Christmas Greetings from Mark and Paula in Brainerd

We’d like to reload the year 2020 software --- it has a nasty virus!

As of December 10th, no illness.  No trips by air or any hotel stays after February.  However, we did manage to stay quite busy around the house and in the area. 

Mark hand-built a new 10 ft x 10 ft x 6 ft high wood fence around his 65-foot amateur radio tower and climbed up to install a new dipole antenna.

Paula was able to take a diving trip to Bonaire, returning just ten days before the state was shut down.  She volunteers at the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, cleaning the tanks and feeding the fish.  Paula made front page of the Brainerd newspaper carving a Halloween pumpkin underwater.  

Mark was on page 24 of the same newspaper with a story about his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Broadcast Engineers.  The SBE is a world-wide organization of 5000 broadcast engineers.  This is only the tenth time the award has been presented in their 56-year history.  Mark was born into broadcasting and started turning transmitter controls at age seven.  He is retired now but continues his involvement by mentoring four broadcast engineers. 

Mark is also an avid photographer and amateur website writer.  He is proud that https://www.brainerdvfw.org won first place in Minnesota VFW competition.  It was deemed better than eight commercially written sites.

Paula also spent two mornings a week cleaning old tombstones at the Garrison Cemetery where many of her mother’s ancestors are buried there.  The local Daughters of the American Revolution took it on as a service project and she made some wonderful friendships doing this.  Looking forward to going back to complete the project in 2021.  

During the winter months, we are restoring old radios from the 1920s through the 60s. Paula cleans the cabinets while Mark does the electronics.  Paula is learning to check out the insides better before encouraging Mark to buy radios.  Mice can sure do some serious damage.

Blog: http://gilbertlodge.com Email Paula tech@mwpersons.com and Mark teki@mwpersons.com

Mark and Paula Persons

A silent night, a star above, a blessed gift of hope and love.  
May you have a Blessed Christmas