UPDATE ON THE GREENBERGS

The photos include the exterior and lobby of the beautiful Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix--a great place for medical care, we have discovered!

FROM DIONE

First of all - I am glad to hear that Marie is recovering well and that the hospital stay went so well.

Life at Miami Valley School is wonderful for Mollie. She is taking Mandarin Chinese and Albegra this year (she's in 7th grade; Algebra is taught in 9th grade in public school). She is doing well in both, as well as in all her other subjects. She is quite the academic - like her grandparents! She is also playing the saxophone and is in the Jazz Band as a beginner, and that is kind of a neat thing. After school she takes piano once per week and will be taking a Theater Conservatory this fall where she will learn more about acting and will also take voice and dance classes from professional actors and dancers. It should be a really high quality experience.

I am loving my job this year. I have gifted students for their core Language Arts class, which means I have them every day. I enjoy that much more than the enrichment classes I was doing with them once per week, because I am their teacher of record and can make more headway with them. I also have a better relationship with the kids because I see them every day. The kids I have are really smart and it is so fun to work with them. I'm teaching mythology to the 6th graders, mysteries (Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie) to the 7th graders, and a unit on the Holocaust to the 8th graders. It's interesting and stimulating for me as well as for the kids. Also, the school remodeled a nice room for me this year, so I have a big room right in the center of the school. For the last two years I was in the basement of the gym, so this is a big step up!!

Saul has a few weeks break from teaching, although he has his other professorly duties to attend to right now. Next week is orientation for the new students at Antioch/McGregor, so he will be back in the saddle soon. He really enjoys teaching the students, but dislikes going to meetings.

Love, Dione

IN TUCSON

We celebrated the beginning of Labor Day weekend with breakfast for Marie's 75th Birthday at the Westin La Paloma Hotel down the street from our condo, and then had a late afternoon outing at the Acacia Restaurant, also nearby. Advancing age isn't all that bad when there are some nice rewards!

Marie is doing very well after surgery a week ago, and even went for several walks around the neighborhood since coming home from the hospital. We go back to Scottsdale on Tuesday for her first follow-up appointment at Mayo Clinic.

IN BISMARCK

Lila was out of the hospital and back at the Baptist Home, but was not feeling that great when we talked to her last week. She is concerned that she might have to have a feeding tube installed because her food goes into her lungs when she eats, causing pneumonia.