Christmas Letter

We ended the year with a water leak in the kitchen that resulted in us living with out a kitchen, dining and living rooms for three months. We are now back in and just in time for Christmas.
Braden went off to Walla Walla University in Sept. His sister is a Jr. at Livingstone Academy where I have been for the last 35 years. I just tutor two classes of math in the mornings at present.
Tessa is in the second grade and can do a cart wheel and a round off. Her little sister is in preschool and loves it.
Maris has a bad knee and is having a hard time getting from place to place. We had planned to go to Joseph, Or. (near Hell's Canyon) but had to cancel. I hope we can go this coming summer.
I don't do a lot on Facebook but I have over a hundred ex-students and friends.
Maris' sister passed away this year.
Pam and Darryl are still running an Alztheimers Care Home and Staci and Rogene are working at the Hospital. Tim works with an Autistic man. He is very nice but can't speak. Tim also works with Special Olympic young people.
I have been retired for 9 years but am busier than when I was working.
I can't wait for Spring to come so I can get back to mowing the school lawn. There is 17 acres to mow and I used to do it all by my self but I have now found some one to help me.
I have lots of e-mail friends and the first thing that I do each morning is to answer all the letters.
I was going to sell my motor cycle but no one wanted to pay what I thought it was worth so I guess I will just keep it. I love to go on long trips but there have been to many accidents lately so I will stick to short trips.
I want to put it on the trailer and take it to Crater Lake and then ride around the lake. I is 33 miles around the lake and very beautiful.
My brother lives just south of Crater Lake so I will stop and see him and his wife.
I just found him last year. It really great having him and his wife and right here in Oregon.
Well, until more happens this is the end of the letter. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Kitchen cabinets almost done

The kitchen cabinets are getting done. The border came down today and the kitchen was painted. Next is the counter tops and the flooring. Anxious anticipation.

Our House

It has been nine weeks since we have had a kitchen. However, there is some progress. The cabinets are half in and should be finished Monday. Then comes the floors. They usually don't take but a few days to do. So maybe we will have a house by Christmas. We sure hope so.

Thanksgiving 2009

The Hodges, Larson and Talento families doing what they love to do, eat.

They say "Every day is a holiday at LAA" where I have taught for 33 years but at our house it is not a holiday today with the Service Masters here cleaning up the mess.
However, we are looking forward to hooking up the 5th Wheel and heading for Beverly Beach on Friday. The workers said they wanted to be here every day but I said not on the Sabbath and they said okay. Tim will open the house for them on Sunday while we are gone.
Maris is still limping around with a bad knee. I think she is going to have to have it operated on but she is fighting it.
My daughters and their families are back from the water park in Washington State. I guess they had a good time and they want us to go next year.
The phones quit working so after the men are done today Tim and I are going to Costco to see if we can find a new system.
Bye for now. Take care and God bless.

Yesterday before we got up a pipe broke under the sink and flooded the kitchen, living and dining rooms. Service Master is hear and they found water every where including in the walls. Heaven knows how much this is going to cost. I am glad I have insurance. Every thing had to come out
of the two hall closets and one of the bedroom closets. Well, the good thing is that every thing is getting moved including the China closet with all it's goodies.
They said the place would be a mess for at least 4 days.

School is coming to a close. I have been asked to come back next year but after 47 years I think that is enough. I have been teaching electricity in 6th grade and tutoring math and I am tired.
I have 123 ex-students on Facebook and I need to catch up on the news with them.
Braden hurt his ACL and had to have it operated on and so I have been mowing for him. All in all it keeps me pretty busy.
Tim and I went to see the Titianic display. We got to meet the Captain and have our picture taken with him. There were pieces of the ship and articles from the people who didn't make it.
They say in 20 years the ship will be gone due to bacteria that eat it. It is 2 1/2 miles down in the ocean. Pressure at that depth is 6000 pounds per square inch.
More later.

Hawaii

We leave for Hawaii Tuesday morning and I am sick. I finally got what was going around and Maris said it took her four months to get rid of it. Oh My! Well, maybe the warm sun in Hawaii will make it all better. I sure hope so.
I had children's story at church this morning. Because it was Easter week-end the church was really full.
Thursday I was using the bucket on the tractor at school and I hit a water pipe and water went every where. We finally got it capped but it will take a while for the water to go away as it was in a new building that still has a dirt floor.
We are going to celebrate Easter and Pam's birthday tomorow, pack Monday and Tue. we are on our way.
More in two weeks.

My cousins are coming out for a visit in June and I have got the whole week planned for them.

Just another day.

Time is flying by. Maris retires April 1 unless this is an April 1 joke. Tim is kinda under the weather today and I think I pulled a stomach muscle and it doesn't feel good
Pam has 7 dogs and 3 cats now. We won't go over because we are afraid we will step on one of them. They are all small except KI the brown lab.
Maris had a birthday Monday evening and she got a lot of nice things.
The weather is turning toward Spring but it is slow to come. Some of the trees are budding out and that is a good sign.
We head for Hawaii in 3 weeks. I would really rather go in January but that is life.
The Trailblazers lost last night. bummer. They are in 7th place for the playoffs. It is better than nothing. We didn't even make the playoffs in the past years.

This is Mt. Hood taken today, Jan. 18. It is 90 miles from us here in Salem,Or. It is a lovely day today. The temp is 51 degrees and the sun is shining and there is not a cloud in the sky.

Be happy, life is good.

Mt. Jefferson taken from Salem,Or. 60 miles away. It is a beautiful day to today and it is 51 degrees. I just washed both vehicles. It is a good day to be outside. In February the daffodil's come up.

Guess where we are going this summer? Alaska to see the bears. There is a special bridge built over a creek just for people to watch the bears catch and eat salmon. This will be our third trip to Alaska, two driving and one on a Cruise Ship.