Bob and Lorraine Russell stopped by for a visit on their way to Georgia.

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The good news is the Phillips family was unscathed. The bad news is the damage is all around us and six people are confirmed dead in Arab just two miles from our home with many more killed around the state. Electric power was out for over five days from 2:45 pm Wednesday to 6:05 pm Monday, May 2. Read More...

Bob and Lorraine Russell from Haslet, Texas, came by for a nice visit this week.

As usual, we ate and talked a lot. They were headed to Georgia for the Easter weekend so could only stay for a few days, but we enjoyed every moment. There was much to review since we had last been together in 2010. Read More...

Much has transpired since the last update, but overall Barbara's condition is about the same. The good news is she is able to walk around in the house okay without assistance and can do a bit of gardening outside. And she continues to feel well. Read More...

Barbara suffered a relapse of the Hashimoto's encephalopathy on December 13. Since then conditions have been somewhat worse with lots of ups and downs. Read More...

Yesterday evening we headed to Huntsville for Jim & Karen Bizer's 8th Annual Champagne and Chocolate Fest. This is our favorite party of the year hosted by our good friends. The word is out within their family and this year they had 4 sons, 1 daughter, and 1 daughter-in-law attending and helping. As usual we enjoyed lots of chocolate sampling and had a great time! Thanks once again Jim & Karen for having celebration and inviting us.

Jim and Karen Bizer drove down from Huntsville to join us for lunch at the local Mt Fuji Japanese Restaurant. Running Bear came along for the ride to check out our snow situation. After lunch we had dessert and coffee at home while catching up on the latest news. We always enjoy their visits. Thanks for coming Jim and Karen (and Bear too).

Today daughter Melanie and son-in-law Gregor brought a belated Christmas dinner to our house. All we had to do was set the table and enjoy both the food and company. Slick roads led to a two day postponement, but today was beautiful with melting snow. We had a wonderful meal and a pleasant visit. Thank you Melanie & Gregor for a nice afternoon!

Our next door neighbors, Butch & Burgie, invited us to share Christmas dinner with them and we eagerly accepted. It was a wonderful afternoon with the family including the boy's grandmother, Francine, from Oregon.

Dylan and Brenden both got new horns for Christmas and they serenaded us.

Due to the snow and Barbara's walking issues the boys came and picked us up in the family golf cart. And Butch delivered us back home later that evening in still more snow. It might have been cold outside, but we had a great time devouring the goose dinner with all the trimmings. Plus home-made apple strudel with ice cream. Thanks to the Martin family for sharing their special day with us!

With Barbara's condition being somewhat improved we elected to accept Bob & Lorraine Russell's invitation to visit them in Haslet, TX. The drive both ways in light traffic and mostly good weather could not have gone smoother.

We also enjoyed perfect weather in Texas where we sat in the Russell backyard and watched the Blue Angels practice and perform an air show at nearby Alliance Airport. That was certainly better than enduring the heavy traffic and large crowds; plus we had our own drinks.

Once again Bob and Lorraine were the perfect hosts and we seriously considered staying longer, but did not want to wear Barbara down too much. We will return!

Barbara's mother, Dorothy Selbmann, passed away on Thursday, October 21, 2010, at the age of 95. Read More...

Things are progressing well, but slowly. The oral prednisone doses are being decreased and her walking is improved. Also, some usage of the right hand has returned. Sleep is still good and she feels very good. The balance is better, but bears watching. Tremors are still present, but somewhat reduced. Every day sees a slight improvement.

It has been an interesting period since the diagnosis was made earlier this month. There has been positive progress and though it seems slow, every day brings some improvement. Read More...

For over eight months now Barbara has been seeing doctors and trying several different medications in an attempt to quell her tremors and other associated problems. This past week she finally received what appears to be an accurate appraisal with a treatment schedule. Read More...

Yesterday evening we once again headed to Huntsville to have dinner with Jim and Karen Bizer. They also invited a couple of their long-time friends and we had a delightful experience along with an excellent dinner. They are always the perfect hosts and we thank them for inviting us.

