1985

4 December 1985

As you turned your calendar to December, did you stop to wonder where the year has gone? I did. And I looked back to see. Each sheet is marked up with birthdays to remember, things to do, places to go, and even money spent. Each month has a lot of repetitions: circle meeting, Norse Club, reading group, postage - $4.40; 22nd - call Mom; go quilt. And each month has some things different: a concert, or a play, or an opera (we drove to Champaign, IL, twice to see Mark perform - The Merry Widow, and The Magic Flute), or a football game (how about them Rose Bowl Hawks?)

There've been some interesting trips:

Feb - a dental meeting in Chicago; and Vince flew to Edmonton, Can. to lecture at a 2-day meeting.

Mar - a dental meeting in Las Vegas - that was . . . interesting. Especially so because Arik drove up from LA to see us, and we also saw both Spence, and his son Steve, and Lyle and Exene (Vince's brothers).

Apr - Mom, Sharon, her daughter Jessica and I flew to DC to visit Dawn, Bob and Heather - both Mom and Heather were quite the sight-seeing troopers!

May - 2 short jaunts - a day to Des Moines, and one to Decorah. Vince had a fishing trip to N. Minn.

June - Vince had a week of fishing in Canada; and we spent part of a week checking out lakes in Mn. We think we might like a lake cabin. Went home via Windom, for a short visit with my brother Gordon and Shirley.

July - Dawn and Heather flew out to visit us - Dawn timed it for her H.S. reunion at Nordic Fest time, so another trip to Decorah.

Aug - Heard the Statler Brothers at a little county fair not far from here.

Sept - Decorah for a day, and Windom for several.

Oct - a trip to Mpls. (Vince went to a continuing ed. course) I took Sharon to the Mn. Historical research building and taught her how to read census films. How exciting!

Nov - one of our trips to Champaign; also Thanksgiving Day in Pekin, IL with Amy and Mark at her folks.

Dawn and Bob are still in DC but are looking for a new duty assignment next spring. They are coming next week for a 10-day visit. We are anxious to see Heather (well, Dawn and Bob, too) - sounds like she keeps her mom busy - running and climbing.

Mark and Amy are still in Champaign, still going to school.

Arik is still in LA (Sherman Oaks) and planning on going back to school, out there.

Jené is still at UNI, second year. She will be taking off the next semester and spending it in Norway. So she is quite excited about that. Actually, we are too; she will be living with us. Vince was granted a developmental leave from the University, and will be doing research with a professor at the University of Oslo. We leave on Jan. 6, will be in Oslo until middle of May, and then hope to travel to Germany, Switzerland, and Great Britain before heading back here on June 12. It should be quite an adventure.

May Jesus, whose birth we celebrate, fill you with His peace throughout this season and the year to come.

P.S. Our address until 15 May in case you want to write or come to visit:

c/o Prof. Jon Gjønnes
Otto Ruges Veien 84A
1345 Østerås Norway