This year I have purchased several boxes of Christmas cards... I have written a Christmas letter...
Now, on Christmas, (the frenzy of Christmas slowing) I am starting to address envelopes to hold Christmas cards, containing our Christmas letter...
It has been a tough year.
Some of you will receive a "dead trees" copy of this included with a lovely card...
For all of you, this, in two pages is our year, on this, the occasion of a seasonal change, rebirth, and time of reflection....
Hello friends,
We (Tina and I) have never “done” a Christmas letter… but this year seems to need one. It’s been a tough year.
We lost both of my parents. Mom died suddenly in March. She had been failing for some time, but it was still a surprise. Dad began having pains in May, which was diagnosed as a very aggressive lymphoma. Dan and Penni, and Tina and I spent much of May, June, and a bit of July with Dad… first in the hospital, on to the hospice, then for the last month caring for him at home, and selling pigeons. I believe for Dan and I it was a gift to spend so much time with him… even if it had a sad ending.
The last month was special, at home in a house filled with friends and pigeons. There were visitors from California and Nebraska… there would have been more visitors if the end had not come so quickly.
Since then, Dan and Penni have moved from Alaska to Florida, and now live in Mom and Dad’s house on Dansville Drive.
From the perspective of December and Christmas, the rest of the year seems like a blur…
I continue to run a Historic House Museum… Tina continues at Google… Stephanie is in College... Brian has completed his Navy enlistment, and has embarked on life…
The year started in January (as it customarily does) with a trip to Hawaii. I spent 10 days working in Honolulu consulting on restoration and care of two wooden railroad cars. It is a bit weird staying in a vacation paradise and going to work each day.
Stephanie and I went to Washington DC in late February to visit with nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews and, oh, to visit libraries and museums… While there, there were conversations with Dad about Mom… I already had reservations to be in Florida for a visit in mid March. It seemed to be a good thing. Unfortunately, the timing was off, and Mom died the morning after I returned from DC… 3 days later I would have been in Florida with her. Tina flew down with me… We had a wonderful time with Dad. Dan came down a week after I left to spend two weeks with Dad. We all thought there would be many, many more visits.
Tina and I flew to New Orleans in May for the Rotary International Convention. Meanwile Dad checked himself into the hospital. He said everything was fine. We arrived early to work on a volunteer project creating a library in a local shelter. We spent three days in New Orleans before we decided that Dad was in trouble, and maybe it wasn’t a simple infection that they could fix.…
Tina and I arrived in Florida on Sunday. We got the initial diagnosis on Monday, his birthday… We started Chemo before we got the final diagnosis that Friday, and moved him to the hospice. They were able to control his pain and stabilize him. 10 days later we moved Dad home.
The month of June was spectacular… With Dad in his own bedroom, friends visited… they brought pigeons. We auctioned pigeons… We had cocktail hour every afternoon. His friends helped Dan and me. They made the last month special. We can’t thank them enough.
With Dad’s death, the rules changed… We were dealing with all the things that had to be done… Dan returned to Alaska and his fishing boat. Penni sold the Kodiak house, and moved to Florida with their dogs. Penni is from Tampa so this was a homecoming. I returned to work, the Patterson House, with summer camps and such.
Back home the day to day world continued.
Brian’s enlistment in the Navy ended in February, but he extended and stayed with his ship as the rescue swimmer until it returned from The Gulf in May. He was at home for the summer before entering a program in Jacksonville, Florida, as a deep water hard hat diver and underwater welder.
Steph is attending San Francisco State University studying zoology, and volunteering at the San Francisco Zoo’s hospital and as a penguin volunteer.
Tina and I escaped from life in November and spent a week in Hawaii, island hopping, visiting Kauai, Oahu and the Big Island… Of course we had to return to real life all too soon.
Thanksgiving was spent with family (including Brian and his girlfriend Lauren) in Yosemite with the extended Hees family… 44 strong. It is a family reunion going back to the 1960’s, maybe to the 1940’s… Dad’s sister Lois was there… it was a great time to catch up with everyone and recover a little.
We had a wonderful time with Tina’s family in Tucson just a week ago, as her older sister Karin got married and the family gathered to celebrate. Welcome, Don.
As I write this, Christmas at Patterson House is winding down… We will start taking Christmas down on Monday the 19th… a week too early. Tina is handing out Google’s Christmas present (whatever it may be).
We are looking forward to hosting Christmas Eve at home with the traditional Roast Beast and Yorkshire pudding and family… Christmas will be with Lauren and her family.
Bye, and Merry Christmas, Randy, Tina, Steph, Brian, along with Emma the wonder dog, Daisy, Lilly, Atakapa, Annie, Sophie, Chloe, and Phoebe.
PS… I just received this from a friend… it seems appropriate…
Dear Santa,
I don't want much for Christmas; I just want the person reading this to be happy .
Friends are the fruit cake of life- some nutty, some soaked in alcohol, some sweet, but mix them together and they're my friends.
Special thanks to all our friends who helped and held hands while Mom and Dad died… We don’t know how to thank you enough.
Dear Randy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting your letters...I lost both my parents and had to deal with everything all alone...It was rough...But you know what they say about strength...(I hate that saying but..."That which doesn't "kill" you makes you stronger!") Thanks for writing your blog.
Happy Holidays.
Ellen Miller