2022 Holiday Message
from California

 --   Dorian  --   Joe  --   Arielle  --  Peter  --
 

Dorian's Story

This is my second year since retirement and I'm working on career #2:  Jazz Fiddle Musician!  This is what I always never knew I wanted to be! 

This is a monthly session from this fall at  the San Jose Jazz Jam.

   (click photos to see more)

I never did much music until about a decade ago, but now, as I write this, I am facing dead week and finals on topics I never contemplated: sight singing, musical dictations, chord inversions, and more scales than just C.  My brain is a bit fried, but that feels good, doesn't it?  I have also benefited from a few fantastic faraway Zoom violin classes and a local monthly Jazz jam. Progress is slow, but recognizable!

As well, I am enjoying biking with some women friends, swimming, and volunteering in classrooms for Environmental Volunteers.

A main reason to retire early was to share some travels with Joe and not be confined to the school calendar. Now that we both are students at different schools with different breaks, we again are still faced with this silly academic cycle. Yet, we have done some fine traveling this year. After sailing in Greece for a week, we drove around the north west part of Greece, high up in the mountains on narrow roads in search of the ultimate baked feta.

After Greece, we popped over to Ireland and continued driving on narrow country roads.  We rented a manual transmission car with the stick in your left hand to drive on the left side of the roads.  We toured Ireland from North to South checking out music and beers for ten days.

We finished by hopping on bikes for a scenic tour using Backroads in the Cork/Kerry area.  We enjoyed beautiful landscapes and fantastic evening with Irish Traditional sessions at pubs from north to south!

Please do come and visit, Peter hasn't sublet his old room through Airbnb yet, so we have a great space! :-)   Or join us for a happy hour! We love to catch up with old friends!

Joe's Story

This year was one with no new surgeries and plenty of fun with Dorian.  At this time of life, who can ask for more? 

Our summer was a Europe tour which included a Greek sail with 16 crew, two epic bike rides, and car tours of Greece and full-circle of Ireland.  Dorian had some details about this above.

I did a lot of road biking this year, particularly to prepare for that big French Alps ride in June.  Total road bike stats for 2022 is 3200 miles and up 292,000 vertical feet (90 feet per mile).  I'm unlikely to have another biking year like this one.

Other than the summer trip, I was a full-time student at DeAnza College.  I sometimes doubt my sanity to submit again to weekly assignments, projects and papers.  However, I am exploring a creative side that I never knew I had.  A goal?  To get an an Associates Degree in Art before my 7th decade starts.   Some of my paintings and other work is at this Art Gallery link. 

I got certified by the IRS in January to do taxes as part of the AARP's Foundation's TaxAide program.  Helping out seniors and low income folks bypass unnecessary tax preparation bills by doing their taxes for them.  It is unfortunate that the U.S. tax system is so complicated for ordinary citizens.   It was very humbling to find out how tough the financial life is for some of our neighbors. I expect to continue this effort in coming years.

Considering a trip in California this year?  Let us know, and we would love to host you all in Sunnyvale, or at our mountain cabin at on Lake Tahoe's West Shore.  

Now a note from our amazing daughter, Arielle...

Arielle's Greeting

Arielle is enjoying her second year of teaching biology at Mountain View High School, located just a few miles away. She's trying out some thoughtful educational strategies involved in what's called the "Modern Classroom" approach. Her classroom is teaming with life, including pond water creatures!

She is living locally with her friend, Luke, and her cat, Taricha (named after our favorite orange and brown newt). In her limited free time, she's enjoying nature, camping and romping in the outdoors. She bought an electric car this year, but rides her bike to work often, managing a steep climb after a long day's work.

Peter's Update

Peter is thriving!

In August, Peter started a 3 year architecture graduate program at Yale. He is in a house with five other grad students and enjoying the new experience living in New England. He will be home for the holidays, and we’ll visit him in Connecticut in the spring.

------- Other Links --------------

Family Art Galleries : Watercolors, Woodturnings, Music, Oils, Buildings

:  Past and Future Sail Trips

2021   --  2020  
2019   --  2018   --  2017  --  2016
2015   --  2010   --  2009  --  2008
2007   --  2006   --  2005  --  2004
2003   --  2001   --  2000  --  1994

NOTE If you have kept any xmas letter between 2011 and 2014, let us know. We would appreciate a copy of it and send a sweet gift in return.