Dear Friends (writes Joan),

“So it’s January 2011.” The weather has been seasonal, down to -36 F downtown, often 14 degrees warmer at the homestead.

Joan has been “ enjoying hearing Alice’s Restaurant for the 100th time… enjoying eating also;
knitting,
seeing wildlife out the window, like chickadees, grouse, woodpeckers, ravens, moose,
and recently tracks (maybe porcupine);
doing crossword puzzles,
jigsaw puzzles,
visiting Niilo at Pioneers Home,
going bowling,
playing cards,
singing and visiting on sauna nights.”

Niilo has declined in the past year, waking little, and rarely communicating. Alex & Heather go with Joan to visit him several times a week, Hospice volunteer DeVonne visits him weekly, and others visit him occasionally. He ceased being able to stand to transfer to a vehicle in the fall, so has not been able to visit the homestead or attend Quaker meeting, so Quakers join him at the Pioneers Home occasionally for meditation.

Chena spends time with Joan at the homestead 3 days a week; Alex continues bowling and movies with her 3 times a week; Heather in a room at the homestead spends time every day.

The homestead had major construction in summer 2010 with re-insulation of a large section of roof and other parts; Chena and Gary oversaw this.