IN THIS SECTION

2010 News

January

Barb's Omaha friends, Susan Natterman, Kathy Hasselbalch and Lynn Covert arrived on the 15th for a quick visit. The weather cooperated and they were able to catch some "rays" on Friday afternoon followed by dinner at Camarones Restaurant & Cantina. On Saturday they visited the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden, did lunch at Arcadia Farms and explored Scottsdale's Poisoned Pen Bookstore and Old Town. From left to right below: Barb, Susan, Kathy and Lynn.

The week of the 17th delivered much too much rain and many Valley communities had flooding issues. Further north from Sedona to Flagstaff, heavy rain and snow caused I-17 and I-40 to close intermittently throughout the week.

Barb continues to volunteer one day a week at the Children First Academy in downtown Phoenix  . .  it is the largest school for homeless children in the country.

On the 25th we received very good news that our dear friend, Roger Hansen, has finally been placed on the liver transplant list and is now waiting for a suitable organ to become available. The minimum of $200,000 has been raised just to get Roger scheduled and tissue-typed. $500,000 will likely be the total tab for the procedure and all accompanying hospital charges. Roger's insurance specifically excludes liver transplantation, necessitating the raising of funds through donations and  pledges. Roger's wife, Debbi, has been instrumental in the fund raising efforts and has a blog for Roger at http://livlife2009.wordpress.com/ where you can get current status bulletins and donate funds through PayPal or at any Bank of America location by asking for "The Roger Hansen Liver Transplant Fund". He is still in need of funds and your contribution is appreciated.

Our daughter, Rachael, has received a promotion within the State Farm Insurance Regional Office in Lincoln, Nebraska. Still working in the Learning and Development area, this opportunity brought increased responsibilities and appropriate recognition for a job well done. Congratulations, Rachael!

February

ROGER has a liver . . . and is home doing rehab and getting meds adjusted . . .  just fantastic!

Mid-month we traveled to Laughlin, Nevada with the Sahauro Miata Club on an overnight trip and lodging at the Aquarius Casino Resort. On the 21st we enjoyed the company of Bob & Bonnie (Woodward) Mummey, classmates of John's Pitman High School Class of 1962. They have lived in Cave Creek, Arizona for 18 years and recently reconnected through Facebook.

March

Lots of rain this month  . . . reservoirs are full  . . . wildflowers are beginning to blanket the fields and mountainsides with the arrival of warmer weather. We made a quick day trip to Montezuma's Castle and Montezuma's Well on the 20th  . . . photos below and please click on the links for more information regarding these National Park sites.

April

On the 10th we made a "run" with the Sahauro Miata Club to the summit of South Mountain (south of the Phoenix Metro) . . . a few photos . . . Barb & John, just some of our fellow travelers, and a view of downtown Phoenix from the summit.

The wetter than usual "winter" and spring have produced an abundance of wildflowers  . . . see for yourself!

On the 26th and 27th we headed for the Grand Canyon and Sedona with our daughter, Rachael,  who was visiting from Lincoln, Nebraska . . . here we are on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon . . .

May/June

Talk about slow months with not much happening  . . well, these two fit the bill!

July

This month we headed to Houston for three days to visit Jessica and Jason. Both have work schedules from hell as Jessica is busier than ever - and Jason just opened his own practice . . . http://nealfirm.com. Never the less they worked around their respective schedules so we could have a good visit. We even got to see the rare flowering of what is commonly known as the "Corpse Flower" at the Houston Museum of Natural History  . . . yes, it does smell very rank.

In other news, Rachael moved into a new apartment in Lincoln - got some new furniture - and is just loving it!!

August

This is John's favorite month  . . . and it's not because of his birthday  . . . at this age who's counting? It's his favorite because it represents the very best summer month from his childhood  . . . school never started until after Labor Day and August was the "last hurray" of summer when swimming, baseball, picnics, etc. were in full swing.