Year end report

Three words highlight the year 2008: visits, education and health.
Visits: In January and February, I commuted to and from Long Beach, preparing Montair Manor for sale. In March, we went to Southern Utah with our friend Manor, who was traveling from China.
In April, we flew to China. While Janet visited with students and old friends, I went to Weifang to photograph the annual Kite Festival. It rained the three days of the Festival. In June, I flew to Texas, and drove back with Timmie and Laurie, after she closed up her San Angelo house in preparation for a move to Saudi Arabia. In September we drove through Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore and The Badlands, while visiting former students from Xi'an, China. In November it was back to Texas, via Houston and San Antonio, where we had Thanksgiving with Wayne, Phal, Jeffrey,Michael And Catherine, plus four of our former students and teacher friends from China. Last week, it was a trip to California, where we stayed with Connie and visited our parents and Families, and on Friday, we're off to Mexico and Guatemala with Mark and Traci.
Education: Mom and I both took classes, mom's focused on religion and literature, mine on Photography, We enrolled in classes through BYU, Utah Valley University, and the Orem Senior Center.
Health: In February, my new doctor found my PSA levels to be dangerously elevated, which commenced a course of visits to specialists and resulted in two prostate procedures called "brachytherapy" with overnight stays in the hospital in July and August. We were very blessed that, except for a period of loss of energy, none of the other possible side effects have manifested themselves, and my PSA levels have become ridiculously low. We also found a Korean made massage table that has been a great help in reducing chronic back pain in both of us, and we became better friends with dentists than either of us would have desired.

In balance, it has been a great year. Our kids and grandkids are healthy and thriving, some of the consequences of the economic downturn notwithstanding. The elections, although not ending in the way I would have hoped, nevertheless will have a positive effect on the way the World looks at race in America, for which I am grateful.
We wonder what 2009 will bring, but we're optomistic.