The BIG NEWS for us this year is: We are becoming Grandparents!! That news is wonderful for us and we are looking forward to these events. I’ll let Holly and Bryan tell their own stories of this super news, but lets just say……that Grandma and Grandpa are ecstatic!
Rusty still maintains herself as a “resource” to her former department at Kettering Breast Evaluation Center by working a couple days a week based upon her own schedule. She likes that approach to keeping busy doing some outside work.
My little business “ArchitecturePlus” is doing well with plenty enough work to stay busy and to add a little extra income. I am currently the contract Plans Examiner for the City of Eaton, which includes all of Preble County, looking at permit documents for all commercial work. I also am doing architectural design work on a more limited basis for a varied group of projects around the area.
Rusty and I decided to volunteer for the Victoria Theatre Association working as ushers for the live theatre productions that go on at several venues in Dayton. We recently ushered (and got to see for free) the play “AIDA” at the Schuster, and have ushered many other performances as well. We find that it is a fun thing to do and allows us to see live theatre in exchange for our time. A good deal for us.
This
has been another year of exciting travel for us. In September
of 2006 we celebrated our retirements by taking a fifteen-day
guided tour of China. We traveled to Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Suzhou,
Guilin, and Hong Kong. These were thoroughly enjoyable cities
many of which were full of smog!! An amazing amount of
construction was seen in every city as well. We visited
Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City; had a rickshaw ride
through the Hutong area of Beijing; climbed The Great Wall of
China; saw and enjoyed the Terra Cotta Soldiers; took a
four-hour river cruise down the beautiful Li River; ballroom danced
with the morning exercise groups of Chinese people at several
cities; enjoyed the wonderful French Concession area of
Shanghai (where our group of traveling American friends had
dinner in a German restaurant listening to a Chinese singer
doing County/Western songs!!); went up to the observation deck
of the 1560 foot tall famous Oriental Pearl Tower; saw the great
harbor of Hong Kong where Rusty went up the tram to Victoria Peak ;
Rusty had a sampan ride in Hong Kong harbor (I got sick in Hong
Kong and missed both); saw many wonderful gardens and
fantastic new and ancient Chinese Architecture; and ate way too
much Chinese Food! I am currently working on creation of an
hour-long digital movie of this truly memorable trip! 
A
week after returning from China, Rusty and I drove to Colorado
to visit Bryan and Leigh in Boulder. We used their condo at
Silverthorne as a “home base” to also drive to visit our scenic
national parks including Colorado National Monument; then off to Utah
to see Arches and Canyonlands. We now have our National Parks
Senior Passes that are a great bargain since they only cost
$10.00 and are good for the rest of our lives! Bryan and I
played golf at Fossil Trace, which is a new and exciting course
in Boulder. We also had a surprise snowfall 5 inches deep on
October 17th! As usual, Bryan and Leigh are wonderful hosts who
created another memorable visit!
Our
spring cruise this year is a 7-day cruise to the Southern
Caribbean, visiting Aruba; Curacao; St. Maarten; and St. Thomas that
sails in and out of San Juan, Puerto Rico and leaves on February
25. Two new ports of call creating new excitement for us!
On
March 6, I will be have hip replacement surgery for my old right
hip, which has been badly visited by Mr. Arthur Itis, once again!!Well, that is it for now,
Our love to all,
Bill and Rusty
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