Greetings from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts,
our “home” since mid-October …
Penny long dreamed of living during the off-season on the beautiful island where her dad grew up. We arrived October 14th in time for a family reunion and memorial for Uncle Dick Doane. His kids, Penny’s cousins, have generously allowed us to live, for a time, in the family home. We’re having so much fun! The fall colors have been spectacular and the weather has been remarkably mild and sunny. We hike preserves and beaches nearly every day. Our Christmas tree is decorated with shells we’ve gathered as we’ve wandered!
Before we shifted to “Island Time,” 2016 was jam-packed!
Two days after Christmas last year we celebrated Rachel and Hector’s engagement. Extended family, friends in town for the holidays and those who traveled specifically made for a very happy party. Special thanks again to the Fresno Howes caravan!
In February we visited cousins Dale and Janice in Orlando, took in Harry Potter Land, then headed to Miami for an “Arden Update”. We missed having Hector with us but 74 degrees was delightful, especially for Rachel. That weekend was an icy 8 below in Boston! When the “kids” went home, the “oldsters” flew to Key West … party town! Beachside cocktails were sandwiched between
visits to Ernest Hemingway’s home and Truman’s Little White House. We stopped to wade in the Gulf of Mexico as we drove back to Miami on the Overseas Highway: an engineering marvel!
The next month Penny and Kelly (Kevin’s sister) met Rachel in the Big Apple during her spring break, then headed to DC for time with Becky, Jonathan and Arden. Broadway, lots of walking and warm weather outdoor dining — girl trips are great!!
Penny was back in DC on May 1st for Arden’s naming ceremony at the Washington Ethical Society. Later that month the little family traveled to the West Coast. Jonathan worked in Silicon Valley before some family time in Fresno and Medford. Arden brought along the most virulent flu germ we’ve ever witnessed. With everyone eager to cuddle him and his contagion unsuspected, he managed to infect more than a dozen family and friends in two states! Memorable … and hopefully never repeated!
Arden is thriving and Becky is delighting in motherhood. She has shifted from worrying over a tiny “preemie” to constant vigilance of an inquisitive little guy always on the move! After substantial paternity leave, Jonathan was instrumental in creating Google’s apparatus for voters to locate their polling place and to view candidates and issues in advance of November’s general election.
Our summer included a fun Toadfest, jazz in Portland/Seattle with Kelly and Brian, floating the Deschutes River with teaching friends, Baltimore and DC for Arden’s first birthday and our 40th wedding anniversary. (How is that possible???)
Mostly it was consumed with St. Mark’s. Kevin’s 22-years as Finance Administrator and Penny’s 21-months as Senior Warden concluded August 31st with gratitude and affection. During the summer Kevin trained his replacement and Penny assisted in the call of a wonderful new priest.
Penny taught very little in 2016, but Kevin joined the St. Mary’s High School staff as girls’ assistant golf coach. (State Champions!) “Mr. Golfballhead”, as his daughters call him, still has the passion. He made a couple golf excursions during Penny’s trips to DC and he captured his seventh Southern Oregon Championship on Labor Day. Lately Penny calls him “Mr. Generous” since her Vineyard dream has drastically reduced his golf. At her request, he is currently “Off Island” with friends in the desert for golf therapy!
How’d we get here?
ROAD TRIP!!
Zigzagging 4,710 miles in 23 days, highlights included eight National Parks, visiting Holly and Scott in Denver, Broadmoor golf with pals Brad and Greg, remembering Kevin’s dad at Omaha Country Club, and of course, Washington DC and Boston to hang out with our kids!
Rachel is engrossed in her second and final year at Harvard. She racked up lots of flying miles with a January class and a summer internship, both in Chile, plus lots of happy family events around the US. Hector continues his work with the Chilean Armada. This fall he attended a training with the British Navy. When it concluded, Rachel was thrilled to join
him for a long weekend in London. She graduates in May. They will marry in Medford in July and return to Chile to launch their married life and her career in public health.
Our extended family had a big year, too, highlighted by four happy events. In May niece Holly Adolph earned her doctorate. A July wedding in Fresno joined nephew Connor Howes and his bride, Trinity. In August niece Kassie Adolph earned her master’s degree. And Holly married Scott Reid in Medford in September.
While near to dear ones on the East Coast, we miss our family at home and are thankful for their support of our adventure. Both our moms are going strong. Special thanks go to Kelly and Brian for spoiling our little Daisy Dachshund and for assisting our house sitter. We’ll sell the car and fly home in time for high school golf in February.
Next week we will board the ferry for “America,” meet up with Rachel in Boston, and take in NYC’s holiday scene before Hector joins us in Washington, DC, for a very merry Christmas. It will be one of our last visits to the capital city because Jonathan has just accepted an offer to join a Google team in California. Congratulations!! And joy all around that soon Arden and his parents will live much closer to Grammie and Grampa!
All that we behold is full of blessings.
