on julie aurand, excerpts from mother’s journal
Cuddled like a bug in a rug – Nicknamed ” Julie Bug ”
Loved to eat Loved to tease and be teased. ( Still true! )
As a little girl had head full of heavy, long hair (Still true ) which caught her fast to a huge thistle plant out in the pasture that was as tall as she was. Jeanette came running for Mom, so went out and stripped her loose, strand by strand.
Very expressively pleasant and happy till displeased – then strongly expressive (Bill , is that still true?)
Worked hard to make everyone happy around her, even as a tot! (Still true)
Flicked eyebrow when making a point ( Still does.)
(Anyone who emails Julie will notice she hasn’t change much since she was 4 – interviewing Santa in a letter ???? – her emails are still like that! )
The Aurand family (from right: Julie, Genevieve, Jeanette, and Nelson with cousin Kristen in his arms) with the Cessna 170B four-seater around 1974.
Flew in Daddy’s small plane to West VA to visit cousin Kristen before a month old, again the next month While very small flew with Daddy to visit family in Alabama , Connecticut and the Jersey shore .
(maybe a premonition of why she was Daddy’s flying buddy- always ready to go and later becoming a pilot herself)
Was best playmates with her sister, Jeanette, who created all sorts of farm adventures from swimming in the creek to riding horses and even pigs -Could always depend on them coming back wet , dirty or muddy. But they had fun!
Afraid of snakes and the dark
-A favorite story is of sending Julie out to the barn after dark to get her dad for dinner . She was so scared she cried that “something would get” her. After insisting nothing ever got any of us going out there and she’d better get there and get him, she went . ( How I wish I had kept her scared of something as the years went on to world adventuring , making Mother’s fears into nightmares that something would “get her” , especially all those 14,000+ miles on the motorbike in Africa — alone . ) When people asked if I ever guessed Julie would choose this life style or “How did she ever get this way?”, I always wonder… was it that night I made her go to the barn? PAYBACK, MAMA, PAYBACK!
The prom dress
Loved bling and bold colors – check out the prom gowns !
Loved 4H and sports, but was not as highly competitive as her sister. That does not pertain to board games does it , Julie?
Dr Suess’s , OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GO , seems like an appropriate book to describe where Julie has taken her life and mine as her mother and her main fan!
I’ve learned more about the world than I ever imagined , as I track her and research her latest place.
As your Mom, all I can say is , YOU’VE BEEN A REAL Loving 40-year TRIP , JULIE !
Wishing you many more! Love, Mom
joolee's forty 
Thank you, Mommalicious! For untangling me from the thistle, for sharing those journal bits, and for carrying me around and brewing me for 9 months (and 2 extra weeks :). And for teaching me to have just the right amount of respect for scary stuff (except for snakes…you tried hard to get me past that, but they still give me heebie jeebs)! I feel blessed that you’ve been so supportive of my lifestyle, and willing to share experiences with me (Nepal, Greece, Moldova, Slovakia, Crested Butte, Alaska and more). Hope your McDuling Easter was perfect, and enjoy the rest of your Auzzie Odyssey! I love you! Couldn’t have gotten a better Mom, ever!
Hope you,re having a terrific birthday! We’re all thinking of you this morning and toasted you at the David-McDuling’s- home brunch. I feel withdrawal on the way here after 40 days of the Joolbiily site! Bill Jirsa, a toast to you too. It was the greatest gift ever! I love you, Bugs. Take care of my baby! Mama
By the way, I love your penguin picture ID. I saw Little Penguins at the zoo.
To Joolee’s Mom;
I know this is really late, but I just got around to reading your contribution to Joolee’s birthday web site and feel compelled to write you.
Especially your reference to Dr. Suess’ “Oh, the Places You Will Go,” which we now see as a primer text for Bill’s life.
As parents of Bill and Joolee, our 40 something “kids”, we have shared much.
The angst of our “kids” and their wild adventures.
Perhaps a little vicarious living through their exploits.
We have joined them from time to time in places that would never have been on our “gotta go there” lists.
They have given us moments of concern, and moments of wonder and joy.
We have seen through their eyes places and things we didn’t know existed.
When I see them together, I see two persons so at one with each other.
I see smiles and bright eyes full of curiosity and love.
Some time ago, I stopped worrying about what we might have done wrong that our son would spend his life traipsing around the world like some kind of nomad.
Now I think we must have done something incredibly good.
He somehow found a beautiful soul-mate to be with him on these treks through life.
They seem wonderfully happy together living their dreams.
They have a myriad of friends all over the world.
They are adventuress, resourceful and curious.
What can be wrong with that?
A belated happy birthday to Joolee, and bless you both.
Bills Mom & Dad.