Monday, April 26, 2010

Wow! There's been a lot of busy blogging since I last checked! No exciting photos or videos to post now- I'm still unpacking from one of the best trips of my life. Last week and over the weekend, Reid and I biked the White Rim trail in Canyonlands with the Bowers family and some friends of theirs. 4 days, 80 miles on rough dirt through the desert, and Reid rode the whole thing! He was very determined and tough- there were some tears, but no whining- I'm very proud. I will be sure to post some pics and video because it was some of the most beautiful landscape imaginable.

Nice job on the photo ID's- I'm sure that the first was 1990- the year I graduated from college because we have a photo of Kate and me from the same day where I'm wearing the same T-shirt. The second seems like 2000 would be right judging by the looks of Reid! What happened to our chubby little baby?

Rachael- LOL at the dream! Let's hope that we'll be ripping up the slopes at Eldora when Babbo's 180!

Sounds like a great trip- I'm sure that the photo course will serve you well when you return- can't wait to see them and hear about the adventures.

Happy sweet 16, Sarah! Just so you know, I didn't get my license until I was 18 and I think that the fact I'm still alive is partially due to that wise decision on my part, so don't be in too much of a big hurry. I think the guys will be more into a chick with a longboard attached to a trailer behind a beach cruiser, anyway.

-Rico

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Sarah had quite the birthday celebration in the city thanks to the generosity of Ted and Trisha. I chaperoned six lovely ladies to see other lovely "ladies" at the dinner drag cabaret event at Lucky Cheng's in NYC. Afterwards, Trisha and Ted hosted them for cake, a champagne toast, and sleepover at their apartment on East 71 Street.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Cruise Information

We got our e-tickets today as well as the cruise tickets and baggage tags so we think we are going! The e-tickets came in with wrong dates - a confusion caused by entering the European rather than the U.S. dating system using numbers. A phone call quickly got it straightened out. Here is some of the travel information for the trip:

FLIGHTS

Depart Denver May 3rd at 5:59 P.M. on Lufthansa flight LH 0447 to Frankfort
Arrive 11:45 A.M. May 4th
Depart 1:50 for Athens on LH 3382 Arrive 5:30 P.M. May 4th

Board the Aegean Odyssey Cabin 716 and sail from Piraeus on May 5 at 10 P.M.

Return departing Athens 11:10 A.M. May 18th Delta flight 133
Arrive NYC (JFK) 3 P.M. May 18th

Stay at Coburns May 18th to May 22nd

Return departing JFK May 22nd at 6:20 P.M. Delta flight 167
Arrive Denver 9:19 P.M.

Some cruise highlights:

May 5th - Athens highlights and maybe a meal in Plaka
May 6th - Mycenae
May 7th - Moenvasis (Sparta)
May 8th - Crete and Knossos
May 9th - Santorini
May 11th - Delos and Mykonos
May 12th - Kusadasi, Turkey
May 14th - Troy and Gallipoli
May 15th and 16th - Istanbul
May 17th - Mount Athos and Skiathos
May 18th - Flight to NYC

The ship has three restaurants with open seating - one a bit formal with men wearing jackets at dinner - I might even take a tie! Tea with cake! is served on the deck on afternoons we are not on shore and there are evening snacks available before retiring. Wine is served free at dinner - choices from the region. We wonder if retinsa will make it to the table. If so, it could keep the cost of the free wine way low! There is a library and outdoor, salt water, swimming pool, spa, hair salon, and exercise room. Our cabin has a window but not much of a view due to lifeboats. There is lots of deck space and they say chairs are readily available, but don't reserve them by leaving things on them! At several ports we go ashore by tenders - not the chicken variety - and that may be a challenge.

We are both reading a bit on Greece trying to get in the mood. We look forward to seeing some places forty plus years later and a few new ones in Turkey.

We can check emails on board which we may do once or twice.

Mom and Dad

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Another family photo


I think Elli's detective work is correct but Rico looks awfully young to be a college grad!

Here is another one that I sent to Rachael. I think this time its 2000 - after Mom and I were in South Africa.


Got new glasses today - hard to adjust after three years with the same ones. After Mom finishes her camera course, we may be able to load new photos on quickly - there is always hope even for a 180 year old. Enjoyed Rachael's dream!


