Bulletin 76, December 10, 2003

Updates -

UPDATE -- A House Purchase
by Lori (Chap)

I thought I would send you a little update about my home buying experience. Yesterday I had the home inspection which went really well. I was nervous about this because I didn't want to have anything major wrong with the house, potentially sending me back to square one. The only thing that I'm requesting to the seller is that they have the furnace serviced before closing.

My closing date is going to be January 16th and then I'm allowing the seller 48 hours from closing to move out. (They are moving into a newly constructed home and need to close on the sale before closing on the new home purchase.) My "official" moving date will most likely be the following Saturday, the 24th. I'm very excited!!

Until then, I'll be packing, cleaning and doing more packing. I've been in my duplex for over six years so I've accumulated a lot of stuff! Between Weston and myself, I know we'll be trying to get rid of some furnishings and maybe other items, so if there are any people interested in "gently used" items, please let us know! I know he had been thinking about getting rid of his desk and I might not need my kitchen table and chairs ... things like that. Maybe we can post the items in The Bulletin!! :-)

I've also attached a picture of my new house! My new address, as of January 16th will be: 7600 Berkshire Way N., Maple Grove, MN 55311.

Lori

The protests have increased and I think the toll in La Paz is currently 24 dead and around 70 wounded.

The New York Times published more recent articles, available at the following
links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/13/international/americas/13BOLI.html
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Bolivia-Gas-Protests.html
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-bolivia-protests.html

People have been sporadically protesting, blocking roads, and generally making noise during the past month to voice their disapproval of the gas exportation plan.

The proposal would sell Bolivia's gas to multinational companies for extremely low prices. They would ship the gas primarily to California, and pocket the profits. Exploitation of Bolivia's natural resources, first for the benefit of foreign governments (Spain), later for a white elite, and most recently for transnationals and corrupt government officials, deserves a lot of the blame for contemporary Bolivia's lamentable distinction as the third poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, despite its natural riches.

The indigenous majority in recent years has become increasingly educated and visibly opposed to the destructive neocolonial practices promoted by the government. Their protests are joined by those of a significant portion of the country's intellectuals and university students. Other groups with distinct social/ political agendas, many related to development and coca growing, have jumped into the anti-gas, anti-government mayhem. Others who perhaps don't understand the economic implications of selling the gas are just angry that the government would consider doing business with Chile, who "stole" Bolivia's seacoast over 120 years ago. People here don't forget.

Protests, strikes, and road blocks are the favored methods of forcing the government to listen. The transportation infrastructure barely exists, so you only have to throw rocks in a few roads to effectively shut down a lot of the country. La Paz has been blockaded for a few weeks, and apparently the roads surrounding Cochabamba have been blocked as of today.

People here are protesting, too, though as far as I know, without violence. Class this morning was interrupted by the sounds of guns with rubber bullets and tear gas bombs exploding in the plaza principal two blocks away. Our directors sent us home early in taxis and forbade us from participating... The protesters tend to resent the neoliberal (and mostly unsuccessful) development strategies promoted by the US and the IMF and world bank, both of which are largely controlled by the US, not to mention the anger inspired by the US initiated "war on drugs"...

Some people say that the climate is right for a coup, but opposition is not sufficiently unified and the people lack access to arms. The leaders of the protests have called for the president to step down and insist the protests and blockades will continue until he does. We'll see...

No worries ... the demonstrations are easily avoided, and the most I'll suffer is a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables if the blockades continue for long. We're having a bread baking party this afternoon because the city's bakers have joined the general strikes :)

Kjirsten

I just spent some time with the boss. She was telling me about the trip she and her hubby took last week. I listened close as she had several pieces of info.

First she informed me one of the relatives said my style of writing resembled hers. DO TELL! I will have you know I am not a "copy cat" -- (maybe she is copying my style -- I wouldn't know about that!) And another guy had the gall to say I get pretty salty sometimes -- I LIKE THAT! I am not a bit spicy, I will have you all know -- I just state things the way they are!!

Secondly, she was telling me that they got to meet Ryan Henderson -- and liked him a lot. (It seems they all do -- certainly Miss Heidi seems partial to him!!) I ask you -- didn't I call that one right? I think he sounds like a keeper!

It sounds to me like Becky is doing great with her clients -- but still has time to go bowling with a nice looking young man named Kenny. Of course it was a double date -- so my informant tells me. We will have to see where that friendship goes.

And then from a source down South I understand Cupid shot a bow and that there will be wedding bells -- is it so, Shari? I wonder if that little rascal, Cupid, is maybe a little busy in more locations with other relatives. Just stick around and don't forget to Let Hetty Know!
( Ooops, gotta get the phone~~

I think I have a scoop -- I have a question: What beautiful young lady (of the family) was just seen boarding a plane for Kansas City, accompanied by a rather attractive young man? Let me make some calls!

Got it. They tell me that it is a business trip and that two of the office best are attending! But I know this young man is not the same one L -- oops she was seen dining out with earlier in the week and nobody seems to know much about those dates! Thanks for the info!! Get the news first from Hetty!!

While reading this week in various papers and magazines, I came across these very important facts that everyone should know! Maybe some of you already do know them?

Did you know that......

.....Elvis Presley had a twin brother named Jesse Garon Presley who died at birth?

.....That bulls are color blind, therefore they will usually charge at a matador waving a cape, no matter if it is bright red or neon yellow?

.....That there are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Cracker cookie Zoo?

.....That an elephant can hold 2.5 gallons of water in its trunk?

