2008 2009
Happy New Year!
Seems like I tend to do holiday letters and cards in Januarys or some years like last year, I simply don’t seem to get to them. So 2009 holiday season is somewhat better than 2008 holiday season, in that I am finally getting to the cards, but clearly I have a way to go to come up to all of friends’ and family’s organizational abilities surrounding the holiday time. I’m not promising that will be the holiday season of 2010. Mary, my lovely sister, suggested I do 2010 holiday cards now and skip 2009- or do both at the same time – sisters can be so helpful! I can tell she doesn’t believe I will ever change – and she probably is right – she is the older sister! (couldn’t resist that one)
So what is new in the DeKraker – Halbeck household in the last two years.
Hugh still works urgent care for CIGNA and Jean still has her own practice. So work wise there isn’t much change for us. We continue to travel – in 2008 going back to Holland with my brother, David, and his wife, Maud with Julianna and Timothy joining us for part of the tirp. We saw the tulips at their peak and had great fun finding new fields and visiting once we had seen on the previous trip – photographing whenever possible. Enjoyed spending time with our cousins – and staying in their traditional Dutch home, as well as traveling to places in Holland with them – new places for us. We all also drove into Belgium visiting Antwerp and touring World War I battlefields. History seems to ocme alive for me in Europe. My WWI history wasn’t quite up to the trip – but I learned a great deal from visiting Ieper. The city still has a memorial service every evening at 8PM. Nice to know that so many people still care about the sacrifices of those that have gone before.
After Queens Day, Hugh and I with J & T drove from Amsterdam through Belgium to France boarded a ferry and then drove to London to spend some time with Julianna. Hugh and I took a much enjoyed trip to York attending Even Song a York Minster, if memory serves me they have had the service every evening for the last 800 years. We both enjoyed York – the history, walking around and on the city wall – spending one early morning photographing. Other trips for the year included a bike trip with Julianna in Quebec, a photography workshop in Zion – and a trip around the Southwest with Dave and Maud – all were much enjoyed! This year (2009) Hugh and Jean did separate trips to England to spend time with Julianna – did several photography workshops in North Carolina, and a short trip to Montana. So far for 2010 – we have a photography workshop in the Upper Peninsula planned and a joint trip to England to visit Julianna. I think we will take a side trip to another European city or country while we are there but nothing has been decided.
As you can tell from earlier paragraphs – Julianna still lives in London. She started her journey towards UK citizenship last year, and step one is complete. In 2008 she was offered her dream job at Lehman Brothers while we were visiting in June. Then came September 15th and the bankruptcy of Lehman… Julianna started 2009 working for the Royal Bank of Scotland. It wasn’t a good fit for her, so mid-summer she was back to Lehman, in administration. In early December she was promoted to a vice-presidency. Her future at Lehman is limited – but she continues to enjoy what she is doing. She celebrated the holiday season in Australia – and New Years Eve in Sydney. We missed not having her home.
Timothy was laid-off from his employer of the last four years in April. He decided to go back to school and follow in his sister’s footsteps. So he is currently going to Scottsdale Community College – starting his fourth semester of French, he intends to finish up his two-year degree quickly and then head to Switzerland to finish his last two years. We see more trans-Atlantic flights in our future – and more holidays alone or in Europe.
Hugh and I continue life in good health – good humor (most of the time) wondering if retirement and/or grandchildren will ever come. We enjoy the company of our two cats, Tim’s dog – at home in a city with good weather, which we love. Hugh continues to run – I take Pilates twice a week and am considered an “advanced student” –(I don’t have the heart to ask if that is in ability or age), biking whenever the weather permits, i.e. over 50 degrees. We continue to photography when time permits, I spend evenings improving my knitting – or pulling out the latest mistake…i.e. life is good!
Hope all of you had a lovely holiday season. Wishing each of you a Happy and Healthy New Year!