2002 Christmas letter
December 25, 2002
Hard to believe we have been in Oregon for five years now. Here’s this year’s update
No big vacations this year. Just pleasant day trips when friends and family visited and a number of trips back and forth to Ohio. Dan and Mary Beth did manage to spend a long weekend at the beach for their 31st anniversary. Dan’s mom visited us in August. Mary Beth flew with her coming and going. Dan’s mom has moved into an assisted living facility in Wooster, Ohio. She had a good time while she was here. The highlight of her visit was beating us soundly at Scrabble.
Mary Beth was the prime player in hosting a Chinese exchange student who was studying English in Portland this summer. We took her to see all the sights around Portland, including Mt. St. Helens and the coast. It was the perfect opportunity for Mary Beth who loves to teach and talk. Mary Beth has continued to keep busy with the Girl Scouts, being “cookie mom” for another year. Through exercise Mary Beth has rehabilitated her knee. She now has a new 5-speed Jetta to demonstrate her rehabilitation progress and keep the knee in shape operating the clutch.
Mary Beth lost her mother this year. After emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer in December she was never able to get off the respirator and passed away in May. There was a lot of travel between Oregon and Ohio looking after details in clearing out and selling Dan’s mom’s house and then Mary Beth’s mother’s funeral and helping her brothers with the estate.
Dan has continued his paragliding pursuit this year. He earned his P2 Novice USHGA rating in May. He has gone out flying at least once every weekend when the weather permitted. After getting Mary Beth’s Jetta stuck on the beach at one of his favorite flying spots this spring he decided it was time to get a 4WD. He traded his Buick in for a red Grand Cherokee—the color matches his wing and there is plenty of room for all the paragliding gear. Just after the first of the year he is headed for Ecuador for a ten-day paragliding tour with one of his former instructors. Freightliner rolls on even in bad economic times. A new class 6 truck launched this year along with some other new models due out next year have kept Dan busy. Dan talks about how he can’t wait to retire from the place and paraglide full time. Things have been going well enough for him in the office although paragliding in now his primary interest. In May he was promoted to Director and now he has an assigned parking spot and black Mercedes to drive.
Sarah finished her first year at U of Oregon and now is well into her second year. She is doing well and for the moment (at least) is double majoring in journalism and political science. This year she is the volunteer coordinator for Project Saferide, a sexual assault prevention shuttle for women and is learning the ins and outs of non-profit groups. She has Mary Beth’s old Jetta at school and is renting an apartment off campus with four of her classmates. Mary Beth and Dan see the milestones passing rapidly now and are thankful for every home visit when Sarah graces them with her presence-- Pierced eyebrow and all. During the summer Sarah spent some quality father/daughter time learning paragliding with her father. Sarah’s summer job and social life have slowed her training but her father is optimistic that she will eventually get her rating and one day they will soar from the top of Mt Haleakala on Maui to the beach.
Emily is now in Eighth grade. She is now taller than Sarah and Mary Beth and is becoming quite the young lady. This year she is taking her studies a little more seriously. Not a seriously as horseback riding, drawing, and Anime, but Dan and Mary Beth are happy with her efforts. Emily spent two weeks at YMCA camp again this summer. She eventually hopes to be a counselor.
We hope this year was a Merry Christmas for you and wish you a Happy New year in 2003!!!