Daughter Dawn Sloat and her son Christoph drove up from Florida on July 27 for visit. Chris is shown between neighbors Dylan and Brenden Martin who were looking forward to his arrival. Read More...

An unexpected trip to Marshall Medical Center was Barbara's fate on Friday afternoon. It's only 15 minutes from the house, even if you miss the couple of traffic lights, and the care is great. But she would still rather not make the trip. Read More...

Last night was another great evening of music at the local Long Branch Opry. For $15 each we enjoyed over three hours of bluegrass playing. Our review is on the music page.

We recently made the two day trip to Rose Hill, Kansas, for a reunion of Jack's 1955 high school class. The drive was uneventful with no problems. It was great to see the classmates and the attendance was very good with 14 folks able to make it. For a change we stayed at the Air Capital Inn on McConnell AFB and the quarters were exceptional! Plus it was very convenient to Rose Hill. A great trip!

Last night was another great evening of music at the local Long Branch Opry. It was a sell-out crowd for a top notch performance. Our review is on the music page.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Huntsville for a visit with our friends Jim and Karen Bizer. Once again they presented a lovely meal and were the perfect hosts. Thanks to Jim and Karen it was another wonderful evening.

It was another enjoyable evening at the local Long Branch Opry where we heard over three hours of wonderful bluegrass and gospel music. As usual, our review is on the music page.

Yesterday evening we once again attended the nearby Long Branch Opry, a music hall that specializes in bluegrass. It has been closed for the past three years and it was great to have them back in business. Our review is on the music page.

We just returned from a wonderful visit to see our good friends in Texas, Bob and Lorraine Russell.
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Yesterday evening we headed to Huntsville for Jim & Karen Bizer's 7th Annual Champagne and Chocolate Fest. This is our favorite party of the year hosted by our good friends. Once again there were well over 50 interesting people and this time two of Jim's sons and their wives flew in just for this event and to help with all the details. Since Jack was driving the champagne consumption was minimal, however, we made up for it with lots of chocolate sampling. We had a great time! Thanks again Jim & Karen for having this and inviting us.

Once again our good friends, Jim and Karen Bizer, made the trip from Huntsville to join us for dinner yesterday. As always, we had a very enjoyable evening with lively conversation. Their unflappable demeanor lets them handle life's challenges with grace. We are always inspired by their visit. Come again soon!

The Sloat family, Dawn, John & Chris, drove up from their Gulfport, Florida, home for a Christmas visit to Arab. They stayed with Dawn's mother on Christmas day and spent yesterday afternoon at our house. We had a nice time catching up on things and Chris got to visit the Martin boys next door. They also treated us to supper at the China Buffet. Thank you for spending some time at the Phillips place.

Jim & Karen Bizer invited us to their Huntsville home yesterday to share Christmas dinner with them and a few close friends. It was a lovely evening with much visiting and a wonderful, gourmet quality dinner. Thank you Jim & Karen for making this a special Christmas.

The morning of Tuesday, December 15, 2009, is one we may remember for awhile since it resulted in an unexpected trip to the local emergency room. Read More...

This morning we woke up to a lovely covering of snow, not a common event in this area.
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Yesterday afternoon Jim and Karen Bizer once again ventured out from Huntsville to have dinner with us here in Arab. And, as usual, we talked the evening away. They are an inspirational couple and we always enjoy their company. Come again soon!

Yesterday we accepted an invitation to spend Thanksgiving afternoon with our neighbors, the Martin family. Butch, Burgie, Dylan, and Brenden made us feel more than welcome and the dinner was superb. We spent hours talking, laughing, and truly enjoying ourselves. It was the best Thanksgiving in many years. Thank you Butch and Burgie for making us feel a part of your family.

Yesterday evening we made the nice drive to Huntsville for a visit with our friends Jim and Karen Bizer. It was time to catch up on their recent travel stories. They presented a lovely meal and were the perfect hosts. We also enjoyed meeting and talking with their friends Bob and Barbara Ann. Thanks to Jim and Karen it was another wonderful evening.

