December 2008
Dear Friends:
These days the lives of many are seriously—even drastically—affected by the recession.. We know that events and conditions change lives rapidly. That is the context for our year-end letter.
Joy and I had a full year of good health. My ‘bad back’ of 2006-07 is—for now—history, perhaps in part by swimming and walking, and riding my bicycle to work. Joy has also been healthy. She walks the dog—at 5:00 am before work!—and eats carefully. We enjoyed the June triennial Tschetter family reunion (my mother’s side) in Duluth MN. My father and I flew from Los Angeles to Minneapolis and we rented a convertible Chrysler Cruiser. There we were: two wind-washed white-haired blokes on a Minnesota freeway. Dad did take some time to recuperate from both the trip and from the shingles that had set in before the travel. (Right. He traveled anyway!) We are continually graced by and thankful for my father Egon and Joy’s parents John and Josephine. They keep blessing us with their lives.
Our son Jeremy lost his job in June. We have been impressed with the way Christine and Jeremy used this time to learn life skills from the adversity, including how to live, love and work together. Kali (8), Mo (4) and Joaquin (2) remain delightful children to them and grandchildren to us. It is wonderful to see the parents’ creativity emerge and develop in all three. On December 1 Jeremy returned to work at the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission, an organization “dedicated to people helping people in the minority and refugee community.” Christine is singing in the church choir and we enjoyed hearing her in a Christmas cantata.
In May our daughter Emily graduated from the University of Southern California, with a M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language. In June and July she and Andres moved from South Pasadena to Ecuador where Andres’ parents live. They expect it will be a temporary stop en route to Chile where his father is from and where they plan to settle. In August Andres returned to Los Angeles for a U.S. citizenship ceremony. He is now a citizen of three great countries. Andres does his graphic arts business (www.rgbstudios.net) and Emily teaches 6th and 7th graders in a school near their home. In February we plan to visit them in Ecuador.
In July we spent five wonderful days with friend Grace Ewert on the island of Gambier off the coast of Vancouver. We also spent a few days in the Tacoma, Washington area with Charles and Beverly Lord, old friends from waaaaay back.
We continue to make regular visits to Fresno and we remain connected to two faith communities in the La Verne area. I sing with the La Verne Church of the Brethren choir and we share in a Mennonite house-church.
Joy continues her work as Vice President at International Institute of Los Angeles that provides a variety of social services. I continue coordinating study abroad and services to international students at the University of La Verne.
Amy Arnold and her dog Annie were our house mates for the year, until November when they moved to Pasadena. Amy, a minister, and Annie, a great friend to our dog Charlie enlightened and enlivened our home. It was like having good and caring family member living with us.
In mid-December we enjoyed Cambria, on the California coast, celebrating, enjoying, honoring and wondering at our 36 years of marriage. Pigs and boars were the theme for the three day stay. En route, we killed a wild boar. (see the November entry at: http://joyphilnow.wordpress.com).
Life can change quickly—especially in a recession. We hope we can engage change in our own lives and we hope we can support change in the lives of our family and friends. We are hopeful for the new direction the new President represents; we are also aware of the huge challenges facing him…and us. Our three grandchildren—representing perhaps all the grandchildren of the world–keeps us from being cynical. Rather, tt keeps us willing, acting, and praying for a future of hope. May you enjoy such hope in the new year.
Phil for us both
