Christmas letter 2009
Author: admin
• Saturday, January 09th, 2010

I know what you’re thinking, “They’re retired and they couldn’t get their Christmas cards out before the New Year?” It’s not my fault, really! About the time when one begins to worry that you don’t have a plan for your annual Christmas card or letter (like December 15th), I asked dear old Dad if he wanted to wait until Andrew came in from Canada to get the full family shot. “Yes,” he says, “we should wait”. Phew! I had another week to put that off. So you see it’s Jack’s fault.

Anyway, this Christmas the Ohsberg clan was together for the first Christmas since 2005. One or another of the kids has been on a different coast someplace. This year all were resident in North Carolina, and this mom and dad were delighted.

2009 had its share of ups and downs for everyone and we were no exception. We had visits from my Mom and my sister-in-law, Judy, last Christmas day. Andrew and his friend, Torie, were with us into mid January. They both went back to their respective internships back in Canada, where Andrew decided to extend his stay with the church for another year and Torie went back to her home in Australia.

In February, Adam and Jenny started their trek across America to try living on the east coast. Jenny’s Mom, Cynthia, and her sister, Annie, drove along. The kids live close by in Charlotte now and both seem to be doing very well with career moves. Jenny is working her way up at Nordstrom’s and Adam landed in a management position at a private country club, while teaching his beloved martial art form in the evenings to the country club members. We joke that he really landed in about as good a position as anyone could, particularly during these difficult economic days.

Washington DC was a family trip for us and the McGlincheys in March. We managed to hit the incredible cherry blossoms at their peak! What an amazing place that is. We are so grateful that our daughter and son-in-law ask us along on their vacations. It is so much fun when you can watch your grandkids explore the wonderful world of the Smithsonians, explain from a grandparent’s perspective what they remember about Vietnam or Sputnik or the Beatles, or moon rocks or……well you get the idea. Brenden did lots of work-related traveling this year, even as far away as China. We’re grateful to God that everyone who wants work is working right now.


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Julie is plenty busy with homeschooling the 3 oldest kids while “the bear” (Brogie,19 months) shakes things up a lot more than he used to. I try to get over there twice a week to keep him otherwise occupied. My role is to teach/learn Spanish right along with Abby (10) and CJ (8). Even Emmy (4) is picking up Spanish just by being in the vicinity.

Homeschooling has its perks, they put me into all kinds of weird circumstances

Grandchildren are the very greatest blessing there is, particularly when they are small and still want you in their lives. So no matter what the personal cost of leaving the wonderful coast of Monterey Bay has been, we would not trade it for the world of McGlinchey kids. Icing on the cake is to have 2 of our 3 kids and their truly wonderful mates close by. As Andrew finishes up his degree in theology, we hope NC registers on his radar. But God’s call on his life is stronger than a mom’s call, and I know my place!


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Jack’s dad went home to be with the Lord on April 29th from his home in Florida. We were so grateful to have spent some very wonderful days with him prior to his becoming ill. We were even more grateful to be with him when he died. We sure miss him. I’m sure it would have made Pop really happy that his grandson Andrew officiated at his memorial service.

Mom, Judy and I went on a cruise to a few Mexican ports in June. We had a great time and look forward to a trip along the Caribbean this year. Mom was able to check cruising off her bucket list, and she was a delightful cabin mate.

Jack was able to slip into California for a short visit with dear old friends in August for the Concours D’elegance. He was so grateful to see his old friends, but happy to get home to his pool too. That’s progress – missing NC as home base!

Jack's birthday present, May

In September we spent a couple of days with my maid-of-honor (39 years ago) and her hubby, Lucy and John, at the Outer Banks. Lucy introduced Jack and me during my first high school job. It was wonderful to reconnect, reminisce and relax together. We hope to do that again. It was my 40th year high school reunion this year, and although I didn’t make it to Danielson, Connecticut, I was able to reconnect with several old high school friends. It truly seems like yesterday.

John and Lucy Krause

Presently Jack is awaiting word from his doctor on a rotator cuff repair but otherwise we’re healthy and still loving retirement. Jack, I think, wishes he had something other than yard work to do, like a garage to build for his car hobby, but this is no time for improving real estate. We’ve become more focused on our own political views this past year and we hope to become much more engaged over this next year. It’s been refreshing to feel a little emboldened over the political process and the direction of the country, and we can all do our parts to keep the democratic process working.

