The Spirit of God is upon us! [1] Just a year ago we were doing two things that we couldn’t have predicted several years ago: we were taking a Systematic Theology [2] course together and investigating the possibility of a new lifestyle – two separate things but, in retrospect, woven together. After a successful and exceedingly satisfying results of four years’ work on our Altadena property converting it to a native CA garden with over 130 different species [3] and being a favorite on the Theodore Payne Foundation Garden Tour three year in a row… and after taking a Spirituality course together – a transformative experience… we indeed felt the breath of the Spirit blowing afresh in us. Last July ’05, we had a few days to ourselves between visiting relatives and Robert [4] found a Bed & Breakfast just 45 minutes west of Deb’s folks in Neenah and 2 hours north of Rob & Dee in Madison. The B&B was an old, 1853, farmstead that felt just like home with the relaxed and hospitable hosts, our cozy room, delicious but simple breakfast… we said, “We could do this!” By the time we left Madison we had the book, How to Buy and Run a B&B, and had passed the self-test about personal attributes [5] that the author thought are needed to do this kind of business.
As we had done with our garden we first needed to learn about this new thing. We signed up for the Wisconsin Bed & Breakfast Association “Aspiring Innkeepers” seminar in November and made the trip back. When we finished that we said, “Well, in a few years this is something we could do.” Friends, Janet & Ken Joslyn who live in Minneapolis, suggested we meet over the holidays at the B&B that inspired us to explore this new lifestyle. We weren’t able to make the dates work but when Deb told the innkeeper that their place had inspired us be innkeepers, too, he said, “This place is for sale!” We just stood flabbergasted [6] This was too good to be true!
It wasn’t what we expected! We hadn’t really thought we were ready to make a transition as Robert had only just transferred to the MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) project at JPL in September – now working for a dear friend and with some great folks - and Deb had only one semester left to finish her Masters in Theological Studies at San Francisco Theological Seminary. Dear Lord, could it be we are to move back to the Midwest now; we’d always said we would return to Wisconsin? We prayed and thought and considered …. [7]
In February we made an offer on the Crystal River Inn, [8] stipulating that we couldn’t come until June when Robert retires and Deb graduates and Inn owners, Gene and Lois agreed.
In April we engaged a highly recommended realtor who said we’d need to have plans about interim housing since our house would surely sell quickly and if we don’t want to move until June… the housing market was pretty hot. We made plans to leave. In March Deb left her position as Parish Nurse Coordinator with a heavy heart as she had been there for nearly 15 years and worked with wonderful people doing satisfying work. She had been focusing on her Master’s thesis, “Spiritual Formation for Parish Nurses,” for a year, had taught/lead the course of this title for her parish nurses and brought it to a conclusion that felt like the climax of her career there. It was a good place to be. Now she needed to write that up, finish two seminary courses and get the house ready to sell. Well, it must have been that moment that the market cooled because our house didn’t sell until October.
In May, Robert insisted [9] that Deb’s folks come out and they all trek up to San Francisco for Deb’s graduation. Janet and Ken Joslyn, came too. It was quite fun as the graduates were “piped” in by a bagpiper in full Scottish regalia - quite a memorable event!
On June 6, 2006, Robert retired from 23 years of service at Jet Propulsion Laboratory – just 40 years to the day of graduating from LSU [10] . There were lots of parties [11] to celebrate Robert! Deb was again impressed with (not surprised at) how many people appreciate his gifts of leadership, kindness and humor. He received a gold pocket watch and a poster with the pins of 12 or so missions he’d worked on over the years along with colleagues’ handwritten messages of gratitude and well wishes for his future. He also got a pair of tickets to hear Emmy Lou Harris at the Disney Center in LA - great concert that delighted us both. He made many terrific friends there over the years who we hope will come and visit us! We’re both grateful for the many opportunities for personal growth that JPL provided, particularly the many international trips to England, France, and Japan.
We also said goodbye to our Pasadena Presbyterian Church friends/family, our home for 23 years. Just like our friends from work, they had been through so much of our life with us and sustained us in hard times and rejoiced with us in the good times. We got together with our singing group, Sacrament, for a party and tearful parting. People here ask us if we miss the weather. Believe us, that is the least of what we miss – nothing replaces all our dear friends!
On June 10th, we packed up the cats and a suitcase each, expecting to return to California soon to move all our stuff to Wisconsin. Gene and Lois arranged for us to stay in the house [12] where they’ll retire. We spent the next six weeks learning about the area and running the Inn. We are in a historic village of Rural with friendly folk who appreciate Rural’s history. We met most of the village residents this summer at historical society meetings (14 homes here are on the historic registry). They walk by and wave or stop by and invite us over as we sat on the screened in porch. We bought hybrid bicycles and got into a routine of riding down Rural Road through an enchanted forest with sand hill cranes, wild turkeys, deer, red, black and brown squirrels and lots of other critters – paradise! We harvested Rural Road wild grapes and turned them into seven batches of incredible jelly and some nearby wild plums into three batches of jelly.
