As we grow older, time seems to be both too long and too short. To wait a year for something seems terribly long. To remember a year gone by seems very short. Recalling the past year for this missive can be difficult, not so much to write the letter but to keep from writing a book. Don’t worry. I’ve met the challenge yet again.
(Click any photo to see it full size.)
In her favorite time of the year, Joanna married Doug.
It was a sunny autumnal day in the middle of October but it turned a bit damp as the ceremony was about to begin. However, the weather did not dampen anyone’s spirits and the event went on as if planned that way from the start. It was a small intimate wedding with families and friends held at a bed & breakfast in northern Virginia. I put up a small summary of the event here:
Nomenclature is important. There are walking sticks and there are canes.
For the record, Marilee’s mother does not use a cane. In the photo here, you’ll see that Marilee’s mother is showing off her genuine West Virginia walking stick. It may not seem like much but when our favorite nonagenarian agrees to use the balance enhancing device, well, that’s an accomplishment worth reporting.
And, as seen here, using a walking stick hardly restricts her fun index!
She has been a passenger on two wheels and three wheels.
On Mother’s Day 2013, she became an honorary inductee to the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) Hall of Fame. For 365 days, a picture of her riding on the back of the red Harley-Davidson motorcycle will hang in the entry way of the AMA Hall of Fame and Museum.
Lest any reader think harshly of me for exposing my dear mother-in-law to unacceptable risks, the safety minded readers should know that the photos seen here were staged. While performing the actual rides, mom and I were dressed in appropriate protective clothing including helmets and gloves. Those who ride with me regularly know that I am a big proponent of “all the gear all the time” (aka ATGATT in the long distance riding community).
Seth is preparing to leave the country in connection with a new job. He’ll be working in Linux-related applications for Weta, a film company in New Zealand specializing in visual special effects. He starts in January 2014, and family members are already planning visits. Oh, and here’s a fun fact: The IRS will still tax his income earned outside the U.S. If you’re curious about what sort of things he does, follow the link at the end of this paragraph.
2018 Edit — The “straightedgelinux” site was deprecated and the name returned back to the wilds of the internet. If you look for it now, there is no telling what you may encounter. However, look at OpenSource.com, search for Seth Kenlon and you will find many of his technical contributions in the field.
Tabitha was a visiting fellow at Chawton House Library in England this fall, where she researched eighteenth-century women’s writing.
You can see some of her travel photos here:
http://myaustenautumn.wordpress.com
She has received a dissertation completion fellowship for the spring semester, which will allow her to concentrate on quality writing and the job hunt without the distraction of teaching freshman writing classes. Tabitha will receive her PhD in English from Northeastern University in May 2014.
In the fall, William began his doctorate in music composition at the University of Maryland, College Park, fully funded as one of ten annual recipients of the university’s prestigious Flagship Fellowship. In addition to regular coursework and concert performances, he is also singing with the university’s elite Chamber Singers. This is a sound portrait comprised of several of his works. If you’ve got 3 minutes and 3 seconds, give it a listen.
https://soundcloud.com/williamkenlon/reel/
If you’ve got longer to linger, check out his website.
I look in on my mother Shirley regularly. The most recent visit is >here< and she appears comfortable and calm. She can no longer walk but enjoys looking at pictures and watching the wildlife as seen from the large windows in the common room at the facility.
Marilee and I are blessed with good health which facilitates our participation in several outdoor activities.
Marilee is another step closer to her goal of taking an extended trail ride on horseback. Notice that is her goal. I’m a spectator when it comes to horses but fully support her effort. And she is still a regular rider with me on the motorcycle.
Hiking the trails in and around the battle fields where we live has brought us to some interesting finds.
And as this missive is finalized for posting, we are in the final stages of preparation for our cross county ski outings.
I could go on but I promised at the beginning of this post that I would not write a book. Instead, here is a picture worth a thousand words. Read the smiles; they’re all genuine.
So let me wrap up by giving all thanks to God for His watch care over us, for our health, and indeed “for our daily bread.”
Our prayer for you (whether a family member or random netizen happening by because Google offered this path) is that you would seek God and His wisdom. Check out some verses in the Bible: Luke, chapter two and Luke chapter twenty-four, verse seven (24:7).
