In January 2025, we host our annual Holiday Dinner Party for family and close friends, in spite of almost being waylaid by wildfires, etc.

On December 19, 2024, the 49th anniversary of our first date, my 87-year-old husband Stan crashed at the bottom of a race course at Mammoth.

Stan & I spent four weeks biking & hiking around Mammoth Lakes, CA, from June to October 2024. We occasionally explored by car as well.

From June to October 2024, Stan & I ride bike paths to 12 destinations in the Mammoth area of California.

From June to October 2024, Stan & I hike to 10 destinations in the Mammoth area of California during the 18 full days that we are there.

From June to October 2024, Stan & I travel by car to explore seven destinations in the Mammoth area of California.

Stan & I experienced our most memorable adventure of 2024 when we hiked to Crystal Lake beneath Crystal Crag in the Mammoth Mountain area.

Every summer, we 11 siblings gather in MI for our reunion. My week started w/a tornado derecho in Ohare followed by 7 great days w/family.

Stan & I & our Boxer Henry are stranded in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire in early June 2024 – 10 miles from civilization.

Stan's son Dave is featured in the LA Times as the lead sound guy for the Coachella/Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, CA, in April 2024.

2023 was an unusual year – the first half was filled with our usual sporting & social activities & the last half with medical difficulties.

There I was, I thought I was going to die! I was only a dozen feet up the rock climbing wall and I started having strong chest pains!

My first cousin Jeanie wrote me that she likes the song "Somewhere to Begin" sung by Sara Thomsen. It is now one of my favorites too.

In 2018, country singer Toby Keith composed a song for Clint Eastwood. He based the song on how Clint deals with on getting old.

This missive covers 2 topics: the 1st boat that I owned which was never named, and boat names at our desert retreat in Indio, CA.

2022 was another fun-filled year packed with sports & social activities in the hills, beaches, mountains & desert of CA.

Each summer, we eleven siblings try to gather near Traverse City, MI. This past June, nine of us made it. Our ages range from 81 to 62.

Eleven of us gathered in our home in Rolling Hills at 12 p.m. for Thanksgiving dinner on November 25, 2021.

A brief history of our whitewater kayaking years ending with my last kayak, which Stan named "Barbara's Last Run," and my last paddle in it.

Stan & I & our 2 dogs spent 3 days at Mammoth riding our bikes.. The last day I rode up to the main lodge with my 50# dog behind me.