My Family is awesome! Below is a description of all of them, except I haven't done them all yet, so check back often.
My
Wife Ivona
Ivona is a Kindergarten Teacher in the San Jose Unified School
District. We were married August 2005 and it still feels weird
to call her my wife, I'll get used to it soon. We have been together
for 10 years and are a good match. Ivona likes bluegrass music
okay, but her passion is Ballet dancing, she doesn't do shows
anymore but still takes classes twice a week to stay sharp. She
is also a talented painter and hopes to start selling her paintings.
There's not much there now, but check out her web
site, we plan to whip it into shape right quick. At first
she'll seem shy and quiet, but once she gets to know you, she'll
catch you off guard with her dry sense of humor and quick whit.
Oh yeah, and she is from Poland, she came to the states at age
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My Brother
Pete
Pete grew up playing music before turning
to life of water sampling. He recently moved into a condo right
down the street from me and I have big plans to swim in his pool
this summer. In his spare time he enjoys cooking, playing disc
golf, and procrastinating about getting wireless internet in his
house. He is also a huge sports fan but can't wrap his head around
Tivo'ing a game to watch it later, I guess you could say he lives
for the moment. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, he and
his then future wife moved up to San Jose, much to my delight.
His shiny black truck stays clean from weekly washings at Grandma
Mary's house.
Update: Pete recently got wireless internet in his house, it doesn't always work very well despite hours of help from Parminder with customer service. |
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My Mom Claudia
My mom lives in Davenport, California which 10 miles
North of Santa Cruz on the coast. Her and her husband Bruce (see
below) moved over there to escape allergens and the hustle bustle
lifestyle of the big city (aka, the suburban sprawl that is San
Jose). She enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking
all over God's creation, and walking in circles in her meditation
labyrinth (the site of the album cover of my latest CD, Walkaway).
She also has an affinity for bees and collects anything with a
bee on it, especially if it is yellow. And just her luck, her
stepdaughter has recently taken to bee-keeping so once a year
she goes up to Washington to harvest honey from the real deal.
She has an artistic streak that shows up in paintings or sculptures
all over her house. Basically she is the world's greatest mother.
Just in, new pizza oven photos! They had this put in just in time for brother Pete's wedding. You make a lot more than just pizza in that thing.
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My Dad Rick
The running joke is that being my dad's son is a full-time job. Not so true anymore since he moved far away (Jamestown, near Sonora, CA), but back in the day there was always something to be done. He likes to keep busy when he isn't recovering from knee replacement surgery. He is a funny guy who always has a story to tell, but it's up to you to decide whether the story is true or not...usually not though. He lives with his wife Lynn and a LOT of animals, still works at a day job a few days a week, and pours his heart and soul into being the Chairman of the Board of the California Bluegrass Association. He is also the main reason why I am into Bluegrass music, and he'll definitely take all the credit for everything I do right the next time you see him... |
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My Grandma
Dortha
Some call her Dortha, or Dot, but somehow I started calling her Mama Dot and it stuck, so to me she is Mama Dot. She is my mom's mom and lives out in Davenport, California with mom and Bruce. Her last name is Davenport, and she lives in Davenport, a strange coincidence, or is it? She enjoys volunteering at the local nature preserve, taking long walks in the mountains or along the coast, and arguing with Bruce about which piece of wood should be added to the fire next. She specializes in jello related recipes and also makes the finest "Snicker Snack," i.e. chex mix, in the world. Once a week she travels to San Jose to visit and help take care of Bruce's mom, Grandma Mary. She drives a treasured, brand new Toyota Prius Hybrid. |
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My Grandpa
Boppa
Boppa passed away more than a decade ago and is sorely missed. He taught me how to play golf, both miniature and real, the rules of football and poker, and the love of nature. After retiring, he and Dortha moved to the dream home they had built on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Mountains near Woodford Station. This meant many family vacations to the mountains to ski, or hike, or fish, or just hang out. He and Mama Dot always had great adventures planned for brother Pete and I, which translates into many great memories. |
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My Step-mother
Lynn
Lynn hails from Long Island, New York which is only evident
on certain words she says, her accent is mostly gone She's always
been a great artist but only recently got back into it after taking
a few watercolor courses. She thought she would hate portraits
but all of sudden they seem to be her calling card. Some people
have even commissioned portraits of their loved ones. When she's
not painting she enjoys tending to her many animals which include
goats, llamas, dogs, cats, chickens, fish, a parrot, and my dad.
She is also an avid reader, which is cool because I get to steal
her books when she is done with them. A picture of her is coming
soon, but the paintings to the right are both recent additions
to Lynn's portfolio, clicking on them will give you a larger view.
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My Step-father
Bruce
The best word to describe Bruce is...interesting. He reads a lot, follows sports and popular culture, listens to a ton of music, and enjoys staying active. This means lot's of interesting things to discuss. He also knows how to win loyalty from new little step-sons...the comic book store and arcade. Not sure when he last played pin ball, but he still shoots hoops and does a lot gardening and hiking. He also likes to argue with Mama Dot about which area of the fire to poke next. He recently threw out his shoulder after I introduced him to disc golf, but has recovered nicely. When he's not bottling wine or playing bocce ball you'll find him planning his next activity and taking good care of my mom and grandma out on the coast... |
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My Grandma
Mary
Coming soon! |
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My Aunt
Cathi
Coming soon! |
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My Step-Sister
Kate
Why are there pictures of bees and bee products over there to the right? Stay tuned... |
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My Brother
In-Law Jacob
Coming soon! |
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My Sister
In-Law Summer
Coming soon! |
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My Brother
In-Law Ralph
Coming soon! |
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My Mother
In-Law Teresa
Coming soon! |
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My Father
In-Law Miroslaw
Coming soon! |
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| More family
members coming soon... |
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