On To Yuma

On 6 February we said "goodbye" to Sabrina and LA friends and headed our home eastward. First stop was overnight with new friends Claire and Jerry McCleery, whom we met last March

on our trip to Egypt and Jordan. They invited us to park in front of their home and we enjoyed a wonderful fish dinner from Claire's kitchen. Sweet southern hospitality! (Southern California, that is.) The next morning they joined us at our table for breakfast with us. Neat times with fun people!

We drove on to Yuma, AZ in time to arrive for a geocaching get-together, the "Yuma Event", wherein cachers from all over descend on an area, look for special caches hidden just for that purpose, compete in navigation contests, and generally have fun. It started with food at Lute's Casino and Saloon in "old Yuma" downtown. Look what Roger found there in "take-out!"

We met the next day in the park near the historical Yuma Crossing, where the railroad line connected east and west in the 1800's. We had free barbecue and a fun time outdoors. Met some new friends and found some great caches.

I know some of you are STILL wondering what this "geocaching" thing is all about. Well, simply put, it's a game played by thousands of people all over the world. Players hide containers, from "micro" which might be as small as your fingernail, to "regular", the size of a shoebox. These are hidden in spots which are interesting, out of the way and fun to see in themselves. They then publish the GPS coordinates online. Would-be finders who will be in that area download the information, and begin the hunt. Using a handheld GPS the searcher can often get within a 12-15 foot radius of the actual site. Then using the clues published along with the coordinates, he looks for the actual hide. For example, we went looking for a cache in a park in Yuma, without much success at first. Then Meg noticed this innocent looking piece of wood on the ground. We had both walked around it for several minutes. Then she said,

"I wonder..." and picked it up: and there was the cache: a medicine bottle glued to the underside and placed in a hole in the ground beneath it! That's the kind of ingenuity that makes this such fun. For more info and how to get started, check it out on http://www.geocaching.com/

We spent a week in Yuma, relaxing and learning the history of this fascinating place. There's a weekly farmers' market on the main street of old Yuma: the fruit and veggies were fresh and tasty. The Yuma Territorial Prison is now a museum and cemetery. It has a very interesting history, and, as it is right on I-8, is worth a stop. From here it's back to Mesa for a visit.

Christmas and New Years Day

We spent the last of December with Sabrina and friends, shopping a little and visiting a lot. We met Josh and went to see the new Jim Carrey film, "Yes, Man" in which we had all been filmed as extras. We had hoped, disappointedly, that we had made the final cut, but ....no ....(deep sigh) It's a very cute movie, though, and we'd still recommend it, even without our presence on screen.

The gang all went out to the 'burbs to see the Christmas lighting. This is a local mansion that is always "over the top." (Can you say National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation?)

We danced every Thursday with the Eagle Rock Scottish country dancing class and a highlight of the month was the Burns Night dinner and ball on the 17th, held in a beautiful hall on the Cal Tech campus.

Our friends Heidi and Susan were both away over the holidays and asked us to house-and-dog-sit for them. It gave us a way to actually live together for a couple of weeks. Their home is lovely and it was a pleasure to stay there. We had our Christmas dinner together, and then opened a few gifts; Susan's dog, Winnie, takes advantage of her bed's being close to the action; even Gypsy had some nice "toys" to play with.

Hogmanay is the Scottish New Year's celebration and is often accented by Scottish country dancing. We attended the LA Hogmanay Party and had a great time, dancing from 8-midnight, then welcoming in the New Year.

We geocached whenever we could this visit, learning many of the out of the way places in Claremont, La Verne, San Dimas, and Glendale. What a fun hobby! We hit #900 with Sabrina while here.

We celebrated Sabrina's birthday (you'll have to ask her which one) with some of her good friends and later met at the home of our good friends Lyndsay and Aaron for a Super Bowl Party. And what a game it was!

Too bad our personal favorite Kurt Warner lost, but the room was split... so, some went away very happy! We finished the evening with three rousing games of "Scene It", testing all of our movie memories and logic.

