tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40166619791591442192012-01-14T16:58:57.204-07:00Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.comBlogger221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-87859807360404273022012-01-14T16:35:00.007-07:002012-01-14T16:57:16.569-07:00

December 25, 2011Everything is closed on Christmas day, so Janet and I are ensconced in a cafe on the square overlooking the Cathedral and the Giralda, the grand Moorish tower attached to it, enjoying a cafe leche and reflecting on our first week in Spain. The bells of the tower peel cacophonously--so loudly that conversation is impossible--at seemingly random times. We could go into the

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-89440325433712166922011-09-24T14:07:00.004-06:002011-09-24T14:19:55.629-06:00

Here is Emmy's first e-mail home after her arrival in Spain for a semester studying in Sevilla. For more photos, see her Facebook page.by EmilyAfter an 8 hour bus ride today, we arrived in Sevilla around 5pm. Leah [standing next to Emmy in photo, a classmate from DU who is her roommate in Sevilla] and I met our host mother, Carmen, who is very patient and kind. She took us around the main

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-18405112926062490762011-09-24T14:01:00.003-06:002011-09-24T14:07:22.921-06:00

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Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-59155386004137301502011-09-24T13:56:00.003-06:002011-09-24T14:06:59.486-06:00

December 2009Dear Friends and Family,So many sad things to report during our last year, so many happy! Sometimes they blend together in rollercoaster fashion, so it’s hard to separate them.Perhaps saddest of all was the unexpected death of Karl’s brother Eric from complications associated with colon cancer surgery. Eric was not only a brother but also a quasi-parent to Karl, and a dear uncle/

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-8368602892690077622009-11-03T20:45:00.006-07:002009-11-03T21:02:03.030-07:00

Today, sadly, we said good-bye to Eldo, the best dog ever! After 11 happy years as an integral part of our family, Eldorado Butterscotch succumbed to cancer. We miss him already. Check out a brief slide show of his earliest and last days:

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-50909607651429971002009-03-23T16:34:00.012-06:002009-03-26T17:14:27.413-06:00

Sad days for our family! Karl's brother Eric died unexpectedly at age 71 on Feb. 12, 2008. Just a few weeks later, on March 6, Karl's sister-in-law Marie Berndt Kurtz, 79, died. Both of these events occasioned nice family gatherings to celebrate Eric and Marie's lives.But, no offense to the company that gathered, it was a pleasure we could have done without: We would rather have Eric and Marie

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-537264378617968472009-02-15T15:58:00.002-07:002009-02-15T16:01:50.552-07:00

Anyone who has ever visited Oberlin will be interested in "Alumni and Friends Fund Purchase of Historic Apollo Theatre."

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-9802909855774188442009-02-15T14:23:00.002-07:002009-02-15T14:41:24.212-07:00

Following is an exchange of e-mails that I had with my brothers about a year ago about Kurtz books on Amazon.com, which I am now belatedly realizing might be of interest to the rest of the family:In an idle moment (when I was avoiding paying bills), I searched Amazon books on "Kurtz", wondering, in an ego kind of way, how far down my own books would appear on that list. I was disappointed that I

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-40398622393958599872009-02-08T20:28:00.014-07:002009-02-15T15:32:11.040-07:00

We were proud to report previously about Emily's casting as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof in a Boulder High School production. We're even prouder to tell about her outstanding performance, now that the BHS cast's seven performances are completed. Maureen, the director of the show (in photo with Golde/Emmy and Tevya/Noah Kloor), captured Emmy in this role when she wrote in a note: "You put a lot

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-80637142954386169642009-01-07T18:51:00.003-07:002009-01-24T11:33:07.472-07:00

December 2008Dear Friends and Family,With two of our children in Boulder High School this year—the only school year that that will be true—we decided to build our Christmas photo around the BHS Panthers. Between classes, choir, theater and basketball, it often seems as if our family's life revolves around the 38 blocks along Arapahoe Avenue from our house to Boulder High. It's a year of

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-56711358313043853222008-11-07T21:55:00.015-07:002008-11-10T19:28:14.256-07:00

by KarlI spent the last 10 days of October in Abuja, Nigeria, with a colleague from NCSL and a staff person from the Wisconsin Legislature conducting a training program for committee clerks of the Nigerian National Assembly. The workshops that we conducted were successful and well-received. But we were also dismayed by the challenges that our Nigerian colleagues face in trying to assert the

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-76441862254346208652008-11-07T19:53:00.005-07:002008-11-10T19:57:43.228-07:00

We're proud to report that Emily has been cast in the role of Golde in Boulder High School's February production of Fiddler on the Roof. Here's what her brother, Eric, wrote when he learned of this: I started to try composing a response with Yiddish phrases, but every Yiddish phrase I could come up with was either comlaining or derogatory. Oy vey!I'm sure you won't be a klutz or a kvetch, a

