Hello family and friends,
I just created a new blog to chronicle our house rehab adventures here on the East Coast. If you are interested in seeing what Larry is up to these days....go to: www.rennovation.blogspot.com. You can laugh, cry, and make predictions on the move in date! Enjoy.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
The Wedding of Erin and Garrett Booth
The bride was beautiful and the groom was handsome in a
wedding ceremony that came off very smoothly in the sanctuary of Oklahoma First
Church of the Nazarene, Saturday, April 14, 2012. Carol and Beth (Garrett’s Mom) engineered
both the event and the reception single handedly with the help of an army of
volunteers who made mountains of bows (to decorate the reception chairs),
myriads of table and pew bouquets, and a bevy of hand crafted and boxes filled
with assorted chocolates. Too bad we
didn’t know soon enough or we could have all invested in Hobby Lobby
stock. I’m sure the value of that “everything
crafty” store went up during the spending spree that supported this event. Jean, Ardis and friend made mounds of
chocolate truffles and lemon bars for the reception that include both a wedding
cake in four layers each layer a different flavor, a decadent grooms cake and
catered finger foods. Despite the heavy
rains the night before (2 ¾ inches) Randy managed to find several iris blooms
still in good condition (to include one that Erin had cross pollinated as a
child) and placed them on the table holding the wedding cake. People ate, danced and laughed and sent the
newly wedded couple off in a cloud of bubbles.
Honeymoon was spent on a cruise to the Bahamas. May their life together ever be so
sweet. Congratulations Erin and Garrett!
Pictures 1 and 2 at the rehersal dinner. Pics 3-4 at the church. pics 5-8 at the reception and pic 9 is of the Moms. Congrats to you both!!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
PAUL
In case you missed the following article, I wanted to re-post it here to congratulate our beloved Paul...Dr. Dirt:) What an amazing tribute to a truly wonderful man. We love you Paul!
A
deserved
honour
Today, after teaching in the department of natural and applied sciences for eleven years as an assistant and then associate professor, Dr. Paul Brown was giving his first lecture as a “full professor.”
Dr. Brown has taught nearly everything from environmental and biochemistry, to plant physiology. But his specialty is soil science. Yes, he studies dirt. Though not dirt per se, more the thin mélange of living and non-living matter that covers the planet and makes all life possible.
Dr. Craig Montgomery, Chair of the Chemistry Department, introduced Dr. Brown, listing his many academic achievements.
The formality could not hide the affectionate familiarity that filled the room. He was introducing not only an excellent chemist and leading Intelligent Design theorist, but a friend—a well-respected friend.
Montgomery cited Dr. Brown’s eager and honest way among peers, his “gracious and clear-minded” way in the classroom, calling him “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” I couldn’t help but think of the proverb, “knowledge puffs up but love edifies.”
At the rush of applause following the heartfelt intro, Dr. Brown rose to the stand and paused, momentarily flushed with emotion. After recovering himself, Brown warmed up, quickly assuming the tone of a teacher who loves sharing what he has learned. He spoke of his journey as an academic and as a scientist, but also as a son, a husband, a father, and teacher.
I have always been intrigued by scientists. Perhaps the result of growing up with a father who collects wasps for a living. How does one end up studying something so intricate, so specific, and so obscure? Is it some remarkable passion, a twist of fate, or a prod by the economy? And how does one get there, to become an inspired professor, a loving father, one in whom “there is no deceit?”
For Dr. Brown it began purely and simply: His grandfather and father took him outside to show him the stars, instilling in him a joy-filled curiosity for life in the universe.
Surprisingly enough, our professor first set his sights on becoming an artist. But when his family moved to the aesthetic barrens of small-town New Mexico, and he to a high school with a newspaper that needed little more than comics, Brown turned to the sciences. After college, starting a family, and working as a glorified gardener (landscape horticulturalist) on an Idaho mansion for several years, Brown discovered that “plants are just really nice to work with.” They don’t talk back and don’t run away.
