Matt Best arrived about 5:15 on Monday evening, February 24, 2014, to have dinner with Al and I as the first stop of his drive to Utah to spend two weeks as a Forest Ranger at Canyonlands National Park near Moab.

He vacated his apartment in New York City, and the moving van is on its way to Rochester, NY to store his furniture until his return from the Peace Corp.

Since our great trip to Yosemite in 2012 he has wanted to spend time in the West, and this interval in his career was the perfect opportunity.  He expects to be in Chicago later this week, and reports on Sunday March 2 to begin life in a trailer without electricity. Afterwards he plans to spent about two weeks visiting friends on his way home by the southern route. On April 28 he will leave for 27 months in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia close to where the Sochi Olympics were held.

When he left after dinner he drove to Camp Hill to visit Ray and Stephanie Smeriglio there. Today he posted these photos on Facebook:

He said this is his new best friend, Sparky.

It is fun to have a grandson with so venturesome a spirit, and we wish him the best of luck in all that encounters along the way.

Al and I were delighted to see Barby and Paul Ruskin at Willow Valley on Saturday, February 22, 2014, especially since we had last seen them at Geoff and Amanda’s wedding last September. Barby had surgery on her neck in December, but is now fully recovered.

We opened their Christmas gifts, which included a beautiful crystal bowl.

They had also framed a newspaper article from a Lancaster newspaper printed shortly after we moved to Willow Valley in 1994 about Al’s woodworking hobby.

We had a great afternoon talking about all that had happened since we had seen them – Becky and Dan’s new daughter, Cora Jane Shirer, born January 23, 2014, Anna and Mike’s family’s busy life, and all the Christmas activities.

We had dinner here, and they left shortly afterwards to go to Macungie to be ready for the skiing trip with Anna’s family to Jack Frost resort in the Poconos on Sunday.

We are grateful for their thoughtfulness, especially the memories that the framed article of an important part of Al’s life brought to all of us.

On Sunday, February 9, 2014, Anna and Mike Himes brought Ryan, Molly, and Leela from Macungie after Sunday School to Willow Valley in time for Sunday dinner. They had planned to come in January to help me celebrate my 88th birthday, but Mike’s two week trip to Thailand and Ryan’s strep throat postponed the celebration.

We had a good time hearing about all that had happened since we saw them at our December 27 Christmas dinner. Mike was on business from Air Products, and had some extra excitement because of the protests in Thailand.  FaceTime on the iPad helped to keep the children in touch with Daddy.

After dinner watching Ryan play games on his iPad replaced earlier games that could no longer compete.

Swimming was the main activity, as usual. Ryan and Mike played football, and Molly learned to duck her head under water. Leela was not quite ready for this stage.

Mike gave me another lesson on the use of my iPhone, helping me to take and send photos.

Anna had baked Mimi’s buttermilk cake recipe and brought it for our belated birthday celebration.

Afterwards they left for Macungie in another one of the many snow storms of this endless winter, arriving home safe and sound a little later than usual.

Al and I are so blessed to have occasions such as this to enjoy the sunshine of a happy family visit, and watch great grandchildren grow and mature.