May the giving spirit of Christmas dawn on your life each day of the New Year
New moon above the clouds
This has been quite a good year for
Lona and me with the exception of a very bad beginning. Let's get
that news out of the way and move on to happier things.
Last Dec. 18th, 2006, my sister Carol (my only sibling) died suddenly of a burst brain aneurysm. She was only 54. Her sudden, untimely departure from life has left a very big hole in the hearts of her son, daughter, brother, and most especially her husband who loved her dearly. It will be a rough Christmas for all of us again this year and each future Christmas when the season reminds us of our loss. I could spend the rest of this letter describing how talented, caring and giving she was, but I will just relate the following. Music was her passion. She devoted a lot of time to it and was very good at it. When she was in the 3rd grade attending music class, the teacher had transposed the key to put the song into a more comfortable range for the children. Carol suddenly piped up and asked the music teacher why she was not playing the notes that were written on the music. That is the first time that anyone realized that Carol had perfect pitch. Carol had been the organist and director of music at her church, a member of the St. Joseph, MO Community Chorus and a board member, Dean of the American Guild of Organists, and a board member of the St. Joseph Allied Arts Council. Writing this has made me quite sad, so I will try to perk up and move on.
Now on to the happier things: Lona and I continue not to have any afflictions to complain about. We both finally have had to make a few concessions due to our age, but not too many. I have had to give up running. My meniscus could no longer take the pounding. I still stay in shape by race walking and bicycling. Lona has given up skiing but not I! I still blast down the double diamond runs, the ones with the skull and cross bones sign at the top. We both lift weights at the nearby YMCA. It is good to live in Santa Clara Valley (AKA, Silicon Valley), because it is surrounded by mountains having more hiking trails than we will ever be able to hike. We devote all day most Thursdays to hiking these trails. We love the wildflowers, critters, and vistas we see on these hikes. See below for a sample. The valley also features a very rich cultural life.
Last March I finally tested my meniscus, which I tore running down a canyon in January the previous year. As long as I didn't run on it, it never hurt, so I did not have it operated on. I finally worked up my courage and went skiing in CO with my nephew, Jim, and his wife, Casey. For reasons that escape me, my knee liked it. In fact it has felt better after skiing on it than it did before. Maybe I broke loose an adhesion. I am hoping to go skiing with them again this winter.
In May, Lona and I drove our 4WD, Ford Ranger out to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. We hiked all over the place in both parks. The scenery and views were spectacular. We had been to both parks a couple of times before, but had not done them so thoroughly as this time Many of you have already received a report on that trip. For those of you who missed it, you can click on http://dlpackwood.com/DL_Website/Bryce-ZionTripReport.html .
We took a second sight seeing trip in October, combining it with our annual alumni support trip to the University of MO. This time we visited Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, IL and Daniel Boone on his farm near Defiance, MO. We highly recommend a visit to the new Lincoln Museum in Springfield, IL. We thought it was terrific. The Daniel Boone house and grave was unexpectedly interesting, also. We had been wanting to check those places out for some time.
We saw much more of Lincoln historical sites than represented by the pictures above, essentially all that Springfield has to offer. We are sorry that we did not allow enough time to go over and visit Salem, IL also. We may have to go back some day. At the new museum, we learned that Mary was highly intelligent and much better educated than was customary for women of that time. It is thought that she may have been bipolar which led to her erratic behavior, especially in later life. She was a good intellectual partner for Abe. He was undoubtedly a genius considering that he only completed one year of formal education.
