Stonechat

Volume 1 | Issue 3 | July/August 1998

Family News

• Andrea has mailed in several postcards featuring jewelry by Kennington Designs, but they just don't scan very well -- if Andrea or anyone would like to include items in the distribution, there are 11 addressees on the mailing list.
• Suzanne has a new job -- she accepted the Agricultural Biologist/Acting Deputy Commissioner position with the Department of Agriculture for Plumas and Sierra Counties. Tim has been working hard, but took time to attend the 1998 Van Nationals in Illinois. And they have 14 cats (2 mamas, 12 kittens)!

• Mark reports he has been quite busy with work as usual: "One of the perils of being an editor is that once you sign authors to write books, they usually have the temerity to start submitting manuscript." Mark has put STONEchat on his web site -- so look for it at http://shell.nanospace.com/~markst/family. The big news is Maria's trip to Russia. She has a conference in Germany and will then continue on to Moscow, returning to Russia for the first time since her emigration. We can't wait to see the pictures! Alex found an old chess set and insisted that Mark teach him how to play -- he hasn't let up since. He's also riding without training wheels now! Alex graduated from pre-school at the beginning of June, attends Kindercamp in July, and begins kindergarten in August.
• Bill has been in the hospital for tests; he'll begin chemotherapy July 13. We're all thinking about you, Bill. On June 1, Margie and Bill flew to Atlanta to Bucharest, Romania. After a city tour, they drove to Oltenita where they boarded the MS River Symphony. They cruised the Black Sea canal to Constanta (Leonie & Margie were there in 1973) and then sailed the Danube to Rousse, Bulgaria. Next came Belgrade, Serbia; Lalosca and Budapest, Hungary; and Bratislava, Slovakia. They sailed past Vienna to Melk, Drein, and Durnstein, Austria, and then back to Vienna! They stayed in Vienna for three days and then drove to Prague, Czech Republic, for four days. After three weeks, they flew back to the U.S.A. Since then, they've been at home reading or at the lake cottage with their tugboat. Margie and Bill went to see the movie Les Miserables and loved it; Margie also adds that they are not Trekkies.

Fellow banker Karen Franks came into Leslie's office and said, "Guess who I met on my vacation?" Leslie said, "I have no idea." Karen handed her this photo taken April 28... yes, it is a small world!

• Al had to go to Salt Lake City (you know, mayoral business) to get back some of Cannonville's water -- he and the State Water Engineer found a "bureaucratic solution." Sandy has been planting herbs, tomatoes, asparagus, willow trees, and butterfly bushes. Vegas the cat is missing and Cleo had one puppy whose name is Bebe (which means "darling" in Arabic, "baby" in French). Jay & Caroline came to visit for the 4th of July and got caught in a flash flood. The short version is: They and Al were riding through Sheep Creek Canyon when it started to rain. They moved to higher ground and watied (about 2 hours) until the normally 6-inch wide-turned-40-foot-wide-creek subsided. Sandy called out the Rescue Party, which amounted to one BLM guy by the time they rode out. An adventure was had by all!
• Mary says that, yes, she is a Trekkie and wants to know which theme music (original, TNG, DS9, or Voyager) is more beautiful, compelling to other Stone Trekkies. Mary says DS9 is better. She and Clarence are looking forward to their trip out West. They will be in Las Vegas at Jay & Carolyn's on August 15 and then onto Al and Sandy's on the 16th with side trips to Torrey and Moab. They hope to run into Valerie and Melissa in Moab who may be driving from Berkeley to Denver. They return to Las Vegas and home on August 27. Anyone who would like the complete itinerary (hotels, telephone numbers) may contact the STONEchat editor. Mary says she is also enjoying their new computer system.
• Leonie has finished a couple of books: The Sword and the Miracle, Melvyn Bragg; The Man who Listened to Horses, Monty Roberts; and The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger. She is working 11 months with the 12th month dedicated to home renovations and Lake Wateree. Leonie's job responsibilities have expanded for the upcoming year.
• Carolyn had surgery on her hand, but should be playing the flute again soon! Jay's still making biweekly business trips to San Carlos to finish designs for some new gaming machines. Jay's football team (the Gamblers) came in third. Carolyn completed plans for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino addition. Their household is full of Trekkies.
• Clarence has a new book out this summer: Changing Urban Education. "Though not yet scripted for Hollywood, some may want to wait for the movie. If not, the publisher is University Press of Kansas!" He and Mary made a trip to New York to see the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown. And Clarence reports that he, too, has been known to watch Star Trek.

Clarence relaxing at home.

• Colin has his first real job! He is working in an electronics store learning how to fix TVs and install car stereos and satellite dishes. He'll be a junior in high school this fall and has a '93 Explorer as his first car -- Leonie says she'd like him to partially assume the duties of Leonie's Taxi Service.
• Valerie and Melissa came back to the U.S. on June 24 and will spend two months in Berkeley before heading off to Denver. Valerie went to Berlin for five days in early May to give a talk at a research institute there, but spent a lot of time sightseeing. She says that the city has lost almost all evidence of the Wall. Her summer address is: 1800 Arch St., Berkeley, CA 94709, 510/247-2361. And yes, she and Melissa are both Trekkies!
• Emily graduated from elementary school (6th grade) on June 5 and will be in junior high. She received a President's Academic Award and another trophy for extra reading this year. Her summer reading list includes books like Melville's Moby Dick and John Steinbeck novels. She left for Camp Rockbrook in Brevard, North Carolina on June 7 and returned June 27. Camp activities included horseback riding, white water rafting, and, of course, camping.
• Leslie has been crazy-busy at work -- the bank is acquiring another bank. She did manage to have a picture-perfect 4th of July that included playing softball, marching in a parade, barbequeing, and watching fireworks. And Leslie claims she can identify the plot of any previously run Star Trek episode in the first 10 seconds!
• Leonie wants to poll everyone to see what we think about a family reunion on New Year's Eve 1999. That gives us about a year and a half to come up with a place that's good for everyone. Send in your ideas!

Meet the Family

Mary with her winning tickets at the 1997 Preakness.

Editor's Note: I do apologize for editing your submissions, but promise it's for space, not content. And yes, there is an inverse relationship between the extent of your chattiness and the size of this print!