Merry Christmas

Advanced age does curious things to a person.  Like sometimes you forget that to get a Christmas letter out by Christmas you need to write it.   Hmm.  Quick math tells me if I add my procrastination with my age and subtract the current delivery schedule of the postal service this should reach you sometime in 2012.

Although the year was filled with a boatload of blessings one of the best was our middle son, Ethon’s marriage.   He found the perfect match in Cheryl, a bright young lady with a good head on her shoulders and a great sense of humor (unless it comes to all the fixins).

And in the category of good blessings with a serious twist of self pity, youngest son Levi got a good job in Kansas City and moved with Janice, Shaylin and Xander.  John and I could count on a weekly fix of grandkid shenanigans until the move and now it has become a six week fix.  Still six weeks is better than nothing.   

Lucky for us we still have grandkids in the area.  Our oldest boy Muncher and his wife seem pretty settled in to St. Charles, which is only 45 minutes away.  Muncher has a great job that he enjoys and Randa-Kay works part-time for the YMCA.  They are very busy. Braska and KiKi are a delight and never cease to amaze us.

We have been blessed this year with good friends, family and the church.   We have a warm, cozy home, a car, and lights on the tree.  We have coats, food in the cupboards, and blankets on our bed.   We have jobs, electricity, and so much more.   This year in St. Louis we have seen people go through hard circumstances, lose jobs and homes, and want nothing more than a heavy blanket and a space heater.   This Christmas I hope to look beyond the tree, the tinsel, and the glitz.   I want to open my eyes to moments of chance that give me opportunity to walk what I talk.

Hug those you love, laugh when you shouldn’t, and have a wonderful Christmas and the best 2012.

John and Carole

Sunday Quote

It is curious how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want.   --Spock in 'Errand of Mercy'


Yesterday I went to the Star Trek Exhibition at the Science Center in St. Louis.    It brought 45 years of authentic Star Trek artifacts to life.  The display featured one-of- a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film.  It was awesome!!!