Angela Powers Trentham
Hello to Sherry and Class of '82
Greetings from middle Tennessee ! Things are wet and cold around here, but no snow yet (on 12/5). The leaves have nearly all come down; and my boys have made some money in the post lawn-movwing mulching business, getting leaves off the grass for the winter.
Jonathan brought home a thick brochure from Josten's a couple of months ago - time to order a high school ring. I said, "Man! When I was in school, we didn't order class rings until we were junior... - aargh ! You ARE a junior!" I bet you guys never start sentences with "when I was in school," do you? Jonathan is a good 7 or 8 " taller than I, and has a much deepter voice... a REALLY weird phenomenon. He is a blue belt in Shorin ryu karate, and on-schedule to earn his balck belt shortly after he elaves for college. He's taking some extra hours at the studio to learn the use of the bo (staff), and studeies ninjutsu on his own. 'Doesn't know where he'll attend college, yet - likely U¢â Knoxville or Chattanooga, or Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. He's interested in physics, kinesiology, and robotics. 'Plans to do his senior project on the kinesiology fo martial arts. Most of his courses are honors-level, and next year will be heavy on AP classes.
Garret is thirteen, in seventh grade, and played center and defensive end for the Page Panthers football team this fall. He's taller than I am, too. He's a straight-A student, but won't admit to having any favorite subject 9that would be too close to admitting that he likes school). Oh, now he's telling me that he like geography. He's a hunter, like his dad. They hunt upland game and waterfowl together (ducks, geese, turkey, quail, pheasant) - in middle and west Tennessee, in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa.
The boys have learned to snow ski. They have been three or four times - to Paoli, IN, Park City, UT, and Innsbruck, Austria. They "let me" go with them on the Austria trip this spring and we had such a fantastic time. My brother-in-law went with us; I have no interest in skiing, and his presence provided an adult for each boy and loads of free entertainment. Our German was pretty "gut" by the time we left after 8 days!
My husband, Kevin, is IS Director (information systems) for a lighting products company. computer departments at four factories and logistics hubs in Alabama and Mexico report through to him. He recently completed his Project Manager certification. He hunts at every available opportunity. His annual waterfowling trip to Canada (northeast of Saskatoon) in October was awesome, once again. Turning 40 this year spurred him to make a commitment to run a marathon before he turns 41. He's in training right now to run the Music City Marathon in April for the leukemia/lymphoma society.
I'm always busy with something. Driving boys to sports, helping with their lawn mowing business (they have two commercial mowers now: a John Deere 48" walk-behind a velke and a brand new eXmark 52" kydrolic), selling JuicePLUS+ via network marketing, hosting a ladies' Bible study for our church every Wednesday morning, and maintaining a close relationship with our family's washer and dryer.
I'm also focusing on getting our house/property ready to sell - will FSBO probably next spring. We want a smaller house and more land. Kevin would like a couple of mules, and I want to raise a beef calf and a few chickens for eggs. We have a huge garden every year - 60 x 90' - I can grow green beans, wax beans, tomatoes, pickles, and salsa. The rest we eat fresh or freeze. We have a terrific puppy - bailey is a 7-yr old female black lab - she's a hunting retriever. Kevin's shopping for a pointer which we'll buy at 6 weeks and train.
My latest kick is learning more about Judaism. It has been a fantastic journey to discover this culture that God has communicated so clearly and so lovingly wiht through the millennia; that He created specifically to be His own host when He visited mankind as a human. We celebrate Shabbat together as a family on Saturday nights, since our Shabbat is sunday. I'd like to study Hebrew online or with CDs. I'm putting together plans for a Passover deder, and may invite some families from church to join us. We are active in a cell-structured church, Baptist by affililation. The guys at my house speak good Spanish and help with the Hispanic ministry. I host that study at our house, help with kids and infants on Sundays, design fliers and advertising when they need it. God is good, and generous in His care for us.
I'd love to hear from any of you ! And, when you're in the area, call me - there's a guest room and a big southern meal ready for you.
Angela Trentham
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