The Best of Times
Subtitle: A Life in California
Publisher: Foglia Publications
Published: 2005
Format: Paperback
First sentence: Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 ..................................................................... Page 1
El Monte, California • Hollywood • Santa Monica • North Fuller Street
• Gardener Street School • Sherman Oaks • Dickens Street School
• World War II • Van Nuys High School • Big Bear Lake
Chapter 2 ................................................................... Page 24
The Military • Bendix • College • Navy School • Back to UCLA
• Hawaii
Chapter 3 ................................................................... Page 39
Junior Year at UCLA • Navy School II • UCLA and the Senior Year
• Duty Assignment U.S. Navy • Graduate School
Chapter 4 ................................................................... Page 62
Salt Lake City
Chapter 5 ................................................................... Page 70
First Job • Stanford Research Institute • My First Boat • The Coffee Room
• The Book • The Explosion • Happy Times and Sad Times • The Loan to Skinner
Chapter 6 ................................................................... Page 83
The Bookstore • More Interesting Projects • My Time in Jail • Saving My Money
• A Fall Through the Cracks • Endod --- Wonder Weed of Africa • The Soap
Problem
Chapter 7 ................................................................... Page 98
Love at Last • Jackson Hole, Wyoming • U.S. Navy Department
• The Lazy Mae • Colchicine • The Bodman Building • More Boat
Chapter 8 ................................................................. Page 110
The Commitment • New Car • Wondering • The Big Event • Life Goes On
Chapter 9 ................................................................. Page 123
Africa • Going Home • Home at Last
Chapter 10 ............................................................... Page 135
I’m on Steroids • The House • Jennifer
Chapter 11 ............................................................... Page 144
Ken’s Early School • My Addition to Volume Thirty-Six • United Nations,
New York • Emerald Hills • The Mouse Group • Solving Problems
• My Big Promotion at Last
Chapter 12 ............................................................... Page 155
Zambia
Chapter 13 ............................................................... Page 161
The Delaware House • The Laboratory --- A Wonderful Place
• A Topical Anticancer Drug • The Light Handed Management Approach
• Just a Walk in the Park • Sadness Along the Way • Swaziland Conference
• Boompa and Sparky • More Sadness
Chapter 14 ............................................................... Page 174
Swaziland to Work
Chapter 15 ............................................................... Page 182
1989 Italian Conference • Absolute Right and Wrong • Ken is out of Woodside
High School • Third International Conference --- Ethiopia
Chapter 16 ............................................................... Page 188
My Retirement --- 1993 • My Introduction to Family History
• Family History Center • More about Retirement • The Art Groups
• Coincidence • Caribbean Cruise --- December of 1996
Chapter 17 ............................................................... Page 203
Save Our Students • The Relatives Visit from Europe
Chapter 18 ............................................................... Page 210
Europe • Bocholt and the Eimers Family • Denmark and Sweden
• Stockholm • East Berlin • 1995 --- Peter Parkhurst and the Parkhurst Family
Chapter 19 ............................................................... Page 220
1996 Graduations • Hospitals are no Place for Sick People • More Visits from
Europe --- 1998 • Kathy’s Wedding --- The Old Anderson Ranch • Italy • Old
Friends and More Sadness • Ken and Jerissa’s Wedding --- 2000 • Thinking Back
• The Puppy Dog and Jennifer Graduates from College • Atascadero • September
11, 2001 • More Sadness • Sparky --- February 8, 2002 • Year --- 2003
Chapter 20 ............................................................... Page 237
Local Government • Sequoia Hospital • Sequoia Art Group • The Tree Project
• Public Art • Marina Shores Project • Why Does This Happen? • War has Come
Chapter 21 ............................................................... Page 252
A Disturbed World • Government • Religion • I’m so Lucky • The Best of Times
Epilog ....................................................................... Page 262
Photographs............................................................. Page 263
Description: “The Best of Times: A Life in California” is the story of growing up in Southern California. A true story of the author’s life that covers seventy years of experiences, some good and some not so good but hopefully all instructive. Some sadness, some humor --- with the importance family, country and friendship used to demonstrate a moral philosophy that has become part of the author’s life. 
 
About the Author:

Robert M. Parkhurst from his early days struggling with dyslexia and running away from school, his interest in science took him on to graduate from UCLA.  After a tour of duty as a naval officer, he went on to graduate school at the University of Utah.  He spent 33 years as a research chemist at Stanford Research Institute. After retirement he continued his interest in art, family history and local affairs.  He lives in Redwood City with his wife, Marge.  They have two grown children.
Notes: R. M. Parkhurst, P. O. Box 1033, Redwood City, California 94064  
 parkhurst@bigfoot.com
  http://home.earthlink.net/~rmparkhurst/