If you look closely at our Thanksgiving family photo, taken at Mick and Jimmie’s home in NJ, you’ll see our second granddaughter, born on Mick’s birthday, August 7th. She is Eva Gabriela, adding to the population of Glen Rock, where Mick and Jimmie have now settled into an East Coast life. (They have been there a year already!)
Glen Rock, being near Summit, where we used to live, gave Tom the opportunity to play in the Oratory alumni soccer game. Earlier, in June, Tom and Kris celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary hiking and rafting in the Grand Canyon. Their home is still Greensboro, NC, where he teaches and coaches, and she is a physical therapist. We had a great visit with them just after Eva was born. (We saw our sons twice this year!)
No change to my tax season volunteer AARP commitments, but I actually had paid employment for the first time in ten years. I worked as a Crew Leader of a U.S. Census Bureau team for the April through July enumeration period. (I truly enjoyed working again.) The 2020 Census should not require door-to-door visits – our technology and government data bases should preclude the need and the expense.
Joanie continues with all of her fiber interests: spinning, weaving, sewing, quilting, dyeing, basketing, felting, beading – and all of the associated guilds. She continues as the Northern California representative for the Handweavers Guild of America and as a member of the Advisory Council for the Northern California Handweavers. In July she attended the bi-annual HGA Convergence conference in Albuquerque, NM, taking the opportunity to visit with good friend Claire Bonser in Santa Fe.
In September it was off to OFFF in our RV. The Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival is in Canby, just south of Portland. There is nothing like being up close and personal with sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, bunnies, and two million vendors of craft stuff. We did have lunch with my Uncle Forrie who, I believe, is aging backwards. Last year he was 90; this year he is obviously 89! Later that month was the Placerville Hangtown Weavers’ annual campout at Coloma, CA.
I enjoyed a little golf and a bunch of skiing again this year. Our neighborhood hiking group was quite active, so I enjoyed many hiking treks this summer. Hattie and I, of course, took our own special hikes in the Sierras. Church activities continue.
Cat Tillie, now 13, and dog Hattie, now 6, continue to give us joy just by being themselves. We just wish they were buddies.
Our only casualty this year was Joanie’s Mini Cooper. We elected to not replace the ridiculously expensive transmission. The “coolness” factor has its limits. She now has an AWD Toyota Matrix.
We hope all of you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Marty and Joanie