Dad

A Bizarre Dream

Hi there,

I thought I'd let you all know about a particularly hilarious dream I had the other night. You may need a little bit of background information to fully understand where it ties in with my everyday life first...
Firstly this week I needed to change my school password, as it's the beginning of a new term and for security reasons they needed to be changed. So thinking of something I wouldn't forget but hopefully no one would guess I chose "Eldora".
Secondly I have just finished reading the Harry Potter series for about the sixteenth time
and finally Mum went out to lunch on Sunday with her friends, including Yvonne.

Now to the dream,
It was set at a ski resort, which was "Eldora" though it wasn't. It didn't look anything like Eldora. It was simply a mass of very high mountains surrounded by trees and dark clounds. Babbo, Rico, Mum, Emily, Yvonne and myself were all at the very top of the highest mountain in order to celebrate Babbo's 180th birthday. No, that's not a typo it really was 180! Babbo however looked suspiciously like Dumbledore. With long hair and a very long beard. Rico explained to the group that only he and Babbo were really capable of skiing down such a steep slope and suggested that the rest of us just slide down on our bottoms. The rest of the dream was simply Dumbledore Babbo and Rico speeding down this mountain while Mum, Yvonne, Emily and slowly slid down on our bottoms talking about how fantastic it was Babbo was still skiing at 180.

Just though I'd share that with you,
Now it's back to my art assignment!

Love, Rachael

Monday, April 19, 2010

Photo Date

Hey all-

That photo was taken in August/September of 1990 I'm pretty well certain. It was after I returned from my first visit to Australia (note the Bundy Rum singlet!), and was before Ken arrived in November for his first visit.

Sounds like everyone has been busy! Dad, Rachael can swap Japanese tea ceremony stories with you, as I'm sure she attended at least one while in the country. Miki, the girl who she stayed with, lives with her grandparents and the grandmother is a traditionalist.

Does anyone know if we have any history of migrane headaches in the family? Rachael suffered what I'm pretty certain was a mild migrane yesterday. We've been googling info on them, and I don't think that they are necessarily hereditary, but I would be interested to hear if any of you have experienced one before. Both Ken's mother and brother Peter have suffered from them, but I've never heard anyone in our family mention them. Just a bit of family research!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Early Photo

Finally figured out how to move these around and get them to the right spot. Still can't get it to the left side but maybe there is a dot to punch on the composing page. Anyway, we think this must be about 1982. What do you all think? There are some more to come later.
Dad

A Busy Day


I'm working on the walking to get ready for exploring sites in Greece on the cruise. (We hope the dust will settle before our flight date!) I walked to the hospital this afternoon then bused to town for a Brazilian music concert at the library -lots of interesting rhythms - then stumbled on the Nepal New Year celebration in the park. Finally headed to CU, in part by bus, for Japan Day put on by the CU students from Japan. It was great. Food, games, and a tea ceremony celebration in which I was one of the two guests on the stage. I enjoyed it very much and if you ever have a chance to participate, please do. There was a lot of zen type aspects to it and it all made a lot of sense as a part of the showing of respect to the past and to others. I also went to a half hour japanese flower arrangement session which was very simple but instructive. I had met the student leader of the Japan Society and he had invited me to the celebration. Quite an involved day.


Yesterday we took Boden to the carousel in Nederland - almost set to open - and then swimming. It is a breeze washing his hair now!


I'm going to try to attach several photos that I digitalized for Rachael as part of her recent art project - hope you enjoy them. LATER Can't find them at the moment but did locate this PHOTO taken at the library at a concert in March. There were stations about the building where you could play different instruments glasses for the two of us but various percussion items were there. This was a favorite. Photo taken by the library staff. Dad

WELL DONE SARAH AND TEAM

CONGRATULATIONS to Dobbs Ferry DI team for your great performance this past weekend! And that includes all the team supporters---Moms and Dads, Siblings with loud voices, etc. etc. Julie and Drew, can you doubt that your continual support of DI, time-consuming though it has been, has paid off exponentially in development and gratification for all concerned? How delightful!!
And Sarah, happy birthday again---you really "took the cake"! We are proud of you, and please give our congratulations to your entire team. Happy practicing for the final round!
Cheers and love, from Yia-Yia and Babbo

DI State Champs :)

News Flash from Dobbs Ferry;
No picture because I left my camera at home - call the wambulance!
Sweet Sixteen and State DI Champions all in one day.
What a great day,....awakened by Will Klassen, Happy Birthday, Sarah,....MIA tickets from Will, tied with DI rivals Yorktown for first place in a day of close and really good competition, going to Global Finals, Jack Johnson tickets, and lots of support and cheering from Matt who is home for Spring Break. Hopefully, I will have a photo or two from Sarah's birthday dinner next Friday.
Boden, You are so the man! You look great and if I was there, you couldn't pay me to keep my hands off the fuzz. Aunt Julie

Friday, April 16, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!

