Happy New Year 2014

Another year has already past.

Goodness, it all went way too fast!

So much has happened throughout the year,

Many events were all so dear.

Visiting a cousin near Amersterdam

Made a 40 year dream a definite plan.

Paris, Giverney and Normandy

Were all wonderful sites to see.

Seeing our goddaughter was a special time,

Two wedding dances were so sublime

Family times were full of love,

May New Year’s bring blessings from above.

Martha and the other out-laws
at the Kraus family Christmas.

Jeff and siblings with his Dad.
Kraus family Christmas

Jeff Kraus with Dad and his extended family

Jeff's Dad and his 9 Grandchildren

Jeff's Dad with all 8 GREAT-Grandkids.

Warmest wishes from our house to yours.

Happy St. Lucia Day

St. Lucia's Day is celebrated by a girl in a white dress with a red sash round her waist and a crown of candles on her head. This marks the beginning of Christmas in Scandinavia. "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Greetings for Advent, Christmas and New Years!

The pumpkins are trashed.

Black Friday is past.
The next season is here
To wish you good cheer!

Our trip this summer,
Was a bit of a bummer.
A mysterious disease
Required health expertise.

After months of testing,
And, days of resting,
Martha had Valley Fever
Which would soon leave her.

Nothing new to report
EXCEPT tickets to a court.
Wildcat Basketball is supreme
In the land of our dreams.

Warm wishes for a healthy and happy 2013.
Martha & Jeff

Summer fun 2012 (the MN Hajj)...martha

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  

Let your imagination fill in the story!

Tucker Lake about 350 miles north of the Twin Cities on the Gunflint Trail (near Canada)

Our lodging for two nights on the Gunflint Trail.

Relaxing and reading; the main event for Martha.  Jeff, John & Carol Berg were more active! 

Our great-nephew, Hawkin Berg, age 2

Minnesota State Fair

Martha's birthday dinner, August 30

Family - L-R back row Julie Kraus and Martha Berg
L-R sitting Lisa (Kraus) Fagen and Lynne (Kraus) Papenfuss

Great-nephew Eli Stangl's 2nd Birthday Party

Eli Stangl.  That cake is yummy!

Jeff and Brian Jeffrey Stangl, his godson

Jeff and Martha at the birthday party.

Brian and Gina Stangl, (nephew and niece)

Gina Stangl and Martha Berg

Martha and Jeff with 3 sisters (our great-nieces) and their first cousin (our great nephew)
L-R Macie (5 1/2); Natalie (7) and Evie Stangl  (2) on Martha's lap. Jeff is holding Eli Stangl (2) the birthday boy.

Brian and Gina Stangl with their 3 girls.

The sunsets on another adventure in Minnesota but it is good to be home!

Up North - a Minnesota tradition....(martha)

We were lucky enough to spend the weekend near the end of the Gunflint Trail.  

First, we headed north to Duluth. There we left the Interstate and followed the North Shore of Lake Superior to Grand Marais.  Next, we "turned left" onto the Gunflint Trail and headed due north about 60 miles (almost to the Canadian border).  

A famous landmark along the North Shore.

The good times in Minnesota continue... 
  

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Sunday lunch with John & Carol Berg at the Gunflint Lodge . (Jeff and Martha above). Well worth a 350 mile trip (one way) up north.  Ahhh, this is the life!

Three years......really?

It is hard to believe that on July 31, 2012, it will be three years since I retired from the State Dept.  The time has flown by.  This summer, as we have the last two summers, we are heading to MN for a few weeks to catch up with family and friends.  We kind of enjoy the road trip back (approx. 1800 miles), and I refer to it as the MN Hajj, our yearly pilgrimage back to God's country.  The trip always gives us a chance to reflect on the beauty and grandeur and expanse of our great country.  We are blessed to be Americans.

As most retired folks will tell you, we don't miss our previous work, but we do miss the folks we worked with.  Also, because we left the DC area, we miss all the friends we made especially at The Falls Church (Anglican) and Christ the King in Alexandria.   We miss some of our favorite restaurants and stores (The Carlyle, Artie's, Harris Teeter, etc.), but we are getting to know some pretty good ones here in Tucson.

Some of you may recall that our first year here was spent getting the house fixed up, which was a major task.  After 15 years of renters we needed to make serious repairs and updates.  But by the end of 2010 we were pretty much done and pleased with the results.  Now we have minor tweaks and repairs as every homeowner knows, and I don't mind fixing the things I can, but will call for help from a pro when needed.

Martha and I are active in our community.  We knew from the beginning that to make this Tucson thing work, we had to dive in and get involved.  Within six months we had joined a church (Resurrection Lutheran) and became Mobile Meals drivers.  Also, Martha joined a women's-only sport club, where she has made several friends.  We were also very intentional about getting to know our neighbors.  We are very thankful that we are surrounded by good people who we can call friends.


One of my goals in retirement was to be involved in literacy, so I became an English Language Acquisition for Adults (ELAA) tutor.  I have thoroughly enjoyed helping non-native English adult speakers get a better understanding, comprehension, and pronunciation of English.  I do my tutoring Jan - May for now.

I have not golfed as much as I thought I would, sometimes once every two weeks.  When you live in a place where you can golf "365", sometimes it is not as critical to get out.  But I still love golf and plan on golfing a bit more in the weeks ahead.  Prices are pretty good now, but you have to balance it against playing in the "dry heat" of the day.  I am involved in a golf group that has tournaments every month Jan - July, plus Sept.- Nov.  Each time it is a course in the Tucson area, some of which are pretty hard to get on normally.

In summary, it has been a great three years (including the fact that Martha is cooking up a storm), and I have no regrets about retiring when I did.  My father, Gene, has had over 25 years retirement, and I am hoping that is in my genes as well.  Martha and I are very aware how blessed we are to be in this position, and we do not take it for granted.  We feel good and are trying to take care of ourselves.  We thank God for all His blessings: each other, family, friends, and the chance to give back, in a small way, for all He has given us.

Cheers to the New Year! (martha)

We eagerly anticipate the arrival of our first guests for winter (which is high season) at the Kraus B & B.  Jeff’s sister, Jeanine, and husband, Al, are arriving tomorrow.  We can’t wait. 

We rang in the New Year attending the Rose Parade and activities preceding it. Without further ado, these are a FEW of the pictures capturing that magical time in Pasadena. It was as wonderful as it seems.  Floats are spectacular in person.  The colors are vibrant and everything on the floats is made from flowers, plants, seeds, etc.  (Think potatoes to represent rocks). 

Before the parade, we attended the equifest to see performances by horses and riders.

The next day, we went to Band Fest (one of 3) which showcased marching bands from high schools and international destinations. Our show included the Calgary Stampede Show Band and the High School Band from Japan.  Only five boys were scattered among the girls in the Japanese band.

Many spectators camp out ALL night for spots along the parade route.  However, our hosts, Mary, my sister, and her husband, John, knew the drill.  We left the house at 5:30 am.  Earlier my other sister, Linnea, staked out places for us to join her group (curb-side) in lawn chairs.

Look, it is Kenny G!

J.R. Martinez (motivational speaker, war veteran and
winner of Dancing with the Stars).

Detail is incredible.

Floats are even more beautiful viewed in person.

Paramount Pictures celebrated 100 years in movies.

Another 100 years is being celebrated by Girl Scouts.
I was a Scout all through high school.

Our time was capped off by a visit to the J. Paul Getty Museum.  The museum had been on my “bucket list” for years.  After 13 + years in development, it opened to the public in 1993.  What a gift to the community – entrance is free!  How good is that? 

Jeff and Martha at the J. Paul Getty Museum