Snowed in, but no data were lost |
Greetings from Santa Fe! We have been pretty busy over the past 2 years, 2013 and 2014, and are one year behind on our 'annual' holiday letter. So here goes:
2013:
In January, Hubert was stationed at Brookhaven National Laboratory as run coordinator
for the
Phenix experiment, in charge of day-to-day
operations for 6 months. He arrived just before a terrible blizzard, a storm that
dumped many feet of snow and caused Long Island to run out of gasoline.
Hubert and many others were snowed in for two days!
Not far from Mike and Joanne's house |
Hubert being stationed on Long Island was a chance for us to visit together not only in New York, but also in Charleston, SC, with long-time friends Mike and Joanne Marcell. We arrived just as Mike retired as professor of psychology from the University of Charleston. We were able to visit many lovely sites in the Charleston area and had a chance to reconnect with our friends.
Deb in Frankfurt |
In the June of 2013, Deb flew to New York, met up with Hubert and together we travelled first to Frankfurt, Germany to visit our friend, Sam, and then onward to ...
Sam and best friend |
Mirjam en Henk |
...the Netherlands to attend sister Mirjam and brother-in-law Henk's 40th wedding anniversary. The whole family was there, including Henk's brothers and sisters, whom Hubert had not seen in decades. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great visit.
After the first six months' spent travelling, the rest of 2013 was pretty quiet. Except, that is, that we were settling on a wedding date for Saskia and Andrew in May, 2014.
Deb, Rachel, Hubert, Gerry, Saskia, Sheryl, Andrew |
Christmas 2013 found our little house bursting to the brim with guests. The newly converted kids' room to guest room housed son-in-law Andrew's, parents, Cheryl and Gerry Tegarden. Plus Saskia and Andrew were here with their friend, Rachel, from Silver City. For Christmas dinner, we were also joined by Niels and his fiancee, Rebecca, plus her parents, Ann and David Birch. The dinner was a lively affair with lots of good cheer and abundant jokes! In the bustle, we never got around to writing our 2013 letter.
The 3rd generation Spahts |
and then, 2014:
In February, we traveled to Louisiana for a reunion of Deb's cousins, the Spaht Gen III. A lively gathering at brother Miles' and sister-in-law Mary's brought us all together for a memorable event. The visit was made extra special by our visit to meet our new great-niece, Alexandra Pollard, born to Steele and Lauren just three weeks prior! She's a beauty!
Sissy, Hubert, Jim on our way to the Mardi Gras parade |
Saskia and Andrew |
Henk, Oda, Rachel, Miles, Mary, Mirjam |
This picture was taken at the dinner for out-of-town guests.
Special guests included Hubert's sisters Oda and Mirjam with husband Henk, visiting from the Netherlands. Miles and Mary had never met any of Hubert's family, as none were able to attend our wedding back in 1977.
Oda at Bandelier |
After the wedding, Oda stayed with us for a while, and we showed her the local sights.
|
|
| .. and in Taos | and White Sands |
Rebecca and Niels |
In August, Niels and Rebecca announced their intent to wed next year. Planning is just beginning, with the target date in October, 2015. Niels got a job as a programmer for the State of New Mexico (think benefits!). Rebecca teaches high school math at a charter school associated with Santa Fe Community College.
Chihuly glass at the Denver botanical gardens |
And now for something completely different: we have finally gone solar.
We also climbed Wheeler, 13161', 4011m |
...and harvested our veggies |
On the regular calendar, Deb worked again at the International Folk Art Market in June, making good use of her French, and Hubert went to Arizona for a soccer tournament. He also still does the weekly 'mr Science' hour in the 6-grade classes of our neighborhood primary school.
In December, our friends Len and Annemarie swung by in Dutch Annie, their RV. Visitors provide an incentive to enjoy places we otherwise would not have gone. We went to the Jemez Monument in the evening, where there were buffalo dances and traditional music, lit by farolitos and luminarias. It was magical.
Christmas found us home 'alone' with just the two of us in the house. Saskia and Andrew were in Brownsville, Texas with his family. Niels and Rebecca were here in the morning to open gifts and again for dinner in the evening. We were also joined by cousin Linda to enjoy a tasty dinner and one another's company.
As I write this, it's been a week of arctic cold, with night time lows in the 11 to 12°F (-11°C) range and daily highs just below freezing! A series of three dog nights, making us grateful that we have a well-insulated house with new windows. And a good down comforter and a cuddly cat help, too.
Wishing you all the best in 2015! Ours is sure to be hopping!
