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

Advent is here. Christmas is coming! (martha)

Advent is the start of the Christian liturgical year. Each Sunday before Christmas, one candle is lit until all four are burning.  On Christmas Day, the white candle in the center is lit to celebrate the birth of Jesus:

Candle 1. Hope (purple)
Candle 2. Peace (purple)
Candle 3. Joy (rose)
Candle 4. Love (purple)
Candle 5. Christ (white) is lit on Christmas Day celebrating the birth of Jesus.

We are poised on the edge of 2012, a New Year. We arrived (here) in September 2009.  These are my conclusions as I reviewed our time since then.

• We feel settled.  The end of house renovations helped accomplish that!
• Jeff worked part-time at a golf course (for 18 mos.) 2 days/week until Nov..
• We keep busy (how did we ever have time to work?) The days pass quickly.
• In fact. Jeff got out golfing more often when living in Minnesota and Virginia!
• Our "jobs" (as volunteers) give us joy.
• Jeff took this wise advice, 'When you volunteer, choose something that is transformational and improves someone's life.' He experiences that most often by tutoring adult classes in speaking English through the Literacy Volunteers of Tucson.
• We LOVE the pace of life...much slower, calmer and less frantic!
• Less traffic.  Only one Interstate skirts the western edge of the city, we travel on city streets.  It may take us longer to go ten miles, but we aren't in a hurry to reach out destination.
• We savor the journey.
• We enjoy involvements in our wider community (e.g. jointly serving meals to seniors each week,) church and our neighborhood.
• I attend Pilates classes three days/week.  First time, I've had time for that.
• We host visitors.  In January - April 2012, we have five sets of confirmed visitors. Three more visits are pending during that time frame.
• Please call ahead to reserve time at the Kraus Bed & Breakfast.
  We might be full!
• Christmas will be spent in Minnesota (an annual trip).
• New Year's will be spent in California (first time) attending the Rose Parade.
• We miss friends, family, and amenities from other places we have lived.
• That said, this is our home. We are content.

Summer Fun 2011.........martha

Jeff and I were delighted to take 3 trips this summer starting in July and ending in September! There is no way we captured all the sites, sounds and experiences in pictures.  We were too busy having fun to stop for photos.  These are a few snapshots taken by Jeff and courtesy of other photographers; Dustin Froyum, Brian Stangl, Linnea Berg, and Julie Plaxico Wright.

Trip 1  

Driving to Minnesota (July-August).  The three main events were the Berg cousin family reunion on the Berg family farm in Welch.  Secondly, the Kraus dinner hosted by Jeff’s Dad for his 7 children and their respective spouses. Lastly, a “Kraus” family party for the extended Kraus family; siblings, spouses, “kids” and their children.    In between times we had smaller gatherings with family and friends.  Jeff captured the day we spent at the Minnesota Zoo with our nephew, Brian Stangl, and his three girls.  Alas, Gina (a.k.a. the Mom,) was attending a workshop for the beginning of school.

Martha at the Petrified Forest NE Arizona

Painted Desert NE Arizona

Extended Berg cousin family reunion.

Brian Stangl with Evie (13 months,) Macie (4 1/2) and Natalie (6)

Jeff and Martha with our great nieces at MN Zoo.

Trip 2

Labor Day weekend in San Diego.  We spent three delightful days with our goddaughter Annabelle Jane Wright, (14 months old,) and her parents, Julie and Mike. We had fabulous accommodations (the master suite) vacated by Annabelle’s grandparents, Pops and Nena (a.k.a. Bob and Nancy Plaxico).  Our excursions revolved around Annabelle’s naps; that pace suited us well.

Julie, Annabelle and Mike Wright - San Diego, CA.

Annabelle, Julie, Jeff and Martha. 

Jeff and Martha. View of San Diego from Mt. Soledad.

The next three days were spent visiting Sea World, Coronado, Tierrasanta Lutheran Church (where my cousin is the pastor,) Gaslamp Quarter, breakfast with my sister, Linnea Berg (who drove down from L.A.,) and a fascinating tour of the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier.

Shamu, the killer whale at Sea World

Dolphin Show

USS Midway Aircraft Carrier

Jeff and Martha on the USS Midway.  In the background, the aircraft carrier used for burial of Osama Bin Laden

Trip 3

We flew to Minnesota for the weekend of September 17.  Our nephew, Mike Kraus, was married to Jenelle Savre.  Sunday was a surprise retirement party for our brother-in-law, Al Stangl.  Al is married to Jeff’s sister, Jeanine.

Wedding of Jenelle Savre and Michael Kraus

Wedding of Jenelle and Michael

Mr. and Mrs. Mike and Jenelle (Savre) Kraus

Al Stangl with his grandchildren.
L-R Macie, Eli, Evie and Natalie

Al and Jeanine (Jeff's sister) & grandson, Eli Stangl

Oh, in case you were wondering...the surprise worked!

MN Hajj #2

Tuesday (7/26) we begin making our second MN hajj. We are trying a new route that will hopefully knock off a couple hundred miles roundtrip, and provide a new travel adventure.

The two main reasons for the hajj are a Berg family reunion on 7/30 and a dinner with my Dad and family on 8/3. Other than that, we will try to catch up with family and friends, and enjoy the ambiance of God's country.

Hard to believe it has been two years since I retired (7/31/09). I have not been bored. The first year was pretty much focused on getting the house fixed up. I still have a few projects, but I am very happy and comfortable with our home. Come visit!

The second year saw us widen our circle a bit. Though we were involved in our church and local charity (ICS – delivering meals) almost as soon as we arrived, I added Literacy Volunteers of Tucson (LVT) tutoring to my plate. LVT is involved in basic literacy and English Language Acquisition for Adults (ELAA). I chose ELAA because I wanted to be in a classroom setting.

Over the last two years we have started developing our community, first at church, then in our neighborhood. It really makes a difference when friendships start blossoming. For me, Tucson is starting to feel like home, and a place I can be very comfortable for many years.

When I look back over the last two years, and look at the current economic situation in the US, I am very mindful of how blessed I am. I was able to secure and maintain a federal government career that enabled me to retire “young”. I have the love and support of family and friends. Martha has been faithfully by my side for 31 years, loving me warts and all. Most importantly, God has been with me every step of the way. I know it is by his grace that I am able to enjoy this time of my life.

How Dry is it in Arizona.....(martha)

It's so dry in Arizona that

• the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling,
• the Methodists are using wet-wipes,
• the Presbyterians are giving out rain-checks and
• the Catholics and Lutherans are praying for the wine to turn back into water.