We’ll be back in California in April, 2010, to catch up with the whole family at my niece, Lizzy’s wedding, and to see our nephew Jeremy and Steph’s new baby boy, who at this writing is still making us wait on his appearance. We cannot wait to see our friends once again too, we miss you all!

Ethan Michael Tetreault

Probably the greatest blessing of all this 2009 Christmas season was my baby brother, Mark, married his wonderful Eileen. Being 47 years old, he’s not one to rush things or to march in step with the crowd. If ever there was a feel-good story, this has been one the whole Tetreault clan could rejoice over.

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Tetreault

This is long and reflective, but with my memory I have to write this stuff down or I cannot remember what happened yesterday let alone last year. It won’t hurt my feelings if you can’t gut it out. Please know that you are held in our hearts and our prayers until we meet again.

Happy 2010 – and may God Bless America, the greatest country on earth. Dee & Jack

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John’s Legacy
Author: admin
• Friday, August 28th, 2009

When I retired just over a year ago and we moved to this wonderful bucolic North Carolina acreage, I was sure I would have plenty of time to think and write out my thoughts. Blogging is more what it is called today – and that is just fine with me. I type much better than I write longhand any way, and there’s the benefit of an instant readership. I would finally have the quiet and the time to sort out and unravel all my heart-felt opinions about life and living.

It seems I’ve always had very strong opinions about almost everything (quick thanks here to my friends and family who have loved me in spite of those opinions) and now was the time to really set my mind straight. Growing older causes you to see things VERY differently than when you were in your 20s, 30s, 40s (you get the idea), and it amazes me to see that I am still evolving. I think I see myself becoming more seasoned and in some things more thoughtful and balanced. I wanted those who have known me well to know I wasn’t done yet. Sort of like cleaning up a file cabinet, my thoughts would be logical and linear and possibly even help someone else along the way!

I was also excited to be able to establish a little literary history of my life, my future, my failings, my triumphs, particularly for my precious children and grandchildren. Religion and politics, two not-so-secret passions of mine but subjects that were not always very welcome dining table discussions, would be high on my agenda.

So what happened? In the last year I have written exactly once – it was the 2008 Ohsberg family Christmas letter that is my annual job. Since then I’ve had plenty of ideas, plenty of opinions (particularly in an election year), but somehow I came to believe that what I have to say matters very little. And so I got writer’s block. Nothing! Even coaxing from my daughter and her daughter could elicit nary a paragraph.

That changed Wednesday night, April 29, 2009. Not by wishing or a sweating desire to write, but by necessity. I knew my writer’s block was broken that night, the night that I stood around the bedside of my husband’s dying father.

I want to honor the man who raised my husband, the man I affectionately called “Pop” for nearly 40 years. The words I write and the remembrances that I share are important for my children and grandchildren to know. When my own father died fifteen years ago my heart would not allow anyone to know the depths of my loss, and I am deeply sorry now because memories fade and some are forever lost. So forever let all those who read these words know that I write about the legacy to me and mine of my father-in-law, John Edward Ohsberg, Jr.

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One thing I want you to know about John is that he was honest, brutally at times, but always. Above all he valued the truth in himself and others. Integrity and loyalty were the foundations to his character. He looked for these qualities in every relationship he would form. He was the archetypical straight shooter. You knew where you stood with John, either because he told you so or because of what he didn’t say.

He could be cynical and even sensitive to the point of being touchy, but I’m convinced that these two traits heralded back to his birth. John never knew the love of a mother. She died when John was just a wee lad. John was left to be forever rejected by his father and shuffled from relative to relative for his upbringing. He grew up expecting to be rejected, feeling undeserving of any unconditional love. You could say he sort of had his “dukes up,” ready to deliver a blow before he’d be suckered punched. And in that context one can understand the man he grew to be.

A man small in stature but gigantic in intensity, he told us on one of our last visits with him how he joined the Navy – lying about his age, and he learned early to be mean so that he wouldn’t be picked on for his size by the rest of the crew.

