SNOW SNOW SNOW

It is still snowing in Portland and everything is at standstill. There were about ten people today, including Emmanuel, going door-to-door shoveling out driveways! What a delightful neighborhood! We have been snowed in for almost two weeks!

Christmas card 2008

Dear all, I hope this letter finds you and your family well. You may not believe it, but Emmanuel and I have left the Sonoran Desert and the university for Portland, Oregon this last summer. We love the Northwest and Portland! Emmanuel has a position developing cancer therapies at the Providence Cancer Center. I have been busy getting us settled, but not for long.

In February, we are moving to the Gold Coast, Australia for six-month. Emmanuel has a position as a Fulbright Senor Scholar at Griffith University. I plan on exploring the area and taking lots of photographs. I created this blog if you would like to keep up with our travels. There will be a place for your comments too so we can all stay connected!

Thankfully, we will be staying about 40 miles from Alicia in Brisbane. She is so exited to have come down under, so she can show us the country she has fallen in love with. Nicole is finishing up her MBA in Tucson. She will come visit after her graduation in May, then she goes to work at General Mills in Minneapolis. Hopefully, others can come visit, but we certainly understand these tough economic times.

Grandsons' Chase and Braden are doing great, the girls and I were able to visit them this spring. Katie and Gabe are always busy and are finding such delight in all of Chase’s new words. He called me “obamamama” the other day, which I find delightful!

Becky and Emmanuel

Two months and counting

Here we are in Portland. Just settling in and getting ready to leave to Australia for 6-months. After living in Arizona for nearly twenty years it is quite an exciting time.

We love Portland. Here is a picture of our living room. You can see the forest trees in the back yard.

Emmanuel is very happy at the Providence Cancer Insitute. He spends long hour working in the lab, but is getting exciting results in the lab.

I have been busy setting up the house and exploring Portland. I have been facanated by the light here ... it is so difffernt that the strong desert sun. I have been trying to capture it with my photograpy and painings. I am working on several watercolors this week. I haven't done them in ages, but somehow they seem are able to better capture the light here. I have been quite taken by Monet's paintings in ways that I never have before.