Mel and Gregor Jackson came to our house for her birthday.
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Our friends, Bob and Lorraine Russell, drove up from Texas for a visit. Read More...

This was published in the Bradenton Herald on August 19.

John Edward Selbmann, 89, passed away on Thursday, August 13, 2009, at the Inn at Freedom Village. He is survived by his wife of sixteen years, Dorothy B. Selbmann. John was a long time resident of River Isles in Bradenton and served on the City Planning Commission. He and his wife were active members of the Hope Lutheran Church. A viewing will be held on Friday, August 21st from 9 – 10 a.m. at Hope Lutheran Church, 4635 26th St. West, Bradenton, FL 34207 and a service will follow at 10 a.m. Interment will be in Manasota Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hope Lutheran Church.

Barbara's step-father, John Selbmann, died today in Bradenton, Florida, at the age of 89. He is survived by Dorothy Selbmann. More details will be provided later.

We had an enjoyable evening dinner yesterday when friends Jim and Karen Bizer came from Huntsville. The weather cooperated and heavy rain showers moved out prior to their arrival. This energetic couple is always a joy and we appreciate them making the trip.

Grandson Chris Seabrook had the opportunity to extend his Alabama stay and spent another 4 days with us. This allowed us to really spend some quality time together and we had a wonderful time. Naturally we also did a lot of eating and discussing food; a family tradition. We're looking forward to his next visit.

This morning Chris ended his two day visit with us.

In this picture he and Grandma Barbara are on the way to check the garden spot. Read More...

Yesterday afternoon we made the pleasant drive to Huntsville for a visit with our friends Jim and Karen Bizer. As usual, they presented a lovely meal and were the perfect hosts. We also enjoyed meeting and talking with their friends Rose and Pierre. Thank you Jim and Karen for a wonderful evening.

Son, Brian Bos, was on Northwest Airlines Flight 335 that took off from Detroit on Tuesday morning (June 2) headed for Los Angeles. But things didn't go exactly as planned. Read More...

Last night, once again, Melanie and Gregor treated us to dinner at the local Mt. Fuji Japanese restaurant, one of our favorite spots. But the special treat this time was meeting Melanie's best friend from Switzerland, Katharina Padrutt.
This is an older picture, but she looks much the same today; we were too busy talking and having a good time to bother with pictures. This was Katharina's first trip to Arab, Alabama, and we hope she enjoyed it. It was wonderful finally getting to meet the lady we have heard so much about. She gifted us with a box of chocolates from Switzerland that have to be described as art. We just had to take a picture of them before they are quickly devoured. Thank you, Katharina; we sure enjoyed our evening talking with you.

Last night Melanie and Gregor treated us to dinner at the local Mt. Fuji Japanese restaurant. As usual, the food was great and it gave Jack a chance to have a glass of wine with dinner for the first time in Arab (recently gone "wet"). Their menu (pdf file) has many great items you won't find elsewhere in Arab. It was a lovely evening with lots of spirited conversation. Thanks Melanie & Gregor!

Gregor took the pictures and got left out.

Yesterday our friends Jim and Karen Bizer made the drive from Huntsville to join us for dinner and talk. As usual there was plenty to eat and much to discuss; we had a pleasant evening.

Yesterday we headed south to Fayetteville, Alabama, for a celebration of B. J. and Peggy Wood's marriage. Read More...

Yesterday evening we were invited to an annual party that Jim and Karen Bizer have in their Huntsville home. It was a lovely evening with over 50 of their friends from many diverse backgrounds. Their son, Michael, flew in from DC just to help out and he also had a great time. Thank you Jim and Karen for including us in this enjoyable event!

Jim and Karen Bizer made the trek from Huntsville to join us for dinner this evening. Jim is a former Army helicopter pilot and Karen has done many things including the theater. We always enjoy the discussions after dinner.

Melanie and Greg brought Little Guy by for his first visit in many years. Read More...

Dawn, John, and Christoph came by for an afternoon visit. They were briefly in town on a trip from their Florida home.
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Melanie and Gregor spent the afternoon with us, which made a nice Christmas Day. This is the first time in many years that they have spent the holiday season in the United States. Read More...

