Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to family, friends and loved ones.
2009 was a year of change . My work at Boeing ended on March 31. This assignment had been a good transition. It allowed me to work about half-time for two years, and ease the change from full time work. I am not working anymore (not for money, anyway). This has allowed me to spend more time as a volunteer with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. They’re building 27 homes a few towns south of me. This year, I’ve been able to give them over 40 days of work. We’ve got four homes complete and occupied, and expect to finish five more around the end of 2009. Only 18 to go! Their goal is to half military families in half the homes – active duty, retired, disabled or surviving spouses. I've posted some photos of one of the houses – first in August, and then in mid-December. We’ve come a long way.
It’s a great project, and I enjoy contributing to it. I also have learned loads about construction, and find uses for this at home. With the extra time, I’m tackling more projects at home (and to my great surprise, even finishing some!) Sometimes I just destroy lumber, but more often, there’s a useful object emerging at the end. The bookcases above, for example.
It’s a great project, and I enjoy contributing to it. I also have learned loads about construction, and find uses for this at home. With the extra time, I’m tackling more projects at home (and to my great surprise, even finishing some!) Sometimes I just destroy lumber, but more often, there’s a useful object emerging at the end. The bookcases above, for example.
I’m at the age where some friends are also retiring. I took a trip to NYC for a retirement party of Jack Collins, who was a classmate in first grade in 1956. I’m sure the NYC Fire Department misses him. There's a picture of Jack and myself, with another first grade classmate, Peter Malet, in the center.
Another change that happened this year was sadder – the last member of my mother’s family, Eileen, passed away in March after a traffic accident. She was a wonderful woman, and we miss her a bunch. Every living child of that family was at the wake or the funeral. They came from ten states - quite a tribute to her. There's a picture of Eileen with my wife Marilyn taken a few years ago in Eileen's backyard.
We took a trip to Santa Barbara and Cambria, California over the summer, and to my sister Anne’s house in early December. That was a belated Thanksgiving trip, without the holiday travel hassles. We plan to go to Chicago over Christmas (this time, WITH the holiday travel hassles) to visit Marilyn’s brother Roger, my sister Ginger, and their families.
My health continues to be good. Between gym workouts and construction at Habitat and home, I get plenty of exercise – sometimes too much. We moved a lot of dirt this year for drainage control facilities and trees. Years ago, my father warned me that, if I didn’t get an education, I’d wind up digging ditches. Now I’m digging ditches and holes for trees, and filling them too . I think my father would appreciate the irony.
Another change that happened this year was sadder – the last member of my mother’s family, Eileen, passed away in March after a traffic accident. She was a wonderful woman, and we miss her a bunch. Every living child of that family was at the wake or the funeral. They came from ten states - quite a tribute to her. There's a picture of Eileen with my wife Marilyn taken a few years ago in Eileen's backyard.
We took a trip to Santa Barbara and Cambria, California over the summer, and to my sister Anne’s house in early December. That was a belated Thanksgiving trip, without the holiday travel hassles. We plan to go to Chicago over Christmas (this time, WITH the holiday travel hassles) to visit Marilyn’s brother Roger, my sister Ginger, and their families.
My health continues to be good. Between gym workouts and construction at Habitat and home, I get plenty of exercise – sometimes too much. We moved a lot of dirt this year for drainage control facilities and trees. Years ago, my father warned me that, if I didn’t get an education, I’d wind up digging ditches. Now I’m digging ditches and holes for trees, and filling them too . I think my father would appreciate the irony.
Finally, as I see the state of the world and many of its occupants, I am continually reminded how fortunate I am: to have the family and friends I do, to live when and where I do, for the jobs and education that I have had, and that I still have the ability to do hard work and learn from it. I wish you all the same gifts in your lives. Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, and all our wishes for the best in 2010.
Love to all
Kieran & Marilyn
