"Better than counting your years ...
is making your years count!"

After a twenty-eight year tenure (January, 1980 - August 28, 2008) as Signode/ ITW's maintenance supervisor, brother Hiram (above, with wife Maria) decided to call it a day and enjoy the fruits of his labor as he enters the winter of his years.

My brother has always loved to travel (Greece, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Argentina and Hawaii are counted among his jaunts.) - and I have supposed that, good Lord willing and Jesus tarries, more travel for Hiram and Maria (also retired) in the not-too-distant future is in the offing .

Hiram also enjoys daily jogging and walks with Maria, fishing, playing the guitar, gardening, photography, feeding birds and the like. He's also an excellent cook.

In short, it would seem my older brother's varied interests will serve to make retirement anything but boring.




The Velezs held an intimate gathering, with brothers, sister, nephews and nieces enjoying fellowship, good food and refreshments in the "4133" backyard to help usher in Hiram's retirement in style. Our wish for Hiram and Maria is that it would please the Lord to grant them a good number of years ahead, during which they will be given to enjoy the abundant life which is promised those who love Him (I'm not here referring to abundance as the world has translated it, but, rather, in that manner that the spiritually discerning rightly understand "abundance" to be).























Top: Heidi, Jessie, Jennie, Luis (Don't ask me to smile! Don't! I don't Wanna!)
Next: Esther (my belle), Meralda ("I'm not 60 yet!"), Melissa ("Half-Pint")
Next: Melissa, Acacia (Casey)
Next: Steve and Half-Pint ("Melissa")
Next: Jennie (Almost in the family, but can Luis seal the deal???)
Next: Mike and Elsa (Elsita)
Next: Heidi and Peter (Iron Man)
Next: Hiram and Melissa ("Hey, where's 'Pa'?")
Next: Jessie, Jennie, Luis (Jumping Jehoshaphat, he's smiling!)
Next: Hiram (The Free Man) and Maria
Next: Steve, Heidi, Mike, Elsa, Esther, Robert Downey Jr.
Next: Maria (with the real love of her life!)
Last, but not least: Hermes and Meralda ("I tell ya, I'm not!")

All our best to Hiram and Maria!