Letters from Dr. Gose
Dear Heidelbergers,
From your HD correspondent. I've started this letter at the Sudfanne Restaurant. I've ordered sauerbraten. I've just come from the Moorehaus, down the Haupstrasse, with Janice and Creedance, where I've previously stopped at the Cafe Saven to consume mass quantities of cafe creme, at the Tobacco Shop where I've purchased a Cuban cigar. I also stopped at the store where I expected to find the Pustefix bear blowing bubbles only to discover he had been put away until next summer just that morning. So it gose. Also, the Vino Techque, where I chased you with the shrimp heads and Steve Nicks chased me with the chicken legs, and where we had Creedance's birthday party, which is only ten days away again, was closed for six weeks while undergoing repairs. Ah, nostalgia. Perhaps you remember contributing to the gift for Creedance's birthday, a huge stuffed doll, a dog, that she named Schottzie...I stopped writing on the napkin at this point because dinner was served. It's now almost two months later and time to make my Pearl Harbor deadline on writing you my yearly greeting. And we send it from London where I am once again the resident faculty member of a Pepperdine International program. (I've explained to them that they are "step children" but that I love them anyway.) And guess what I found on the bookshelf here in the faculty flat ... Anne McCaffrey's 'Dragonsinger,' with this inscription: "Donated to the Moorehaus Library after a perilous trip to Ireland, Christmas in Rome, New Year's in Madrid, January 6th (3 Saint's Day) in Barcelona, And who knows what else ... by Jonathan Block... this was written with Kara's pen that was kept in Diana's purse, but you probably don't care about that... 1986... In the company of Stephanie, Debbie, Sara, and Cindy in the Guiness Brewery.' I'm sure the story of how this book got to London is worth a mini-series. What a nice coincidence."
Somewhat regrettably this will be a shorter letter than usual, and without the usual directory, I'm having to forward the letter to Malibu for distribution. I do want to update you on everyone, to the best of my memory, without the usual reminders and notes I have back home. Carlos is apparently continuing in the film industry with progressive increases in responsibility. Kim Austin is still teaching in L.A., but thinking about Las Vegas. Shannon and Sheldon are working for the government as investigators. Jonathan is about to finish Law School; and, Camille, I thought you should know that Pepperdine's official files say he's married to a Pamela--hated to be the one to tell you. Dena and Jeff have a lovely daughter we met at Shannon's wedding. Midori is back working with Pepperdine's Graduate School of Business and Management and thinking about more Graduate School. Kathy has finished her Master's degree and was due back in southern California about the time we left for London. Did I hear that Zoila was pg? Kimberly Cabe is still active in Campus Crusade. Tanja took a college loan out to buy Star Trek memorabilia and should be done with the Ph.D. at UCSB soon? Becky and Russ are doing fabulously well but don't yet have the private jet to take us to HD in '96--there's still 3 1/2 years to go. They've both been working on MBAs. Char finished Nursing School and spent a weekend with us. I've heard Audrey is working in insurance in Sacramento? Caroline was thinking about returning to teaching last I heard, but I haven't heard if she did? Debbie is still teaching and living in Oceanside. Janile is now Janile Dutton, or did I mention that last year?
