IN THIS SECTION

2006 News Archive

January

Over the Christmas holiday Jessica and Jason spent ten days on one of Fiji's northern islands, Qamea, where they enjoyed warm, balmy breezes, lots of scuba diving, hiking and meeting new and interesting friends. Below are some representative photos from their trip showing their living quarters - a beachfront bure' - and surrounding scenery. Click on this Qamea link to learn more about this exotic location. Returning home December 30th earns them first mention for 2006.

Nothing like two weeks in the Arizona sun and signing a mortgage on a new home to start the New Year off with excitement! After much shopping for furniture and all the "other stuff" that one needs to jump start a new residence, Barb and I did find time to sit in the sun and relax at our new home in Corte Bella. If you missed the slide show on the Home Page, here are some additional photos of the area.

February

This month brings John driving to Phoenix over the weekend of 11th and 12th . . a busy week with Atlas Van Lines delivering all the "stuff" from Omaha on the 14th and Nebraska Furniture Mart delivering the new furniture the next day. Barb flew down on the 16th, but weather in Chicago and the northern tier of states kept her Southwest Airlines flight from arriving on time and instead of getting to Phoenix at the scheduled 3:20, it was close to midnight before she got to the house. It made for a very long day - and to say the least - Omaha's airport isn't the most exciting place for people-watching . . . you can see them all in 15 minutes . . . then see them all again at the half hour. Needless to say, we had a good time in her three days here. On the 17th we had ceiling fans and light kits installed, and except for finishing touches such as photos, pictures and do-dads, the house is shaping up nicely.

March

Plans are underway to expand our patio here at Corte Bella out from under the covered patio area into the back yard to accommodate additional patio furniture and allow for greater enjoyment of the back yard. It will include a curved 4' high stucco wall along the back to afford some additional privacy, and with the relocation of several shrubs and a boulder or two - along with the addition of several larger flowering shrubs off the back corners of the house, will add increased color and texture to the area. Completion is anticipated in mid-to-late April.

Jessica and Jason spent a long weekend in Las Vegas with friends; the trip coincides with their 2nd wedding anniversary . . congratulations, Jessica and Jason!

After the recent two feet of snow and cold weather in Nebraska, Barb is eagerly looking forward to spending her Spring Break in Phoenix April 1st - 9th.

April

Barb spent her Spring Break April 1-9 here in Arizona at our new home - the weather was great and we had a good time. We were able to visit several times with our friends in Glendale, Roger and Debbie Hansen - and with Jan and Steve Amdor . . . Jan teaches with Barb in Omaha and spent her break here as well -  while Steve is employed by AVNET® in Phoenix. On Sunday, April 2nd, we and the Amdors took in a performance of the Cirque de Soleil in Scottsdale. We found it to be a pleasurable mix of strange and awesome . .  sometimes the surreal theme of the show makes it difficult to follow - but the performances - especially of the jugglers, tumblers and trapeze acts - are stunning. We spent several evenings enjoying the warm nights and live music at an outdoor eating and recreational establishment adjacent to Peoria Sports Complex called The Monastery.  Barb also was visited by her friend, Lena, a co-worker at Younker's Department Store at Omaha's Oakview Mall, who was in town with her sister, Thelma, to visit another sister, Twila, who lives in Sun City West.

Below - John and Barb on the front porch, Lena and Barb, flowers in Scottsdale's upscale Kierland Commons shopping area, and two of the many "Easter Bunny" topiaries on display at Kierland Commons.

We did some shopping for accessories for the new house in Scottsdale and in the West Valley - and received approval from the Corte Bella Homeowners Association regarding our proposed patio expansion, privacy wall and several new plant additions. Construction is expected to start the week of the 16th and be finished, except for painting the stucco wall, by the end of that week. New patio furniture should arrive within the next two weeks and all will be in place for Barb's return at the end of May for the summer. Rachael will visit us from June 6th - 11th, with Jessica and Jason coming in the 9th through the 11th.

May

John spent the 9th & 10th in Sedona visiting with his cousin, Dot, and her husband, Duane, who live in Las Vegas and vacation in Sedona several times a year. He also met friends of theirs, Chris and Lucy, from Vancouver, B.C. whom they befriended on a previous trip to Sedona. Below left - Duane, Dot & John. Right - Chris & Lucy.

