MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

“Oh there’s no place like home for the Holidays,” is true again this year as we’ve made the trek from our winter home in Desert Hot Springs, CA, to Grass Valley, to celebrate the Christmas holidays with our little hilltop family. We’ll return to the desert by year’s end and we’ll stay there again until the end of April.

We hope you too have a healthy and happy holiday season with lots of friends and family to enjoy.

Before departing the desert for home in April 2009, we negotiated a 5-year lease on an RV site in our favorite resort. The plan was to sell the motorhome and buy a big 5th wheel trailer to leave on the site year-round. Failing that, we would do the same with the motorhome until we could sell it.

To make a long story short, we sold the motorhome quickly after returning home and just as quickly replaced it with a 2006, 36’ Hitchiker Champagne Edition 5th wheel' which fit all of our wants and desires. Considering she had about 18" of counterspace in the motorhome, Judy said, "I've won the lottery", when she saw the kitchen.

We began looking for someone to haul it south as we no longer had our big pickup truck.
Our winter homesite

Kevin’s brother-in-law, Scott Holt, volunteered to tow it to Desert Hot Springs, for us as his truck was already equipped to tow one. In late October, the move took place and we’ve been enjoying our new digs ever since.

Even Mr. Turkey was beautifully done in time for dinner.

We found that Mr. Hitchiker’s furniture not only didn’t suit Ron, but literally crippled him, so none of it is left in the rig. Gone are the uncomfortable swivel recliners and the double recliner sofa. Gone is the mattress on the bed and gone are some of the aches and pains they all caused.

We enjoyed our summer at home and look forward to many more. There’ll be no more summer trips to the Oregon and Washington coast for us, at least not in an RV.

During the weeks that Alex (now almost 8) and Andrew (now 5 and in pre-kindergarten) were in school, Ron enjoyed helping Alex with his homework. Sometimes he even had to call on Judy for assistance and argued with the teachers over some of the work. They both seemed to enjoy doing it together and it was a good thing for both of them.

This year Fire Apparatus Engineer Kevin received a promotion to Fire Captain Kevin, causing many changes for him at work. We’re very proud of his continued achievement in the Fire Service.

Meanwhile, in North Carolina, Laurie’s employment came to an end in December. Her job search proved fruitless and, being unable to continue to support herself and Granddaughter Danielle, they are moving back to California, and will live in our home—by themselves in the Winter when we’re in the desert, and with us during the spring and summer—until she can find employment and get back firmly on her own two feet. This story is just one of many thousands like it being played out across the country as the horrible recession rolls on. Nobody’s happy with these situations but they are what they are and having our whole clan back atop Possumtrot Hill will, if nothing else, prove interesting.

Finally, our first Pug, 12-year old Rowdy, passed away at the beginning of summer. He was totally deaf and partially blind but in no discomfort. Old age finally caught up with him and he went peacefully in his sleep one night. Though having vowed to not get another dog when the Pugs were gone, we are now living with TAG (Tagalong), another Pug, who turned 7-months old at the beginning of this month. Ron has used the techniques of Cesar Millan, “The Dog Whisperer” who has a weekly show by that name on the National Geographic Channel. If you aren’t a fan of this program please watch it at least once, as this guy Cesar is truly a magician. Anyway, Ron has trained TAG since he was just 3 month old and the results are quite amazing. He comes, sits, shakes hands, fetches, drops and waits at the door for you to go in or out before him—most of the time. More so with Ron than Judy, but that’s another story. So we’ve “Given our hearts to a dog to tear,” again and are putting up with the antics of a very energetic and active puppy. He really enjoys watching the birds feeding at the window.

Life is good. What more can we say, other than to hope the same is true for you and yours.

God bless you and yours in 2010. It should be an interesting year.