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Wow, yet another year gone by. A very busy year, as you can tell from the lateness of this newsletter. While 2009 was definitely better than 2008, it’s still been a challenging year. Health Good news on our Health, for John, it’s been a much better year. He’s now a year cancer free. Still too plump and working on it, but slowly. His philosophy this year; “it’s better to be seen than viewed”. For me, Leticia, I’m growing in heath. I kept up my daily 45-60 minute yoga practice, did not do as much swimming, hiking and dancing as last year to due to work. But still finished the year healthy and strong. House, Home and Cats We’re still on Tanglewood and still love the house. We’ve no changes this year and due to the economy, and are considering downsizing. If you love my house make us an offer.
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It’s too late to be a Holiday Newsletter 2009… so it’s a Happy 2010 New Year Newsletter |
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Jillato has the run of the house, and by run, I mean run!! She runs from one room to the other, loves to play chase and hide and seek. I have to watch letting her out, she does like to stroll the neighborhood. Watch it when you play with her, she is rambunctious and does swipe and nibble when excited. |
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Scruffy and Jillato, our matching cow cats are happy and healthy. Scruffy was diagnosed with reduced kidney function. We changed his food, and he’s now doing better, just sleeps more. Very healthy for a cat we think is as least 16 years old. We got him in 1994 as a stray on Christmas Eve 15 years ago. |
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Finances and Work
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For Leticia, it’s a very busy year. Just after our trip, I pick up two great projects, with international scope. Yes, I’ve travelled to London and Tokyo for work. Of course I only saw the inside of a conference room for those weeks, and had to fly (gulp) coach, but I did get the miles I needed for next year’s eclipse trip, for me at least, coach to Tahiti. The best thing, both the projects are implementations of newer technologies and I’m excited about what we are doing and the teams with which I’m working. John, started the year strong, with work through April, and a big project scheduled to ship in June, however, in May construction dried up. While he’s got several cutting edge lines now, nothing is moving. He’s working on several projects that may start early 2010, however, all are outside the of Texas and even the US. He’s may end up in Florida, Aruba, or Brazil. Pray for us, he needs to work!!
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Vacation - Solar Eclipse in Japan July 11, 2009 |
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This summer, we went forward with our planned trip to this year’s solar eclipse. We turned it into a partial business trip to visit the GBF Basalt Fiber plant near Shanghai. On July 3rd, we left for Shanghai, China and spent a week 10 days there. Our trip to Shanghai centered around our planned visit to the plant. We stayed in a serviced apartment so I got to ‘live’ a bit like a local. I visited a local yoga studio almost daily, Body and Soul Yoga, nearby, I found this great franchise I loved “85°C”, which I expect to be a great success when it hits the states. There is more details of my days in Shanghai and the trip to GBF at my blog tmbwitw.blogspot.com. We did get some side trips in and visited the the West Lake area where I went to the Ling Ying Temple, where to my surprise I heard chanting. Following my ears I got to watch a Buddhist ceremony, which was very moving.
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Looking back, this was a good year. We have our health, a bit in the hole financially, but expect to recover soon. We hope you had a great year, and that we all have an better 2010. We wish you and your families Happy New Year. As always, we’re having our Black-eyed Pea Party on January 1st, click here for details and join us!! Happy New Year!! Leticia and John
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After Shanghai, we travelled to Tianjin and joined my friends, Kathy, her husband John, and Lynn on a cruise ship the Costa Classica. Kathy is a long time friend from mine from 1997. She travelled with me to the 2001 Eclipse in Africa. We met Lynn on that trip, a fellow chaser. Lynn and his wife have family in Frisco, so we keep in touch. We all planned to be on this trip together. . |
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On the cruise we visited the Japan Space Center, yes, they have one near Kagoshima. A couple of things really jumped out at me, the satellite shown above, looks straight out of an Original Star Trek episode. And the other picture, right, I love the Area 51 Alien reading to the young girl.
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Our eclipse viewing location was near Iwo Jima. Such a small island, for so many to have died. |
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July 11, 2009-Eclipse day. A great day, some clouds, but the ship could move if a problem. We enjoyed seeing newbies at the eclipse. This was the first eclipse for John, Kathy’s husband. The crew of course were awed. It’s always nice to be among those who share your insanity. |
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After the eclipse, John and I left the cruise early at Kobe, and travelled to Hiroshima. There I visited the Peace Memorial. The displays there touched and moved me. Most touching are the actions the citizens of Hiroshima take to promote peace. That this city of people, after suffering such a horrific event, took that and turned the event into a statement for peace, moved me. The other displays, the amount of active nuclear arsenals, who has a nuclear arsenals, and the number of atomic bomb test since 1968 (567), frightened me. I noticed these water bottles in front of the Genbaku Dome. They say that after the bombing, countless people, burned all over their bodies, cried out for water, but there was not water to be had. So now, over 64 years later, people leave water at the memoriam.. My visit in Hiroshima will haunt and inspire me for the rest of my life.
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One other highlight to share For my birthday last year, I asked John for shooting lessons. Just so I’d know how to handle a gun safely, if handed one. So in March, John ran into his high school friend, Andy Pierce, who now teaches Concealed Handgun training. For those who don’t know, John was a Marine sniper in his youth, and expert shot. I on the other hand, use my smile to disarm people, a tactic that has worked all my life.
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Ferrer—Echols 2010 Happy New Year’s Newsletter |
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So part of the test, besides 8 hours of class, is to fire a gun, The trick is to aim, breathe and don't’ flinch which causes you to lose your aim. Thanks to yoga, I focused, breathed and fired. It was very Zen, the concentration to keep the gun aimed and not anticipate the shot. I kept running out of bullets too soon. Well it worked, I did not miss a shot and scored 247 out of 250. 50 shots, if you look at my target you see only 23 holes, the other 27 bullets went through the hole in the center. Don’t worry, to disarm people, I’ll still try my smile first. |
