News from Nathan, Beau & Grace
Our adventure for 1995 was our house remodel. When we bought it, it was a lovely one-storey house (one bedroom one bathroom), and a detached garage, laundry room, bathroom, and studio. Beau slept in the bedroom/dining room/foyer.
We added a 500 square-foot master suite on top of the main house: a study above the kitchen, a bathroom above the bathroom, and a bedroom above the bedroom. The living room ceiling is pine and sloped from 8ft to 13 ft., so Nathan can juggle 7 balls. The master bedroom has a pine cathedral ceiling with views of trees, trees, and trees. All floors, except where tiled are now red fir, Beau has a luxurious bedroom (the same size as the master bedroom), with French doors out to the deck, and all three of us sometimes shower together in the double shower in our master bathroom. Of course, our yard has been so neglected that it's beginning to look more and more "natural." Designing and making curtains and reviving the garden will be this year's project (mostly for Grace).
Grace (a.k.a. Megumi) - My storytelling career has been soaring, especially since San Jose Mercury News featured me in a full-page article in January '95. With themes such as peace, dignity and respect for differences, and conservation of nature, I tell stories at schools, museums, libraries, and other organizations, to celebrate special events. I especially enjoyed flying to Albuquerque, New Mexico to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August to retell Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. How fulfilling!
I am continuing my private practice, with hypnosis and guided visualization as the main tools. As I explore one's wisdom and potential, and find answers, I am casting aside doubts and working more with spirituality. I thoroughly love it.
Beau - I am now 100 cm. (3'3-1/2") tall, will be four years old February 1, am learning to ride a bicycle, can jump down 4 steps, can read the ABC's, one letter in Japanese, and some words like MERRY CHRISTMAS, and EXIT. I adore visiting my grandparents in San Francisco or Hideout Canyon, and great-grandparents in Santa Barbara.
I have lots of friends - some speak Japanese, some speak English, and some both and share toys with them. Mommy and Daddy think it's important to learn the Japanese language and culture, but mostly I like Japanese food.
I love trains. I know every train book and video at the Los Gatos and Saratoga Public Libraries, enjoy riding BART, cable cars, CalTrain, and dressed as an engineer at Halloween. If you have any questions about trains, ask me.
On Sundays, Daddy and I have "Beau and Dad Time." We walk the six blocks to downtown Los Gatos to buy fresh bagels and juice. We eat them at the bagel shop or at the farmers' market in the town park. Then jugglers like daddy begin juggling at the park, so "Beau and Mom Time" begins. We sometimes hang around the park to talk and play with neighbors and friends, or go to Oak Meadow Park, to play and ride the miniature trains with my friends.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I commute with Daddy to school and work. We ride the bicycle and trailer except when it's raining.
Nathan - I have now fully traded juggling for rock-climbing. I juggle daily at work, once or twice weekly at club meetings, and teach a juggling class for the Los Gatos Parks and Recreation Department. The "disease" is so bad that our upcoming vacation plans center around juggling festivals too (Hawaii in February, France/Switzerland in August). Of course, I still had time for eleven monthly full moon mountain bike ride during the year.
Work at HAL Computers is still going well after over three years. This summer, I became HAL's Manager of Test Generation, but still seem to have time to do some actual work too. After 5 years of hard work, HAL finally managed to ship a product, the 64-bit Sparc "HALStation 300" (not the famous HAL 9000). Is it really better? I had to use a couple of them, and experience how their incredible speed really changed the way we work, to become a true believer.
We appreciate each other, our health, the beauty of nature, humor, and good friends and family.
(408) 395-7488 nathan_at_movaris.com http://www.nhoover.com/ megumi_at_MegumiTales.com http://www.MegumiTales.com/