Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all readers of my posts! It's been an eventful year, and today has been memorable here at our home in San Diego. Another Christmas has come and gone (well, almost... it's 2230 now, on Christmas day), and the memory banks have more to store *grin*. We slept in this morning, then got going, and visited my older daughter and family. Returned home, tried in vain to open our own gifts while the phone rang incessantly, then caught a short nap before my younger daughter and her family showed up. Now, everyone is gone, Jacqueline's in bed, and I'm going to be there soon too. This day always reminds one to appreciate the things you have, it doesn't take much looking around to see people who are struggling. So, 2008 is rapidly approaching, and with it, a whole new set of events and memories. From our house to yours, may it be a fruitful year, and may good health be your constant companion! Happy New Year!

Musings From my Visit to Minnesota

Well, it's 0030 here, now, and I really ought to be asleep. I'm at my parent's house, here in Bloomington, MN, but leave tomorrow for home. It's been a really rewarding visit, got to see all my brothers and most of their spouses. Also got to spend some "computer time" (basically, the equivalent of quality time) with my nephew Christopher, who's WAY too sophisticated for his age, when it comes to computers, anyway . Fortunately, he's pretty much your typical kid otherwise. Anyhow, my dad's crisis has passed, in a way. Yes, it's still very real, but the treatment regimen is fairly painless: one pill a day. Yes, there's side effects, but nothing that's really hard to tolerate. I think a massive weight has been lifted from him, he's obviously less stressed about the whole uncomfortable experience now. I had the opportunity to spend some rewarding time with both him and my mom, and am really glad I came back. It was great to see that my brothers were all doing well too. And I wish I'd had my camera for my brother Donn's house... boy, did he have that sucker lit up with Christmas lights!

From fires to rain

Hello again, it's been a while. Several significant developments of late; the fires are all over, thank God, and winter has started a bit early. San Diego got a significant storm about 10 days ago, and now it's raining again. Currently, I'm in Riverside, CA, at UC Riverside, with a group of high school students doing a campus tour, in the rain. I'm beginning to think we're in for a wet winter. But that's not the "big development". My dad's been diagnosed with cancer, but fortunately it's been caught early, stage 1. The lymph system appears to have been affected, however, and the doctors are discussing strategy and therapies. I'm flying back in a few days, just to spend a little time with them. My mom's worried sick, probably more than is necessary, it doesn't appear to be life-threatening. Of course, it's still a major concern, and everyone (especially my dad) wants it behind us. This little experience landed up being the subject of my Christmas letter this year, it's had a profound effect on me too.