This was a wonderful visit with Sabrina, as well as with all our LA friends: Heidi & Susan and their home; Lowell and Linda Rice (with whom we picked fresh oranges in La Verne;) Roberto, Jen, Eric, Maria, Lyndsay and Aaron, Josh, Leah, Jim and the Eagle Rock dancers. Thanks for making this another memorable trip to California. Wish it didn't have to end but end it did, as all things must. On the 6th of February we said our goodbyes and headed east for Arizona.

On to L.A. with Major Stop in Arizona

After four months of shuttling between Lincoln and Olathe, we began making final preparations for the next leg of our journey. We had planned all along on a major family get-together for Thanksgiving, and Marilyn's early home-going did not interrupt it. Andrea, Rod, Reagan and Ryan came to Lincoln on the day before, and settled into the AmericInn motel in south Lincoln. (They loved it and we highly recommend it.) We spent Thanksgiving Day with Randy, Kayleigh, Shanna and kids at their home. Great food, games and football! The next day the Huskers closed out their season with the annual "war" with Colorado. Rod and Roger were present as they defeated the Buffs in the closing minutes with an NU record 57-yard field goal and a Suh interception-touchdown that sealed the deal. Fantastic finish!!

We had a very rewarding stay in Lincoln during a trying family time. Many thanks to our good friends Janet and Fred, who once again allowed us to stay on their property for a prolonged period.

On Saturday the 29th we started our journey. We traveled diagonally across Kansas, through Liberal to the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. We visited the Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico, and the Petrified Forest National Park in northern Arizona. We arrived in Mesa, AZ on Thursday, to begin teaching at the Arizona School of Health Sciences. For the second year the staff has invited me to return and instruct physician assistant students in the art and science of medicine, with particular emphasis on genitourinary and neurological disease. I arrived in time for the Christmas party (any excuse for a kilt!)

Just a few of my phenomenal PA's-in-training! They'll be great medical providers in the future!

Meg's parents made the flight to Mesa and stayed for the same two weeks, giving her great opportunities to spend some personal time with them while I was in class. There wasn't much time for us to play while there, but we took time on the one weekend to search out some geocaches and to show Roger's colleague Laura and her husband Alden the basics and get them started on this fun hobby. They helped us reach our #800 milestone cache.

We said our goodbye's to Mesa on Saturday the 20th and headed west. An easy drive put us at Joshua Tree National Park. We parked outside in BLM land (free); there had been a lot of snow and the campgrounds inside were not totally cleared.Our home-on-wheels! The next morning we finished the drive to LA. This is the view of the California mountains from the highway. We are parked at the Sea Breeze Naval RV campground at Seal Beach. We plan to be in this area for the next two months. It's beautiful here; we are so blessed! We wish you were here, but wherever you are may you have the most wonderful Christmas ever!

This Fall in Lincoln and Olathe

We've spent this autumn shuttling between Lincoln, Nebraska and Olathe, Kansas, having so many family and friends in both. Our church in Lincoln, Christ's Place, is a focus of refreshing worship and praise. We really enjoy getting back here to the fellowship we helped start over thirty years ago. It's a welcoming church home in Lincoln, if you're looking for one.



We are always searching for new opportunities to interact with our grandchildren, and this trip we discovered Union Station in Kansas City: containing a science "exploratorium", perfect for little 5 and 7 year old hands! It includes a planetarium, as well. Our grandkids spotted this portrait there, presumably of President and Mrs. Lincoln, though the resemblance to family is uncanny! Note to Parents and Grandparents: join your local museum with a "family membership." (We joined the University of Nebraska State Musum.) Most of these memberships reciprocate with hundreds of museums and exhibits all over the US, and include 2 adults and 2 or more children. Real money saver!)




Near Olathe, KS, at Louisburg, is the Louisburg Cider Mill, one of the top ten cider mills in the country, according to MSNBC. We went with Ryan on a school visit and had a lot of fun. Learning about the process was fascinating, and the apple cider donuts and the cold cider were delicious!

Fall brings falling leaves and the Ross family spent several days outdoors, raking and playing in the newly grounded leaves. The kids did their best to maintain order, but just couldn't keep the grown-ups from destroying their work!

Of course, outdoor work builds big appetites, and nothing fits that better than home-baked cookies. Here are Reagan and Ryan making the Halloween pumpkins ready for the oven! Mmmmmmm! Speaking of Halloween, our local fellowship, Indian Creek Community Church, sponsored another "Trunk or Treat!" (Don't know what that is? Click on the link.) Here are Reagan and Ryan in the window of the Mystery Machine, one of the exhibits, along with Scooby and friends. What fun! Wish you were here!

