Family, music, new homes, trips, learning new skills, planning for the future. We have so much that we are grateful for. We hope that you, too, have had a good year and can look forward to the next with enthusiasm. Read on for the highlights of our year. | |
As reported in last year's news, Dea has begun to teach vocal music as time and students permit. Two of her students asked her to help prepare audition songs for the musical "Music Man" being produced at the Contra Costa Civic Theatre, located less than 5 minutes from our home. Priorities during lessons shifted a bit. Performance and selling a song became as important as vocal technique. Pretty soon her students were encouraging Dea to audition. When Jack added a bit of arm twisting, Dea began to prepare her own song. The end result was that one of the students became a River City teen and Dea was given the part of Mrs. Paroo, the librarian's mother. | |
| It was the first time since college that Dea had participated in a production of this type. And what fun it was. Mrs. Paroo is a wonderful character to play with most lines designed to elicit laughter. The theatre is small, seating approximately 200, and was sold out for all 17 performances. The resulting intimacy with the audience added to the joy of performing. The 35 member cast and the backstage crew became quite close during rehearsals and production. The four months spent together were full of cooperation, laughs, hugs, and real caring. Many tears were shed closing night as we were sad to see it all end. | |
| P.S.: Typical of Harrell togetherness, Jack joined Dea for a set painting work party. He was soon drafted to help build sets during the week. Then a week before opening night, he became part of the lighting crew. He has continued to be an active member of the theatre crew working on sets for the three productions that have occurred since "Music Man" closed. He even had a bit part in a Sunday special event. We have enjoyed the camaraderie and look forward to future productions. | |
Through the last almost 30 years, Jack and Dea have thoroughly enjoyed meeting and interacting with the friends of their children. Many of their happiest memories include not only their immediate family but the extended family provided by these friendships. It is a special treat when one of these friends drops by, unannounced, just to say "Hi." | |
| During last year's holiday season, Hugh introduced us to his new first lady, Jessica. She is a math teacher at Redwood High School in Marin and has a very practical bent. She grounds Hugh, while he challenges her to play and to be a bit more unconventional. (Remind you a bit of Jack and Dea??) Jess has a ready sense of humor and a great tolerance for the endless computer talk. (However, when placed between Hugh and Roger for an hour's ride in the car, she claimed the right to terminate any computer talk at her "demand".) Her very loving black lab, Monty, reminds us a bit of our Wags, though Monty is a bit more controlled. Jess and Monty are especially wonderful additions to the Harrell clan. | |
Over the last several years, Dea and Jack have used their time-shares to affordably travel to different parts of the continent. This year is was time to explore a part of Canada, specifically the southeastern portion of British Columbia. Jack had noticed that there were houseboat resorts located on Shuswap Lake. So a request was submitted to the exchange service. Availability is severely limited during peak season, but we were able to book for late October. | |
| After a bit of debate we decided to drive with a stop in Seattle on the way. Kris' 21st birthday was October 19, so we treated her to a late birthday dinner which included strawberry daiquiris for Dea and Kris, the best Dea had ever had. (If you're ever in Seattle and want to have a very special dinner, try the Metropolitan Grill. Food, drink, and service are absolutely wonderful.) The next morning (Saturday), she and her friend Mandy caravaned with us into Canada. The trip was a bit longer than we'd anticipated, but the fall scenery was beautiful and the destination well worth the wait. | |
| Mandy and Kris were only able to stay the weekend, so our Sunday trip did not take us too far from the dock. Yet, it was far enough to find total peace and quiet. We had a hot tub on the upper deck of the houseboat, a CD player and a VCR. (Yeah, really roughing it! Lots of beds too! We figured we could sleep 12 or more comfortably.) The ladies spent a lot of the day in and out of the hot tub, while Jack drove. Then when Jack found a tranquil spot to sit for a bit, we dared Kris to slide into the lake. (There was a slide at the back of the houseboat.) She took the dare and, though the lake was very cold, repeated the slide. She told us it was great fun, though we weren't sure we could believe her. Kris and Mandy seemed to enjoy their break from campus life and were a bit reluctant to head back to school and were surprised when Jack and Dea encouraged them to take an extra day on the lake. (Should parents really encourage cutting?) Nevertheless, they really did need to get back and so left late Sunday afternoon. | |
