Dear Friends,
Babbie, Ludlow and Bay Bridge
We have “left our hearts in San Francisco”, we are still HERE!! Starting our 3rd year at the “Old Age Home” in Pleasanton, called Stoneridge Creek Retirement Community. Of course we miss Chestnut Hill but this has been a very good move for us—to great weather, no snow nor ice, to a lot of new friends and very near Elizabeth(1/2 hr.) and Clarke(1 hr.) We miss seeing Laura and family in Richmond as often as we used to, but it is wonderful to see Elizabeth and Clarke and their families a lot!!
Babbie’s children: Laura, Clarke and Elizabeth
Laura’s kids Jack and Emmy
The OAH is a busy place especially for Ludlow who loves committees—he is a big honcho with Plant Operations and I really think they should either pay him or let us live here for free! He can’t get banking out of his blood so he is a stalwart on the finance committee and takes all the fitness classes to replace his love for rowing. Tennis continues but no paddle tennis here. He also plays golf 2 or 3 times a week with a group called the Nomads who need not belong to any one golf club, they just travel around from one beautiful course to another, a good way to do it in CA.
Clarke and Katy’s children Lucy, Phoebe, and Maggie
I am playing tennis on hardcourts(not my favorite), and there is a good group of us who show up 3 times a week, ages 76-92—imagine that. We can still do it. All year long.
I am in a book group, was in a small a cappella group which collapsed, am in a bigger chorus and go to lectures and other intellectual events! There are several small venues near us for plays,concerts, opera and entertainment which means we don’t always have to go into SF.
Elizabeth and Paco with children Eliza and Lily
We just got thru with the Super Bowl and all of that hoopla which I am sure you heard about—all fun except for the actual game, boring! We have never been basketball fans until we moved out here to cheer on the Warriors! Clarke works for an investment company doing commercial real-estate development and his big success as the project manager has been leading the approval process for the new basketball arena to be built in SF, for the Golden State Warriors currently in Oakland. Now our new best friend is Steph Curry and if you haven’t seen him play , you are really missing something. So we watch a lot of basketball, golf, tennis and the news which in CA is always riveting. We can’t wait til we know who the presidential candidates will be –so we can skip most of the nonsense going on now.
Laura, Mike and Jack celebrate Emmy’s high school graduation
It has been great fun to spend more time with grandchildren now that we live near them. They come here for lunch and swimming and bocce and we go see them playing their games—soccer or softball or lacrosse or singing in a concert. Much more fun than just visiting for a weekend or at Christmas time. It’s 76 degrees here on V. Day—can you top that? Nice to be missing the cold east coast!
We try to stay in touch but sometimes are a little late with the Christmas and Happy New Year wishes. We love hearing from you! Now you are up-to-date on us, please come see us. We love having visitors. Any time of year is a good time to come to California!
Lots of love on Valentine’s Day and all year long, xoxoxoxoxoxoxo Babbie
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