meals. except
for an apple before bedtime.
"He's only supposed to have
two eggs q week. but the other
day he outfoxed me-" she ex-
plains, II went out Of town
over night and wasn't back IN
time to fix his breakfast, so he
boiled himself an egg. He
knows better than that"
Sho Helps Shop
Viola also has been trying to
get Stevenson to walk to work,
believing the exercise would
be good for him.
''The UN building isn't that
far. But he doesn't really have
the time, / guess" she says.
Viola takes the ambassadors
shirts to the laundry and sees
that his shoes are repaired,
She also does some Of the food
shopping on Third Avenue.