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-57403192343818917452008-06-15T17:51:00.013-06:002008-12-11T21:47:46.652-07:00

Wow, it has been almost three months since we posted anything in Kurtz Stories. It's not that nothing has happened but that too much has been going on to have time for posting. Andrew's confirmation and 8th grade graduation, Emily's work camp in Mississippi and Janet and Karl's trip to Morocco are three things we will get to eventually.But first we want to report on Eric (the younger), Andrew and

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-84901368915368872442008-03-03T18:16:00.013-07:002009-01-07T18:57:36.979-07:00

Sarah gave birth to a 7 lbs., 2 oz., baby girl, Abigail Malia Knox, today around 1 pm Hawaii time! Proud Sean says that both Abby and Sarah are doing well.I don't know of any Abigails in the Kurtz family and forgot to ask Sean whether it's a Knox family name.Here in Boulder, we're all excited about our 5th grandchild!We'll add more to this post, including pictures of Abigail as we learn more.Mar.

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-43047501031265128212008-02-23T18:13:00.007-07:002008-02-25T21:52:53.563-07:00

Karl had a speaking engagement in St. Paul on President's Day, so Emmy and Janet decided to come along and check out Minnesota colleges. We stayed one night in Minneapolis and two nights in Northfield, which is the home of both Carleton (alma mater of Emmy's cousin Annette and her Aunt Janet) and St. Olaf. In addition to those two schools, we visited Macalester College in St. Paul. Here are a few

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-64600985704842226832007-12-16T20:28:00.001-07:002008-12-11T21:47:47.231-07:00

Aloha Friends and Family,As you might guess from the motif of our letter and photo, we are spending Christmas in Hawaii this year, delighting in the opportunity to visit our daughter Sarah, her husband Sean, and our granddaughter Elena. This came about in part because the Marriott Ko'Olina Beach Club on Oahu offered a five-day stay at their hotel as an auction item for the Boulder YWCA's Hall of

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-83740911739060529432007-12-10T20:26:00.001-07:002008-12-11T21:47:47.372-07:00

[Emily was asked to share a personal story for the lighting of the Advent candle at a service at First Congregational Church. Here is what she wrote about the candle of peace.] By Emily Kurtz Gandhi once said, "There is no path to peace, peace is the path." Peace: it sounds comforting, but it's also a troubled thing. I grew up with a third set of grandparents: my mom's god parents, whom I called

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-206348656576525832007-12-03T22:13:00.001-07:002008-12-11T21:47:47.790-07:00

On Nov. 13, 2007, Janet was pleased to receive a "Be Bold" award from the Women's Foundation of Colorado. She was one of 20 Coloradoans who were honored for their commitment to the well-being of women and children in the state on the occasion of the foundation's 20th anniversary. Jeanette and Eric joined us for part of the celebration. The award received lots of publicity (e.g., here and here).

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-51884205516411724852007-11-25T21:21:00.001-07:002008-12-11T21:47:48.017-07:00

On June 30, 2007, Emily presented a musical showcase of her voice and piano works during the last year. It was a remarkable recital, attended by proud friends, family and teachers. Here is the program:"Notturno" by Edvard Grieg, played on the piano"Another Hundred People" from Company by Stephen Sondheim"Distant Melody" from Peter Pan by Jule Styne"Feelings" from The Apple Tree by Black and

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-25548779988704619982007-11-02T22:19:00.000-06:002008-12-11T21:47:48.510-07:00

Eric (the younger) Kurtz wrote this marvelous story about his kids' reaction to the Colorado Rockies' magical run to the World Series, in response to Karl's blog posting in The Thicket about his enthusiasm for the Rockies and his hope (at the time) that the Indians (not the Red Sox!) might make it into the series against the Rockies:[From Eric on Oct. 17]: Nice blog today. We have been debating

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-37144023053642649012007-10-28T21:09:00.001-06:002008-12-11T21:47:48.688-07:00

We were asked by our First Congregational Church leaders to offer a testimonial about the role of the church in supporting young people during the fall stewardship campaign. Following is the dialogue that we presented to two different church services today.Janet: A couple of weeks ago, our moderator Val Havlick called to ask if we would offer a testimonial during the pledge drive on behalf of

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4016661979159144219.post-38082180812862509412007-10-24T21:48:00.000-06:002008-12-11T21:47:51.815-07:00

by Janet Beardsley and Karl KurtzWe enjoy travel to strange lands most when we have connections to people who can introduce us to the local community and give us a glimpse into native life. Unfortunately, we don’t have any such personal connections in Provence or the Cote d’Azur, where we traveled for two weeks in September 2007 on a 20-year delayed honeymoon. Of course, we took guidebooks with

Karl Kurtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09455728835561008916noreply@blogger.com5