| On Monday Jack and Dea headed out in the other direction and ended up beaching the houseboat about 25 miles from base. The shores held beautiful foliage and a creek with rapidly running, very cold water. Since it was the end of the season, there were very few boats out and we enjoyed the serenity the solitude provided. We had one rough night when we lost our mooring. Redoing mooring ropes in the middle of the night in a very cold lake is not much fun and being battered a bit by the wind was a little scary (at least for Dea). However, once we knew what to do, the fear was gone and, even before we were secured again, we found the humor in the situation. Since we did radio in that night, some fellow vacationers came to check on us the next day. Except for that brief visit, we saw no one until we returned to base at the end of the week. We enjoyed "California Style" hot tubbing, listening to music, watching some funny movies, reading, and cloud watching. It was truly a relaxing vacation and one we'd recommend to all of you. | |
We were all pleased when Hugh got fully into the computer field and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the challenge of setting up computer networks. The company he was with seemed to offer a lot of opportunity for advancement and increasing knowledge of and in this rapidly growing field. However, IKON seemed to lack many of the marketing skills necessary to obtain the contracts they needed to thrive. Last spring they had to let many of their employees go. Hugh, with low seniority, was among the first to leave. | |
| Job-hunting seemed to be especially difficult this time around, and finances rapidly became painful. Jess lent moral support and helped Hugh sort out priorities. He regretfully sold his Rodeo to Kristen (who was looking for a larger and newer vehicle) and went back to a more economical motorcycle. He was able to find several short-term projects and even took a temporary job in construction. All of this was more than a bit demoralizing. However, the job market did eventually open up and he is now back to doing technical support, working with United Behavioral Health. His office is in San Francisco and not very far from Bechtel where Roger continues to be employed. As with any job, there have been ups and downs; adjustments to accommodate fellow workers and his boss; and a variety of assignments, some very interesting and others rather boring. Nevertheless, we all hope that this job will last a bit longer than previous ones. | |
This phrase now has special meaning for several members of the Harrell clan. Referring back to Dea's vocal students, meet Jonathan. He is 13 and very musically talented, as is his Mom. Sharon performed and wrote for several groups in the 70's. Unfortunately, it did not provide a reasonable living and she reverted to more conventional jobs, letting her music slide a bit. Recently, she has looked again at some of her songs. One of those is "Start the Music". It had been written in a hurry for an event and was never really finished. She asked Dea to listen to it and make suggestions. And that began what was a project full of fun. | |
| Sharon and Dea met a few times to brainstorm added lyrics and performance ideas. (We swear the wine helped the creativity.) Roger was asked to experiment with some keyboard accompaniment. Jonathan's guitar teacher helped him arrange a guitar solo. Dea wrote vocal harmonies. A bass guitar was added. Roger suggested adding flute lines, etc. "Start the Music" was eventually recorded with 2 lead vocals and 4 harmony voices (Roger, Pam, Jonathan, and Lynn - Jonathan's friend and the River City teen), acoustic guitar (Jonathan), electric guitar (Jonathan), bass guitar (Lynn), keyboard (Roger), flute (Roger) and drums. It really was a "family" activity as the drummer was from Pam & Roger's Worship Team, and the two lead singers came from the dance studio where Kris, Roger, Jonathan and Lynn have taken lessons. Dea, Sharon and Roger took turns running rehearsals and everyone participated in enhancing the song. We all learned a lot, were very pleased with the final recording, and look forward to doing more. You may just hear us on the air sometime. | |
Winthrop Fellowship at FCCB was an important activity for the Harrell "kids". Pam and her brother Daren were also active participants in their Youth Program. So, it was not surprising to hear that Roger and Pam had become involved in the leadership of the Youth Program connected with their church. It's been fun hearing of their experiences. | |
| One such experience resulted in the longest e-mail Dea has ever received. Roger and Pam "chaperoned" a ski trip and found out what it's like to be a leader rather than a youth. Their story included: traffic problems (8 plus hours to cover a route normally done in 4); disorganized leaders (over 2 hours to get the group organized in the morning); crowded sleeping conditions (the bunk above was about 4 inches from Roger's back when he was laying on his stomach); a ¾ mile trek from the parking lot to the cabin with all the gear (he compared this to "a Grandpa getting to school story"); a second traversing of this same route in ski boots, including a shortcut which put them waist deep in powder; the need for a van to be dug out as one rear wheel dropped into a hole and (repair of a broken axle on the snow cat that was carrying their luggage. We're not sure when they had time to ski, but he says they did.) Roger's summary statement after listing all this: "All in all it was a blast, and a character building experience for all." Guess it pays to keep a sense of humor. | |
