The
year ends with a lot more of the family living in Owensboro! What a joy it is
to have them close so we can enjoy life together. The year began with Marie-Anne
having an electronic gizmo implanted. This item helps to control chronic pain,
and it works very well!
JP
went to California alone for Danya's high school graduation and also with sister
Dot for that of Niece Abby Waxler from UC Riverside. We, of course, also saw Bob
and Dallas and some of the rest of the Culver City Waxlers. JP got to see Star/grand-daughter
Tess perform her Soccer skills. Always a great visit with Jake and Kalila in Los
Osos (and we got to dine on Indian food and Kalila's veggie meals).Danya's valedictory
address was excellent as was the news that she was accepted at Stanford along
with a hefty scholarship.
JP's niece,Amy Gras, is a landscape architect and was kind enough to make a quick
trip to see what could be done to improve our drab garden. We followed her advice
to the letter, and the result is very pleasing. It did involve moving a lot of
plants and fencing to better frame the various areas, and it was the beginning
of a year of fencing for JP. He helped fence two more yards for members of our
UU fellowship over the summer. I think he is all "fenced-out" for a while.
Marie-Anne's daughter, Monique, and her grand-daughter Gabriella arrived in Owensboro
from Connecticut on 1st May, and our life turned into a wirlwind for a couple
of months. Monique loves her house, and loves having a job across the street!
She is a CAT-Scan technician and works at the Health Park.
JP
accompanied old friends, J Quiz, Joe Clark, Jim Williams and Don Augenstein on
several golf outings in Indiana staying for quaffs and luscious beef offerings
at Joe's cabin. Marie-Anne and I also had a delightful get-away there during the
fall. Marie-Anne did some outside tiddying there and the next day was ‘'certain
that the cabin had bedbugs!" (She now knows what CHIGGERS are!)
JP
joined Rotary Club and has enjoyed it immensely at his primo table with Scott
Holder, Larry and John Hager, Noel Maddox, Martel Whittingham and Theatre Workshop
star Donna Risley who keeps us all honest (somewhat).
We
continue to enjoy our excellent Theatre Workshop and high school Rose Curtain
Players, and the Owenboro Symphony. KWC Prof Dr. Tony Lee gives his extra faculty
ticket to JP so they can continue last season's activity of enjoying the Ky Wesleyan
Women's BB games. (They're not at UCONN Huskette level but do well in their league
and are fun).
Marie-Anne nabbed a King Cobra 3 wood via Ebay for JP's XMAS; watch out you sports
fans (...for errant shanks, perhaps?)
Gabriella
broke her elbow/wrist in a fall from the monkey bars a week after starting school,
and had to have surgery to repair it. This happened on her mother's 3rd day at
work in the hospital. What a way to get introduced to everyone. Gabriella then
broke her other elbow this September! She fell in the tall grasses at the bottom
of the garden at our house. No surgery needed this time.
Norma, JP's sister, moved from Alabama in August. She had bought a house not far
from Monique's, and she found it needed more work before she could move in. She
stayed with us until just before Thanksgiving, We had so much fun having her share
our home. Also we enjoyed her son Tim's and daughter Jenet and Nick's visits.
After
JP and Monique celebrated their birthday with a big bash at the end of August,
JP and Marie-Anne took to the road in the camper and headed for New England. We
had a great visit with Scott and Johanna in Maine for a Ferry Beach Crew gathering
that was delightful. Then on to Connecticut to see many of our old friends, to
NYC to visit with Audrey and Sergio before finally visiting in Philadelphia with
Liz and Mel Powers and new British arrivals Alex (Marie-Anne's step-son),wife
Nikla and daughter Lorelai .One day we took the train into Philly for a marvelous
old city tour that featured the famous amphibious Duck .
Our
very important little Unitarian-Universalist church continues to thrive as we
are bringing in many new and young people.
This has been a lovely and fulfilling year.
