2005
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Val & Jaime (a David Abrams
photo) |
Martha, Rudy, (standing); Ben, & Precy (sitting) |
Tien Ming |
Greetings and Best Wishes to Family and Friends
2005 was filled with much news, some joyous, some sad, but
all emphasized the meaning of life, its passage, and the importance of family.
Here are the highlights:
Val and Jaime Rogers were married in Lake Placid, July 9.
Marrying into a family active in community life in Lake Placid for generations
meant a gala affair (Jaime recently installed as mayor, his dad the judge and
with his wife, editors of a local paper for years). For us, it was also a
chance to get the east and west coast Magdamo/Ghent clan to get together. They
made a formidable and colorful international presence at the affair. Shaun and
Val got to see their cousins for the first time in 20 years. They vowed to not
wait another 20. Being able to stay in a house (Val’s friend Tracy’s) made for great
venue for renewing our sense of family, and the wedding forged the merging of
two wonderful families. Martha and Fred’s cousins, Mimi and Linda, got along
famously. Martha’s daughters, our nieces, Christine and Louise’s sense of humor
was the life of the parties. Jaime and his family are wonderful; we enjoyed
meeting many new members of his family, including his brother, Nip, who spent a
lot of time with our family. It was also good to have Peter come and represent
the west coast branch of the Abraham family. We are very happy. It was very
touching when Jaime and Val drove over to Vermont this fall to give us a new
canoe/kayak hybrid, very high tech and beautiful.
For Priscilla’s brother, Ben, it was a farewell
appearance, a last chance for family loving, as within three weeks he passed
away, finally succumbing to cancer. Ben was, as his son’s portrayed him at his
funeral, a very loving and supportive father. He was very active in their
church, and always inquiring into the meaning of life. Also, while
characterized as very frugal, he and Pat made large gifts to Silliman
University in the name of his parents, Guillermo and Mercedes Magdamo, who had
been faculty at SU, including during the war years, when Silliman became a
Japanese prisoner of war camp, to which
the Magdamo family eventually were confined. We knew Ben as extremely ethical, considerate, and as a good
friend. Shaun and Val both attended with me, his funeral, and again, the
gathering of family was very significant. We got to know Marco and Kirwin, Ben
and Pat’s two older boys, and their families better, a great opportunity for
Val and Shaun. We vowed to have more gatherings, including this winter, with
Marco, Kirwin, Chip, and Pat visiting the Vermont snow. While another brother
died in early childhood, and Martha’s husband many years ago, Ben’s passing was
the first of the Abraham and Magdamo siblings of that generation to go, so it
and the wedding seem to mark a new phase of life for our geneation.
Other sad events were the passing of much loved pets,
Valerie’s dog Madeline, and Shaun’s companion of almost 16 years, Tien Ming.
Tien spent her weekday daytimes with us while Shaun worked, so we got be very
fond of her ourselves. We got another very touching gift of special
transmitting earphones from Tien, posthumously, as thanks for taking such good
care of her, especially in her last difficult weeks.
Priscilla produced with her students at Silliman, in 2004,
a CD of music for use by schools that emphasized both Visayan songs, and familiar
cultural songs that students learn in grade school. It was different from her
recording of 2003. This year, she spent over three months teaching and doing
workshops at various universities in both Malaysia and the Philippines.
Exhausting but rewarding. It was good to get her back. I was too busy with
business and writing to make the trip this time, but have hopes of returning
soon to Silliman to teach again. My brother, Ralph, and I (and others including
a Wisconsin physicist and a math student, and an IT genius, are collaborating
on some research on mathematical aspects of the psychology of art, experimental
aesthetics, and the IT expert (Scott Draves) and I presented a paper on this in
Denver in August, and will again, if funds allow, in Crete in March. A paper
should be published soon; we are still tweaking the data.
I also have enjoyed playing in four town bands (Waterbury,
Williston, Hinesburg, and Morrisville) and especially our jazz band, Green
Mountain Swing. Our major gig of the summer season was playing for a
dinner-dance on a cruise boat on Lake Champlain. We have gotten pretty good.
Those are a few highlights. Keeping in touch with family
and friends is a high priority. Best wishes, Fred & Priscilla