.....That a chicken with red earlobes will produce brown eggs and a chicken with white earlobes will produce white eggs?

.....That the fastest speed a raindrop has reached when falling is 7 MPH?

.....That there are 3,500 feathers on a mature turkey?

.....That 45 million turkeys are eaten at Thanksgiving and 22 million turkeys are eaten at Christmas?

.....Now, how many did you know?

Now Try These: Supply the words that will make the following correct statements

EXAMPLE: 32=DF at which WF.

ANSWER: Degrees Fahrenheit at which water freezes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
#1. 26=L of the A

#2. 7=C in the S

#3. 52-PC in a D
#4. 11=P on a FT
#5. 64=S on a CB
#6. 100=S in the USS
#7. 18=H on a GC
#8. 8=S on a SS
#9. 76=T led the BP
#10. 12=S of the Z
#11. 5= N in a ZC
#12. 200=D for PG in M
#13. 88=K on a P

How many can you get? -- Answers will be found in "This and That" next week.

Bulletin #1

To all of you hard working kids trying to get an education *KEEP WORKING -- it's worth it.*

I will give you some news about Grandpa and I and then about each other. Someone may not have heard that our home here in the park got the YARD OF THE MONTH award. Grandpa put in lots of effort to make it nice (I even weeded the flower beds) and it was fun being recognized for the effort.

Also we are going to church convention this coming Thurs. through Sunday afternoon. We drive there and back every day as it is only about 20 miles from here. Some of our friends from Mpls (John and Becky Evans) are coming down to stay with us and make the daily trip, too.

Now then I will start with the girls:

Becky is going to Alexandria Technical College. to become a "Human Service Practitioner." Her goal is to help the challenged in life -- those living in group homes and etc. Her classes this semester are child development, composition, etc. She sounds like one busy lady with Jayce to get on his bus, and Caity on hers, and help out a bit with the day care when she can, and classes arranged to mean quite a bit of driving.

Heidi says her first day at the University of Minnesota went pretty well. She caught the bus and got to the U. without a hitch. She likes the campus there -- pretty and lots of charm with many attractive older buildings as well as the more modern type. The day she wrote, she had a freshman seminar on American culture. She enjoyed her lunch as she met one of the girls she knows who are attending the U., too.

Now the Boys:

Eric let me know that his computer is dead, fried by a storm! He had renter's insurance and will be getting a new one -- and promises to write as soon as it is set up. Leona tells me that they are both back to school -- should know more details later.

Chris says he is on his last semester and is trying to decide just what kind of *real job* he will be going into. For income right now he is back at the restaurant where he enjoys the Boss and the rest of the help. He thought the semester was going to be a breeze but it sounds like he is finding that it might get a bit tough with something he referred to as senior capstone class with lots of papers to write.

Ben sent me a letter, too, and I copied it (like I did the rest) but I cannot find it -- so I will just tell you what I remember... If I get it wrong, please set it right when you write, Ben.

Ben is in his second year at University of North Dakota. He is living off campus with three other guys that he knows. They couldn't move in right away so spent some time in a motel. His folks went up on Labor Day and helped him move in. He is going to have to let me know more about his schedule. He also had a neat summer job and did OK at that.

I just got a letter from Zach; he says the University of Minnesota, Duluth, is a beautiful school with great facilities. They have a large library (5 stories) and tons of computers. You can log in your own personal desktop and all of your information and programs are there exclusively for you -- talk about convenient. He has an English class, art, a couple interesting sounding ones: one called rhetoric of pop culture and one called interpersonal communications.

It sounds like you all have things off to a start -- and good luck to you all for the coming year!

Love,
Grandma (and Grandpa, of course)

Last year Patti and her daughter Paige, 5, decorated the Christmas tree. Later in the evening while Paige was asleep, Patti reassessed the tree as it didn't look complete. She decided to add a couple of strings of beaded garland to the tree. The next morning when Paige saw the tree, she exclaimed, "Mommy, what a beautiful necklace you put on the tree!" -- Patti Schmidt of Appleton, Wisconsin

Donna and her husband were taking their grandchildren on a weekend outing. It was a cool brisk day with a strong wind. As they passed a large lake, Jayce, their 4-year-old grandson, piped up from the back seat, "Grandma, look at all the FEATHERS on the lake!" Sure enough, the whitecaps looked just like feathers strewn all over the lake! -- Donna Johnson of Ashby, Minnesota (a winter wonderland)

One evening while eating out at a local restaurant, Dan's 3-year-old daughter, Alleen, was watching as patrons entered the building. An elderly couple entered and the woman was using a three legged walker that had wheels on the back legs. Alleen exclaimed, "Mommy, look, that lady has tricycle with no seat!" -- Dan LeDoux of St. Peters, Missouri

Roc, 4, had been Christmas shopping with his mother. They stopped at his Grandma's house on the way home. Roc said, "Grandma, you are going to like the present we bought you. It came from the God Store." They had been shopping in the Christian book store! -- Grace Nau (grandmother of Roc) of Evansville, Indiana

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY: The early worm gets eaten by the bird, so sleep late.

EDITOR'S POLICY: If you wish to subscribe to The Bulletin, simply send me a statement of that fact. If you wish to keep receiving it I hope you will contribute to one of the columns that are running in this family epistle (at least occasionally!). My e-mail address is dma49261@juno.com

This Bulletin is copyright Dorothy M. Anderson; the contents are also copyrighted by the authors and photographers and used with their permission, and the contents are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the explicit consent of the creators.

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