Jacob Arrives Home

 I was walking the dog and came upon The Hardys picture taking after Jacob's arrival home from Argentina.  All the foreign missionaries were called home because of the coranavirus.

Eden

Eden has on her Lake Almanor t-shirt and it looks classy.

Quarantined at Home Because of the Corona Virus

 I have been at Linda and Gary's home, of course, since mid-December and it was getting near time to go back home to Lake Almanor when the world was plagued with the Virus.  President Nelson had told us about it in December but who knew what to expect...not me.

Supposedly the older people are more vulnerable and so we are being asked to stay home.  Meanwhile, Linda and Gary are only going into the office occasionally but still shopping.  Sarah is home from college in Utah and Kelly and her husband Collin are here also since his college where he is getting P A training is shut down.  They have been renovating the backyard and it looks really nice.  Sadie has had Scout to walk and play with for a long time.

I spend most of my time with my books on my smartphone, and Samsung tablet.  I also have an Amazon tablet and can watch movies on both my tablets.  The books I read are from Library to Go...checking out books on my library cards of which I have three from different areas I have lived in.  And lately I have started coloring in my tablet while I listen to my books.  Needless to say I enjoy listening to books more than watching TV.  I stay very busy and take lots of walks.  

There is much contact with friends and family on Instagram and Facebook as everyone has more time for trivial things.  Today I made cookies.

I can't go home till after I have my echocardiogram and it was moved from March till mid-May and Dr visit after that so who knows when I will get home.  I think I will see if Jake can be hired to clean up my yard this year.

Linda made the mask for me and is making a lot more.  She feels I should use it when going to a drive-by or having contact with those who have gone out.  It keeps the germs from going to your lungs and also keeps you from touching your face and then after any contact you can wash your hands after being around others, before touching your face (or taking your hearing aids out) etc.   Needless to say, it also prevents you from spreading your germs in case you are the infected one.  So far so good, but it may be a long haul.  Sadie and I just had another walk in the sun and are ready to take a nap.

I am so glad this did not happen when I was at my home alone in Lake Almanor.  It has been very pleasant at Linda's home and everyone seems to be enjoying this time together but what will happen with the economy and future for us all, we just pray everyone gets through it in good health.  It is a scary time.

Fortunately, we were prepared all last year for a home church and we have so much wonderful material online for our lessons, for strengthening and teaching us and keeping us spiritually uplifted.  So many videos and messages every day and so much we can be learning.  

I have been reading a lot of biographies of famous people and have really enjoyed that, learned so much.  Amazing world we live in.

All activities for more than 10 people are shut down.  No church, no movies, no concerts, no beach, no Temple, no mall shopping, nada...all the missionaries are being brought home in chartered planes or sent to their homes.  This is an amazing feat going on...

Charli Gets her Own Tablet

Little Charli working on her "school work".  I found this app called "Coloring Games" and it is fund for her to do her own color by number and other games.  If she starts to make a mistake Ruby pops up and says...Uh uh uh...so cute.  Charli is amazing, so smart with such a vocabulary and very curious so she learns all the time.

I Can Hear!!!

I have had a problem hearing correctly for several years.  I finally had a hearing test about 3 years ago at Seneca in Chester and they said I did not need hearing aids yet.  I complained at Church all the time about the speakers but I guess it was me.

I had heard that the hearing aids at Costco were good and not so expensive, which was the main reason I had not looked into it.  My friend paid around $6000 and hen she seldom wore them cuz of the hassle of putting them in, etc.

Because I had received some money from Dave and Dorothy's estate I decided to take action and went into Costco while I was staying for the winter at Linda and Gary's home in Carlsbad. 

Yesterday I received the new hearing aids and I am impressed!!!  I can hear.  When I got into the car to drive home the radio had loud static on it.  I do not know how long I had been driving around with it that way and did not know it.

I can hear the tv at low level and I can hear women's voices again, I can hear all the speakers on tv and I assume I will be able to understand more of the voices in the movies!!!  Anyway the technology has advanced a long way so yea for the techies, I can hear again!!!

An Old Friend Passes

Quite accidentally I came across this information today and so looked up the obituary.

I met Bill when he came to Oceanview School in San Diego to teach my Second Grade class about helicopters.  He came with a pilot who was going to the same ward as me and said he would be happy to come to my class.   The rest is history, Bill told me later he fell in love at first sight. It was a very fun time in my life sailing, sunbathing at the beach, going to dinner and dances.  He was away at sea part of the time and later in my life sent me an email and told me I may have saved his life.  He was being true to me while out to sea and friends of his would visit prostitutes and later one of them died from disease picked up on one of those visits.  He felt he had escaped that by his fidelity to me.

