Date: April '00
From: Ed & Karen Olander
To: Olander, Byron and Margo \ Internet: (bolander@home.com)
Subject: Responding to your letter
Hi: This letter is being written by Karen, Ed's wife. We acknowledge your note to Ed today and thank you VERY MUCH. Ed was able to get the pictures and his letter in the mail today to your brothers. He had written Ann earlier.
We are disappointed that we didn't know that you were in EI Cajon. A couple who have been very close to Jim and Pat for years lived in El Cajon until about a year ago and at that time moved to Castle Rock, about 30 miles north of us. All of us were in Rancho Bernardo in early April to Jim Olander's daughter's wedding. it would have been so nice to have had. a chance to see you then. We are excited that you might come to this area in September and would very much like to invite you to stay with us if and when you come. We could also see about going to Grover. I know that Margaret would be excited to see her cousins too. She has so much to tell us about Ed's grandparents and great grandparents. She was much closer to Grandpa Ed having lived in Grover for some time. She works at a Walmart in Gillette, Wyoming. John Lee and Dee Dee live in Ft. Collins. John is a junior high principal and Dee Dee is an elementary school teacher. Eleanor lives in an independent-living home near them. She will be 90 in October. Her memory is not too good and one minute she is thinking rationally and the next one she is all mixed up and thinks Lefty is alive and also her mother. Dementia is creeping in, I'm afraid. Her body seems good and strong, however she doesn't eat very much and is quite thin.
Jim Olander is retiring the end of June. Mandatory for airlines at age 60. He flies for American. He is coming to see us this Sunday and go with Ed up to Ft. Collins for a visit with their mom. Next week we are planning on going up in the mountains to do some fishing and then over to Lake Powell. Ed bought a used 19-foot boat this winter and so we are meeting some long-time Hewlett-Packard friends from Ft. Collins in Lake Powell, near Moab, Utah near the end of the week. This friend recently purchased a nice boat and plans to berth it on Lake Powell for the summer. Jim's wife, Pat, is presently in Tulsa (along with Jim) visiting their newly-married daughter. Because Greg & Julie were married in CA. the folks in Tulsa are having a reception for them this Sat.
When we were in Sacramento on our way to San Jose in late March, we went to see Aunt Betty and all of us went out for lunch. We took her to see her new modular home which is about 4 units from her daughter. There was some paper work holding up her move but they anticipated that would be cleared up soon. I hope she is in her unit by now. Over the years when we lived in the Bay Area when Ed's parents would come to visit we would go up and see Virg and Betty. It has been quite a few years since Lefty and Eleanor have been out. Ed and I hadn't seen her since we moved in 1997. I do correspond with her and send pictures from time to time. She is always interested in hearing from us. Her sight isn't too good but she is a real trooper. Her new place has a raised bed for a garden and she is very happy about that. She and Virg always had a garden.
Last July, Ed retired after 33 years with H-P. He hopes this summer to get in a lot of fishing. I have a sister and husband that live up in Red Feather Lakes, about 50 miles north and west of Ft. Collins. That is where Ed fished with his dad as a youngster so he knows the fishing in that area and my brother in law is also an avid fisherman so they hope to do some fishing together.
We are wondering about your family. Imagine you have children and wonder if they live near you? Are you grandparents. We have two boys, Kent 39 and Kris 38. Kent and his family of 4 children live here in the Springs and Kris and his family of 2 children live in San Jose. Kris was here last week with his boys, ages 15 months and almost 4. His wife was not able to come this time. We go to see them several times a year especially when Ed was still working for H-P. Ed tele-commuted from here for 2 years before retiring and his home office was in Cupertino so we went out four times a year or more and stayed with them. Kent has 2 boys and 2 girls. The boys are 17 and 15 and the girls 12 and 10. Their 17 year old is a Russian orphan who they adopted 2 1/2 years ago. We enjoy being near them and out of the traffic of the Bay Area. We do miss our San Jose family tho. We lived 20 years in that area being transferred there in 1977. Ed has been in the computer area of H-P. We moved here in 1997. We really enjoy this area and also our church and friends we have made there. We enjoy baseball and even tho the Rockies can't find very many good pitchers we enjoy watching them and, also the Broncos.
Again, thanks for your correspondence. Ed would have answered you but is busy trying to get our trip planned and doesn't write as many letters as I do. I guess you would say I am the corresponder in our family as perhaps Margo is in yours. Look forward to hearing from you and also ~ possibility of seeing the two of you this fall.
Ed and Karen