The house shown above took Daniel Boone and his son, Nathan, 7 years to build. They quarried the stones from a nearby limestone bluff, hauled them to the house site, and constructed the four story building having two and one half feet thick walls with gun ports to repel Indian attack. The beams and flooring inside were hand hewn. Daniel moved to Missouri from Kentucky in the later years of his life at the urging of his son. Daniel was in financial ruin due to overwhelming debts and disputes over the title of his property. Daniel was eventually able to pay off all his debts from the success of his MO ventures. He was bitter about his financial ruin in KY and swore he would never go back. That brings up an interesting story. You will notice from his grave marker that the body of his wife Rebecca, who preceded Daniel in death by 7 years, was moved back to KY in 1845, but Daniel is still in his grave in MO. How come? Twenty five years after Daniel's death in 1820, the state of KY decided it would be good for tourism to have Daniel and Rebecca back there. They got the agreement of Daniel's heirs to move them -- perhaps some money changed hands. It turned out that when Daniel died, there was no longer space beside Rebecca, so they buried Daniel at her feet. The KY folks did not know this and dug up the body next to Rebecca, leaving Daniel in place. KY officials did not get wind of this until recently when one of them happened to be on a tour like Lona and I took. The official was not pleased to hear this news. He had the body they thought was Daniel exhumed to try to prove it really was Daniel. When the casket was opened, it was obvious that this person was much too tall to be Daniel. No DNA test was necessary. Sure enough, Daniel never went back to Kentucky.
After visiting Abe and Daniel, Lona and I visited as many of our friends in the St. Louis area as we had time for. Many of these we had not seen for years, so it was delightful catching up with them.
Soon after our return home from MO and IL, we were paid a visit from our dear Colorado friend, Judy, whom Lona has known since kindergarten. Judy was the first to try out our guest bedroom after I painted it last summer. On our excursion to Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea, we ate a delightful picnic at a park overlooking Monterey Bay. A cousin of Jonathan Livingston Seagull was practically at our feet, greedily eyeballing us the whole time hoping that we would drop a few tasty morsels. An American Black Oystercatcher was indifferent.
After lunch we went over to the beautiful white sand beach in Carmel beneath Pebble Beach Golf Course. Judy found out how cold the ocean is here when she waded in it. Lona and I were too chicken to try to wade. When we tried it years ago, our feet immediately turned purple and ached terribly.
That brings you up to date on our year. It has been a good one for us, and we hope you have had a good year too. You have our best wishes for a wonderful Christmas (or Happy Holiday, your choice) and a very Happy 2008.
Last Dec. 18th, 2006, my sister Carol (my only sibling) died suddenly of a burst brain aneurysm. She was only 54. Her sudden, untimely departure from life has left a very big hole in the hearts of her son, daughter, brother, and most especially her husband who loved her dearly. It will be a rough Christmas for all of us again this year and each future Christmas when the season reminds us of our loss. I could spend the rest of this letter describing how talented, caring and giving she was, but I will just relate the following. Music was her passion. She devoted a lot of time to it and was very good at it. When she was in the 3rd grade attending music class, the teacher had transposed the key to put the song into a more comfortable range for the children. Carol suddenly piped up and asked the music teacher why she was not playing the notes that were written on the music. That is the first time that anyone realized that Carol had perfect pitch. Carol had been the organist and director of music at her church, a member of the St. Joseph, MO Community Chorus and a board member, Dean of the American Guild of Organists, and a board member of the St. Joseph Allied Arts Council. Writing this has made me quite sad, so I will try to perk up and move on.
Now on to the happier things: Lona and I continue not to have any afflictions to complain about. We both finally have had to make a few concessions due to our age, but not too many. I have had to give up running. My meniscus could no longer take the pounding. I still stay in shape by race walking and bicycling. Lona has given up skiing but not I! I still blast down the double diamond runs, the ones with the skull and cross bones sign at the top. We both lift weights at the nearby YMCA. It is good to live in Santa Clara Valley (AKA, Silicon Valley), because it is surrounded by mountains having more hiking trails than we will ever be able to hike. We devote all day most Thursdays to hiking these trails. We love the wildflowers, critters, and vistas we see on these hikes. See below for a sample. The valley also features a very rich cultural life.
Position cursor over thumbnails to
bring up title. Click on thumbnail to bring up
larger image. Click on the "back" button when finished.