We almost married, but broke up at the beginning of the summer in 1959, the differences in our religious beliefs was too much.  He went to Harvard and I went to BYU for the summer.  I met Richard when I came back and we married 6 weeks later.

Bill visited me at our Choice Mortgage Office in 1990 and told me he was about to marry his third wife and how lucky I was to have escaped marriage with him.  He called me often at midnight when his third marriage was on the blitz and Richard had passed away, always saying he was coming to visit me sometime, said he was getting a divorce.  I think he got dementia after that as he was often confused in his telephone calls.  Somehow he had retained friendships with his ex-wives as he had six children, three boys from the first, one daughter from the second, and a son and daughter from the last.  He had been successful and a millionaire at one time but lost it all, I understand, though his first two wives were very rich and his last was a chiropractor doing well.  He was a very charismatic person with lots of friends.  I enjoyed learning how to sail and always enjoyed being with him.

William Urban Bruch

On October 30, 2019 Bill Bruch (Jr.) passed away at the age of 86 in Port Orchard, WA.

Born on December 3, 1932 to William U. Bruch Sr. and Clarice Young Bruch, Bill grew up in Bayport Long Island, NY, where he began his love of sailing. After earning a chemical engineering degree from Columbia, Bill went on to graduate from the US Navy OCS & Flight Schools, serving as a helicopter pilot on the USS Philippine Sea. Military service took him to San Diego, where he started his real estate career by flying clients up to Apple Valley in the late 50's. The east coast drew him back & in '61 he graduated with his MBA from Harvard Business School. Business brought him to Seattle in the mid-60's & Bill found where he wanted to spend the rest of his life- a place where he could both ski and sail in the same day. After a short stint in hydraulic sales, Bill returned to real estate at John L. Scott. At Scott he was a top salesman 1968-74, Bellevue Branch Manager 1974-76, and President 1976-80, expanding the company and helping to steer development of many Bellevue/Eastside neighborhoods. He was one of the founding directors of the NW Multiple Listing Service, a real estate instructor at Bellevue Community College for 17 years, and the author of a manual for agents and brokers using the Hewlett Packard HP 12-C.

After his years at Scott, Bill ran his own real estate & mortgage companies in the 1980's, including Bruch and Vedrich Better Homes & Gardens. His final years in real estate were primarily with Windermere, and finally Realty Executives in Bellevue. Bill, an avid sailor, owner of many Thistles, a Tartan 41, and the first J 36 on Puget Sound. He sailed in 14 Swiftsure races, 4 Victoria-Maui races, and countless others on both coasts, and completed a trans-Atlantic crossing.

A lifelong student of Christian Science, he was a long-time member of the First Church of Christ Scientist Mercer Island, where he served in many roles. Through his faith he continued to grow in wisdom and kindness, understanding that there is no death.

Bill is survived by his younger sister, Anne Miexsell of Sudbury, MA, his wife Laura Balent of Bellevue, WA, as well as his children: William U. Bruch III of La Connor, WA; Robert S. Bruch of Long Beach, CA; James C. Bruch of Kihei, HI; Sarah A. DeBoer (Bruch) of Woodinville, WA; Maxwell B. Bruch of St. Louis, MO; Clarice B. Bruch currently studying in Glasgow, Scotland; & two grandsons: Luke DeBoer and Benjamin Bruch.

Bill's Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 22,

from 3-5 pm at the Mercer Island

Community & Event Center,

8236 SE 24th St, Mercer Island, Wa.

Published in The Seattle Times on Nov. 17, 2019

Richard's Home in Las Vegas

Linda had seen the address of Richard's childhood home on Family Search and so visited while in Las Vegas for Ryan's priesthood ordination.  

It is now in "town" next to a large building and I am not sure why it has not been made into a commercial building.  It is evidently a lawyer's office but is badly in need of a new roof.  After Vida died, Richard and Martin gave the property to Miriam and I am not sure when it was sold or if it has even been sold.  Interesting.

Vida had a huge can of tinker toys and the children could make very interesting creations and would try and build them as high as they could.  I have never seen a larger collection of tinker toys in one home.

Vida's husband Merlin died when Richard was only 11.  Vida kept tenants in the bedrooms.  Her brothers were lawyers so she had a constant supply of women who were getting divorces.  I am not sure if she rented to men or not but I definitely know there were women and this is how she supported herself.

There was a nice basement with beds down there for when it was hot when we visited.  

Linda and Sarah pose in front of home.

This is a picture of Richard's home which is in his Memory Book of a picture taken when he left for college at BYU in 1949.