I saw Shayne at a stop sign on campus--he'd.just taken the bar and was working for an attorney in Malibu while awaiting the results. I'd hoped Carolyn was going to teach Math at Pepperdine, but it didn't work out this year. She finished her Master's and maybe the Ph.D. is soon to follow? Jeff has finished Law School--plans to go back to Heidelberg and sue the shoe store owner that hassled him. Tom is working on an MBA, German track, at USC, but is on the other coast--South Carolina. Janice is still doing "whatever I want.' Creedance is in 9th grade in an English school--it's a much easier transition than going to an all German school. Bret has returned to his original company, something about the bay is always bluer. Danielle and John went to China for summer missionary work. Cristina is with National Pediatrics in Irvine. Kevin and Michelle have been accepted for missionary work in Austria or Germany and are making related plans to be able to do that. Mark is with Allied Financial Group in Fremont. Was at Shannon's wedding (and he wasn't alone, although I'd hate to start any rumors). Erin is still at the Monterey Language Institute. Cindy's been married over a year now and I hear she is still teaching in Special Ed but thinking about an advanced degree. Last I talked with her, Sarah was on the verge of returning to southern California, perhaps for an MBA. Brian King is home from the Peace Corps and teaching Elementary School in San Diego. I haven't heard anything about Jeanne. Connie and Rick are still in San Diego; Connie started a Master's in Social Work this fall. Kim and Scott are pg with a baby boy! Kim is no longer with International Programs anymore, but we are still set for HD in April 1996. We are going regardless ... Dane has transferred to Germany with his computer firm. He's seen Steve; we hope to see him here in January; he's helped me start what I think is the first electronic professional journal, a filmjoumal housed at Pepperdine and accessible through Bitnet/Intemet. Janet was still working with Development at Pep (and you can contact her for up-to-date addresses). She's still planning to teach, but of more immediate significance she is engaged to Garry Bailey with a wedding planned for April. Patrick is teaching Spanish in elementary school. Michaelann has 2 kids, Brock and Thomas! Maz and Jeff divorced, but are still friends ... both still acting, Maz about to finish her Master's. Paige finished her degree in Political Science and has been working in Campaigns. Steve has been doing the Pep Int'l Business Program and is in France. Kristy married Brad and took,over my house and cat. Was Jon Rankin in Heidelberg? Kowanda and Ron are still in Salem with State Farm (and their son is now a year old). Don's a doctor; Kim's a nurse--and they are pg with a March due date. Presumabiy t'hey are well covered with regard to health care. Russ and Becky are still in Orange County. - I missed getting ahold of them just before I left for London. Cara has gone a long while without being in a car accident--knock on wood. Jan got married the same day Kristy did (not to each other). Jan's in Law School at Georgetown. Stephanie is pg and due about the same time as Kim. (I'm beginning to hope I can take your children back to HD before I retire.) As for Brad and Margaret, Brad's still teaching and coaching; their baby girl, Hannah Man'e, got an early start in life and should be in our prayers. I understand Fridge (Diana) is still in Orange County, but the number I had was disconnected--I send her the E.T. message--Fridge phone home. Julie was back in Europe, again with Pepperdine, this time London as she goes about her third year in Law School. Karin's moved from Seaver to the Law School and has been working with my long time friend, Steve Potts. Paul is still with Alumni 'Affairs' which is an odd name for a Christian program. Monica continues to be the quintessential teacher (she liked it when I described her that way last year). Carrie and Andy have bought a home in Huntington Beach. Carrie has been working on an advanced degree in Education following her move back to California, and her parents now live two doors from us, actually two doors from Kristy and Brad as I think about it. So it gose. David's a dad; came home from China for the occasion; and then back to China for continuing missionary work and language study. Eric and Jan moved to New Jersey--a promotion for Eric and Jennifer got a teaching job with much more money and many fewer students, which sounds like at least as good a deal. I think Todd is probably president of Hawley Products by now, even though he confused blue grass with blue blood. He's married and has a little girl, Emily, born in October. And I think Tim is in Little Rock. I hope I haven't made any huge blunders in this hysterical record. I'll admit I mostly avoided spouse names this time around because I've no notes here and I'm even more likely to make mistakes in that regard (although even at my advanced age I'm smart enough to know that even if Camille was smart enough to leave Jonathan, he'd never have been able to talk a 'Pamela' into marrying him in the short time I've been in London, even though you'd expect that if it's in the Pepperdine records, it must be true ... so it gose).
I've tried to be my usual flippant self, and work into the text my usual reminders about the fast approaching reunion in April of 1996, be there or be dropped from my will ... but I also have some very sad news to report. You may remember that Scott Carlson was the only student in our group that I knew before we went to Heidelberg. He was also in our Teacher Education program. He was also my main sounding board during our first semester in Heidelberg. I always appreciated talking with Scott and valued his advice. You may he most likely to remember that he was the one who started the myth, which I have ever since tried to perpetuate, that no one passes Gose's first midterm. It was in his class at Malibu I mentioned I'd never given the grade of 'D' and ever after that he always said, sobersidedly, that he hoped to be the first to attain such a distinction. I had talked with him last in August of 1991, and then this April it happened that I found myself giving the first 'D' of my career. It met my standard--it might have been an "F" and I should think the person would be very relieved to get the passing grade. I called Scott to tell him my tale, and Scott wasn't at that number, and when I inquired whether I had indeed called the right number, I was told that he had died in February. He died of an AIDS related illness. He must have known that previous August, but he didn't tell me. I reach no conclusion about his not having told me, but you can well imagine my special prayer in this season for Peace on Earth and Good Will Towards (Wo)men is especially heart felt. We think of you often. We wish you the joy of the season!
The Goses