When he met and fell in love with your grandmother, Ginny, he put all his eggs in one basket. He would be to her a husband of the highest integrity and loyalty, love her with a mighty love that has echoed down through the generations. Theirs was a marriage that every one of his children has marveled at. It was such a wonderful example of unity that I based my own awkward attempts at marriage on it, and it has served me well over the past 39 years.

John moved away from Connecticut after retiring from the State Department of Transportation where he was a consummate welder and fabricator. Although he didn’t brag about his ability, he knew what he was doing with a torch and a piece of metal in his hands. He took great pride in that accomplishment. Later he went on to spend another 10 years at the same job but for the State of California – where he was affectionately called Barney (because he reminded his coworkers of the Flintstones character, lovable and small Barney).

He and Ginny had moved to California to be near Jack and me, and to get away from the cold of New England winters. In fact they lived just across the street from us for about 7 years. The move was not easy on them, but they embraced it and began to put down roots again well into their 50s. Now I realize just how difficult a move like that was.

We saw them struggle with change, but we also rejoiced with them when they made new friends and became part of a very important community – a community of believers that would affect the rest of their lives. They came to Woodland, California as life-long Episcopalians and within the first year became born-again believers with much more intensity for their faith and a wonderful new role for themselves as mentors and servants for Jesus to their fellow congregants.

After Ginny’s sudden death in 1996, John was devastated. He soon moved away from the house they shared in Woodland for 17 years and decided the best way to get away from the memories was to move as far away as possible to a new place. He joined his son Russ in Stuart, Florida.

He never really regrouped from losing Ginny, which is the way it seems it should be with all love stories. He had lost his heart and soul and didn’t find much purpose to living after that. He was brave and made good attempts to let his children know he was getting by, but he fooled no one. He longed to go home and be with Ginny and enjoy his reward in heaven with her for eternity.

 

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The last few weeks when John knew he was dying were met with incredible resolve. There was some fear but I believe it was of losing his dignity as his controlled grip loosened on his revolting body. He knew he had done his job of living and was ready to go.

Your grandfather showed his children how to live, how to endure adversity and not let it beat them, how to be a marriage partner, how to be an ethical worker, how to be a good neighbor and trustworthy friend, how to give his children what they needed and not necessarily what they wanted. He was what I would call a meat and potatoes type of individual – no nonsense, plain spoken, his word was his bond. He knew what it was to struggle through a great deal of his walk on this earth, but he wasn’t a whiner or a complainer.

I have come to appreciate that more than I thought I would. I can look back on all of it in a larger context today, perhaps because I’m much older and know a few more things about life and what it really means to live it. I know your grandfather was a wonderful and important part of your heritage and he left you with a richness that is part of your own DNA. As you encounter your own struggles and seek to conquer your highest mountains, I hope that you will think about who you are deep inside, what your DNA is made of, and what your parents and grandparents have bequeathed to you. But one thing is all important as far as relationships go, and the one thing I think your grandfather, John, was golden at was how to be a wonderful mate. I remember early on in our marriage when I’m sure he was trying to get a point across to a very inexperienced young bride, he said, “I didn’t marry your mother (in-law) to fight with her.” Think about those words – they are priceless indeed.

I will leave you with a quote from your grandmother. This excerpt is from a letter she wrote to your own dad when we moved away from New England to what she thought was the other side of the world, way off in California where she was convinced she would never see her son again. “Be a good man, Jack, and when in doubt, think of your father, as I don’t think you can find a better example anywhere.”

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Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh; Well Not Exactly…
Author: admin
• Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

I had a birthday the other day.  I’ve never really thought too much about my birthdays and don’t particularly like it when others do either.  I’m not sure why, I just don’t get it.

My family always dutifully asks what I would like as a gift, but I sort of feel like when I need something I get it for myself. And so I’m sure  I unintentionally make it pretty hard on them.  I guess my philosophy is I should be sending my mother a gift for getting me into the world safely and giving me a healthy upbringing!

But my kids make a lot of my special day anyway.  They see to a memorable meal that I can’t host, I have a cake, presents, and all the trappings.  It always ends up very much the way I would like to spend my birthday.  Nothing could make me happier than to hear a lot of laughs around the dinner table – seeing all 10 faces (when Canada Boy is home) enjoying for an hour or two being my husband and kids and treating me royally.  That is as good as it gets.

