Greetings of the Season 2010

Happy Hanukkah Merry Christmas Feliz Navidad

Happy Kwanzaa
Feliz Dia de Reyes Happy Eid al-Adha

Morning in the Superstition Mountains

Retirement is proving to be a busy time of life. Gary is involved with his committees serving on the New Frontiers Council as Treasurer, on the Emeritus College Dean’s Council, on the ASU Retirees Association Travel Committee and the NASPA 2012 International Conference Planning Committee, hiking, (Click here to see all the picture albums), golfing, taking yoga and teaching and taking classes while Vina spends time volunteering, golfing, hiking, and taking classes. We do have our periodic overlap golfing, hiking, attending lectures and classes, finding good estate sales, going to ASU football games, and enjoying the Broadway plays at Gammage .

After living in our home in Tempe for more than 30 years, we finally decided to fill in the sunken living room floor. The cement truck backed into the driveway and they wheeled in wheelbarrows full of concrete. (Click here to see pictures) Now the living room and the dining room are on the same level and we can extend the dining room table out to its full length. This proved very useful at Thanksgiving with 14 of Vina’s family over for dinner.

In March we helped Barbara Phelan, one of Gary’s staff members and a good friend from the Associated Students days celebrate a milestone birthday. We were joined by old friends from those days and it was very enjoyable. (Click here to see pictures)

Ajo High School held the 50 year Reunion for Vina’s class. (Click here to see pictures) Vina was on the planning committee and helped organize the reunion. It was a two day event in conjunction with the Friends of Ajo reunion and a great time was had by all who attended. It was great to see some old friends. It is amazing how quickly you can pick up after long separations.

This year three of the ladies that Vina plays golf with were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversaries, so we all got together to celebrate. It was another great excuse to have a good dinner with good friends. (Click here to see pictures)

After finally deciding we could and would survive Gary’s retirement, we decided to see some of the world. Why China? Well, because it’s there, Vina had never been to the Orient and we could travel with other ASU retirees. So off we went. We were in China for three weeks. We have written a blog about our wonderful time visiting China. You can read a day-by-day description of the trip and see the photos by clicking here. It proved to be more of an adventure than a vacation. We will forever enjoy the memories of friends, vistas, foods, the train rides and the bathrooms.

When we returned to Tempe from China we got ready to return to San Diego for the summer. It was one of the coolest summers that San Diego has had for a long time. The normal June gloom (morning “marine layer” with cool afternoons) was followed by a somewhat gloomy July and August – which was just fine with us. We get all the sun we want in Arizona. I think we had one week of “warm” weather. Complain – not us.

We spent the 4th of July with Bob and Natalie at their home where we enjoyed some really great barbecue food and good company. (Click here to see pictures)

One of the fun things we enjoy doing while in San Diego is attending estate sales. We have slowly been furnishing the condo with some really good and relatively inexpensive finds.

We took a motor trip to Sacramento in early August. We stopped along the way and picked up our good friend Bob Serrano in Twenty-nine Palms (Click here to see pictures) where we were treated to a wonderful dinner. The next day we drove up to Sacramento. We all had a great time visiting with John and Joan Hendricks (and dog Winston) in their beautiful renovated home. (Click here to see pictures) They have recently resettled in Sacramento after many years living on Long Island in New York. We visited the wine country one day (Click here to see pictures) and took a trip to visit with San Jose State friends Bill and Joan Parker another day. (Click here to see pictures)

We visited the Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento (Click here to see pictures) and we also stopped at Al the Wops in Locke, California for an unbelievable hamburger. (Click here to see pictures) The farmlands of old are now becoming vineyards with some great wines to sample. It was a great adventure.

On August 5th, Gary’s Aunt Edith passed away. A memorial service was held August 13th in Newport Beach. Aunt Edith played a big part in raising Gary and she will be greatly missed. (Click here to see pictures)

All summer Vina’s sister Cricket kept complaining that she was not feeling well. She went to the hospital twice. Finally after a lot of tests and speculation it was determined that she was suffering from liver failure. The exact cause was not known. Fortunately she received a liver transplant on August 20th. The extended family – most of who had left Phoenix for the summer – came home to be by her side. She is progressing well in her recovery, much to the relief of all.

In September Vina broke a bone in her right foot. Because it was the right foot, she could not drive. Never have Gary and Vina been so closely attached as they were now. Vina continued as many of her activities as she could - albeit on a greatly reduced scale. Gary would take her to her exercise classes where she would just do what she could and to golf where she would only putt. We would often attend classes together. Vina is thankful to all who transported her when Gary could not.

We took another driving trip with the New Frontiers retirees group to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah. It was just beautiful country. (Click here and here and here to see pictures.) We were there at a time when we could see some of the changing fall colors.

In November we had a very festive reunion with the China crew where we were able to share photos, memories and some really good Chinese food. (Click here to see pictures) After spending three weeks together you get to be a little like family.

We hosted Thanksgiving at our home with family this year. Unfortunately Bob and Natalie and Mike were not able to make the trip from San Diego but Marty and Cricket, Little Marty and Larissa and the girls, friends Kathy and Jeff, and Eddie, Elsie, Michelle and Mason were able to be with us. (Click here to see pictures) We look forward to seeing Bob and Natalie and Mike during the Christmas holiday season when we travel to San Diego.

We wish you all of the very best for the New Year and for peace on earth and goodwill towards all. We are hopeful that our paths might cross during 2011.

Gary & Vina