Many happy birthday wishes to Sarah on your 16th from all the Blackwells XOXOXOXO

Thursday, April 15, 2010

LOVE THE LOOK, BALDEN!! Life must be so much easier for you now - no more shampoo, combs or brushes. Lots of people here in Brisbane have shaved their heads or dyed their hair wacky colors recently to raise money for the Leukemia Foundation. They have an annual fundraiser called "Shave for a Cure". Rachael wanted to dye her hair bright red, but she didn't get around to collecting sponsors in time. Maybe next year...! Enjoy your brushless mornings! XO

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Balden (aka Lil' Gandhi)

Balden: It's not a hybrid of Boden and Alden, but rather Boden and bald. Our little iconoclast has made another personal statement by shedding his flowing locks. After countless arguments about having to wash his hair and how he needs to get a haircut, he came home from school yesterday and announced "I want to shave my head!" Kate, sensing an opportunity asked if he was really serious, then put in a call to our friend Nancy, a hairdresser. An hour later, the deed was done and he came home, proud as a peacock showing off his polished dome. At school today, all his friends naturally wanted to touch his head (it's a very satisfying tactile experience), so he told them that they'd have to pay him $30 for the privilege. He didn't come home with any cash, but also without any horror stories of having his head pawed all day. Most entertaining! He's really very cute without hair, but I have to get used to it each time I see him, just like when he first got the glasses.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Happy 10th Birthday to Duke!


April 11, Coburn Homestead,...
Duke would love to meet his cousin, Chai. What a cutie pie!
Duke will be celebrating his birthday tonight with a peanut butter kong while we dine on empathic celebratory nachos.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICO

LOTS OF BIRTHDAY LOVE TO RICO FROM THE BLACKWELLS!! XOXO

Monday, April 5, 2010

EASTER UPDATE






Hi all-


Another Easter has come and gone...hope everyone had a nice holiday! We did, and the girls are enjoying their end-of-term break. Rachael is feeling a bit under the weather, but other than that we're all happy and well. Chai is growing and enjoying her new-found freedom now that her vaccinations are complete. She's had her first visit to the local off-leash area, her first beach visit, and an afternoon of "K9 Kapers" - a fun-filled afternoon of games for dogs and their owners run by the Brisbane City Council. She was a hit with all the participants and won the cutest puppy prize, came second in the obstacle course, and won herself a free microchipping! Not bad for a first effort!


I just want to say that I love this blog - it makes me feel so connected to you all. Thinking of you as always - love, Elli

Sunday, April 4, 2010



Happy Easter, Everybody!!
We will hold the egg hunt until Matt comes home,....took Duke to the river this morning for a swim. Ellis family (Ethan) came for Easter Dinner and toasted Matt. Sarah and Will Klassen will be playing at a local coffee joint on May 1 in the evening,...their first gig! Yummy, messy, lip-smacking chocolate eggs to all! love,......Julie

Friday, April 2, 2010

May Cruise

After waiting for elderhostel to find us a place on their cruise, we contacted the company that is doing it and signed up with them. It is a little less money but not as attractive a stateroom. We hope we'll be spending little time in it! We leave here on May 3rd at 5:59 on Lufthansa to Frankfurt ( I don't think there is a stop but we may land in Chicago or NYC) and we return to NYC on May 18th. We'll then spend a few days with the Coburns leaving there at about 6 p.m. direct to Denver on Saturday the 22nd. I'm exccited. The itinerary includes a day in Athens incld the Acropolis and I look forward to seeing the new museum there. We stop at Mycenae, Knossos - playing Theseus with the girls there is a big memory for me!, Santorini, where I really look forward to seeing the new excavations, Rhodes, which I could skip, a few islands including Mykonos and Delos, and Troy, Gallipoli, and Istanbul all of which will be new. I think this will be a good test of continued traveling for us - a long flight but no long bus rides. We'll see.

Dad