We hope you are weathering these times well - literally from weather events, but also pandemics, and other crazy events of our times. We are reminded every day of how grateful we are for our family and friends. Time got away from us last winter and we just didn't have the energy to send cards, but we think about all of you, whether you are here in Cotati or halfway around the world.
The last two years we have started to venture out into the world more. On Christmas day, way back in '22, Amanda, Tim and I left for a one-day XC ski trip at Royal Gorge. It was serene, beautiful and socially distanced! We had several Christmas celebrations, one being the gift of climbing at a local gym with our grandchildren. Tim and I started research on buying a trailer; after 50+ years, giving in and giving up on tent camping. After attending a HUGE RV show, we found a Little Guy Max Mini 17' travel trailer right here in Cotati. Our initial trip in Feb '23 - between tremendous storms here in NorCal - was to a local campground on the Russian River where we celebrated our anniversary with champagne and successful backing into our spot! We've traveled to Anza Borrego area, Avila Beach, Redding, taking our bikes, and with the Petaluma Paddlers to Silver Lake, Meeks Bay, Fallen Leaf Lake, and Tim to Yosemite on a photo trip. In Sept. 23, we made another Northwest trip (flying this time) for the wedding reception of friends Nick and Erika Grizzle in Portland. Such a fun celebration! And of course, while there we visited our friends Bruce and Martha Webb. This October we ventured out more with the trailer on a trip to San Diego, camping on beautiful Mission Bay, to attend the wedding of our grandniece Katie Jensen to Trevor Elliot in October.
MUSIC! Of course we've attended performances by our own grandchildren (Lily on sax, and Jackson currently on guitar), our own Santa Rosa Symphony, any Celtic and folk music, and groups on tour. So many local favorites, too; this area is rich in musicians. But a highlight of 2024 for me was going with three girlfriends to see the Rolling Stones. Pretty amazing! Tim chose to attend a live production of Mrs. Doubtfire the musical, which he found hilarious. In summer '23 Tim and I saw Neil Young with Tim's sister Kim. I'm still performing in the Petaluma Community Band, with semi-annual concerts. Our director continues to challenge us with diverse pieces, and the group is a lot of fun. I kid you not - Amanda's two dogs and our cat love hearing me practice. Even when I get my clarinet out of the case, they start wagging tails and have learned to sing: howling or in short yelps, trying to match the pitch and rhythm. Sometimes we jam at home with ukelele and piano and the pets sing along, too.
One event that was meaningful to us in October: Amanda and I heard that the two guys who perform as Choir!Choir!Choir! (C!) were on tour and performing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Terry liked the movie Shrek, the song was used in the soundtrack, and we sang it at his memorial. We flew to Seattle to attend the C! performance in Silverdale at a beautiful new performing arts center. In our 36 hours there, we visited the town of Poulsbo (art galleries and Oktoberfest,) ate amazing Thai food, hiked in a former estate (now nature conservatory,) and walked along the shores of the Puget Sound outside our hotel room. It was a really nice mother-daughter trip, and for us very moving, as singing "Hallelujah" again was a little memorial to Terry. The founders of C!, Daveed and Nobu, believe in music as a message to bring people together, they're very approachable, and it's our fourth concert with them. If they pass through an area near you, check them out.
GRANDKIDS: We can't believe that Kyra is 21. With health challenges related to Covid and otherwise, she has to pace herself, but she accompanies us to some events when she can. Sometime back, we took a field trip to Japantown, and she has attended various family holidays and get togethers. She likes Japanese culture, skating, and art. Last summer we all went to the Pride parade in San Francisco and had a great vantage point from a 4th floor office building. It happened that the Petaluma band picnic was that day, so she accompanied us there, too.
Odin, almost 12, is going through another growth spurt, and I think is taller or soon will be, than Martin. He goes mountain biking and hiking with his dad, and recently took a ceramics class.
Jackson is 14 now! He too, is starting quite a growth spurt; the two cousins, two years apart, are still within a couple of inches of each other. Jax, in 8th grade this year, is still thoughtful and considerate. He's learning guitar and likes history and his parkour class.
Lily turned 16 this year and has her license! Always on the go, she is in Santa Rosa High School's Art Quest program, in performing arts. She also plays sax in band, and we really enjoy seeing her performances. In March she was chosen from her school to participate in a Poetry in the Schools competition. While she did not go on to the State level, her readings were still impressive, especially for a freshman. She is also on the debate team; as a sophomore, this makes a full schedule.
We're very proud of all our grandkids, and love spending time with them. Sometimes it's for lunch, a walk or just hanging out and playing silly games. It's amazing what can be crammed into a couple of hours! We love it when they can join us for special travel adventures, too.
OUR KIDS: Jocelyn is hanging in there. With Kyra's and her health challenges, traveling any distance is difficult, but they occasionally go out to the beach or for a hike. She is continuing to pace herself and follow the prescribed therapies. We are so proud of her resilience and determination to get her life back. Martin likes mountain biking and hiking, and often takes Odin. He continues with Goju Kai karate and has earned a second-degree black belt. And caring for their chickens keeps them all busy!