With a mixture of relief (for parental units) and sadness (for her), Kris decided that it was time to give up crew. Some disagreements about coaching philosophy and the stress on her knees indicated that perhaps it was time to pursue other interests. The decision came none too soon. Dea and Jack spent this last weekend in Seattle in order to be with Kris as she repeated orthoscopic surgery on both knees. Though she compares her walk to that of Frankenstein, she is doing well and should be moving normally very soon. | |
Assigning nicknames to people is always an interesting project. Dea remembers a brief experiment in Jr. High when friends tried DeeDee. That didn't work, but Dea seems to have worked ok. Jack went through Henry J. and a six-month run of Hank (to which he rarely answered to). Hugh will respond to Hug, but hated Huge. And his parents forbid Hughie (remember Baby Huey - the duck!). Roger has been dubbed Booger - who knows why, but it stuck(no pun intended). But Princess Kristen?? Princess? Somehow that connotes protected, delicate, maybe even fragile. | |
| And so the story begins. As you've read previously, Kris is an RA (floor monitor in the dorms). She works with a staff of other "RA's" and an RD (Resident Director). They develop a close working relationship that of course leads to teasing and nicknames. (See where we're headed.) Well, last year, one of her fellow RA's started calling her Princess. Who knows why? Other than Tim, her fellow staff members couldn't quite understand it. So, to tease Tim, Kris's fellow staff decided to make her a "real" Princess. They organized a club - "The Princess Kristen Buff and Beautiful Club" - (Kris is 5' 11" with an athletic build). They drafted by-laws and a constitution, elected officers, and submitted their new club to the powers that be at U-Dub (University of Washington). Their flyer states that "The newest, hippest, most intriguing, and most happenin' student organization on campus is here! The Princess Kristen is Buff and Beautiful Club is looking for new members who want to revel in the beauty and graciousness of Princess Kristen while enhancing their self esteem in an atmosphere of love and sharing." Ironically, in this day and age of political correctness and all, the club was actually recognized and received a $50 gift certificate at the campus book store for start up costs. Her friends put a tiara on Kris, took a picture, and set up a website. Check it out. This will be a good one for her to tell her grandchildren!! | |
Although, Jack and Dea are still in their house on Terrace, everyone else seems to be on the move. Jack's Dad has moved to Pennsylvania to live with granddaughter Lenore. It has been a major change from California, but he has been enjoying the change, has learned how to use e-mail, likes Lenore and Danny's friends and has taken pride in teaching them how to play Cribbage. We look forward to a visit from him in January to catch us up on all the details. | |
| Dea's Mom sold her mobile home in a park just north of Santa Barbara and is now living in Atascadero. Dea's brother bought a new home there which has a separate apartment that is perfect for Mom. She frequently goes to the "big house" for meals and takes her turn at doing the cooking. Jack and Dea were able to visit in mid November and were very impressed with Mom's new surroundings. Plans include the purchase of a computer in the near future and we look forward to introducing Mom to the joys of e-mail. | |
| Kristen, as a college student, moves at least twice a year. Her summer residence was a new one this year, but she returned to the dorms in September. She continues as an RA so has a private room. But, the big perk this year is that she has a private bathroom. For a college student, that's a real plus. | |
| Then we have Hugh, who had firmly declared he'd never move in with a girl friend. He met Jess during the 1997 holiday season (see companion article). He already knew a move was in the near future as his lease was going to expire soon. Then he lost his job. (The computer field is notorious for rapid job turnover. See companion article.) Economizing became a top priority and Jess was pretty special! So, joining she and her roommates became a happy, practical solution and Hugh moved in. But the apartment was a little crowded, interest rates were dropping and Jess had been planning to buy a home when the market indicated. Yup, she bought a 3 bed room home and Hugh has been learning all those "handy man" things. With help from family and friends, they've refinished the hard wood floors, put in a new toilet, added windows, etc. They do have a third roommate who helps with expenses and they seem to be enjoying the whole process of making the house their home. | |
| Now remember we did say interest rates were dropping. So, Roger and Pam decided it was time for them to get back to active house hunting. They, too, have found a wonderful 3 bed room home. They will have less fix-it work to do, just a bit of painting, but their move is going to be complicated by the holidays. Escrow closed the first week of December, but the previous owner cannot move until the 22nd. The positive part of this is that family and friends will be more available to help them. It seems that a big red bow on the front door is more appropriate than a wreath for this year. | |
