Happy 2009 from Julie and Bob Stokstad

December 31, 2008

Dear Friends,

2008 was a roller coaster for us - lots of highs a few lows, and fast transitions between them.  The lows were political and economic rather than personal, but the presidential election has restored some hope for a better 2009.

Personally, we have a lot to be thankful for.  Our health, all things considered, is pretty good.  Our children are all doing well and came to spend Christmas with us in Berkeley.  Good news from Paula and Paul - our granddaughter Erika will get a baby sister in April!  Erik's house in Takoma Park has completed a major facelift, and Arne met Karna Nisewaner at a Scandinavian outing in Yosemite in May.  Julie made another transition in her spiritual life: in October she concluded her nearly four-year parish ministry at UCC San Rafael to focus on ministering to mentally disturbed inmates at the San Francisco County jail.  Bob moved to a smaller, shared office at the Lab and has cut back on his work there, reflecting his two years into retirement and increased effort in motorcycle journalism and photography.  This activity really took off this year with many articles and photos in motorcycling magazines, both in print and on the web.

Travel, the staple of Christmas and New Year's letters, was a big high:  The Antarctic Peninsula in January (with our friends the Jacobsens) and a motorcycle trip in Patagonia (for Bob), Budapest in June, Cuernavaca Mexico in July, East Lansing in August, a 50th high school reunion in September, Israel and the West Bank in November (for Julie) and Takoma Park this month. 

l. to r. Paul (Bob's brother) and Shelley Stokstad; Erik; Julie; Erika, Paula and Paul; Arne and Karna Nisewaner; Bob. The pooches are Summer and Bogey.

This family photo here was taken on December 28.  Today our house holds only the two of us. Arne has moved to Palo Alto where Karna lives, Erik flew back to Takoma Park yesterday and Paul, Paula and Erika left for East Lansing this morning.  It's eerily quiet. For New Year's Eve it will be just us, the TV, and maybe a 2004 vintage.  Soon the Christmas tree will come down and the ornaments packed for next year.  (Maybe we should just leave it up - when Bob went to put on the Christmas music on our old reel-to-reel tape recorder, he discovered it was still there on the machine, untouched from last Christmas). 

Click here for images from 2008.

We hope you have a Happy 2009 and that the highs are way up and any lows are quickly left behind.

Sincerely,

Bob and Julie Stokstad