This discovery led him to his most esoteric field of study: secondary metabolites in plants, especially glucosinolates. These are chemical compounds that plants don’t really need for metabolism (the basics of survival) but usually serve some other function like chemical defense or attraction. Conveniently, these are also often attractive for us to use. Glucosinolates are the compounds present in mustard and wasabi, and can be used to make canola oil and bio-diesel. While conducting research on glucosinolates in canola for the Max Plank institute in Germany, Brown would often put his young daughter to sleep by answering the question, “Daddy what are glucosinolates?”
His other main academic focus is an often divisive issue in Christian circles: origin theories of intelligent design. But Brown refrained from engaging in a heated defense of the theory during his inaugural lecture. Instead, he simply smiled as he stated, “I really like this.” He explained how the theory gives room to acknowledge a higher power, incorporating an intelligent agent causality while not denying physical causality.
Though he refrained from sparking a debate on the subject in his lecture, Brown’s current theoretical morsel is worth mentioning here. From plant genetic research, Brown has found an array of cases that suggest evolution not as a net gain of genetic information but as a net loss. The abridged theory is that life started out from a more genetically complex state, that there was more diverse genetic material in the beginning than there is currently, despite increases in species, or speciation.
After the lecture, I could not help but be impressed. Here is a first-rate scientist and theorist. Yet his science has made him neither puffed up nor impersonal. Despite his intensive research and profound evolutionary theories, he regards his vocation as a father and teacher to be more important. He is knowledgeable and gracious and possesses a curiosity clearly motivated by love, which to me are qualities more remarkable than any number of theories or discoveries.
Cameron Reed
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wedding Bells
Erin Moore and Garrett Booth, engaged in October 2011, are excited to announce their wedding to be held April 14, 2012 at 2:00pm at Oklahoma City First Nazarene Church followed by a reception. More information/announcements to follow.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Another Year Gone By
It is hard to believe that another year has passed since we moved to Boston. We are coming up on 2 years here. As you may remember, our original plan was to stay for 1 year and then return. Well, we're still here and enjoying the adventure. The grant funded portion of my job ended and I was offered a full time job with protected research time. This is a rarity in the world of PT so we jumped at the chance. I'm still testing the hypothesis "can you teach an old clinical dog new research tricks?" So far, the results are inconclusive:)
Larry spent several months this year back in Idaho managing the Kelly Whitewater Park in Cascade and getting the house ready to sell. Surprisingly, the house sold after only a few weeks on the market. So, earthly goods were sold, moved, and stored. The end of an era. We were able to reconnect with many old and dear friends.
Here are a view images of life here in Boston.
We have had a few visitors and would love to see many more. Check your calendars and come on out. Boston is definitely a great place to eat and see the sites. We would love to show you around.
Luke made the move here from New York and he and Heidi have opened a store on Fleet Street in Boston's North End. Heidi's personal training business continues to flourish. We are blessed to have such talented and hard working kids! It has really been fun to be able to share in their lives more. Heidi's boyfriend, Alex, graduated from Harvard this year with a PhD in a biotechnology field. Of course, it is great fun to hang out with Heidi and Alex's dogs. They are hairy but very lovable creatures:)
At the Office
Raffle Drawing |
Riding the Waves |
Museum of Fine Arts |
A Trip to Maine with Friends from Boise |
Inside Luke Aaron |
Race for the Cure with Work Peeps |
A Red Sox game with my brother on Mother's Day |
My Brother and Mom |
Larry, Heidi, and the Doggies at the Training Room |
Luke made the move here from New York and he and Heidi have opened a store on Fleet Street in Boston's North End. Heidi's personal training business continues to flourish. We are blessed to have such talented and hard working kids! It has really been fun to be able to share in their lives more. Heidi's boyfriend, Alex, graduated from Harvard this year with a PhD in a biotechnology field. Of course, it is great fun to hang out with Heidi and Alex's dogs. They are hairy but very lovable creatures:)
Cooking Together at the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts |
On a Walk |
At the Fellsway with Wingnut and Rivet |
Luke Aaron Boutique |
Saturday, November 5, 2011
RECAP
Miles Traveled: 9735.
