December 2017
Dear Family and Friends,
This year crept by in an “oh so daily” way and it also flew
by, as it does these days. Remember when the days before Christmas crept by one minute
at a time? Mom always decorated the tree perfectly with each piece of tinsel
applied individually. In the morning before school, I’d sit by the tree and soak
in the beautiful lights, wishing, wishing for Christmas Day. Grandmother would
make corsages with ribbon and little glass balls and bells that we’d wear to
church. Sometimes, a box of fruits would appear, a gift from an oil company or
someone dad knew. My brother and I were always in the pageant at church, and on
Christmas Eve, we would read the Christmas story at home, then recite “The
Night Before Christmas” which we knew by heart. We’d eat snacks and my favorite
was a rare treat - potato chips with an onion dip mom made. Early the next
morning, we’d open presents, and my favorite was always a big stack of books,
especially Nancy Drew mysteries. We made a special Christmas dinner, and we’d play with
our gifts and if it was warm, we’d sometimes hop in the car and dad would take
us to the sandhills to play.
It has been a year laced with nostalgia. Georgia found you
can go back home again. She returned for the first time since 1969 for her high
school 50th reunion which was held in Odessa, rather than Kermit,
Texas. It was really lovely to see so many people I had grown up with. I played
clarinet with the alumni band, and we gabbed non-stop. Someone
brought a truck filled with the old-fashioned delicious Pecos cantaloupe we
grew up eating for breakfast that I have dreamed about. The taste brought back memories of childhood! The organizers and chef for our class reunion
were very tolerant of my vegetarian ways and went out of their way to make sure
I ate well. I had the nicest time carpooling with a classmate who lives in El Paso and tracked down a former college roommate who lives there, as well.
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| I didn't actually visit my hometown of Kermit, but I did see the roadsign |
In September we visited the east coast, stopping in Providence, Mystic, Ct., Boston, Washington D.C., and then back to Boston and another quick trip to Mystic, then back home. We visited Hannah and Astro, her pup. We saw the Connecticut Marshall’s and cousin Betty, visited with Georgia’s Peace Corps Fellow alumni in Providence and D.C., and Georgia conferenced with the Peace Corps Coverdell coordinators. We enjoyed the Isabelle Stewart Gardiner Museum in Boston and the renovated wing of the American History Museum in D.C. We watched the Astros beat the Red Sox right before the playoffs, and enjoyed the warm, early fall with friends and family.
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| The most exciting moment of this game was when a ball hit the person directly in front of Bob! |
Bob is quite busy with the long-term project at NOAO called DESI. It is a new instrument that will scan and photograph the skies continuously, sure to provide years of data for astronomers and revealing more about dark energy. This year, they tested a prototype, and there are regular meetings with the partners. Bob and Georgia enjoy working on family genealogy and are pondering results of DNA testing. Those family brick walls are endlessly entertaining!
Bob and Laura remain staunch family runners. Laura works out
twice weekly with the Work Out Group (WOG) and is active with the Tucson Trail
Runners and Southern Arizona Roadrunners. After her 50 mile run last year, she decided
to do a 50K this year. Laura has run some other ultras, as well, and has had
some nice successes. She enjoys the running and the people who run.
She’s making good progress on the dissertation, with all her 1200 samples at
the lab for isotope analysis, and her final chapter, a model, is up and
running. It has been a very long haul, but there’s light at the end of the
tunnel.
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| Thanksgiving Day |
Hannah is still at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston having
finished her one-year internship and half of her three-year residency in
critical care. She visits when she can get away with Astro who travels quietly under
the seat in a dog carrier. He’s a very good traveler. Hannah and Georgia practice yoga to retain equanimity in this distressed, yet beautiful world.
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| Astro the wonder dog who swallowed a wooden duck before coming to live at the Angell SPCA and becoming the latest rescue in the family menagerie |
Our grandcats, Mason, Moo and Addee, keep us hopping. They are mostly entertaining.
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| Inspector Mason |
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| Moo Moo |
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| Addee the wonder cat who is a medical miracle with 25% kidney function |
"I
heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old,
familiar carols play,
And wild
and sweet
The words
repeat
Of peace on
earth, good-will to men!"
–Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow
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We wish you a merry Christmas and happy 2018!
-- Georgia & Bob
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