A great time with some fine people! The last 5 days were spent in Montgomery, Alabama, at the 47th year reunion of Jack's Air Force OCS Class (when he became an officer). This was the best reunion yet and we are already looking forward to the next one. There are some pictures at the Reunion Recap site.

Barbara's mother, Dorothy Selbmann, has had some serious health problems in the last few weeks. Today she was moved to a nursing care unit. She and John have been in the assisted living section of Freedom Village, Bradenton, Florida.

Son-in-law Gregor Jackson is heading up the newly formed CARAA (Companion Animal Rescue of Arab, Alabama), which is helping to assist and place animals needing a home. Good work, Gregor!

We just returned from a trip to Manchester, Michigan, where we attended the Healing Farewell Service for Pat Bergmann, Barbara's Sister-In-Law. Read More...

Barbara's Sister-In-Law, Pat Bergmann, died yesterday of pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. Pat was the wife of Ed Bergmann.

Son-in-law Gregor Jackson made the local newspaper today with a nice story about his volunteer work with the local animal shelter. Read More...

The Sloat family from Florida came by for an afternoon visit and we had nice weather for their brief stay. It's always nice to see them. We even got a couple of pictures. Read More...

Kim Bos's mother, Juanita (Woody) Sears died February 28 of a massive heart attack. Her death came about a year after her husband, Gil, died on February 8, 2007. In accordance with her wishes no services will be held. Our sympathies and condolences go out to Kim, Brian, and Hunter.

Our first trip of 2008 was to see our good friends in Texas, Bob and Lorraine Russell. It was a wonderful time again. Read More...

We attended the Veteran's Day Program at Arab's City Park this afternoon and it was a beautiful fall day. Read More...

For lunch today we dined with Ed and Teri Williams at Percasso's Gourmet Coffee Shop in Guntersville. The atmosphere is like eating in a small art gallery and they have a nice selection of sandwiches and salads. It rates another visit. We also enjoyed our time with Ed and Teri.

Brian, Kim, and Hunter Bos from Walled Lake, Michigan, visited us for several days. Read More...

It was time for our annual visit to Florida and it went well, but we're glad we don't live there. Read More...

Our latest trip to Texas is now history and as usual, the visit with Bob & Lorraine Russell was great; we talked for days. February was picked so we could accompany them on their annual jaunt to the Bill Gaither Homecoming concert. It was a wonderful experience in the beautiful American Airlines Center. The weather was uneventful both directions and we had a pleasant trip.

We just returned from Saint Charles, MO, where we attended the lovely wedding of Barbara's cousin, Christine Kurtz Fuerhoff, and Lee Roy Casten. Read More...

The last trip of the year was to Virginia to visit long-time friends, Dick & Jan Phillips. Read More...

A great trip to see our friends, Bob and Lorraine Russell, in Texas and help celebrate Bob's 70th birthday. We can only guess his thoughts as he contemplates the cake (and the years perhaps). But he really did have a good time along with the rest of us. Read More...

We had a pleasant trip to Michigan to visit with Brian, Kim, and Hunter Bos.The weather was fall-like with a few rain showers, but we did get to check out Kensington Metropark, a nice nature oriented park where Hunter has spent some time. And of course, Jack got to make a stop at the local Apple Store to check out the latest computer toys. Gas prices were lower than usual with our cheapest purchase at $2.21 per gallon and even the motel prices were moderate. It was another enjoyable trip.

For the first time in many years we visited friends in Eastern Virginia. First to Yorktown and then to New Port to see Dick and Jan Phillips. Dick and Jack served together long ago in Air Force days. Read More...

After delaying a planned June visit, we had a very nice eight day trip to Texas to see our good friends Bob & Lorraine Russell. As usual they were the perfect hosts. We again made the rounds to some favorite locations. Read More...