Gallons of gas used: 314.5. Average
MPG: 30.9
Days on the road: 41. Average miles/day traveled: 335Nights in campgrounds: 8. Nights with friends/family: 16. Nights in Motel: 16
Highest price paid for gas: 3.84 (Lake Elsinore, CA). Highest gas price seen: 4.29 (No. of Winnemucca)
Lowest price paid for gas: 3.22 (Yukon, OK). Lowest gas price seen: 3.09 (Las Cruces, NM)
Last seen Idaho License plate before Nevada was in North Dakota @ Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Parks Visited: Theodore Roosevelt, Apostle Islands, Adirondack State Park, Gettysburg, Shenandoah, Smokey Mtn., Hot Springs, Mt. Magazine, Big Bend, Yosemite
Best freeways: Oklahoma
Most scenic drive: Blue Ridge Parkway
Most unexpected beautiful place: Big Bend National Park
Place I want to return to and explore: Apostle Islands National Seashore
Best Fall Colors: Upper Peninsula in Michigan
Best roadside rests: Alabama
Most sobering attraction: Gettysburg
Most unexpectedly interesting museum: National Portrait Gallery
Highest Point: Tioga Pass, CA @ 9945 feet. Lowest Point: minus 20 feet below sea level near El Centro
Only License plate NOT seen: Hawaii
Best park Lodge: Mt. Magazine, AR
Some Differences between east and west
Rapid Transit in the east: crowded subways. Rapid transit in the west: crowded freewaysChurch’s fried chicken in the east. KFC in the west
“Old” in the east is 300 years. “Old” in the west is 100 years
Meandering 50 mile/hour roads in the east. Straight line 75 mile/hour roads in the west
Everywhere people were helpful and friendly and home still looks mighty fine!
Friday, November 4, 2011
Ah San Diego
Phoenix to San Diego on I-8 is a snoozer. With the exception of the odious dairy out in
the middle of the desert and a swarm of cops and border patrol people near
Yuma, not much was happening on this stretch of the trip. But San Diego brought back fond memories :
our kids were born here, living in shorts and t-shirts, delicious air with the
hint of orange blossom, desert flowers in spring and a dusting of snow on the
mountains in winter, and of course, the Pacific Ocean. Our friends, the Hostetlers live in Del Mar,
just a mile and a half from Torrey Pines State Park. Walkers and hikers in that reserve enjoy forest,
ocean scrub, bluffs and beach all in a 3 – 4 mile circuit and we made good use
of this wonderful resource while visiting.
We also enjoyed a morning at the wild animal park where the white (or is
it the black?) rhinoceros is being kept from extinction. Despite the advantage
of many things to do and see in the area, a person’s home needs to be a refuge
from all the hustle and bustle of urban life. Our hosts created such a refuge
with the most beautiful and interesting patio garden I’ve ever seen, an island
of calm and beauty between the freeways.
We skirted LA east of the mountains and headed north into the very dusty
San Joaquin Valley. Our destination is
one more look at Yosemite. After a night
in Oakhurst we entered the park at Wawona in the south and headed for the
valley. The last time Ruth and I were
there was when Nate was a baby. It’s as lovely as ever and this time of the
year including some fall colors, and not the least bit crowded. If the visit with the Hostetlers was the
punctuation on the relational part of this trip, the visit to Yosemite
punctuated the scenic part of the trip.
Fortunately Tioga Pass was still open so we exited through Tuolumne
Meadows to Lee Vining, and on up through Nevada to spend our last night on the
road in Winnemucca. We awoke this morning
to snow and were in snow for the next two hundred miles. By the time we reached Boise it was
rain. But again, by the time we reached
Cascade, you guessed it – snow! Time
find those skis…..
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