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This has been a year of transitions. Catherine has begun college in California at Sonoma State University (SSU) north of San Francisco. Jay is nearing the end of his undergraduate work at Albertson College. Maggie changed SLP work assignments. Bruce retired from classroom teaching in Idaho and has embarked upon new journeys.
A collection of pictures from Spring/ Summer/ early Fall activities is located on its own webpage-
http://www.webpak.net/~bmartini/fam/SpringSummerFall2004.htm
Catherine, Maggie, and Bruce spent a week in California in June. Catherine took a math placement exam & explored the SSU campus, then we drove to Monterey Bay to briefly explore the aquarium & Cannery Row. We returned to SSU for Freshman Orientation & stayed in one of the "dorm" apartment complexes. In July, on the way to Catherine's JDMS doctor in Chicago, Catherine & Maggie stopped in Minneapolis to see Bruce's sister Mary, her husband Stuart, & cousins.
Catherine was a bit bored by her fall general education courses at SSU, but found a work-study job which she loves -- sewing costumes for the SSU Theater Dept. Still interested in Fashion Design, she's contemplated transferring to an art school for a BFA. She has been to San Francisco often, with friends and to visit Chad-her boyfriend of 1 1/2 years, a young man from Boise who's now a college sophomore at (guess what?) an art school in San Francisco. Catherine has begun her transition to life away from home-adapting to a new education routine, finding new medical people close by, enjoying the freedom away from parent's gaze, meeting new people, strengthening old friendships-all those wonderful, scary, and exciting things that go with independence. Maggie says, "Having Catherine in the Bay Area lets me share about where I grew up & where Bruce & I met." We haven't yet gotten Catherine to Menlo Park, to see Bruce's brother Brian & wife Susie, but both Maggie & Bruce have enjoyed stopping in to see them. |
 Despite the looks of the above picture, Jay did not start a family in 2004. He did live in Cuczo, Peru for three months studying Spanish & anthropology with a small group of Albertson College students and their professor. During spring break week, Jay traveled to the Galapagos Islands. He took a small cruise ship for exploring the major islands visited 150+ years ago by Darwin. Jay's now a senior psychology major at Albertson College, and is contemplating graduate school in psychology. He's really enjoyed working with a professor on institutional data analysis in combination with his senior project. This fall Jay decided to expand his college experience by pledging the DTD Fraternity, and he moved into the Delt house over Thanksgiving break. At Jay's mid-semester week break, he and Bruce went to Cancun on the spur of the moment. Jay enjoyed contrasting the Aztec monuments with those of the Incas in Peru. Jay & Bruce hiked to the top of the pyramid at Chichen Itza, snorkeled reefs near Puerto Morrelos, and lounged on the magnificent beach in front of the hotel at Cancun.
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 With son and daughter both off to college and Bruce retired from teaching, Maggie's really enjoying a changed speech-language pathology assignment, and the pay check associated with having gone to full-time. She's at the site where she's been for 8 years, Koelsch Elementary, where the special education preschool program doubled in size this year. Mag is assigned 4 days/week to preschool, and picks up a 5th day at a nearby, quite small charter school (K-7th). Maggie says, I love concentrating on 3-5 year olds, my favorite age group. It's challenging professionally, since I have several non-verbal children, several with developmental feeding problems, and several with autism. However, I'm able to focus more on my profession now than any time since I got my master's in speech path (which was in 8/96, & soon thereafter Catherine was diagnosed with JDMS). I love the work! I feel lucky to have stayed where my adult friends are, but to have shed the drain of co-ordination, scheduling, and multiple roles assigned a school SLP in medium sized elementary (another SLP took over Koelsch's K-6th kids). And, what a luxury to have so much support from Bruce who doesn't have a classroom teaching job.
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After struggling to learn the minimal basics of Biology last year and then embarking upon everyday requirements of teaching Biology-lesson planning, making web pages for students & parents, making and grading exams, papers, projects, labs,.., in addition teaching two Algebra classes-Bruce decided his health was more important than continuing the struggle. He was told in the spring he would again be assigned Biology. Early retirement program papers were filed the next day. He works part-time at BanBury golf course in nearby Eagle, ID for minimum wage AND unlimited free golf. "This is the first stress-free job I can remember doing for decades!"
A new Dyson high-tech vacuum and a Bissell rug shampoo machine have been a November highlight in the Martini home. Bruce cleans, does laundry, cooks, all the domestic things someone does who is retired-in addition to golf whenever possible. He visited his cousin Margaret & her husband Joe Harling in the Sierra Nevada foothills during an October trip to fix daughter's computer at SSU. Also, he played golf in the fall with his longtime buddy, Bruce Valentine, in San Diego and played golf at Pasatiempo Golf course just before the Women's USGA Senior Amateur was held on this Santa Cruz, CA course designed by same architect who designed Augusta Master's golf course. Although all four of Bruce's & Maggie's parents died in the middle 1980's, the deaths of an uncle & aunt this year, mark the passing of the last of those from our parents' generation who we knew well. Maggie's uncle, Bob Sandberg, with whom her dad had lived in college in a trailer the two young men built during the Depression, died in June. We enjoyed time with Mag's cousins after the service, but sad to lose Bob's history. Bruce's aunt, Dorothy Martini Baruh, also died this past summer. Maggie and Bruce are both excited for our daughter beginning college away from home and at times miss much of hourly/daily hubbub of a child living at home. We do get an occasional visit from Jay who likes to meet us at his favorite Italian restaurant Johnny Carinos. Life is good and we are very thankful for our many blessings.   
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18th Birthday-Maggie & longtime friend Sarah Masterson
Sunrise from 6th floor room in Cancun hotel October 2004
Bruce visited his cousin Margaret Harling and her husband Joe who live in Lincoln, CA
Stone Canyon GC 18th tee box..Tucson Arizona February 2004 |
The pyramid at Chichen Itza was soooo steep that Bruce descended on his backside...about 1/2 way down
Catherine and Sarah Masterson at their Bishop Kelly graduation May 2004
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