Round Robin 2011

A quick review of what's happened since I wrote last year's Round Robin letter to the SLG's of Traverse City Central High, class of 1953:

What a treat to get the Round Robin before the summer company arrives. We’re expecting all of the kids to be here soon - some for a week, and some for a month! It’s the best part about summer in T.C.

We’ve had a fine year. We spent a month in Ann Arbor during football season, and while we were there brother Jim and I hosted the Kanitz family reunion in Saline. We had 111 cousins there - unbelievable! I think I know about six of them personally,

Geocaching is still a big part of our lives - it has been a fantastic hobby for us. The get-togethers are special - meet and greets, road rallies, and State-wide socials. We have met all kinds of people pursuing this hobby, and some of them have become really good friends.

You just can’t beat Christmas in Florida! The whole family comes, the weather is lovely, the ocean is beautiful, and the Christmas spirit prevails. What could be better?

Last February (2011) daughter Jana got a job! It’s not her favorite job, but she has a great salary and good benefits - and it’s a job, job, job - after being unemployed for 30 months! Hope springs eternal….

Northern Michigan had a very cold, very snowy and very long winter. We were so sick of snow and icicles - bad case of cabin fever. When we thought it was finally over - another major snowstorm descended, a tree fell across our driveway, and we said enough already! Spring did come as it always does, and it has been worth waiting for - lush and green with beautiful bright flowers and warm sunshine. Hallelujah! We feel so lucky to be here, far from major floods, tornadoes and wildfires.

The best trip this year was Out West - flying into Las Vegas and driving around Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. The goal is to find geocaches in every State, and after this trip the only State left is Hawaii - we thinking of doing that next Spring (2012).

After that road trip, we flew to San Diego to stay with Tom for a week. Another reason for the California trip was to attend the Bar Mitzvah of the grandson of our best friends from Belleville whom we’ve known for 40 years, That was a very joyous event - we had a great time, and it was wonderful to touch base with their whole family. Son Tom is a very good host, and we had a blast in San Diego - I highly recommend it J.

Twice so far this summer we’ve gone to Interlochen concerts - the first was A Prairie Home Companion, with Garrison Keillor. We enjoyed it more than I can say - a most enjoyable couple of hours. He had nice things to say about Interlochen, and T.C. The second one was to see The Temptations - and I was disappointed because the sound was way, way too loud - almost painful - are all concerts like that? (I don’t get out much.)

There have been great extended family times here at home with our Traverse nieces and nephews - Thanksgiving, birthdays, Easter - it’s so nice to have family close by.

Dick and I both have gray hair disease, which means that we’re not getting any younger - but we’re hanging in there and enjoying life to the max. Live the life you love and love the life you live.