Aloha nui loa family, friends, and MBN members! Incredible as it seems, the holidays are upon us again. We hope you have enjoyed another year of great blessings. We’ll keep the news brief this year. It has been a year of blessings for us, flavored with a moment or two of changes, some easy some not. Both of us are definitely feeling the excitement of getting ready to retire. Yep. RETIRE! The “official date” is December 31, 2013. New Year’s Day will be New Life’s Day at our house. Thanks be to God for all the beautiful and rich blessings he has sent us as we prepare for this time in our lives.
The house has been on the market since summer, and not really much has happened. We look at it this way: If the house sells, then that means that we are finished with the work God has for us here and it’s time to move on to our next assignment somewhere on the mainland – maybe SE New Mexico. If the house does not sell, then we still have work to be done here and we’ll have to stay in Hawaii. (I know; tough situation, yeah?) Either way, we are doing the Lord’s work, and happy to have his providential care. There are advantages and disadvantages to both (as there are in everything in life). Here the finances will be tight; there, things will be financially easier and our meager retirement monies will make ends more than meet. Here, the weather is the best on the planet; there – well, just look out your living-room window! YIKES! Whichever way it goes, it’s up to God so we say, “God knows, be he’s not telling.” Meanwhile, Crucita will dedicate herself to getting some of her projects completed, and may take up painting again (Chick is greatly in favor of that!). Chick will continue working up to 16 hours per week for his current bosses but mostly by telecommuting and get back to music and continue writing the Aloha-Friday* messages.
We are still very active in our Parish. Chick is Vice-Chair of the Pastoral Council. He and Crucita continue to serve in Parish ministries like Lectoring and occasionally serving as Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Eucharist. We deeply love our Parish, or fellow Parishioners, and especially our Pastors – Rev Father Ramelo Somera and Rev. Father Gerry Somera (not related; it’s a common name in the Philippines). Living a Christ-centered life makes so much sense in this wacko world!
This year, we’ve not been out on our bikes or the Duo-Trike as much. There have been so many rainy weekends, so many chores around the house, and those little aches and pains that come from … being “at retirement age.” Even trips around the island have decreased and we didn’t go off island this year for a vacation. Chick’s 50th high school class reunion is coming up next year, but if we’re still here, we probably won’t make the painful 6 hour flight back to Denver. The way they pack you in the planes these days, travel is just too uncomfortable to endure.
Our plans are that – once we’re free from the day-to-day rigors of work – we will have time to exercise, eat properly, sleep properly, and work on clearing out years and years of collected junk – books we won’t read again, mementos we kept for “someday,” and generally just clean up the house. All of that needs to be done regardless of whether we stay or go. We’ve been on Kauaʽi since July 2001 and in this house since December 2003. Believe it or not, we still haven’t seen everything we want to see on Kauaʽi! We have other outlets, too, and both of us have growing connections on Facebook. It’s been especially exciting and rewarding to keep up with life events for friends and family all over the country – and to make new friends, too! Hopefully Chick will soon have access to some social media outlets for our local parish of St. Catherine’s of Alexandria in Kapaʽa to help promote activities in our parish.
Tim and Maria each continue to live their own lives and follow their hearts. Timothy is still playing music and always looking for ways to advance his career. Maria Cereza continues to live the life of being a mom. Our families on the mainland stay in touch via email, Facebook, text message, and phone. We want to add Skype soon, so if you Skype let us know!
And now we close with our traditional Christmas blessing.
May Hope and Peace and Joy and Love
Be yours in the coming of the Christ Child!
Chick and Crucita
Champion3R@aol.com Cris1BG@aol.com
PO Box 3003 Lihu`e, HI 96766-6003
* Contact us about joining the Moon Beam network if you are not already a member!
http://aloha-friday.org
Aloha nui loa family, friends, and MBN members! Incredible as it seems, the holidays are upon us again. We hope you have enjoyed another year of great blessings. We’ll keep the news brief this year. It has been a year of blessings for us, flavored with a moment or two of changes, some easy some not. Both of us are definitely feeling the excitement of getting ready to retire. Yep. RETIRE! The “official date” is December 31, 2013. New Year’s Day will be New Life’s Day at our house. Thanks be to God for all the beautiful and rich blessings he has sent us as we prepare for this time in our lives.
The house has been on the market since summer, and not really much has happened. We look at it this way: If the house sells, then that means that we are finished with the work God has for us here and it’s time to move on to our next assignment somewhere on the mainland – maybe SE New Mexico. If the house does not sell, then we still have work to be done here and we’ll have to stay in Hawaii. (I know; tough situation, yeah?) Either way, we are doing the Lord’s work, and happy to have his providential care. There are advantages and disadvantages to both (as there are in everything in life). Here the finances will be tight; there, things will be financially easier and our meager retirement monies will make ends more than meet. Here, the weather is the best on the planet; there – well, just look out your living-room window! YIKES! Whichever way it goes, it’s up to God so we say, “God knows, be he’s not telling.” Meanwhile, Crucita will dedicate herself to getting some of her projects completed, and may take up painting again (Chick is greatly in favor of that!). Chick will continue working up to 16 hours per week for his current bosses but mostly by telecommuting and get back to music and continue writing the Aloha-Friday* messages.
We are still very active in our Parish. Chick is Vice-Chair of the Pastoral Council. He and Crucita continue to serve in Parish ministries like Lectoring and occasionally serving as Extra Ordinary Ministers of Holy Eucharist. We deeply love our Parish, or fellow Parishioners, and especially our Pastors – Rev Father Ramelo Somera and Rev. Father Gerry Somera (not related; it’s a common name in the Philippines). Living a Christ-centered life makes so much sense in this wacko world!
This year, we’ve not been out on our bikes or the Duo-Trike as much. There have been so many rainy weekends, so many chores around the house, and those little aches and pains that come from … being “at retirement age.” Even trips around the island have decreased and we didn’t go off island this year for a vacation. Chick’s 50th high school class reunion is coming up next year, but if we’re still here, we probably won’t make the painful 6 hour flight back to Denver. The way they pack you in the planes these days, travel is just too uncomfortable to endure.
Our plans are that – once we’re free from the day-to-day rigors of work – we will have time to exercise, eat properly, sleep properly, and work on clearing out years and years of collected junk – books we won’t read again, mementos we kept for “someday,” and generally just clean up the house. All of that needs to be done regardless of whether we stay or go. We’ve been on Kauaʽi since July 2001 and in this house since December 2003. Believe it or not, we still haven’t seen everything we want to see on Kauaʽi! We have other outlets, too, and both of us have growing connections on Facebook. It’s been especially exciting and rewarding to keep up with life events for friends and family all over the country – and to make new friends, too! Hopefully Chick will soon have access to some social media outlets for our local parish of St. Catherine’s of Alexandria in Kapaʽa to help promote activities in our parish.
Tim and Maria each continue to live their own lives and follow their hearts. Timothy is still playing music and always looking for ways to advance his career. Maria Cereza continues to live the life of being a mom. Our families on the mainland stay in touch via email, Facebook, text message, and phone. We want to add Skype soon, so if you Skype let us know!
And now we close with our traditional Christmas blessing.
May Hope and Peace and Joy and Love
Be yours in the coming of the Christ Child!
Chick and Crucita
Champion3R@aol.com Cris1BG@aol.com
PO Box 3003 Lihu`e, HI 96766-6003
* Contact us about joining the Moon Beam network if you are not already a member!
http://aloha-friday.org
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