New Year 2020 and "Dear Evan Hansen"

Did not stay up and celebrate New Year's Eve but New Years Day Linda took me to see  "DearEvanHansen" for my birthday.  She also bought me some new Estee Lauder makeup at the Macys store in Carlsbad.  I must remember that the Women's store is separate and on the Northside of the mall.  It is a large branch.

We arrived at the show at the Civic Center quite early so did a lot of people watching.  It was a young audience and I read later that viewers are those who do not usually attend this kind of shows.  But because the content is about a disturbed teenager suicide and it affects on Evan Hansen and others it has drawn a new kind of audience.

It is good we arrived early because our parking was on the 2nd floor of the parking garage.  The power was out in the elevators after the show because of someone pulling the fire alarm and we had to walk up all those stairs.  I have been having trouble with my right knee and I had the most difficulty walking I have ever had.  It was very slow and painful.  I am not liking this at all!!

It is good I had listened and viewed the show on YouTube so I was familiar with the show because I had a hard time hearing certain parts of the show and especially the main character.  But it was very well done and we enjoyed it a lot!!!  Thanks, Linda!!!!

Dinner at Maria and John's Home

Maria invited me over for barbecue with her family.  Bahia and Mitch were not there for Christmas so they had a late Christmas.  They also had the deck about finished and new brickwork and plantings in the front yard.  And Matt has a great place to live while working to help finish the home.  

It is really nice and I should have taken pictures and the barbecue which was done on the new deck plus salad and potatoes from the kitchen was delicious.  We had cookie ice cream sandwiches for dessert.  Have not had that treat in years.

Great fun playing games and unfortunately they had to drive me home because Carlsbad is so far from La Jolla.  Maria drove my car and Matt followed.  So appreciate the service at night.  I did drive over by myself using the phone for directions I now know I turn off of La Jolla Blvd onto a road much closer to Pacific Beach than I realized so I can go either by Garnet into PB or Torrey Pines Rd..through La Jolla.  Strange how all that is not so familiar to me anymore.

Baha and Mitch

Naomi and Matt

Maria and Johnny

Naomi gave Johnny a book about surf boards which he really was enhjoying.

Christmas Eve 2019

On Christmas Eve day I had a wonderful lunch at James' and Camber's house.  It was delicious salmon, yams, and salad.  Sadie and I had a long nap and when I awoke Amy and Joe and were already here.  We had a wonderful dinner of steak, beet and goat cheese salad and fresh bread rolls in the shape of a Christmas Tree.  Gary had made key lime pie for dessert.

The little ones, Charlie and Harper, unwrapped their presents and then we did the same.  Craig was down, Sarah was recouping at home.  I received news Linda was taking me to see "Dear Evan Hanson", a weighted blanket from Maria, a candle from Craig, and a basket of items from Meagan.

It was a very Fun Christmas!!!

Hardy Christmas Party at Gary and Linda's Home, 2019, contd.

Matt, Sarah, Linda, Matt

Joe

Sarah, Linda, Matt, Nico, Keira, Camber

Maria, Johhny, Eden

 

Scout, Kelly, Collin, Eden

Scout, Kelly, Collin, Eden

Maria, Johnny, Bahia

Kelly, Scout, Collin, Eden

Janet, Matt, Sarah, Linda, Matt, Nico, Keira

Hardy Christmas Party at Gary and Linda's Home, 2019

Gary, Harper, Maria, Johnny

James, Janet, Matt

Janet, Matt, Sarah, Linda

Mitch, Scout, Eden, Bahia, Kelly

Sarah, Linda

Gary,Scout, Harper, Maria, Johnny, Eden

Matt, Nico, Keira

Camber, Joe

Charlie, Meagan, Amy

Charlie, Eden, Playing with toys upstairs.

Collin, James, Gary

Matt, Johnny, Joe, Mitch, Kelly, Amy, Sarah

Linda, Meagan, Maria, Camber

Linda's House Ready for Christmas Party, 2019 Christmas Card

Before I came down to  Linda's for Christmas I had been baking for a long time and freezing individual wrapped goodies and I sent them out to 15 different people, sisters, children and grandchildren.  I sent them in the small priority box which costs $7.80 a box now.  I think this will be my last year for sending foodie gift boxes.

And this was my Christmas Card I sent out:

Nico Shops for Birthday Present

I sent Nico $5 for his birthday to buy a toy.  Meagan said they had to go to three stores of looking before they went back and found the right one at the first store.

Carole's Creation

This is a laminated sheet that Carole had made for her kids so they could learn how to  use Family Search.

My Sister Carole

Carole decks on jewelry and scarf I had given her with her new fuzzy coat and she looks really cute for church in Billings, Montana.  I asked her if she got any complements and she said, "No".