Anthony continues to serve as editor of Friends Bulletin, whose readership has grown, and which just launched a new pamphlet series. The first pamphlet, called Islam from a Quaker Perspective, describes Anthony’s experience of observing the Muslim fast during the month of Ramadan in 2001. This year we both observed the Ramadan fast (which means no food or water from sunrise to sunset, but allows feasting in the evening). We have had a great time breaking fast with our Muslim friends and the Muslim community.

Anthony published several articles and completed a book on Gene Hoffman, a Quaker activist who pioneered a "Compassionate Listening" project. Gene (now 82 years young) helped to bring together Israelis and Palestinians to listen to each other at a deep level. We very much enjoyed her hospitality on several occasions in Santa Barbara as we worked together on the book.

Anthony’s grant from Haverford College enabled him to do biographical research on Anna and Howard Brinton (two of the most important Quaker educators of the 20^th century). Anthony enjoyed meeting students and faculty at this wonderful college. He also joined the Board of Pendle Hill, the Quaker study center where he and Kathleen first met.

Anthony felt led to write his first novel, starting on September 11, 2002, and has nearly finished! The Relics of America is set in the year 2061, when the world population is decimated by a plague accidentally released from an American biological warfare lab. If you want to read it, check out http://westernquaker.net/editor.htm.

After nine years of service, Anthony resigned from the American Friends Service Committee youth service program to devote himself to writing and editing. The final AFSC project built a home from garage doors for a Tijuana family. Over 35 enthusiastic adults and youth participated.

It should be added that Anthony also enjoys being a beach bum. Living only two miles from one of the loveliest beaches in South Bay, we try to go there as often as possible. Boogie-boarding, splashing in the surf, and feeding the seagulls have become some of our favorite activities!

Family stuff: This year Anthony’s sister Elizabeth visited for a week with her two kids, Emily (7) and Demetrios (5). Anthony had a great time taking them to all his favorite themes parks—Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Sea World—where he introduced his niece and nephew to his "friends," Captain Cook, Spiderman, Mickey Mouse, etc. Kathleen also visited her nieces Adriana (12) and Capri (7) in their new home in Murrieta. During our summer and Thanksgiving vacations, we went to visit our young nephew Edward James (1+years) who lives in Palo Alto. Being an aunt and uncle sure is fun!

This year Kathleen completed her work at Montclair United Methodist Church and was assigned to Walteria UMC in Torrance, CA, at the base of Palos Verdes Peninsula. Because of the move we rented out our home in Whittier to an excellent tenant, a mother with two children. In the house the church provides there is space for two home offices, but not for students, so we have sadly given up teaching Asian students English with the ASPECT program. To our joy, however, our first student, Anna Wong, (whom we call "our daughter") lives at the border of Torrance with her husband, and she is now the new secretary for Friends Bulletin! Another joy was attending the stellar graduating piano performance of our other "daughter" Hei-Jeong Ahn, who graduated this year with her Master’s in Music from Fullerton State University. Kathleen’s cousin Karen Hood with her husband Chris, daughter Maegen (2) and brand new son Henry (November 7, 2002), as well as Anthony’s long time friend, Burton Mitchell, now live close by to us, too! In a way we feel that we’ve "come home" to Torrance, since we lived here fourteen years ago when we were married! We still live close enough to Orange County to visit Disneyland by day, and attend Opera Pacific by night!

Kathleen was very sorry to leave the loving folks at Montclair UMC, who had become like family to her – especially the six teenagers who were confirmed this year. She also worked with five Girl Scouts who received their God and Family awards. She misses the monthly comraderie at the Montclair Collaborative meetings with teachers, political reps, fire, police, and community leaders. A great joy was attending the seminary graduation of Alena Uhamaka from Claremont School of Theology, who did her student internship at Montclair during Kathleen’s first year. A new memorial garden now graces the front of the church, and a new younger adult Bible study had started. Fortunately, Walteria UMC also has younger adults who are just beginning a similar study on Sunday nights!

Walteria is strong in lay leadership and many serve at District and Conference levels of the United Methodist Church. They work together with the local Presbyterian and Eastern Orthodox churches to run a fabulous Hot Meal program for needy families. Music of all kinds lifts their spirits in worship – praise choruses, choral anthems, traditional hymns, and children’s songs. They lift their hands in praise, and sometimes we dance! Kathleen will never forget the elaborate stage sets at Vacation Bible School created by a set designer who has worked with Disney Studios. Awesome!

Someone at the February Riverside District Lay Speaking course, which Kathleen taught, must have blabbed to the Long Beach District, for she was tapped again to lead a Caring Ministries course there in September. Walk to Emmaus weekends continue to be a priority – she helped with the youth version at Victorville UMC in February and with the women in April at Redlands 1^st UMC. She keeps contact with friends at Whittier First UMC by teaching the United Methodist Women’s study on Corinthians, and attends interfaith gatherings with Anthony at the Jewish synagogue and elsewhere.

As for the future, the most exciting thing on the horizon is our cruise to Greece and Turkey in March with Methodists from the California-Pacific Annual Conference, and F(f)riends . As you can see by checking out http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/eowebsite.nsf/htmlmedia/gc03.html,  we’ll be visiting sites of churches which are mentioned in the Letters of St. Paul, as well as Istanbul and the Isle of Patmos, where St. John wrote the final book of the Bible, The Revelation of St. John. We have several friends going with us, so it should be a blessed pilgrimage! We hope some more of you can join us! If you do, please mention Kathleen Ross and ID 19712 on your registration form.

May your holiday celebrations be joyous, may you be blessed with the love of family and friends, and may the peace of God fill your heart as you do your part to bring peace to the world in the coming year.

*Eid is the closing celebration for Muslims of the fast of Ramadan.