Daily Archive for January 3rd, 2009

Days of Reconnection! (With more to come…)

Published on January 3, 2009 in Friends and Long Ago & Far Away. 2 Comments

I have had a very adventurous life, having lived for extended periods in many different places around the world. In each place, I have been blessed with the friendship of many special and wonderful people. Sadly though, as I moved from place to place, I lost contact with all or most of the special people from the previous places that I had left. Letter writing and phone calling just weren’t (and still aren’t) my thing…

Recently, through various internet tools (Facebook being the main one, but also Linked-In and Google), I have been reconnecting with friends from most of the different phases of my life! This is awesome!

Examples:

  • Rondo: A 4th and 5th grade classmate from the American Cooperative School in La Paz, Bolivia, who now lives in California
  • Ricky and many other friends and classmates from Newberg High School (several who were my friends from 6th grade at Central Elementary School all the way through graduation)
  • Ed: A Canadian classmate from the Torchbearer Bible Schools I attended in Germany and Austria
  • Joel, Chris, Tina and Michele: friends from the Graphic Design program at Portland Community College
  • Monika (from Austria): One of my six “sisters” from when I was on staff at the summer camp in Spain
  • Many friends and co-workers from the last twenty-something years here in Oregon

Wow! I am really loving this! I am recovering some of the valued friendships and connections I thought were lost! I am looking forward to more contact with these friends, as well as finding additional “long-lost friends”!

Here are the many important places and treasured phases of my life:

  1. Bolivia 1961-72 ( (birth through 5th grade) We moved many times, including to Oregon three times. I went to 5 different elementary schools!
  2. Oregon 1972-79 (6th-12th grades)
  3. West Germany and Austria 1979-80 (Bible college)
  4. Oregon 1981-83 (Portland Community College)
  5. Spain 1985 (working at Mar Cristalino, a camp on the Mediterranian sea)
  6. Oregon 1986-2009 (marriage and family, and work at Printistry, Barclay Press, and Vineyard Graphics)

Meaningful gifts

Published on January 3, 2009 in Family and Proud parent. 0 Comments

All three of my kids gave meaningful Christmas gifts to me again this year. They know what I like! And (as I requested), they didn’t spend very much. Austin gave me fine point black pens and Snickers, Aaron gave coffee and a wonderful letter, and Alison painted me a picture of one of my favorite places… Black Butte in Central Oregon. I know I am loved.
black-butte-painting