June

Barb arrived safely the night of the 1st and has begun to put her decorating touches on the house. John continues his daily swimming and Barb has enrolled in an organized "aquacise" class at the pool.  Barb has also joined a book club which meets each month. Rachael arrived on the 6th and, with John, took a helicopter flight over the beautiful Sedona mountains - areas that are accessible only by arduous hiking. They were able to view some 600-year-old cliff dweller ruins from the air. Jessica and Jason came from Houston for a quick 2-day visit the 9th through the 11th.  Several trips to area casinos left us up a few dollars, then back to reality as the "slot-gods" took their revenge. Several day trips are planned for July - one, for sure, to Jerome, AZ, an old mining town north of here. We have seen several movies - Superman Returns & The Devil Wears Prada - and are enjoying our Netflix subscription that brings DVD's right to our mailbox rather than having to fight for them at Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.

July

On the 2nd we attended a Pool Party & Cookout at the Corte Bella Pool - lots of food - and a surprise guest - ELVIS! Two hours of food, fun & music in a mere 110 degrees. The night of the 4th was spent at the pool watching the fireworks display at the Surprise, Arizona stadium complex just a couple of miles away. We had a good vantage point just floating in the water and visiting with other Corte Bella residents.

August

Barb is back in Omaha as of August 4th, with meetings beginning the 7th and the kids in class on the 14th. Since this is her last year of teaching before retirement, we are hoping it will go by quickly. John's official chronometer rolled over to 62 on August 24th . . . where did all that time go?

Jessica and Jason enjoyed a week-long cruise out of Galveston where they had the opportunity to practice their scuba-diving skills. Rachael continues with State Farm Insurance in Lincoln, NE, and is very happy with her opportunities there.

September

John spent three weeks in Omaha for Barb and his 37th wedding anniversary and Barb's 60th birthday . . now it's her turn to say "where did all that time go"? Barb will spend October 18th through the 22nd at Corte Bella.

October

Happy 60th birthday to Barb on October 1st  . . and to Jessica's 32nd on the 31st! Barb and John enjoyed Barb's short four day visit to Phoenix. Barb was able to participate in several aquacise classes and attend a book club meeting while here. Side trips to Cave Creek and Tempe added some additional shopping activities to the mix. Magnificent weather made it even better - highs in the 80's, lows in the mid to upper 50's - and full sun under a cobalt blue sky. We also made a quick trip to the Goodyear Balloon and Air Show south of Luke Air Force Base. In spite of disappointment compared to what we have taken for granted at the Air Show every summer at Omaha's Offutt Air Force Base, we did manage to see a complete Blue Angels program that was very impressive, to say the least!

Below . . Jessica at her office with her Halloween birthday cake . . via camera phone.

November

This month finds John jetting back to Nebraska for the Thanksgiving holiday. Barb, John and Rachael will spend Thanksgiving Day in Topeka, Kansas with Barb's sister, Janice, and brother, Bob, and their families. Henry Hill (Janice's son), wife, Lori, and sons, Tyler and Trevor, will also be there. Jessica and Jason spent the holiday week in the Dominican Republic at the Paradisus Palma Real Resort relaxing and scuba-diving.

December

Barb arrived Friday evening, December 22nd and enjoyed the sunny weather, even if there were a few cloudy and rainy days thrown in. On the afternoon and evening of the 23rd we drove to "Old Glendale" where the downtown area shops remain open in the evening, musicians and vendors are set up in the downtown square, and the whole area is lit up with holiday lights as the old section of town celebrates its annual "Glendale Glitters". We made time for a movie - "Rocky Balboa" - which we both thought was well done and did a great job of wrapping up the "Rocky" series of movies. On Christmas day we drove to the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort near Scottsdale for relaxation and a great meal outside on the restaurant patio. Here we are below inside the main lobby.

We invited Glen and Carla Webster, new friends here at Corte Bella, over for dinner and drinks on the 28th - and we will attend a New Year's Day brunch with several other residents at the Webster's.  Barb will depart for Omaha on Tuesday morning, January 2nd, from Sky Harbor Airport amidst the crowds of Fiesta Bowl attendees leaving Phoenix for all parts of the country . . should be an interesting drive to the airport! Happy New Year 2007 to all!

Be sure to keep up with us this coming year as we say "goodbye" to Omaha by checking out "Current News" from the main menu above.