[img]1651|left|||no_popup[/img][Editor’s Note: The annual message from two of our community’s most gleaming stars needs no elaboration.]
This year was planned to be filled with travel and started early with a flight in a zeppelin on Dec. 29, 2011.
The Airship Ventures “Eureka” took us along the coast of SoCal over Palos Verdes Peninsula. It was quite a trip, similar in some ways to the hot air balloon ride we took in June over Sedona, AZ, on the way back from the 2012 Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition in Green River, Utah, where Charley was a judge.
On May 20 and June 5, we took our AstroScan telescope out to Vets Park and set it up for the community to see the Annular Solar Eclipse and the Transit of Venus. We also joined Mars Society members and JPLers in Pasadena for the landing of the Rover “Curiosity” in the Gale Crater on Mars.
The annual Shakespeare Festival in Pine Mountain was our destination in June where we spent a lovely weekend in the mountains and watched friends perform in delightful plays. July was the annual gathering of the guys in red jackets – Charley’s MIT class of 1956.
In August, we celebrated Charley’s brother’s birthday in Massachusetts. In September we went on a reunion cruise to Mexico with Janet’s Tehran, Iran Community School classmates. We were scheduled to join FOTO, the Friends of the Observatory, on a cruise to Australia in November and view our 7th total solar eclipse, but Charley became ill and we had to cancel our trip.
He is what the doctors refer to as an “enigma” because they haven’t been able to decide what is causing his anemia even after blood and bone marrow tests and many blood cultures. His HGB dropped to 7.8 and he had to have a transfusion. He’s doing better now taking prednisone, but has the appetite of a teenager and may have a weight problem later on…!
In spite of his health problems, he is continuing to work with rocket engineering students – this year at Cal State L.A., Janet’s home campus. The CSULA team is designing and building a rocket, the “Sonic Eagle”, to launch at IREC in June 2013.
We both continue to judge at the CSULA Research Symposium, and Janet is currently serving as VP – Programs for the Emeriti Assn. as well as serving as a member of the Fellowship Fund committee. The Biology scholarship we established in the memory of Janet’s son David was awarded this year to a graduate student in Environmental Science. Janet’s book “Body Parts” is continuing to sell on Amazon, and the proceeds have increased the scholarship endowment.
Her next book,“Where Did the Sun Go?” will be published early next year. A book of poems about the myths and legends of solar eclipses, it has illustrations designed to be made into puppets and a puppet show script. All proceeds will go to the Friends of the Observatory (FOTO) educational programs.
Janet has been playing her ukulele (and operating as half the percussion section using David’s old drumsticks to provide hoof beats for such songs as “Ghost Riders in the Sky”) with the CC Strummers at concerts in the Culver City Senior Center. She’s missed a few performances because of rotator cuff surgery and continued joint pains, but hopes to rejoin the group next year.
The brightest part of the year has been the success of the grandchildren. Mike, now a sergeant and home from Afghanistan, is a recruiter for the U.S. Army; Jeremy continues his good work as a firefighter with the LAFD; Matt, with Quicksilver, is the friendliest tow truck driver in town; Sam graduated from Le Cordon Bleu and is making delicious dishes as a chef at The Foundry on Melrose; James just graduated from CSULB with honors and works at a local radio station, JACK FM 93.1; Sarah has completed Child Development Certification, which will allow her to teach pre-school while she continues her studies; Neda completed her Medical Assistant Certification and her internship at a pediatrician’s office. She has had plenty of practice with children since she is the mother of a 3-year-old and an18-month-old, our great grand children, Jonathan and Ariana. Neda and her husband, Greg, brought them down for a visit in early December.
In spite of our health problems, aging another year (76 and 79) and having to put grab bars in the shower and on the front porch, we are still keeping active. We hope that this next year will bring us all good health, peace of mind and prosperity.
Best wishes,
Janet and Charley
The Hoults may be contacted at HOULTight@aol.com
