| Life on the Road with Paul & Kathleen: "Not bad for two dumb kids from Ohio" - Proving once again that it's never too late to have a happy childhood | |
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| Our Lazy Daze at Kirk Creek Camp on CA Hwy 1 40 mi N of Hearst's Castle 11/24/03: Shortly after full-timing began. | Foretravel & Toad at Rio Grand Village Full Hookup Camp, Big Bend NP 5/21/06 |
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11/20/09 - Memorial for John Burns Click to add your comment One day this past summer as we were working on the apartment Kathleen received an email from a friend she met in Sunbeam last winter. It wasn't much information, but was a traumatic message: John Burns is dead. He died very suddenly. We spent much of the summer of 2008 here at Sunbeam. Not many people spend the entire year here, but John and his wife Judie do. A few others were also spending the summer for one reason or another. Our numbers were small, so it was easy to get to know one another quite well. We formed a fast friendship with Judie and John and several other residents. In September/early October Kathleen joined Judie and John and Ginny (who is in charge of activities here) in cleaning up the kitchen and recreation rooms, preparing for the season ahead. John and Kathleen removed all the screens around the large recreation room, washed the windows (and screen frames) then Judie and John put new screens on every screen frame. Once or twice John and Kathleen worked in the afternoon after the others had gone for the day. We all formed a good friendship. Kathleen likes to think the friendship contained in quality what it lacked in quantity. So when we received the news, we were devastated. Not until we returned to Sunbeam did we learn that John was diagnosed with cancer only 3 weeks before he succumbed to the disease. Judie decided that a memorial would be held on what would have been John's 74th birthday. So on Wednesday and Thursday we busied ourselves preparing the food for the dinner that would follow the memorial service. We all have a big hole in our hearts. John is sorely missed... This picture is of John and his children whom he loved so very much - Sarah, Barbara, Doug and Becky. Our hearts go out to them in sympathy.  Friday morning several residents joined the rest of us in the large recreation room. John's relatives and most of Judie's children (and grandchildren) were in attendance and ready and eager to help. John's sisters were in attendance and shared lovely memories of their brother.   Tables were set up, table covers put on every one. Residents Doris and Ingrid filled lovely little vases with flowers that adorned each table. They set up a lovely Memory Table where folks could write their names and a message in a book. Candles and an 8x10-framed photo of John made a perfect centerpiece.   Residents brought hors d'oeuvres - nearly enough to nearly make it a meal! Everyone here loved John and wanted to bring some special dish to celebrate John's life. It was hard to imagine that we'd have dinner (chicken, potato wedges, salad and cake and ice cream) very soon after the hors d'oeuvres.  Our local resident Jim had been a close friend of John and he shared some poignant and funny tales of their friendship. Dee, our local "thrush" sang "You're My Best Friend" for John and all of us who had first heard the song when Dee sang it at the memorial of her husband (Big John McDonald) only last spring. Dee is gifted with the voice of an angel, and the words are so appropriate. Not a dry eye in the crowd.  All members of the family posed for one more picture, content in the knowledge that their love for John and John's love for them made a perfect picture...  Becky, Kellie, Stephanie, Jessica, Cindy, Sarah, Bobbie, Amanda, Chelsa, Judie, Tyler, Blake, Lee, Susan, Tom | |
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| "NO DEAL BASICALLY means that if we can't find a solution that wold benefit us both, we agree to disagree agreeably--No Deal. No expectations have been created, no performance contracts established. I don't hire you or we don't take on a particular assignment together because it's obvious that our values or our goals are going in opposite directions. It is so much better to realize this up front instead of downstream when expectations have been created and both parties have been disillusioned. When you have No Deal as an option in your mind, you feel liberated because you have no need to manipulate people, to push your own agenda, to drive for what you want. You can be open. You can really try to understand the deeper issues underlying the positions." (9/9) |
| Paul & Kathleen Smith | 173 Rainbow Dr #7329 | Livingston, TX 77399-1073 | (510) 386-8973 |