Bud and Barbara Munson flew out to Boulder, Colorado, last July to see their first great-grandchild. Our first was due in February at this writing and there have already been two showers. I remember our eldest daughter, who is a research doctor in Boston, had her last child while she was writing up a National Institutes of Health grant. She simply changed rooms at the hospital and was home with her baby and notes in 24 hours. Helen and Foxy Parker flew to Reykjavik last August for a 12-day visit to Iceland, where they toured the country with a small group. A bit of history: It was settled by the Vikings in 874 AD, a commonwealth in 930-1262, ruled by Norway and then Denmark from 1262 to 1814, independent in 1918 and a republic in 1944. With a population of some 130,000, it is the smallest member of NATO. Very similar to Ireland, the Iceland banking system was flooded with toxic international debt packages and systemically failed in 1980. Both countries have made remarkable recoveries and Iceland enjoys economic, political and social stability. It recently was ranked as the 13th most developed country in the world by the United Nations Human Development Index. Helen and Foxy found the scenery spectacular, full of rivers, waterfalls, glaciers, fjords and volcanos. The landscape was covered with sheep of all colors, including black. They found the people approachable, friendly and, with English as the second language to Icelandic, easy to talk with. They seemed upbeat and comfortable with their lifestyle. The weather was cool to occasionally cold. With the midnight sun in the summer and aurora borealis in the winter, they had a little of both. Regular travelers, they said it was the best trip they have taken. I chatted with Bill and Margie Scott, who missed our mini-reunion because Bill had knee replacement surgery. Bill said there was virtually no subsequent pain and the postoperative exercises were easy to handle. They hope to join us this year.

—Dave Kurr, 4281 Indian Field Road, Clinton, NY 13323; (315) 853-3582; djkurr@verizon.net