Amanda is on the go. While working full time, she earned her BS in Computer Science from Dakota StateUniversity, all online. After such a demanding three years, there was no doubt we would attend the graduation ceremony about an hour from Sioux Falls, SD. The date - May (the) 4th - has special meaning for Star Wars fans, as her personally crafted mortarboard expressed (painted with Ahsoka Tano, for those who know SW.) Sioux Falls is a cute town. We stayed near their river walk, took in some sights, and attended a very meaningful graduation ceremony, where she got to meet some of her profs - in person. We're very proud of her.
MORE TRAVELS: Tim and Amanda, sometimes with friend Shannon, have experienced several backpacking adventures. In '23, they took in spectacular scenery in the Minarets. Amanda and Tim did a short, hot July backpack trip to Lassen National Park this summer. In August, a major event for Amanda and Shannon was completing the 7-day, 70+ mile High Sierra Trail (including summiting Mt Whitney just before sunset, not another soul in sight.) Such an accomplishment! Their friend Alison met them at Whitney Portal, and they had a celebratory evening and road trip home. Amanda has also taken up running the last couple of years and completed a few half-marathons. She and friend Shannon, who lives in Albuquerque, have traveled to the Southwest, Sierras, and Central America together, and are planning more adventures. Amanda still has her van, and sometimes takes road trips with her fur babies Bucky and Petunia. As senior dogs, their camping days are winding down but they love short, easy day hikes.
Besides our spring and early summer outings, Tim and I mostly prepped for a trip we've waited a lifetime to do: Alaska. Early September we sailed on a small ship out of Juneau, spending 7 days whale- and orca-watching - seeing huge pods - hiking, tidepool walking, observing glaciers from the closest allowable distance in small skiffs, kayaking, and one day, for me, snorkeling. We absolutely loved our crew and captain through the company Uncruise, met fantastic people, and ate delicious food. The vastness of the Alaska landscape is breathtaking. We did see a few bears - from a distance. We spent a few days in Juneau, allowing us to explore and make a personal connection. Tim grew up hearing the stories of Alaska from his grandfather Al Christoe where he and some of his brothers worked at the Treadwell Gold Mine on Douglas Island in the early 1900's. Tim had a goal to see the area he heard stories about and we also learned a lot about the workings of the mine, saw a stamp mill, and even found some newspaper references to Tim's relatives in the state library there. And of course, we think often of taking our grandchildren on similar trips.
Arriving home on Lily's birthday, September 17th, Tim prepared for a trip to his Navy unit reunion in southern Maryland. Due to Hurricane Helene, there was sparse attendance, but after the event he spent some time in North Carolina, researching the Morgan side of the family.
Then, a quick turnaround for our trip to San Diego, in our Little Guy trailer. We had a bit of a harrowing adventure getting stuck on a dead-end lane, on the side of I5, on a 90 degree fall evening, trying to back up, while watching for rattlers and coyotes. We were rescued by two guys and their dog who lived on a ranch about a 1/4 mile from where we were, and we eventually made it to the RV park, in a dry wash that looked like an abandoned 1950's western movie set. Fortunately, we survived and learned some lessons.
After leaving the beautiful wedding in La Jolla, we stopped in Alta Dena, and visited a second cousin of Tim's, Valerie Matthews and her husband Ted. We had a really nice visit, and found we have a lot in common. Tim had first met them in '23 at a campground at Twin Lakes, where he took a spin on the lake in their antique amphibious car. Our last night was at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, where we met some of our paddler friends. It was a peaceful respite, and we spent cozy evenings talking around the campfire.
Lately, we tend to be homebodies, Tim continuing his photography adventures, genealogy classes, and volunteering for the local genealogical society, as well as his Military Officer's Association. When we can we fit in some hiking and kayaking. At the beginning of '23, Tim stepped away from his karate practice due to some medical concerns. He now practices the much less intense Tai Chi, but he still meets with a karate friend helping him with interpretation of their karate kata. I try to stay active with gardening, yoga, water aerobics, music, book club, meeting with friends, or just relaxing with Bucky, Petunia, and cat Chloe, who is getting more affectionate in her old age. Last year, I started an online writing class, mostly so I would have dedicated time to write down some of the stories from our now long lifetimes! I stopped the class, but still write when I can. I also still have fun with watercolor. Homebodies or not, we are booked to go on safari in Tanzania next year.
A year ago, we took the plunge and had our front yard re-landscaped. One of the features we wanted was a way to capture water run-off from the downspouts to flow into a seasonal rain garden. I spend some time every day there, planting, thinking about future designs, or watching the animals take the short circular path. With southwest exposure, the succulents and drought tolerant native plants are thriving. Another aspect is that the crew that worked on the project were really great. The project manager is the lead singer in one of our local bands, and at the end of the first week, the crew boss invited Tim and me to his granddaughter's first birthday party, where we danced cumbia and ate homemade mole (the Oaxacan sauce, not the yard pest!) The whole landscaping experience was more enriching than just having someone come and move dirt (and rocks, so many rocks) around. Experiences such as this, or meeting people while traveling, makes us appreciate the gift of connecting with others. In these times, it's important to remember there are good people everywhere: in our own backyards, across the country, and around the world. We are grateful to have a little taste of that, and so grateful for all our family and friends.
We think of Terry every day. His influence on others continues, in positive ways, more than he could have imagined. On January 4, it will be eight years since he crossed over. We stand by him and his kids as we promised.
We wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and a peaceful 2025.
Tim, Sharon and Family