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Our 2018 started with challenges.
Just before last Christmas, Rich’s mom went into the hospital with breathing difficulties. Turns out she had fluid in her lungs, and was put on a breathing ventilator. It was very touch-and-go. She remained there until early January, when she was allowed to return to her assisted living facility under hospice care. It was a difficult Hopkins family Christmas, which was delayed until her release. Rich’s brother Ron flew in from Florida to join us.
They forecast Mom had 2 – 3 months to live. Over the next 6 months, we made bi-monthly trips to Salem to spend long weekends with her. Her strength slowly declined, and she passed peacefully June 30th. Margaret’s memorial service was delayed until mid-August to allow more out of town family members to attend. The attendance of so many cousins and friends was a tribute to the special woman she was. Ron’s family flew in from Florida and spent a couple days touring Seattle beforehand. Margaret’s brother, Rich’s Uncle George, passed in Seattle only a few months earlier on April 16th. With no survivors of the older generation, we must now rely on weddings to bring us all together.
In the middle of all this, we took our #1 bucket list trip; to Australia and New Zealand. It had been scheduled and paid for a year in advance. We flew to Melbourne on March 2nd, where we joined a Roads Scholar tour group for 17 days in southeast Australia. After several days in Melbourne, we traveled along the south coast to Adelaide. Here we learned about the indigenous natives and their suppression under British rule. We then flew to Sydney, where we spent several days before the tour ended. We visited their famous opera house, walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and navigated the beautiful waterways on people-only ferries.
Going it alone, we flew to Ayers Rock Resort near the center of Australia to visit Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Although some may think of central Australia as a big desert, it is red soil covered with scrub, sparse trees and very few people. Completely flat except for a rare rock outcropping, like Uluru. Against this backdrop, we dined under the stars and viewed the Milky Way and Southern Cross without interference from any ambient light. After all we were in the middle of nowhere! We flew back to Sydney for a one day wine tasting excursion – starting at 6:30 am!
Then it was on to Auckland for 19 days in New Zealand. For this part of our adventure, we were joined by Rich’s cousin Susan Thorson. Before joining a different Roads Scholar tour group, we drove north of Auckland to explore some of the beaches and scenery closer to the equator. New Zealand is a beautiful place with very diverse geography, lots of volcanoes, geysers and earthquakes - similar to the Pacific Northwest.
Our tour traversed south, stopping in Christchurch, which was devastated by earthquakes in 2011 and 2016. Many downtown buildings remain abandoned due to unsafe conditions - a reminder of what Seattle might look like after the “big one” hits here. We continued until we reached the most southern tip of the south island. The next stop south is Antarctica. After a stopover in Queenstown, a resort town that supports the snow skiing industry while everyone else is at the beach, we flew back to Wellington on the north island, and from there, home. There were many highlights, but our boat trip on Milford Sound is near the top. People are extremely friendly and courteous, and sheep are everywhere. Kiwis are preserving the culture of the native Maoris, including teaching their language in grade schools. Their government and education systems have clear advantages over those in the U.S.
We made our annual trip to Evansville in early June for a reunion with Susan’s family. We started with a drive to Dubuque, IA to visit our many friends in the Freund family. We were joined by Susan’s sister Louise, and husband Bob, and dear Seattle friend Pat Freund. Tom and Rae Ann were gracious hosts and enabled us to both see the sights and all the Freund family members.
Later, we hosted Susan’s cousin, Edna Wilson, for a week of sightseeing. This was followed by a visit from friends Dan and Kathy Wickard from Knoxville, TN. Then came the Thorsons, whom we had visited in October. We enjoy hosting friends and family and sharing our beautiful city.
Susan continued her volunteer activities both for church and Children’s Hospital Guild. Her book club of almost 20 years keeps her well-read. A special treat was getting to meet with her mentee of 12 years, who is now in her early 20s. Mid-summer brought more reminders that we are aging – and a record number of doctor visits. An MRI showed a bulging disk and spinal stenosis. This triggered lots of physical therapy to avoid surgery, and to enable her to continue her daily walks.
Rich still devotes a lot of time to keeping up on investments and taxes to support his financial planning clients. But he also spent time early in the year closing the sale of our condo. We bought it when we first married and rented it out after moving into our house. He spent many hours last year preparing it for sale. We put it up for sale in January. It closed in February. We are now free to move around the country - without landlord responsibilities.
Late this year he started his last restoration project, getting our home ready for sale. He sees many projects ahead – meaning it’s going to be a big task spread over several years. This year he replaced some damaged siding, painted other siding, and renovated the driveway. And as in past years, did some tree top pruning atop a tall ladder to enhance our view of Lake Washington. He still has all 10 fingers.
Between projects, we tried to squeeze in some fun! With so many professional sports teams in Seattle, we attempted to up our game this year. We attended 4 Sounders MLS soccer games, a Mariners baseball game, and Rich attended a Seahawks game earlier this month. We continue enjoying plays at a nearby theater where we have season tickets. And on a warm evening in September, we attended an outdoor Pink Floyd Australia concert at St. Michelle winery. Unfortunately, not much kayaking this year.
We will again spend Christmas with Susan’s family in Evansville and New
Year’s in Seattle with friends. A Hopkins Christmas gathering will follow in
early January.
Wishing you blessings this Christmas, and
a new year filled with joy, peace and love..…
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