Our spring visit to Michigan is now over. It went smoothly with the exception of Jack picking up a sinus-related problem on the last day in Michigan; that took some of the fun out of the return trip. The grand kids are growing quickly and we attended Nathan's graduation ceremony (from nursery school). We also got to see Hunter play a baseball game where he hit a double. Our favorite junk store in Van Wert, Ohio, was closed for an unknown reason, but we did get to have lunch at the Earthen Treasures Natural Food Market in Berne, Indiana; always a great stop.

Well, we're back from another excellent trip to St. Charles, Missouri, where we visited Barbara's cousin, Christine Kurtz-Fuerhoff and her daughter, Hannah. As usual we ate a lot of outstanding meals, but Christine introduced a new twist when she brought home a 50-piece box of our favorite fried chicken! And of course we again checked out Whole Foods Market in St. Louis where we had lunch after "grazing" the store. Christine also introduced us to Global Foods, an international supermarket with nearly 30,000 products from every continent; a real adventure. And we saw the Missouri home of Daniel Boone, Boonesfield Village, which we enjoyed. It was a smooth trip both ways and the new Civic got over 43 miles to the gallon when we drove at the legal 65 mph in KY and IL.

Our friends from Texas, Bob & Lorraine Russell, just departed on their way to Washington, DC, after spending a couple of days with us. This was their first time in Arab so we showed them a few of the local "sights". We enjoyed the visit and wished they could have stayed longer.

Just back from our spring trip to Florida. Our new car performed great and got over 40 miles to the gallon while cruising at 70 mph. Visited with the Selbmanns, Ed & Pat Bergmann, and our hosts, Wally & Emily Gore. Another very nice trip with good weather except for the seven hours of rain on the way down.

Not an unusual event for most folks, but today we bought a new car! Read More...

Jack recently made e-mail contact with a fighter pilot friend from Air Force days; they had not seen each other since 1974. So we made a lunch date and drove up to Bowling Green, Kentucky, today to spend the afternoon with Dan Cherry and his wife Syl. They are both looking great and it was wonderful to see them again. Dan and Jack were stationed together four times during their Air Force careers; Germany, Thailand, Kansas, and Florida.

After laying low for a couple of months (we don't travel during holidays), we took a pleasant trip to Haslet, Texas, and once again visited with our friends, Bob and Lorraine Russell. Read More...

Our semi-annual Michigan trip is now history; an enjoyable journey with pleasant weather. It was again an 8 day trip to visit Robin and her family in Kalamazoo and then Brian and his family in Walled Lake. Madison had a quick trip to the emergency room after eating some poisonous berries, but is back to normal now. We mostly take back roads on our trips and sometimes find interesting places. This time it was a fine health food store in Berne, Indiana. Earthen Treasures Natural Food Market had a great selection and a nice cafe, where we had a wonderful meal and gourmet coffee.

We just had another very nice trip to St. Charles, Missouri, to visit Barbara's cousin, Christine Kurtz-Fuerhoff and her daughter, Hannah. A terrific thunderstorm welcomed us and we lost power for about 4 hours in the evening, but it was only a minor annoyance to us; others in the city were not as fortunate. One of the highlights was a trip to the Whole Foods Market in St. Louis, a great store we will investigate more closely in the future. Thanks to Christine for once again being the perfect hostess.

Hurricane Katrina came close, but was just a nuisance to us. We only received about 2 inches of rain, but did have some healthy wind gusts, which filled yards with tree limbs. Some power lines were downed and we were without power for 21 hours. We were able to get online with the laptop and a dial up connection and we powered the fridge with an inverter hooked to the truck. Sure gets dark here without electricity!

We had a very nice week-long trip to Texas to visit our friends, Bob and Lorraine Russell. Read More...

We just returned from our annual "trip to nowhere", which this time was mostly in Arkansas. We even wrote a recap of this journey. Read More...

We took a three day jaunt to Mississippi and visited all seven locations of our favorite junk store, Treasure Hunt. Naturally we bought some stuff, but nothing that we can't immediately use or eat. As luck would have it, we were in Picayune, MS, when tropical storm Cindy came ashore nearby. We slept through it even though the area got high winds and eight inches of rain. Another nice trip.

