Merry Christmas(k) !!! We thought we were going to return to something like life back in the good ol’ days of 2019. We thought modern science was going to “save the world” with vaccines and wonder drugs. We thought wrong. We’re still pondering risk factors and masking up. (Hence, the “k” in the title.)
Instead of traveling to some snow covered cross country ski venue for the Ski For Light International event, it was held virtually. Video conferencing on the laptop while wearing cross country skis in the living room is an interesting visual but we didn’t go quite that far. We did, however, attend video conference calls where we were presented with fitness lectures, exercise routines, and storytelling by various blind and sighted adventurers.
The rest of the year we maintained an active retired lifestyle by hiking the trails in the nearby state and national parks and worked out with our personal trainer at the gym.
A quick update on the other family members:
Tabitha began the year continuing the job hunt and ends it as a student once again. She is attending University College Dublin in Ireland, doing an MSc in International Relations on a full tuition scholarship. As an author, she was very involved in producing the *audio* edition of her book, Conduct Books and the History of the Ideal Woman – it’s available on Audible and makes a great gift! The other logo seen here is the Podcast she hosts. It’s free and you can take a listen by clicking here.
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Seth & Jess – Seth has reached his 5 year anniversary of working at Red Hat (that’s 12 years, including previous volunteer work) and continues his work promoting open source culture and software. He continues to compose music for fun and has published two new game books this year, one of which is shown here and you can read more about it by clicking this LINK.
If you poke around the DriveThruRPG.com website or search on “Seth Kenlon,” you’ll find a few of his other Role Playing Game (RPG) projects. Marilee and I have played through a few of the scenarios. They are quite interesting from the standpoint of exercising one’s brain on several levels. Very engaging.
You may recall that Jess volunteers at their local museum in Lawrence, New Zealand, which she has transformed from “community attic” to an actual museum, and has implemented new policies to ensure proper care and maintenance of artifacts. Her efforts have been recognized by the town during its annual Heritage Day celebration and by the regional tourist board. They liked her work so much that she was promoted from volunteer to Museum Manager. You can read more about her work with the museum when you click this LINK.
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Joanna & Doug are working from home intermittently in Maryland. Same as last year. But there were some changes in the Graupman household. Sadly, their 15 year-old cat, Spice, passed away unexpectedly after becoming suddenly ill. Only days later while driving home, a friend of Joanna’s rescued a kitten from the middle of a busy road. Now there is the pitter-patter of little feet in their house! No, not a baby. The rescued kitten. Her name is Willow and she has become their new personal trainer ensuring Jo and Doug get plenty of exercise chasing her around the house to keep her out of trouble. Their other cat, Butterscotch, watches in wonderment from a hiding place.
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William is in Washington, DC. His teaching has returned to in-person but with masks at universities in DC and Maryland; he also continues to give private lessons. He has moved to a single occupancy apartment sans roommates. The relocation caused his commute to change a bit but his primary means of city transportation is still his bicycle. As the pandemic restrictions ease, he is looking forward to having more music performed next year.
While avoiding crowds but still enjoying some “holiday-night-life,” William captured the photo on the left of the Christmas tree on the Mall. When he shared this photo with us, we could not help to notice the similarity of the Christmas tree on the White House Ornament series for 2021.
In a surprise move this year, we purchased and put up our Christmas tree *without* prompting from our children. While shopping for the tree, Ryder guided Marilee through the tree maze at our local nursery. He stopped near a well shaped tree and then appeared completely puzzled as a worker lifted it away and attached it to the car roof.
At home, the two cats, Patches and Tigger (seen in that order in the above photos), were delighted to see a significant piece of the outdoors brought inside. Happily neither of them attempt to climb the tree and are content to sit under it sniffing the fragrant fir branches or playing with bows pulled from packages. (Patches was the main culprit in that regard.) Marilee and I are content to sit near the tree to enjoy its fragrance rather than under it.
And that we did. We read the Christmas story. We reflected on God’s gift of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. In spite of the reduced socializing due to the ongoing concerns over COVID-19 and the variants, we were able to share holiday blessings with “in country” family members on their own schedules.
That wraps up a few of this year’s blessings. We give the Lord all thanks and praise.
Now here’s hoping that 2022
is not another 2020 too.