Times of Celebration

Celebration of a Life:

We came to Nebraska this fall a little earlier than usual. Roger's Sister Marilyn had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2007. After a year of treatment and doing very well, she took a very bad downturn in August of this year and was hospitalized for a few days. We spent much of the next two months in her home, where we were joined by her children, grandchildren and our Brother Randy. For the majority of this "dying part of living", she was up: visiting and playing games with us and enjoying the life she had remaining. But up or down, she was always upbeat, saddened only each time she awoke from sleep and found she was still here. She lapsed at the last into a short coma and entered the presence of her Lord on October 5. It was a joy to know her as our Sister for 61 years, and we look forward to meeting again. We are so thankful for retirement, our wandering lifestyle, and our good friends the Smiths and their hospitality, which allowed us to come north and stay for this important time.



In October we flew to Texas for a celebration of of our Grandson Christian's 5th birthday. We rode a train together in Landa Park in New Braunfels, had cake and gave Christian his new T-ball set. While in the park we spotted this animal; do you know what it is? (see answer ***at the end of this blog)


We met family in the Houston area and celebrated the 16th birthday of Meg's grandnephew Cheyne. We had dinner at a great seafood restaurant, the Monument Inn in Deer Park, TX, named for its proximity to the San Jacinto Monument, erected to honor the heroes of the Texas Revolution.
Wonderful food! If you're ever in the area, this should be on your list.

An annual October celebration is the renewal of the Red River Rivalry, between the University of Texas and Oklahoma University.
This year we Texans are celebrating!
Texas 45-OU 35! Go Horns!!!
We attended a medical ethics seminar by Gene Rudd, MD on "Professionalism in Peril". Gene is an officer of the Christian Medical and Dental Association, and a stimulating and encouraging speaker. We shared the time there with Roger's original partner in practice, Dale Michels and his wife Roylene, a reunion that is always fun!
Of course, we're dressed in the official colors of Nebraska, on our way to the NU-Baylor game
(NU 32-Baylor 20, in case you missed it.) Great to be together again!

Our report from LA earlier this year described our exciting day as extras in the new Jim Carrey movie, "Yes Man." Here's a link to the Nebraska University newletter that gives many more interesting details. (It's on page 8!) The movie will be released December 19th.

We celebrated another life this month, that of Dwight Friesen, the husband of one of Roger's nurses in his pre-army Lincoln medical practice, who died suddenly on October 26th. His funeral provided another opportunity for old friends to meet. Here we are with wonderful friends. Linda and Margaret, who were Roger's first office helpers, the ones who did their best to keep him on-track, and on time (largely a failing effort!)

One of the joys of getting together with old friends is the laughter. Please, whatever you do and wherever you are, take time to laugh! Deep and long!

"If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over."
Proverbs 17:22 (Contemporary English Version)



A nice web source of quotes on laughter

*** If you said muskrat or beaver, sorry. It's a nutria, transplanted from South America to several wild places in the US. Click on the name for more info.

The Sound of Music

Located near Stacey's Florida home is the Citrus County Arts Center and Theater. The summer musical production was "The Sound of Music" and auditions were held before we left for Egypt. While overseas we were notified that we had been chosen for parts in the play. So, we extended our visit as Stacey's "neighbors" for several more months, rehearsing frequently and finally getting to production. The play opened July 11 for three weekends and a total of 10 performances.

Quick recap for those who've forgotten: Maria (played by Stacey) is sent from her abbey to be the governess for the seven children of the von Trapp family. Here she is with "Marta", played by our granddaughter Ashley. The Baron and Maria fall in love. Franz, the Butler (played by Roger) and Frau Schmidt, the Housekeeper (played by Meg) care for the household. Meg performed double-roles, as Frau Schmidt and as one of the "singing nuns" at the abbey.

Franz, ever the faithful butler, is at last revealed as a traitor and Nazi sympathizer.What a great time this family of thespians enjoyed together!

The day after the cast party we said goodbye to our Florida family and headed for Nebraska for a long autumn visit with family and friends in Lincoln.