This year the grandkids decided they would be active participants in the gift giving.  I want it to be a “heart memory” and so I’m writing it down so I don’t forget. I’ll just bet some of my friends can relate!

Abby, nearly 10 years old now, knitted “Mimi” a winter hat to go with a new winter jacket dear old Dad brought home for me from the Wharf in Monterey (I can just see my Jenny cringing!).  Little CJ presented me with a wrestling participant’s medal on a neck ribbon that he wasn’t using anymore, and Emmy presented me with a miniature Cinderella that she and I could play with when she spends the night.  Each one thought about what might make a good present and they were excited and delighted to see me open each one.

Their thoughtfulness nearly brought me to tears. Actually it took me way back to remembering other gifts from my own children throughout the years, like a noodle necklace from Adam that Julie reminded everyone that I often wore to work, and clay pottery fashioned out of long strings of dough, a precious nickel ring that I wore to my son’s wedding as a reminder of the little boy I loved raising, sand art housed like a precious Ming vase in my cabinet, and a jar full of written down sentiments from my daughter.

I don’t ever want to trivialize a birthday again or any other gifts from the heart and hands of my children and grandchildren.   To me they are as valuable as the gifts of the magi.

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Spring 2009 261

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Ohsberg Christmas Letter 2008
Author: admin
• Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

Ohsberg 2008 Roundup

This has been a year like no other for the Ohsberg clan.  After 15 months of trying to sell our home by the ocean, and one false start in November,  we said goodbye in early March to our son Adam, our family, and our friends and co-workers of 15 years for a chance to be near Julie, Brenden and our grandkids in Charlotte, NC.   Julie’s new baby was expected by the end of May and we were thrilled to be able to be there in time.

In May, our precious nephew, Jeremy, and his wife, Stephanie, got married in Maui. We were back on a plane going 5,000 miles in the other direction this time. A wedding on the beach in Maui – it hardly gets any better than that. About 15 of the Tetreault clan flew in from all parts of the US and spent a week together.  We made Julie promise to wait for us to return for baby #4 to be born.

Julie kept her promise and Matthew Brogan came into the world on May 24th.  He was a big guy from the start (9 lbs, 5 oz) and could easily handle the other 3 siblings, Abby 9, CJ 7, and Emmy 3.  Although it took 4 tries, Julie is convinced “Brogie” looks like her side of the family this time.

Shortly after the baby’s birth, Nana Tetreault arrived for a visit to see the new great-grandkid and our new homestead.  It was a thrill to have Mom with us, and as I write this she is due back in a few days to spend Christmas with us (this time towing along Aunt Judy).

After Nana left, Andrew came home for some R&R from his student life in Toronto, Canada.  It gave him a chance to see his new home in NC before returning to graduate.  So, at the end of July Jack and I were on the road again driving through Niagara Falls ( a must see!) on our way to pack up Andrew in Toronto and send him off to Stratford, Ontario, where he will intern for about another year.

Once back from there, we headed south to visit Jack’s dad in Stuart, Florida.  We met the newest member of the Ohsberg clan – a Pug named Winston.

Thus far we had headed east from California as far as we could go, north to Canada and south to Florida.

It was home for a breather until the next big day in our lives.  At the end of September on Julie’s birthday, Adam married his sweetheart Jenny Russell.  So once again all the McGlinchey and the Ohsberg clans flew to California to spend 10 days with the groom and  bride-to-be.  It was a tremendous 10 days of reuniting with family and friends and seeing our PG home now belonging to someone new.  Andrew was absolutely thrilled to have us meet his lovely Torie from Australia – a fellow student in Toronto – who now just happens to be interning at a sister church in Stratford……hmmmm.

Finally we’re home to put down roots and learn about life in North Carolina!  We should tell you we’re pretty pleased with our home, the land that keeps Jack in shape, and Dee’s ability to get up every morning and know she doesn’t have to go to work!  Have I mentioned I LOVE RETIREMENT?

It is wonderful to have lived long enough to enjoy this, and I highly recommend it.
Our 4 little treasures make everyday an adventure and Sunday nights are once again filled to overflowing around the dinner table.

We wish all our family and friends a blessed and healthy New Year as we remember that every day is a gift from Him.  Happy Birthday 2008, Jesus.

We hope you will enjoy the pictures to follow.  Please stay in touch.

Love, Dee & Jack

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