Last March I finally tested my meniscus, which I tore running down a canyon in January the previous year. As long as I didn't run on it, it never hurt, so I did not have it operated on. I finally worked up my courage and went skiing in CO with my nephew, Jim, and his wife, Casey. For reasons that escape me, my knee liked it. In fact it has felt better after skiing on it than it did before. Maybe I broke loose an adhesion. I am hoping to go skiing with them again this winter.
In May, Lona and I drove our 4WD, Ford Ranger out to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. We hiked all over the place in both parks. The scenery and views were spectacular. We had been to both parks a couple of times before, but had not done them so thoroughly as this time Many of you have already received a report on that trip. For those of you who missed it, you can click on http://dlpackwood.com/DL_Website/Bryce-ZionTripReport.html .
We took a second sight seeing trip in October, combining it with our annual alumni support trip to the University of MO. This time we visited Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, IL and Daniel Boone on his farm near Defiance, MO. We highly recommend a visit to the new Lincoln Museum in Springfield, IL. We thought it was terrific. The Daniel Boone house and grave was unexpectedly interesting, also. We had been wanting to check those places out for some time.
We saw much more of Lincoln historical sites than represented by the pictures above, essentially all that Springfield has to offer. We are sorry that we did not allow enough time to go over and visit Salem, IL also. We may have to go back some day. At the new museum, we learned that Mary was highly intelligent and much better educated than was customary for women of that time. It is thought that she may have been bipolar which led to her erratic behavior, especially in later life. She was a good intellectual partner for Abe. He was undoubtedly a genius considering that he only completed one year of formal education.
The house shown above took Daniel Boone and his son, Nathan, 7 years to build. They quarried the stones from a nearby limestone bluff, hauled them to the house site, and constructed the four story building having two and one half feet thick walls with gun ports to repel Indian attack. The beams and flooring inside were hand hewn. Daniel moved to Missouri from Kentucky in the later years of his life at the urging of his son. Daniel was in financial ruin due to overwhelming debts and disputes over the title of his property. Daniel was eventually able to pay off all his debts from the success of his MO ventures. He was bitter about his financial ruin in KY and swore he would never go back. That brings up an interesting story. You will notice from his grave marker that the body of his wife Rebecca, who preceded Daniel in death by 7 years, was moved back to KY in 1845, but Daniel is still in his grave in MO. How come? Twenty five years after Daniel's death in 1820, the state of KY decided it would be good for tourism to have Daniel and Rebecca back there. They got the agreement of Daniel's heirs to move them -- perhaps some money changed hands. It turned out that when Daniel died, there was no longer space beside Rebecca, so they buried Daniel at her feet. The KY folks did not know this and dug up the body next to Rebecca, leaving Daniel in place. KY officials did not get wind of this until recently when one of them happened to be on a tour like Lona and I took. The official was not pleased to hear this news. He had the body they thought was Daniel exhumed to try to prove it really was Daniel. When the casket was opened, it was obvious that this person was much too tall to be Daniel. No DNA test was necessary. Sure enough, Daniel never went back to Kentucky.
After visiting Abe and Daniel, Lona and I visited as many of our friends in the St. Louis area as we had time for. Many of these we had not seen for years, so it was delightful catching up with them.
Soon after our return home from MO and IL, we were paid a visit from our dear Colorado friend, Judy, whom Lona has known since kindergarten. Judy was the first to try out our guest bedroom after I painted it last summer. On our excursion to Pacific Grove and Carmel-by-the-Sea, we ate a delightful picnic at a park overlooking Monterey Bay. A cousin of Jonathan Livingston Seagull was practically at our feet, greedily eyeballing us the whole time hoping that we would drop a few tasty morsels. An American Black Oystercatcher was indifferent.
After lunch we went over to the beautiful white sand beach in Carmel beneath Pebble Beach Golf Course. Judy found out how cold the ocean is here when she waded in it. Lona and I were too chicken to try to wade. When we tried it years ago, our feet immediately turned purple and ached terribly.
That brings you up to date on our year. It has been a good one for us, and we hope you have had a good year too. You have our best wishes for a wonderful Christmas (or Happy Holiday, your choice) and a very Happy 2008.