| All sets of parental units are very pleased. The two homes are within 15 minutes of each other, within 10 minutes of each of the "girls" parents, and less than a half-hour from our El Cerrito home. Since, parent homes had been used for storing extras that didn't fit in small apartments, we too will have more space. Best of all, it's great to share their excitement and happiness. | |
Kristen has reached another major decision point. She is officially a senior and could graduate in June with a degree in Psychology. However, a bachelor's degree in Psychology does not relate to much in the work force and she never intended that to be the goal of her college career. So, to do a double major or to go for a Master's degree or a doctorate, and then to choose what major to pursue are the questions. Because of her aptitude, grade point, and extra-curricular activities, she has many viable options. She is making use of the career counseling at Udub and has just recently completed an interest survey. It is not surprising that again the options are extremely varied. Looks like winter break will include a bit of brain-storming and evaluation. Wish her well. | |
In last year's news we mentioned that Roger and Pam had joined the Worship Team at their church. This team "leads" worship via music. It is not a traditional choir, but is instead a combination of people with instrumental as well as those with vocal skills. The music they prepare and present is more "popular" in style (as opposed to classical) and includes instruments and harmonies that are not usually associated with "choir" music. The skills of the team have grown significantly in this last year and Dea and Jack have enjoyed attending quarterly Sunday evening services conducted by this group. | |
| Roger has had an exciting opportunity open up as a result of the learning retreats that this group has held. Early last year Rod Washington was asked to lead one of these retreats. Rod has been working in the religious music arena for several years and is recognized for his talents in this area. Roger and Pam were extremely enthusiastic about how rewarding the retreat was and how much they learned. And it especially pleased Roger when Rod approached him about working together. Rod knows the music industry and Roger knows music technology and interface with computers. They have developed quite a friendship and are currently in the process of starting a business to distribute religious music online. They plan to offer songwriters the ability to connect with performers and groups like the worship team. They will give performing groups a place to search for available material. They will offer specialized arranging to fit the performing group. Recording may be involved. We're not sure of all the details yet, but Roger is thoroughly enjoying the process of getting things started. We will keep you updated on this venture. | |
During the closing weekend of "Music Man", some of the younger cast members found a box of abandoned kittens. A cast family volunteered to care for them until they were ready to be separated, IF the rest of the cast would try to find homes for them. Jack and Dea talked to Roger and Pam thinking they might take one. Well, Roger was very attracted to the gray male, and Pam was drawn to the gray and white female. So, of course, they took both. After all, the kittens do need company during the day. | |
Four years ago, we reported that the Harrells, the Epperlys (Pam's Fam), and the Clarks celebrated Thanksgiving at Disneyland. Jack and Dea, performing the role of scouts, went down early. They stopped in Atascadero to visit with Dea's Mom and her brothers' families and enjoyed their easy and safe trip. Kris flew down and was picked up Tuesday afternoon, another uneventful trip. | |
| The Clarks and the Epps (with Roger and Pam) headed down on Tuesday. The Clarks trip went smoothly, but the Epps were stopped about half-way with a failing transmission. They found a motel, called those already in Anaheim, and began to settle in for the night. The plan was to find somewhere to leave their vehicle to be repaired, rent a car, and continue to LA, enjoy the weekend and pick up the car on the return trip. To expedite the procedure, Gary called a mechanic (at midnight) to leave a message hoping to get things going early in the morning. But the mechanic was working and said bring it on over. He quickly diagnosed the problem, stole a part off of his own car to fix it, charged them $90 and sent them on their way. Needless to say, we were all a bit surprised at their luck on a holiday weekend no less. | |
| Jess and Hugh arrived on Thursday morning and we thoroughly enjoyed several days at Disneyland, a day at Universal Studios, and Roger, Pam and Kris even added a jaunt to Magic Mountain. We especially enjoyed the revamped Tomorrowland. It really is nice to have several days to enjoy the park as there is far too much to do to cram into a single day. | |
| Other than traffic problems, most of the trips home were uneventful. However, Kristen got the prize for most difficult trip. Fortunately, she flew in and out of the Orange County Airport, so she was nowhere near the shootout that occurred at LAX. But, her flight was delayed and she missed her connecting flight in San Jose. There were no more flights out of SJ, so she was shuttled to Oakland and put on a flight there. The good news was that her good friend Adria was on that same Oakland flight. At least there was some compensation for the delay. | |
