Josephson News 2015 6923 Blackwatch Lane

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80922United States of America

Mobile: 719-426-1621E-mail: russj@josephsons.org

Web: http://www.josephsons.org/russ

December: I continue to sing baritone with the Peak Experience Chorus. This has really helped to improve my voice. Singing helps me to feel more peace and love in my heart. Our whole family was here for Christmas this year – even Steven and Corey came from Detroit to vis­it, and my sister Joy came from Salt Lake City.January : This month I attended a legislative com­mittee meeting in Denver to testify on behalf of a new bill sponsored by our state representative. This was a new experience for me, and I found out how much our lawmakers dislike Colorado’s Tax­payer Bill of Rights.February: I liked my first smart phone, an Apple with 8GB of memory, but it just didn’t have enough storage. So I upgraded to an LG Android phone with 64GB, and sold the old one on ebay.March: At work I spent a lot of time fixing com­patibility issues between our Adaptec 12G RAID controller and various customer expander boxes. This earned me a recognition award later.Julie’s beloved dog Vandy died. We deeply mourned our loss. She was a kind and faithful pet, who always did what she could to comfort and care for both human and animal family members.

April: This month I attended the Antwerp Bel­gium mission reunion for the first time in many years. It was important for me to attend this time, because both of my mission presidents would be there. Steven and Corey won a bid on a 1930s sol­id brick bungalow in Detroit this month, and start­ed making plans to renovate it and move in. Their new home needed new walls, fixtures, locks, water heater, furnace and garage door, but they got it for less than $5000.May: Diana’s parents came to visit us this month, and it was fun to take them to see the Garden of the Gods Park, and the Air Force Academy. This was good timing, because last summer stricter se­curity measures put the Academy off limits to civilians.June: Photo of Julie and Jason Nambiar together:

I built a planter box this year, because Julie wanted to raise some fresh vegetables this year. We did enjoy several fresh herbs, peppers and tomatoes this year. Steven paid us a brief visit this month, as he came to Colorado to attend a friend’s wed­ding. July: This month Diana and I visited Steven and Corey in Detroit, Michigan. We got to see their prospective home. The renovation work had just started by then. Diana scraped paint from a door, and I helped Steven to clean the back alley. We got to also attend the recognition ceremony at Steven’s school, see the “Inside Out” movie to­gether, visit the Detroit temple, celebrate Steven’s and my birthdays, and also visit the

Detroit Institute of Art. This photo of Diana and I was taken on the Detroit river walk. In the back­ground is the bridge to Canada. Later in the week, we went to the market, and browsed in the largest bookstore in Michigan.After we returned to Colorado, three of my Bar­bershop friends and I sang “Love At Home” as a quartet in Sacrament meeting. A few weeks later I was called to be the Ward Choir Director. This is a first for me, and quite a challenge.Later in the month I got to see and hear Mary Fahl (former lead singer for October Project) live in concert for the first time.

On July 30, Diana and I became grandparents to Amelia Lakshmi Nambiar, who goes by the nick­name Millie. Little Millie was born with a full head of hair, and has a loving but determined per­sonality.

August: This month I started a home audio project, installing the 12” speakers from my par­ents old console stereo into a rolling cabinet that I found in a thrift store. Eventually I added a blue­tooth audio amplifier, making it the most powerful bluetooth speaker that I’ve ever heard.September: This month I saw Howard Jones live in an intimate show in Denver, and Justin Hay­ward (of the Moody Blues) live in Boulder.Diana loves spending time with baby Millie.October: This month I saw Joe Jackson in con­cert, promoting his new album “Fast Forward”. As this year’s chapter vice-president of music and performance of my barbershop chorus, I put to­gether a program of 15 songs for a November per­formance that we sang at the Colorado Springs Event Center in November.

By now Millie is really showing her winning per­sonality. She is really a cutie!I fell pretty hard while riding my bicycle this month, and bruised some ribs. This took several weeks to heal. November: Last month a bidding war started be­tween Skyworks and Microsemi to purchase PMC-Sierra, where I now work. So far, Microsemi is the winner. I expect be at a new company by next February.Even though it’s not quite finished, Steven and Corey moved into their new home this month. Diana and I have recently been called to be 11-year old scout leaders, which should be a chal­lenge to both of us!

Books: Philip K Dick: Valis trilogy; Herbert & Anderson: Mentats of Dune; Andre Norton: The Solar Queen; Robert A Heinlein: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress; Orson Scott Card: Gatefather.