Happy New Year Happy New Year to you and Jack and Aaron and your families. We are reluctantly getting back to work today after having a great holiday. With the holiday behind us we will turn to planning our Scandinavian visit. Carpet in the office this week and hopefully finally occupancy next week. Lots of snow there and lots of rain here. Things are good. Look forward to the next blog.
holidays Good to hear from you.
The holidays for you must have been particularly challenging with the loss of 2 close relatives. I remember that after my Mom died the holidays were particularly challenging. I tried to do everything she did in terms of cooking certain dishes, etc. and that was exactly the wrong thing to do. Not that I did a bad job -- just that it made us miss her more since her death was so fresh. Its funny though -- now years later I relish recreating some of her dishes to help keep her memory alive. I hope that for you too holidays will get easier and become a time to keep memories alive.
Christmas vacation for our kids is about over and though we've had fun with out of town visitors for about 1/2 of the 2 week Christmas break -- its nice to have things quiet down. It's been cold with snow in the mountains (making for nice skiing) -- but none in town. Do you do any skiing there?
Enjoy the New Year -- and the longer days that are coming..
Maggie
Hey Ann,
I love reading your blogs. It makes me feel as if I am there. I look forward to seeing more pictures!
So sorry to hear about your father and Jack's niece. I cannot think of this life without my parents but I am also realistic about age and death. That is what makes it so hard to accept the death of someone so young, and to something that has always been associated with old people. Again, I am so, so, sorry. My mother has been battling with a cancerous tumor on the hip so things for me have been pretty scary and crazy as well. I am hoping for the best and pray every day that she will concur this hurdle.
On a lighter note, my holidays were good and I think I put on a few pounds...ok, maybe more ;0). The holidays came so fast and will be gone before we know it. Man, I haven't had a chance to even think about what happened. With what has been going on in your family I know it has to have felt that way for you.
Well, I am off to make snacks for this afternoon and evening to celebrate the new year. Happy New Year to you and to all of your loved ones! I will be thinking of you in the new year and hoping that this next year finds you well and happy.
Take care and my thoughts are with you always,
Love, your friend,
Rebecca
I hope things are better...... Ann,
I am really sorry about the situation with your parents. I hope their health is better and their new home shinier!
I am amazed to see how you have room to take the good and the bad. Your description of the archipelago and the pictures are great. How is Aaron? You never mention him. Is Jack's heart behaving?
Here things are stressful with the remodeling and moving. Also, to make it more interesting, I am attending non-parametric statistics. Tell me about non-parametric! The Professor is NON-PARAMETRIC!!!! I am considering dropping it but finishing the term. The theory part is great and I have learnt a lot about approcahes I am certain are of relevance in environmental statistics. However, the homework is simply crazy: a lot of R programming and moderate to undoable for me math proves. Basically, bad homework. And the mid-term? Who knows! That is why I may drop it. After all, from 8 students we are down to 4. Go figure!
To all that daily stress Maria had some MS flair-up two weeks ago. She is fine and the MRI was clear. It was stress related. Well, with college and scholarshiop applications, SATs and 3 AP classes I guess having serious stress is normal.
So, I went to a job interview at DHS for a "Statistics II" position. I think I did not do so bad and, I added per your suggestion "I really want to work here because etc etc etc". I came out really well since I prepared that in advance. The written test, I could have done better but they wanted programming. No news yet. It was 2 weeks ago. However, I do not think that is the best fit for me. Not a single statistician was a t the interview. I am trying Kaiser and seriously considering opening my own thing.
My mom was also at the hospital. Really bad 10 days with pnemonia. But, she is fine now and coming tomorrow for the week-end: kids birthdays.
I have no beautiful things to tell. I envy you being able to enjoy the scenery and the wine. Maybe some day I will do to.
I have one great thing to tell: I am baking for my kids birthdays!
Hug to you and keep warm.
Leonor
Thanks for sending the blog. I enjoy reading it. It sounds like your new life is going well. I have just been doing some camping around the NW this summer and will go to Guatemala and Mexico in late November and December.
Enjoying Time What a great area to visit. The islands look a lot like the San Juan Islands. I hope you are feeling better through more relaxed times. Also hope your parents stablize and I am glad you can be with them now. Rick and I are nearing completion of a small office building on our property and we are looking forward to having real space to work in. I have a project as part of a team to demolish and close the Goldendale Washington aluminum plant that will last into 2012. All the boys are in school and things seem to be going well. We are even having great weather right now. Keep posting blogs!
fabulous Dear Ann, you are a great blogger! The tour around Stockholm was wonderful. So happy for you and Jack and glad to hear his Swedish is improving fast. I would expect nothing less. Your view is beautiful and the city life seems to have a ton to offer. Be well and best to Aaron. Will we hear about him in another blog? Miss you!!
Rosemary
Best of alternative transportation Dear Ann and Jack,
I loved hearing about all your transportation options. As a recent neighborhood activist in transportation related issues, your descriptions of ways to get around Stockholm were great to hear. Thanks too for the pictures. I love picturing you two in your new home town.
Missing you,
Kim
Public Transport As someone who tries to limit his use of automobiles, I am green with the thought of the wonderful Stockholm transit system. Having recently completed a two week tour of the NE US, I am quite filled to here with cars and want to see the back of them!!
Great to get the update!!
WOW Ann,
What great stories! I so envy you both being retired and living elsewhere. I would love to do just that...at least for 6 months out of the year. I love to travel and I loved living in Germany when I did.
Thank you so much for the pictures as well. It is nice to take a break from work and go on a virtual tour. It makes me feel like I'm on vacation for a while.
By the way, they have opened up your job...here's hoping they fill it with someone half as good and half as nice.
Take care, and keep the stories coming ;0)
Hi Leslie, Yes that was my first. I'm about to start on the next one. Don't want to overwhelm people. Thanks for the phone starter package. I'm still using the setup with Telenor.
Are You Settled In Yet? Hope to hear more about your travel to Sweden and getting settled in. Hope all is well with your family and you are waking up each day glad to be there!
Happy Trails! Ann, thanks so much for writing this blog. I look forward to reading about the rest of your adventures. The apartment in Portland sounds sweet. And your approach to moving sounds just like a good project manager's approach to a huge task. Well done. John and I will be thinking of you. Love, Marilyn
Best wishes, Ann! Hi Ann, sorry I didn't have a chance to say good-bye. I want to give you all my best wishes for a wonderful transition into retirement, and your new life ahead in Sweden!
HAPPY TRAVELS Hi Ann,
I wish you the best that life has to offer as you start your journey called retirement! I know that we didn't work closely together, but when we did run into each other, we always had a conversation. Take care of yourself and enjoy this wonderful journey you have set for yourself!
Mavis Kent
non-member comment
Happy New Year
Happy New Year to you and Jack and Aaron and your families. We are reluctantly getting back to work today after having a great holiday. With the holiday behind us we will turn to planning our Scandinavian visit. Carpet in the office this week and hopefully finally occupancy next week. Lots of snow there and lots of rain here. Things are good. Look forward to the next blog.