Back from an 8 day trip to Michigan to visit Robin and her family in Kalamazoo and then Brian and his family in Walled Lake. All went well except for the traffic and road conditions in Michigan. Several major interstate exits were closed and other main roads torn up without any clues on where to go; it made a 2 hour trip into 5 hours on Friday, but we made it anyhow. Check the family page for a couple updated pictures.

This time it was a trip to Rose Hill, Kansas, for Jack's 50th high school reunion, which was a great success. 17 of the remaining 19 graduates showed up. The entire trip went well and we even managed to return through Mississippi for a stop at our favorite junk store, Treasure Hunt.

Just back from our spring visit to Florida. It was nice to see our hosts, Wally & Emily Gore. It was an opportunity to see some family members that we don't see very often; there is a nice picture in the next section. Read More...

For our first real trip of the year it was back to Haslet, Texas, (just north of Fort Worth) for another wonderful visit with Bob & Lorraine Russell. Besides our great, lengthy conversations we also checked out the Trade Days at Canton and enjoyed the best food store we've ever seen at the Central Market in Fort Worth; this is a must-see.

Our last trip of the year was another great experience. Christine Kurtz-Fuerhoff and her daughter, Hannah, shared their beautiful St. Charles, MO home with us for several days. We always find lots to talk about and her dinner parties are exceptional. And St. Charles is always an interesting city with lots of civic pride. We especially enjoyed our visit to The Foundry Art Centre, where you can talk with artists at work. Tony Schanuel is a digital artist who essentially gave us a half hour lesson on his G-5 Mac; his work is wonderful!

It was a pleasant trip to Texas for an enjoyable couple of days with Bob & Lorraine Russell, friends from Air Force days. We talked for 2+ days and still had more to say! The two day drive both ways was about perfect and we again checked out one of our favorite "value" stores in Meridian, MS, Hudson's Treasure Hunt. Even the weather was wonderful. All trips should be this great.

A quick trip to Florida was made this week to visit Wally & Emily Gore and Dorothy & John Selbmann. It was an enjoyable trip except for I-75 in South Georgia, where we had to use side roads to avoid huge back-ups. At least the weather was fine.

We just returned from a seven day trip to Michigan where we visited Robin and family in Kalamazoo and Brian and family in Walled Lake. The weather was unseasonably warm and the drive both directions was great. We also discovered that the Fairfield Inn now has high-speed internet access in all of its locations, so we have a new favorite motel!

Tropical storm Ivan passed about 10 miles east of our place, but we got just 50 mile per hour winds and about 5 inches of rain. The power was off for around 7 hours and a lot of tree limbs were blown down, but no other damage. Others had trees blown down on houses and cars. Overall no real problems in this area.

This was a reunion of Jack's Air Force Officer Candidate School Class of 1961 where they all became second lieutenants. Read More...

Our grandson, Christoph Seabrook, and his step-father, John Sloat, visited us on Thursday and Friday. They came up from Florida for loads of fishing and even a picnic on the back deck; lots of fun for all.

We just returned from a 5 day trip to Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee. Here is a review of the trip and a picture. Read More...

We spent the past four days visiting Christine Kurtz-Fuerhoff and her daughter, Hannah, in St. Charles, MO. They were the perfect hosts and made us feel very welcome. Look at these pictures of a local statue. Read More...

Edwin Kurtz, Barbara's uncle and God father, passed away Monday evening, May 17, 2004, at age 86. There were no services as he wished.

Nicholas Edward McNair arrived 5 weeks early at 11:18 pm, Wednesday, 5/12/04! He weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces. As luck would have it, Barbara and Jack arrived in Kalamazoo on Thursday afternoon for their spring visit and got to see Nicholas when he was only hours old. After two days with the McNair family we headed over to Walled Lake to see the Bos family.

Dawn Phillips and John Sloat were married in a small, private ceremony in Florida.

John and Dorothy Selbmann have moved to a very nice retirement village in Bradenton, Florida. They already knew some people there and that made the transition easier.