One of our neighbors is a retired Methodist minister, Ray, married to Helen [13] Potts who grew up in the house we just bought – it was build by her grandfather. Ray also outfits wilderness canoe trips to the boundary waters and invited us to go with him and five others – it was an unforgettable experience: beautiful scenery and challenging activity [14] for us.
Now we’re innkeepers! Our mission is to provide an inclusive, warm and relaxed place for all to feel at home and among friends at the Crystal River Inn. We have a call to a ministry of hospitality to foster rest and refreshment of body, mind and spirit. We are also called to care for and connect with the earth/creation. Hospitality to nature includes reestablishing native plants and natural habitats for native fauna as well as being faithful stewards of the earth/creation and our resources. We have nearly a dozen acres and several buildings [15] for meetings and retreats. Robert has plans for building a labyrinth [16] and paths to areas for meditation . . . the list goes on and we’ll keep dreaming!
We’re so grateful for this opportunity to do a new thing. Do you believe Robert’s been so enthralled with what he’s doing at the Inn that there have been days when he’s forgotten to have lunch? Now that’s being engrossed!
We send our love to you this holiday season. [17]
Love,
[18]
Robert & Deb
1: particularly on Deb who wrote this but sometimes on Robert who did the footnotes.
Back to letter
2:
"Systematic” means organized by topic, e.g. Creation and Environment, Role of the Church, the Trinity etc. rather than just thrashing around with whatever comes to mind. Actually, there are ways other than random to organize but I didn’t take those courses so I don’t know.
Back to letter
3:
One of the species is vitus californicus, California wild grape. (If the Latin name sounds a bit salacious, you have a dirty mind!) The single plant started out as a stick about the size of a chopstick and grew several branches 20 feet long in the first year. No problem, I pruned it back to three vines each 3 feet long. Next year it grew 40 feet almost covering the arbor it was trained to. We measured the growth rate as the first buds were sprouting to be two inches a day. We got nervous sitting to close to the vines and several large pigeons flew in but never flew out. This year it has grown far more, Deb reports. Last year we harvested 6 pounds of grapes and made wonderful grape jelly.
Back to letter
4:
This is all Sara Anderson’s fault (Sam’s wife)! She told me about canoeing the Crystal River and what fun they had. Two days later, we were staying at the Inn and canoeing the Crystal (Deb was canoeing; Robert was mostly hiking and towing because the water was a record low. The River is beautiful but the Mississippi it ain’t.
Back to letter
5:
Summary results: Deb is a very nice person, has a good decorating eye, works hard and can cook. Robert can cook.
Back to letter
6:
For a web page using both “flabbergasted” and “John Calvin,” see http://newlifeemerging.blogspot.com/2005/03/new-theology-reconsidering-original_07.html
Back to letter
7:
not to mention financial soul- and savings- searched
Back to letter
8:
We were concerned that we were not sufficiently in debt with our current mortgage.
Back to letter
9:
I wanted them to know she was getting her MATS from a real seminary.
Back to letter
10:
O.K., it’s D-Day but I was too young to remember the event.
Back to letter
11:
One had a cake decorated for my retirement and for a co-worker who was semi-retiring. It was to read “Happy Retirement and Semi Too”. The last part was written as “Semi Poo.” Consider a career in proof-reading cakes.
Back to letter
12:
Another 1850’s home, built by Aaron Hyatt and located just across the Crystal River on Main Street. Hence we could tell folks we were staying at the Hyatt on Main St.
Back to letter
13:
See Helen’s Summer Room on our web site, www.crystalriver-inn.com
Back to letter
14:
Typical day: paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, portage, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, paddle, portage and lunch, paddle, paddle, paddle, portage standing on beaver dam, paddle, paddle, paddle, collapse.
Back to letter
15:
including a magnificent barn. It is relatively new compared to the original house, it was raised in 1902. Needs some repair and lots of paint but it has great potential. The hay loft would make a great place for meetings, worship and dances. We’re still planning how to use the bottom part (in agribusiness terms, the Cow Bedroom.
Back to letter
16:
See www.labyrinthsociety.org
Back to letter
17:
In honor of the holiday season, we are considering waiving the surcharge for friends and relatives.
Back to letter
18:
and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Blessed Kwanzaa, Blessed Ramadan (long past) and a Riotous Solstice and Saturnalia. Celebrate the dying of the light and the promise that it will come back.
Back to letter