Here is a nice summary from Nick Bowen.  Nick has made nice inputs the last few years, but here's the whole picture.

I don't know if I wrote this for a previous newsletter. My company (insurance) downsized, outsourced and offshored. In those situations, the people that are left do all the work. I ended up in the doctor's office with high blood pressure and he said "Why don't you just retire?" It sounded so good that I told my boss that day (after telling my wife Pat, of course).

That was in April of 2006. Since then I'm as busy as I want to be working in our Latino church plant. I am using my Spanish (after studying Spanish for 3 years at HGHS I majored in it at Gettysburg College), playing my guitar (I have 4, and never a day goes by that I don't pick one up several times a day), and teaching and preaching. I developed and maintain our website, write two newsletters, teach a free guitar class, and help whoever I can whenever I can (translating in parent/teacher sessions, buying groceries for those in need, taking people to the emergency room, etc.)

I enjoy writing Christian poetry and put it in my Blog at http://4EverFree.blogspot.com

I married my wife Pat in 1966 and adopted her two sons from her former marriage. We had a daughter, and now have five grandchildren ranging in age from 16 to 25. We live in Charlotte, NC.

Judy (Chatfield) Schwerin is continuing her career writing about and leading tours to European gardens, as well as her activities att home.  Here is her summary. 

In the past year, in the fall, I  led a garden/architecture tour of the northern Italian lakes.  Debbie  Mosbacher, her sister Nancy, Debbie's husband George Baxter , and his sister Joan came along, after being a week with me in Florence.  (Ed. note - See the picture from this tour in the Summer 2008 page.)
December I had a week in Paris, catching up with friends, and visiting small museums and tearooms. Did a lot of photographing of beautifully presented food.
March I was a week in Munich with another art historian, soaking up the myriad  museums. Then flew to Istanbul for a week's stay to visit Joan Baxter, who lives there.  Wonderful to see the city through her eyes.
June to visit Linda Thomas Harrison in Herndon ,Virginia who had just had serious lower back surgery.  She is making a good recovery.  Her delight is her three grandchildren, who are all in the Boston area.  She wishes she were nearer.
Otherwise, it has been a quiet year.  Despite swearing off after twenty odd years of running the local library's annual August book sale, I am at it again.  Pricing, sorting, doing the advertising, etc. etc.
Also into my tenth year of hosting my monthly book group in my studio. We have a group of very creative, perceptive women - writers, editors, artists,

actresses, and an architect.   During the year each  member must propose a book that they have previously read. Impressions are discussed, each taking their turn around a circle.   We get a thoughtful mix, mostly non-fiction. Each August a Shakespeare play is selected, and parts assigned to be read aloud.

More from Debbie (Moslander) Baxter.  This time it's all about being grandparents!